It was the first week of October 1918. The Great War was drawing to a victorious end for the Allies, yet the town of Watford was seeing its first case of a mysterious new illness. Over the next few weeks there would be many more cases in the town of the disease which swiftly became known as Spanish flu, claiming 228,000 lives in the United Kingdom and 50 million lives worldwide.

This presentation gives a case study of Spanish flu in Watford, in 1918 an industrial town of 45,000 residents: when it arrived, how many people were affected, what measures were undertaken in a world before antibiotics and a National Health Service, and what the aftermath was. The presentation also attempts to draw parallels with our own current experience: what are the differences and what are the similarities.

Leavesden Country Park is an area rich in heritage and steeped in a fascinating history. Located in Abbots Langley, this green space has been home to the Asylum for Idiots and Imbeciles, Leavesden Aerodrome and the Warner Bros. Film Studios. Now, it’s a much loved local park and tourist destination – scooping the 2019 Small Visitor Attraction award, in the Hertfordshire Tourism Awards.

Made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, one of the prominent features is the Heritage Sculpture Trail, which will be the focus for this talk. Elaine will explain how the trail came to be in the park, from the early days of funding bids and concepts, through to installation and it now being a well-visited attraction and talking point.

Learn more about the Minds, Machines and Movies theme, how the trail is being enjoyed and promoted, and also what is planned for the future!

Elaine Johnson (Arts Development Officer, Three Rivers District Council)