A snapshot of life in November 1990

Soap stars play dirty

Ill-tempered EastEnders stars Nick Berry and Gary MacDonald spoiled a charity soccer match at Woodside on Sunday. Berry, who plays love-tangled Whicksy, and MacDonald, who plays black market dealing Darren, were playing for the Watford Boys Club against Bricket Wood’s Acorn FC. It was supposed to be a good-natured money spinner for a charity minibus appeal, but the TV stars overstepped the mark and tactics finally got them both sent off. Although the EastEnders side were down to nine men they won 3-2. The meeting raised £700 to help buy a minibus for St Luke’s and the United Reform Church in Bricket Wood.

[November 2, 1990]

Museum could return

Three Rivers Museum Society, which packed up its collections and closed its doors at Basing House, Rickmansworth, for the last time three weeks ago, could return there, councillors have heard. The museum which earlier appeared to be high and dry because of the need to use Basing House for council staff, could, by a paradox, now return because the council does not want to take on new premises.

[November 2, 1990]

Does killer drink in the Artichoke?

Police are now 99 per cent certain who killed Kenneth Sargent, the 17-year-old who died after being mown down by a hit-and-run driver. The incident, in St Albans Road, Watford, in April, was highlighted nationwide on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme on Thursday. Dozens of phone calls followed the showing. The Watford Observer received an anonymous call on Monday identifying the killer. We passed that name onto the police. The caller said the killer was a drug dealer who drank regularly in the Artichoke public house, The Parade, and had boasted about the incident. No one would come forward for fear of reprisals.

[November 9, 1990]

Still waiting for Springs to open

The new staff for Watford Springs took the plunge for a 24-hour sponsored swim on Saturday. More than 50 miles were covered in relays by the newly-appointed lifeguards, who were raising money for the Watford Scanner Appeal. However, the doors to Watford Springs remain closed to the general public, whose excitement about the new leisure pool has been dampened over the long delay. Deputy Manager Mr Nick Cave refused to reveal when the facilities might be available to the people of Watford.

[November 9, 1990]

Locals save the King

Loyal locals in Bushey Heath have won a three-year battle to save their “King”. Although some residents never believed it would happen, the new King’s Head public house in Little Bushey Lane will be opened next week. The opening will be the culmination of a controversial three-year battle to get the Bushey pub rebuilt. The right royal wrangle started in March 1987 when the King’s Head was closed by its owners Benskins Brewery. Part of the 200-year-old listed building collapsed during restoration work in 1988, and it was subsequently demolished. Bedfordshire brewery, Charles Wells Limited, bought the site and have recently finished building a replica of the pub.

[November 16, 1990]

Station to be demolished

Fears that British Rail’s plan for the redevelopment of Kings Langley Station had been understated in a council planning agenda were confirmed last week. Three Rivers councillors were told the whole station frontage building would be demolished. The planning committee approved the application, despite Abbots Langley Parish Council’s wish that as much of the existing station frontage should be retained as possible.

[November 16, 1990]

Feathered friends win fight

Duck lovers in Sarratt have won their fight to save birds who have made their home on the village pond. A petition with hundreds of names was handed to parish councillors on Monday calling for a sign warning drivers to slow down to be re-erected. The unofficial sign was taken down last month by the parish council because it did not have planning permission – within two days two ducks had been run over. Even the village magazine Spotlight lent its support describing the episode as a “slaughter of the innocent”. At a meeting on Monday, parish councillors gave their unanimous support for the sign to be put back up after planning permission had been granted.

[November 30, 1990]

What was happening in the world in November 1990?

• Mary Robinson becomes the first female President of Ireland (November 1)

• Indian Prime Minister V.P. Singh resigns over losing a confidence vote in the Parliament of India (November 7)

• The final military parade to mark the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution takes place in the USSR (November 7)

• A new constitution comes into effect in the Kingdom of Nepal, establishing multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy (November 9)

• The first known web page is written (November 13)

• Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev proposes a radical restructuring of the Soviet government (November 17)

• The leaders of Canada, the US, and 32 European states meet in Paris to formally mark the end of the Cold War (November 19)

• Homosexuality is decriminalised in Queensland, Australia (November 21)

• Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigns after 11 years and is replaced by John Major (November 28)