Rickmansworth
Encyclopedia
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire
, England
, 4¼ miles (7 km) west of Watford
.
The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal
and the River Colne
, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park
.
Rickmansworth is a small town in a leafy shire suburb with a wide range of leisure activities, amenities and good quality schools. Rickmansworth is in Top 10 neighbourhoods with the highest quality of life according to Government statistics. Nearby there is a wide and diverse range of leisure activities and amenities for example Cassiobury Park
, cycling along one of the most picturesque sections of the Grand Union Canal, the River Chess
valley, walks in the Chiltern Hills
and Chorleywood Common to name a few. The High Street also hosts a range of restaurants covering almost all areas of cuisine.
It began to grow in the 1920s and 1930s as part of the Metro-land
area, due to Rickmansworth station
on the Metropolitan line
of the London Underground
. As such, it is largely a commuter town
and transport links are reasonable with fast trains direct to London taking about 30 minutes either via the Chiltern turbo train to Marylebone or fast Metropolitan line trains to Baker Street. It is contained within the M25 J17-J18 with good transport links to Luton and Heathrow Airports as well as the M1 and M40.
Colloquially Rickmansworth is often shortened to "Ricky" as used in the town's annual "Ricky Week" celebrations which occur in May. Up until 2010 an annual "Victorian Evening" was held in the town centre every November, this will be a "Starlight Evening" in 2011 inspired by Douglas Adams
' reference to the town in the first page of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
.
The town's canal history is remembered every year at the end of Ricky Week with the Rickmansworth Festival, organised by Rickmansworth Waterways Trust.
Rickmansworth also has a famous frost hollow. This is caused by the local geography, notably a railway embankment which prevents the natural drainage of cold air from a specific part of the valley. Rickmansworth recorded the largest daily temperature range in England when, on 29 August 1936, the temperature climbed from 1.1°C at dawn to 24.9°C within 9 hours due to this unique geographic feature.
of 1086 it is known as The Manor of Prichemaresworde. Later spellings are Rykemarwurthe (1119–46), Richemaresworthe (1180), Rykemerewrthe (1248), Richemereworthe (1259), Rikesmareswrth (1287) and Rikmansworth (1382).
commercial offices and the homes of a commuting population, and the rivers, canal and flooded gravel pits provide for recreation. Cardinal Wolsey, in his capacity as Abbot of St Albans, held the Manor of le More in the valley, now vanished but superseded by the hill-top mansion of Moor Park, once the residence of Admiral Lord Anson and the Barons Ebury, and
now the Golf Club House. The wider area, including Croxley Green, Moor Park, Batchworth, Mill End, West Hyde and Chorleywood, formed the original parish of Rickmansworth. In 1851, this had a population of only 4,800, but even that represented great growth necessitating division of the parish. So St Mary's Church today serves a parish area
concentrated around the town and extending over Batchworth and parts of Moor Park. Today the town has an ever-growing number of residents in many new apartments and houses.
Around the time of the Domesday Book, that great Norman survey of 1086, there may have been as few as 200 people in the vicinity; then it was called Prichemareworth, one of the five local manors with which the great Abbey of St Albans had been endowed when founded in 793 by King Offa. Local tithes supported the abbey, which in turn provided clergy to serve
local people until the Dissolution of 1539.
Watercress beds abound on the banks of all three of the rivers in Rickmansworth, and the cultivation of this plant is an important industry of the townspeople. Strawplaiting was also largely carried on in the parish. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries many of the principal inhabitants were described as 'clothiers,' from which it may be inferred that the manufacture of cloth was at one time carried on in the parish, but this industry has long since ceased. There were also silk and flock mills here, described in 1808 as recently built.
Rickmansworth Cricket Club
was founded in 1787 and is one of the oldest recorded clubs in England. The present clubhouse was built in 1921 by Sir William Francis Reckitt - a member of the Reckitt and Colman Mustard dynasty.
At the east end of Rickmansworth High Street at the bottom of Scots Hill is situated the Rickmansworth Sports Club. Initially this was the home of Rickmansworth Cricket Club
http://www.rickmansworthcc.ik.com/ which currently runs 4 sides in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League. But over the years other sports have moved into the grounds, including Chess Valley Rugby Football Club
http://www.cvrfc.com and the Rickmansworth & Chess Valley Hockey Clubs http://www.rickyhockey.co.uk/.
William Penn Leisure Centre in Mill End is named after the former school at the same site, using the original school swimming pool.
The Aquadrome is home to a number of watersports including sailing, canoeing and wind sailing.
There are public tennis Courts on the edge of Rickmansworth by Chorleywood House as well as Rickmansworth Lawn Tennis Club which also hosts Rickmansworth Table Tennis Club matches.
From East to West the lakes are named Batchworth, Bury and Stockers and are bounded to the South by the Grand Union Canal
and to the East and North by the River Colne
.
Batchworth Lake is popular for Water Skiing events and hosts the Rickmansworth Water Ski Club.
The lakes are suitable for canoeing, sailing and fishing. Bury Lake is home to BLYM (Bury Lake Young Mariners) which a sailing club and also an RYA-recognised teaching establishment. The lakes are artificial, being former quarries that have been filled with water and fish, there are also ducks, geese and swans. Some of the stone from the site was used in the building of the original Wembley Stadium.
The Rickmansworth Players (affiliated to NODA) are a well-established amateur dramatics society based in Rickmansworth that perform
musicals and plays on a regular basis.
Rickmansworth also hosts a Sub-Aqua Club
Rickmansworth Historical Society meets at 8pm on the second Thursday of the month from September to June in the Cloisters Hall.
There is an annual Ricky Road Run with more than 500 runners taking to the streets of Rickmansworth in 2009 for the 26th year in a row
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 4¼ miles (7 km) west of Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
.
The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
and the River Colne
River Colne, Hertfordshire
The Colne is a river in England which is a tributary of the River Thames. It flows mainly through Hertfordshire and forms the boundary between the South Bucks district of Buckinghamshire and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park
Colne Valley regional park
The Colne Valley regional park located to the west of Greater London contains a mixture of farmland, woodland and water, fifty miles of river and canal and over forty lakes. As well as providing homes and farms it is also a regionally important place recreation and internationally important for...
.
Rickmansworth is a small town in a leafy shire suburb with a wide range of leisure activities, amenities and good quality schools. Rickmansworth is in Top 10 neighbourhoods with the highest quality of life according to Government statistics. Nearby there is a wide and diverse range of leisure activities and amenities for example Cassiobury Park
Cassiobury Park
Cassiobury Park is the principal public open space in Watford, Hertfordshire, in England. It comprises over and extends from the A412 Rickmansworth Road in the east to the Grand Union Canal in the west....
, cycling along one of the most picturesque sections of the Grand Union Canal, the River Chess
River Chess
The River Chess is a chalk stream which springs from Chesham, Buckinghamshire and runs through Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, in south-eastern England. The Chess, along with the Colne and Gade, gives rise to the name of the district of Three Rivers, in which it forms its confluence with the...
valley, walks in the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
and Chorleywood Common to name a few. The High Street also hosts a range of restaurants covering almost all areas of cuisine.
It began to grow in the 1920s and 1930s as part of the Metro-land
Metro-land
Metro-land is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the 20th century, and were served by the Metropolitan Railway, an independent company until absorbed by the London...
area, due to Rickmansworth station
Rickmansworth station
Rickmansworth is a London Underground and National Rail station in the town of Rickmansworth, in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire to the north-west of London...
on the Metropolitan line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. As such, it is largely a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
and transport links are reasonable with fast trains direct to London taking about 30 minutes either via the Chiltern turbo train to Marylebone or fast Metropolitan line trains to Baker Street. It is contained within the M25 J17-J18 with good transport links to Luton and Heathrow Airports as well as the M1 and M40.
Colloquially Rickmansworth is often shortened to "Ricky" as used in the town's annual "Ricky Week" celebrations which occur in May. Up until 2010 an annual "Victorian Evening" was held in the town centre every November, this will be a "Starlight Evening" in 2011 inspired by Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
' reference to the town in the first page of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
.
The town's canal history is remembered every year at the end of Ricky Week with the Rickmansworth Festival, organised by Rickmansworth Waterways Trust.
Rickmansworth also has a famous frost hollow. This is caused by the local geography, notably a railway embankment which prevents the natural drainage of cold air from a specific part of the valley. Rickmansworth recorded the largest daily temperature range in England when, on 29 August 1936, the temperature climbed from 1.1°C at dawn to 24.9°C within 9 hours due to this unique geographic feature.
Etymology
The name Rickmansworth comes from the Saxon name "Ryckmer", the local magnate, and "worth" meaning farm or stockade. In the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 it is known as The Manor of Prichemaresworde. Later spellings are Rykemarwurthe (1119–46), Richemaresworthe (1180), Rykemerewrthe (1248), Richemereworthe (1259), Rikesmareswrth (1287) and Rikmansworth (1382).
History
Rickmansworth was never large, as it served the many scattered hamlets in the surrounding area. The rivers Colne, Chess and Gade, the 'Three Rivers' that give its name to the local government District, provided the water for the famous watercress trade and motive power for corn milling, silk weaving, paper making and brewing, all long gone. Now there arecommercial offices and the homes of a commuting population, and the rivers, canal and flooded gravel pits provide for recreation. Cardinal Wolsey, in his capacity as Abbot of St Albans, held the Manor of le More in the valley, now vanished but superseded by the hill-top mansion of Moor Park, once the residence of Admiral Lord Anson and the Barons Ebury, and
now the Golf Club House. The wider area, including Croxley Green, Moor Park, Batchworth, Mill End, West Hyde and Chorleywood, formed the original parish of Rickmansworth. In 1851, this had a population of only 4,800, but even that represented great growth necessitating division of the parish. So St Mary's Church today serves a parish area
concentrated around the town and extending over Batchworth and parts of Moor Park. Today the town has an ever-growing number of residents in many new apartments and houses.
Around the time of the Domesday Book, that great Norman survey of 1086, there may have been as few as 200 people in the vicinity; then it was called Prichemareworth, one of the five local manors with which the great Abbey of St Albans had been endowed when founded in 793 by King Offa. Local tithes supported the abbey, which in turn provided clergy to serve
local people until the Dissolution of 1539.
Historic industry
There was a mill at Rickmansworth at the time of the Domesday Survey. The water-mill, called West Mill, belonged to the abbot and convent of St. Albans, and was leased by them to Ralph Bukberd for a term of years ending in 1539. In 1533 they leased it from the end of this term for twenty-six years to Richard Wilson of Watford. He was to keep in repair the mill and also two millstones, 10 in. in thickness, and 4 ft. 8 in. in breadth. (fn. 57) The mill was leased in 1544 to William Hutchinson, yeoman of the spicery, and Janet his wife for their lives. (fn. 57a) It afterward came to John Wilson, and was granted in 1576–77 to Richard Master. (fn. 58) There was also a water-mill called Batchworth Mill, and a fishery called Blacketts Mill in Rickmansworth. (fn. 59) Batchworth Mill was later used as a cotton mill, but was bought in 1820 by Messrs. John Dickinson & Co., and converted into paper mills. (fn. 60) It is now being pulled down and the site used by the Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water Company.Watercress beds abound on the banks of all three of the rivers in Rickmansworth, and the cultivation of this plant is an important industry of the townspeople. Strawplaiting was also largely carried on in the parish. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries many of the principal inhabitants were described as 'clothiers,' from which it may be inferred that the manufacture of cloth was at one time carried on in the parish, but this industry has long since ceased. There were also silk and flock mills here, described in 1808 as recently built.
Present day
Firms with a local presence include:- Comet Group, Electronic Retailing
- Camelot GroupCamelot GroupCamelot GroupCamelot is a private limited company, its entire share issue is owned by a single shareholder, as detailed above. are the operators of the UK National Lottery. Camelot Group was awarded the National Lottery franchise in 1993 and was re-awarded the franchise in 2001 and again in 2007...
, Operates the UK National Lottery - Maxell Europe, Electronic Retailing
- Nissan Motors (GB) LtdNissan Motors, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
, Cars Dealership HQ - Renault UK LtdRenaultRenault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, Cars Dealership HQ - Skanska UKSkanskaSkanska AB, is a multinational construction and development company based in Sweden, where it also is the largest construction company. The company's head office is in Solna, north of Stockholm.-History:...
, Construction - Titanium Consulting Interim Management & IT Consulting
- Vocalink, Payments transactions
Sport
The town has a public golf course called Rickmansworth Golf Course which is adjacent to the two courses that make up the famous golf Moor Park golf course which includes a mansion that has been preserved as the club house.Rickmansworth Cricket Club
Rickmansworth Cricket Club
Rickmansworth Cricket Club is one of the oldest clubs in England. The badge denotes a founding date of 1787, however there are records of games prior to this, one in particular between the club and Pinner in 1760....
was founded in 1787 and is one of the oldest recorded clubs in England. The present clubhouse was built in 1921 by Sir William Francis Reckitt - a member of the Reckitt and Colman Mustard dynasty.
At the east end of Rickmansworth High Street at the bottom of Scots Hill is situated the Rickmansworth Sports Club. Initially this was the home of Rickmansworth Cricket Club
Rickmansworth Cricket Club
Rickmansworth Cricket Club is one of the oldest clubs in England. The badge denotes a founding date of 1787, however there are records of games prior to this, one in particular between the club and Pinner in 1760....
http://www.rickmansworthcc.ik.com/ which currently runs 4 sides in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League. But over the years other sports have moved into the grounds, including Chess Valley Rugby Football Club
Chess Valley Rugby Football Club
Chess Valley RFC is a rugby union club from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. It is a member of the Hertfordshire Football Union and the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the youngest clubs in the area...
http://www.cvrfc.com and the Rickmansworth & Chess Valley Hockey Clubs http://www.rickyhockey.co.uk/.
William Penn Leisure Centre in Mill End is named after the former school at the same site, using the original school swimming pool.
The Aquadrome is home to a number of watersports including sailing, canoeing and wind sailing.
There are public tennis Courts on the edge of Rickmansworth by Chorleywood House as well as Rickmansworth Lawn Tennis Club which also hosts Rickmansworth Table Tennis Club matches.
Aquadrome
Rickmansworth contains a large public park called the Aquadrome. Covering 41 hectares, the Aquadrome Local Nature Reserve consists of lakes, grassland and woodland and is an ideal place for walks. In July 2009, the reserve received a Green Flag award, which is only given to parks and open spaces with meet certain high standards. The park includes several large lakes, grass and woodland areas and a children's play area (renovated in 2008). A new Cafe and associated amenities opened up in the Aquadrome in early 2009 (http://www.thecafeinthepark.com). The Cafe building also hosts a range of community activities e.g. children's musical workshops etc. and provides a welcome focal point for park users.From East to West the lakes are named Batchworth, Bury and Stockers and are bounded to the South by the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
and to the East and North by the River Colne
River Colne
There are several different rivers named River Colne in England:* River Colne, Essex — passing through Colchester* River Colne, Hertfordshire — tributary of the River Thames, passing through London Colney and other parts of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Greater London and Surrey* River...
.
Batchworth Lake is popular for Water Skiing events and hosts the Rickmansworth Water Ski Club.
The lakes are suitable for canoeing, sailing and fishing. Bury Lake is home to BLYM (Bury Lake Young Mariners) which a sailing club and also an RYA-recognised teaching establishment. The lakes are artificial, being former quarries that have been filled with water and fish, there are also ducks, geese and swans. Some of the stone from the site was used in the building of the original Wembley Stadium.
Primary schools
- Arnett Hills JMI School
- Rickmansworth Park JMI School
- Shepherds Primary School
- St. John's Catholic Primary School
- St. Mary's C of E Primary School
- St. Peter's C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School
Secondary schools
- Rickmansworth SchoolRickmansworth SchoolRickmansworth School , formerly Rickmansworth Grammar School, is a coeducational secondary school of around 1,200 pupils, situated in Croxley Green , near Rickmansworth.-Admissions:...
- Royal Masonic SchoolRoyal Masonic SchoolThe Royal Masonic School for Girls is an independent school in Rickmansworth, England with both day and boarding pupils. The school was instituted in 1788, with the aim of maintaining the daughters of indigent Freemasons, unable through death, illness, or incapacitation to support their families...
for Girls - St Clement Danes SchoolSt. Clement Danes SchoolSt. Clement Danes School is a mixed, voluntary-aided, comprehensive school in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire.-Admissions:It has specialist status for languages and science and takes students aged 11 through to 18 ....
- St Joan of Arc Catholic SchoolSt Joan of Arc Catholic School, RickmansworthSaint Joan of Arc Roman Catholic School is a Catholic school in Rickmansworth. It is larger than average, mixed, voluntary-aided, comprehensive school taking students aged 11, Year 7, through to 18, Year 13. The catchment area for the school spreads over South West Hertfordshire, parts of...
Arenas, culture and clubs
Watersmeet is a 515 seat venue complex for hire owned by Three Rivers District Council, situated in the centre of the Rickmansworth High Street. The auditorium can transform from a raked theatre to a flat floor for performances "in the round" or dinner dances, cabarets, weddings, indoor markets and craft fairs.The Rickmansworth Players (affiliated to NODA) are a well-established amateur dramatics society based in Rickmansworth that perform
musicals and plays on a regular basis.
Rickmansworth also hosts a Sub-Aqua Club
Rickmansworth Historical Society meets at 8pm on the second Thursday of the month from September to June in the Cloisters Hall.
There is an annual Ricky Road Run with more than 500 runners taking to the streets of Rickmansworth in 2009 for the 26th year in a row
Film and television
The town has been used in a number of films, including:- The Adventures of Black BeautyThe Adventures of Black BeautyThe Adventures of Black Beauty is a British children's television drama series produced by London Weekend Television and shown by ITV in the United Kingdom between 1972 and 1974...
(1972) - Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
(1981) - Withnail and IWithnail and IWithnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
(1986) - Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
(1989) - Midsomer MurdersMidsomer MurdersMidsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
(2009) - Ashes to AshesAshes to Ashes-As a metaphor:* "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust", a phrase from the Anglican burial service, used sometimes to denote total finality. It is based on scriptural texts such as "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return" , and "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them...
(2009) - Harry and Paul (2010)
- The First Men in the MoonThe First Men in the MoonThe First Men in the Moon is a 1901 scientific romance novel by the English author H. G. Wells. The novel tells the story of a journey to the moon undertaken by the two protagonists, the impoverished businessman Mr Bedford and the brilliant but eccentric scientist Dr. Cavor...
(2010)
In literature
- In Douglas AdamsDouglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
, a girl named Fenchurch finds the true Question to the ultimate answer of life, the universe and everything when sitting in a small café in Rickmansworth. - Rickmansworth and some of its surrounding communities are also featured in the works of John le CarréJohn le CarréDavid John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...
. - Victorian novelist George EliotGeorge EliotMary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
, real name Mary Ann Evans, had a summer residence in the lower High Street named "The Elms", which now forms part of St Joan of Arc School. - Rickmansworth, and more specifically the Rickmansworth Conservative Association, features in The Adventures of Barry McKenzieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzie is a 1972 Australian film starring Barry Crocker, telling the story of an Australian 'yobbo' on his travels to the United Kingdom. Barry McKenzie was originally a character created by Barry Humphries for a cartoon strip in Private Eye...
, a 1972 Australian film starring Barry CrockerBarry CrockerBarry Hugh Crocker OAM is a popular Australian singer, with a crooning vocal style.-Biography:...
, and written by Barry HumphriesBarry HumphriesJohn Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
.
Notable past and present residents
- Alan DuncanAlan DuncanAlan James Carter Duncan is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, and a Minister of State in the Department for International Development....
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... - Arthur HodgsonArthur HodgsonSir Arthur Hodgson KCMG was an Australian pioneer and politician.-Early life:Hodgson was born in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England; the second son of the Rev. Edward Hodgson and his third wife Charlotte, daughter of Francis William Pemberton of Bombay, India...
- Australian politician - Tim LovejoyTim LovejoyTimothy Paul Lovejoy is a British television presenter most famous for hosting Saturday morning football programme Soccer AM alongside Helen Chamberlain for over a decade.- Career :...
- TV and radio personality (presenter of Something for the Weekend and ex presenter of Soccer AMSoccer AMSoccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
) - Mary PortasMary PortasMary Portas , is an English retail adviser, journalist and television presenter.-Early life and education:Portas was born and brought up in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, in a family of five children. Educated at St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth, she looked after her youngest brother...
- retail adviser,journalist and television presenter. - William PennWilliam PennWilliam Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
- founder of PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... - Andrew RidgeleyAndrew RidgeleyAndrew John Ridgeley is an English former pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and environmentalist. Andrew was a member of the 1980s pop music duo Wham!.-Early life:...
- of Wham (also used to own a bar called 92's in town) - David SeamanDavid SeamanDavid Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
- former footballer - William StanierWilliam StanierSir William Arthur Stanier, FRS was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.- Biography :...
- Chief Engineer of the London Midland Scottish Railway; resided from his retirement until his death in 1965 - Danny ThompsonDanny ThompsonDaniel Henry Edward 'Danny' Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist and businessman...
- double bassist, with Pentangle, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Tim Buckley, etc. - Joan MaudeJoan MaudeJoan Maude was an English actress, active from the 1920s to the 1950s...
- actress - Robin InceRobin InceRobin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:...
- comedian - Thomas AndrewsThomas AndrewsThomas Andrews may refer to:*Thomas Andrews , English financier who supported the parliament cause during the English Civil War*Thomas Andrews , British metallurgist of international renown...
- designer of the Titanic - George EliotGeorge EliotMary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
- Mary Anne Evans, novelist - Paul CarrackPaul CarrackPaul Carrack is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Carrack has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others including Nick Lowe, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well...
- singer, songwriter, musician