WATFORD may not be top of your staycation bucket list, especially after it was named one of the UK’s worst big towns.
Ranked poorly by The Telegraph, it was slated for its its ‘concrete centres and bad vibes’.
They might not like it, but as a local – I’m 30 mins down the M1 from there – I feel the need to jump to its defence.
I look at the town with an air of nostalgia because – believe it or not – some of the highlights of my childhood were spent in Watford.
In my teens, it was the closest thing to an action-packed city we had, unless we wanted to trek into London, which quite frankly was a cost my pals and I didn’t want to incur, plus our parents all worried about our safety in the big smoke.
Days were spent at the Harlequin shopping centre, which had all the top high street shops but without the London crowds. Mum would take me here in early school years to buy new shoes from Clark’s.
I’d watch the Disney movies in shoe heaven while mum and the shop assistants liaised over styles and measured how much my tootsies had grown.
I spent weekends as a season ticket holder watching Watfords now distinctly average football team play on its home turf, stopping for chippies to celebrate (or commiserate) post game.
When I turned 17, my pals and I graduated from the shops to the clubs and bars.
In the 2000s party glory days, we’d grab our glad rags and the tallest platform heels we could find, starting at Vodka Revolutions where shots were cheap as chips, then heading on to one of the mega clubs like Oceana or Area (both now gone).
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We wouldn’t walk between venues, instead we’d hop on a bicycle tuktuk, just like the fairy-light clad ones you find in London, only cheaper.
Top Golf was another cherished activity at the weekends.
The experience is still there today, home to a lively bar and several putting stations.
You don’t have to be good at golf to play, the aim of the game is to whack the balls into targets laid out on the vast green ahead.
Admittedly, I don’t visit Watford as frequently nowadays as most of my time is spent either close to my office in London Bridge, or my hometown, when I’m not off travelling the world.
But it still holds a charm nonetheless. And well worth a visit.
For starters, the is where the UKs leading Harry Potter attraction is, Warner Bros Studio Tour.
Potter fans will be blown over by what’s on offer here and you can pick up some wizarding treats seen on screen and read in the books, like butterbeer, before getting a first hand look behind the magical scenes seen on screen.
Don’t forget to pull a squealing mandrake out of the dirt and explore the Dursley’s house in Privet Drive.
There’s a decent restaurant scene now, too.
Humo is a great option for meat lovers with grubs scorched over an open flame.
The shopping is still decent – and less busy than those in London!
And little kids can take advantage of a Vue cinema and pottery painting while older ones test their nerve at indoor go karting or ninja warrior adventure.
So even if Watford is a little rough around the edges and not the prettiest place to look at, it’s still got it perks.
One things for sure, you’ll never get bored. But I do wish they’d bring back those booming clubs