The Watford Riots

On the subject of riots, and before Hnaef gets too carried away with his idea of heading to Luton on a mission (this one's volunteer only, I've decided, and only then after sufficient counselling) - I was interested to read about the Dunstable riots.

Dunstable is always a bit different - it didn't even have a Great Fire until the 19th century - but it had a riot in 1902.  Which lasted two days. Now Dunstable in those days, before the concept of "London Overspill" was invented, had a population of three men, a straw hatter and a dog. They must have been shattered. Nor was Dunstable alone in this wave of rioting - it also broke out in Watford.

Apparently the proximate cause of the trouble was the rescheduling of the Coronation of Edward VII - the resultant street parties were likewise postponed. and the "rougher elements" of these two fine market towns were up in arms.

There was a riot down the road in Watford at the same time, and some things may seem familiar. The fact that the rioters attacked numerous shops, whose owners were nothing to do with the original complaint. The attempt to set fire to Mr Fisher's shop. That the police were over-stretched: of the 20 coppers in Watford, 10 had set off for Hemel to deal with another riot there. The women going "shopping" in the wreckage. The drafting in of emergency police reinforcements. And the way that Mr Longley carefully memorised the faces of the looters so he could identify them in court - like an Edwardian CCTV. I'm just surprised he didn't have a lightning artist with him.

It was noted that the majority of the rioters came from the slum areas of Watford. Some things never change.