Family history research at the Red Lion in Watford and then home to watch the English Rugby Union and Cricket teams fail badly
Up on time and decided at breakfast to set off soon after to Watford in search of my ancestors. Just had time, however, to read The Times which was published for the first time today after the recent union dispute. With haste to Watford and first went to check out the Hart Spring Road Aldenham Red Lion only to find it replaced with a new Pub/Hotel and no longer there. In confusing one-way traffic to the town centre via an old road and there in Vicarage Road found an old Red Lion Pub right opposite the Watford Football ground. Looked around North Watford Cemetery next door until it opened at 12.00am and then went in for a pint of shandy and two cheese rolls to see what it was like. Being a football day, the entrance to the Saloon was locked and all visitors to the Public Bar had to pass a screening bouncer. The pub is certainly quite old – whether it goes back to 1820 has yet to be established.
Unfortunately I did not see the Saloon Bar was open by a back route until I had ordered and had to content myself looking at the football posters and nymphet barmaids wriggling to the Juke Box – not much history there! After to collect a programme for the match before off to the town centre to the History Library. The old crony there, distracted by too many enquiries and the staffing cuts, was not very helpful, but I was shown a book of Hertfordshire Inns and saw John Broad the publican of the Red Lion in 1820. I left Watford and made my way to the County Record Office at Hertford which I found shut on Saturdays. I got home just as the family had arrived back from lunch and settled down to watch England being soundly beaten by Scotland in the Calcutta Rugby match. The biggest highlight was my half time full dress dream. Tea of prawns and cake and in the evening spent time sorting through my family papers to transfer my family tree information to my loose leaf pocket book. Noted the details of the Red Lion Licensee today (Graham Cranwell) and also noticed that one Douglas N Broad is an Hon.Vice President of Watford Football club. I intend to write to them both to see if they have heard of John Broad. Tonight in New Zealand, England Cricket Team also lost by an innings and 100-odd runs in a sad day for English sport indeed.