The only independent secondary school in the borough is Stanborough School, a day and boarding school operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There are several independent schools nearby, including Purcell School, a specialist music school. [113] The council have made twinning links with five towns. The first was Mainz, Germany, in 1956, and the most recent is Pesaro, Italy, in 1988; the others are Nanterre, [35] Novgorod, and Wilmington, Delaware. [36] The council award an honorary status of Freedom of the Borough to certain individuals "who have in the opinion of the council, rendered eminent services to the borough"; as of 2020 there are three freemen: Elton John, and two local councillors involved in the twinning process. [37] Administrative history [ edit ] Watford Watford became a municipal borough on 18 October 1922 when it was granted a charter of incorporation. [47] The council was granted a coat of arms on 16 October 1922, two days before it became a borough. [48]

Murray, Nigel, and Cox, Neil; Cox, Neil (April 1994). "States of Independence". The Musical Times. Musical Times Publications Ltd. 135 (1814): 247–248. doi: 10.2307/1002780. JSTOR 1002780. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link) Main article: List of Watford F.C. managers Graham Taylor took Watford from the Fourth Division to the First, between 1977 and 1982. Star striker Blissett heads for new life at Italy's AC Milan". Watford Observer. 6 July 1983 . Retrieved 27 October 2009. On 21 January 2018, Javi Gracia was appointed as head coach following Silva's departure. [118] Gracia has been met with widespread praise since his appointment after a successful 2018–19 Premier League campaign which saw Watford finish with their highest points tally ever in English Premier League football. In the 2020–21 season, there were two more coaches, beginning with Vladimir Ivic, and followed by Xisco Munoz, who ultimately steered Watford towards promotion to the Premier League. Xisco continued to coach the team for the 2021–22 Premier League campaign until October 2021, and was subsequently followed by Claudio Ranieri from October 2021 to January 2022. Former England manager Roy Hodgson took hold of the reigns from February 2022 until the season's end, where Watford finished in 19th place and were relegated from the Premier League.Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No.

Historic England. "Holy Rood Church (1101104)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 22 May 2017. Until April 2019, when Watford played at Vicarage Road their players traditionally entered the pitch at the start of the game to the Z-Cars theme tune. [79] However, in mid-April 2019 the team changed their entrance song to Elton John's " I'm Still Standing". [80] The club returned to Z Cars as the theme to welcome players to the pitch in August 2019 at the start of the 2019–20 Premier League season, following fan pressure and petitions. [81] [82] [83] Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors [ edit ] Period He led hometown club Sheffield United to two promotions from League One to the Premier League before leaving in March 2021. The Roman Catholic Church, Holy Rood, is a much later structure. Built in 1890 by John Francis Bentley, the architect responsible for Westminster Cathedral in London, it is noted as a particularity fine example of Gothic Revival architecture. The ornate interior contains stained glass by the designer Nathaniel Westlake. [65] All events are delivered by the ‘Walk for Women of Watford’ partnership which consists of Watford Council, Veolia, Watford Community Housing, Watford Women’s Centre, Everyone Active and Watford Football Club.McGrath, Mike (19 July 2020). "Nigel Pearson to be replaced as Watford manager for final two games of season". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 . Retrieved 19 July 2020.

The line was operated by British Rail (from 1986 as Network SouthEast) until privatisation. In the Network SouthEast period, it was briefly rebranded as the Harlequin line, after the stations of Harlesden and Queen's Park. [2] [3] The ancient parish of Watford was included in the hundred of Cashio. [40] In 1835, Watford became the centre of a poor law union, and a workhouse was built in 1836–1837 at 60 Vicarage Road (then called Hagden Lane). [41] Residents who have been affected by gender-based violence are encouraged to seek help and support through various support services available in the region. These services are available for you to access free of charge, offering a lifeline to individuals who may feel trapped or silenced by their experiences. Importantly, individuals can access these services independently of the police, ensuring that those in need receive assistance in a safe and confidential environment.

Meaning and history

The Hertfordshire Fire Museum is dedicated to the history of firefighting in the county. It is based in a purpose-built building at Watford Fire Station, on the same street as Watford Museum. The Museum includes a wide range of vehicles, equipment, uniforms and archive material. [76] From 1921–22, the third tier of The Football League consisted of two parallel sections of 22 clubs, fighting both for promotion to the Second Division and also battling to hold on to their league status. [4] There was a re-election system in place which meant the bottom two teams in each of the two divisions had to apply for re-election to the league. [10] Watford finished outside the top six league positions in every season between 1922 and 1934. Following Kent's departure in 1926, they finished 21st out of 22 clubs in 1926–27, but were unanimously re-elected to the league after a ballot of clubs in the top two divisions of The Football League. [11] By contrast, under Neil McBain and subsequently Bill Findlay, the team recorded five consecutive top six finishes between 1934–35 and 1938–39, and won the Football League Third Division South Cup in 1937. [12] The Football League was suspended in 1939 due to the Second World War. By the 1920s, printing had become the biggest industry in Watford. The biggest printers in the town were Sun Printers Ltd and Odhams Press. Watford was the biggest printing centre in the world and many advances in printing were made in Watford. During World War II the prints were taken over by the government who used them to print propaganda. After the war, the printing industry began going into decline. Union activity was common in Watford and advances in technology meant much of the industry became obsolete. Odhams Press closed down in 1978 and The Sun moved out of Watford during the 1980s after market reforms allowed it to do so. [21] Brandon Robshaw,"North of Watford Gap" 2017 https://brandonrobshaw.wordpress.com/2017/08/07/north-of-watford-gap/ Up until Findlay's departure in 1947, Watford had been managed by five managers in 44 years, all of whom played for the team. By contrast, six men managed the club between 1947 and 1956, only two of whom were former Watford players. [8] After a further three years under McBain between 1956 and 1959, Watford's following three managers presided over improved teams. Ron Burgess led Watford to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1959–60. Bill McGarry was only in charge for one full season (1963–64), but Watford recorded a finish of third in the Third Division, the club's highest Football League finish until that point. His successor Ken Furphy matched that achievement in 1966–67, and led Watford to the Third Division title in 1969, before taking the club to its first FA Cup semi-final in 1970. Following Furphy's departure in 1971, Watford entered a period of decline, experiencing relegation under subsequent managers George Kirby and Mike Keen. [8]

Inglis, Simon (1988). League Football and the Men Who Made It. Willow Books. p.132. ISBN 0-00-218242-4. Since 1999 Watford has been divided into 12 wards. [33] Each ward has three councillors who are elected for a four-year term. Watford elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, for the Watford constituency. Prior to the establishment of this constituency in 1885 the area was part of the three seat constituency of Hertfordshire. [34] Town twinning [ edit ]Pat Jennings". Irish Football Association. Archived from the original on 12 November 2009 . Retrieved 27 October 2009. As of the 2021 census, Watford's religious profile roughly reflected that of England and Wales, with a larger Muslim and Hindu population than the average. The partially selective schools and Bushey Meads School operate common admissions tests in mathematics and non-verbal reasoning each autumn. In addition to those seeking selective places, all applicants to Bushey Meads and Queens' School are required to take the tests, so they are taken by the majority of Year 6 children in the area. The partially selective schools also operate a common test and audition procedure to select children for specialist music places. [115] Watford seal Premier League return as Brighton are put to the sword". The Guardian. 25 April 2015 . Retrieved 28 April 2015.