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@weaselpipe writes of the riots that never were.

Then at 6, when the shops close on a Tuesday, people began claiming all the shops had closed early because of the riots. A couple of the bars at the top of the town (closest to the park) actually did board up a window or two, but as I walked through the town everything was exactly as normal- just with more nervous people. At about nine the rumours started that a local cocaine dealer had boasted on facebook that there were now nearly 400 people gathering in Cassiobury park and it was all about to kick off. I decided to take my dogs to that park for a walk and a look.

Having lived in Watford through my formative years, I particularly loved this description of the mindset of the place:

A quick note on the mindset of Watford, as a town. It is situated just within the M25 but also within the boundaries of Hertfordshire- this gives it the belief that it can have the best and worst of both Herts and London. If a rapist is reported as being active ‘in Hertfordshire’, the people of Watford can be on edge, likewise on 7/7 people were on tenterhooks as “we’re technically London though”. On the other side of the coin you can be excited about the olympics coming to “our city” and also be smug about all the excellent grammar schools Hertfordshire has to offer. It is a truly conflicted place full of teenagers who believe they live in a ‘Kidulthood’ style urban environment, and their parents who believe they live in a 1980’s middle-class Essex dream.