IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
High Street, WATFORD, WD17 2BS

The Que Pasa ("What's happening" in Spanish) chain of bars is owned by Marston's Brewery. This is the Watford outlet http://www.quepasa.co.uk/views/dsp.ourbars.cfm in the High Street. Formerly a branch of the National Westminster Bank, it was converted into a pub and restaurant, and has had several guises through the years, including The Old Westminster, Cafe Maximo and the Counting House. It is however a Grade II Listed Building and the English Heritage website describes it thus: "Circa 1830-40 stuccoed building, 2-storey with raised parapet. Slate roof. L plan. Front range 3 bays with heavily moulded detail. Angle piers, frieze and cornice. Parapet with corner blocks and panelled centre block. 1st floor windows in projecting flat-headed architrave surrounds. Sill brackets. Ground floor windows with heavy neo-Grecian surrounds. Former central door in pilastered surround with entablature. Side elevation of gable end and further 2 bay range. Pilasters and entablature carried around with moulded pedimental feature with framed panel in gable. Stuccoed chimney above. Two bay range has 1st floor windows identical to front range, divided by pilasters. Ground floor paired windows in each bay, in architrave surrounds with flat hoods on brackets, keystones and panelled aprons. In gable end door paired with a window, similarly treated." The building prominently steps out into the general alignment of the buildings on the west side of the High Street, giving it a double frontage.

The Moon Under The Water is a Wetherspoon pub.

The theatre started off in life as a music hall known as the Watford Palace of Varieties in 1908, so it is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. It was closed for over two years between July 2002 and August 2004 to get an £8.8 million refurbishment. The theatre's website http://www.watfordtheatre.co.uk/ has a photograph showing the theatre in its very early years. At some stage the original 1908 façade has been altered to the present day one. The theatre is in Clarendon Road.

This is a Wetherspoon's pub. The chain have a policy of no juke-boxes or other music, and there is always real ale available. Almost all the pub names contain the word 'moon'.

Gibsons butchers have been trading in Watford Market since 1976 and are famous in the Watford area for their superb sausages http://www.watfordmarket.co.uk/wm_gibsons_page.shtml I picked up a nice piece of brisket and, I hope, a traditionalbutcherpoint.

Gibsons butchers have been trading in Watford Market since 1976 and are famous in the Watford area for their superb sausages http://www.watfordmarket.co.uk/wm_gibsons_page.shtml I promised the butcher I would photograph his best side - I hope this is it! The notice in the foreground reads "CROCODILE KANGAROO CARIBOU CAMEL BISON JUST ASK" I didn't - but I might...

Clarendon Road leads into Watford town centre. The town centre is part-pedestrianised. The signs either side of the street show that general traffic prohibited from passing through. Buses, taxis and holders of "blue badge" permits are allowed through, while goods delivery vehicles are also permitted at certain times.

Looking towards the junction with High Street in the heart of Watford's shopping area. The modern market is a covered affair the opposite side of the High Street.

Clarendon Road leads into Watford town centre. Watford's Palace Theatre is on the opposite side of the road. The theatre opened in 1908, and is a Grade II Listed Building.

This photo shows the window and plaque in Market Street near High Street where the former Compasses public house was located. The plaque has the following wording: THE ABOVE WINDOW WAS REMOVED FROM THE OLD COMPASSES INN DEMOLISHED IN 1928. IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE WINDOWS OF THE REST HOUSE WHICH STOOD ON THIS SITE IN THE 15TH CENTURY TO SERVE THOSE ATTENDING WATFORD MARKET. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT WATFORD MARKET RECEIVED ITS CHARTER IN THE REIGN OF HENRY I. This site is now occupied by a retail shop, its postcode being WD17 2BS.