Talk:Harpenden

What about population? Present history? City Square Size?

Population and history are in there. I have no idea what the square mileage of the town (not a city yet) is. Legis 18:54, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

No longer a stub

Article was promoted from stub status due to its length; expand tag added to allow other editors to decide if there room for expansion SP-KP 14:12, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

Influx of chain stores

I noticed that the sentence "It has recently received an influx of chain stores and new shops." got removed - probably right to remove it without more info (although the statement itself is true). There is a local traders association (which I cannot now recall the name of) that has been formed to "fight" the influx, or at least limit future openings, and it might be better to put a para in about that under its own sub-heading. I'll see if I can dig the info up and put it in. It got some free promotional material in the town's Christmas 2006 celebrations. --Legis (talk - contributions) 16:28, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Whether its true and whether its encyclopedic are different questions, WP:NOT. I tend to think the statments a bit POVish. --Salix alba (talk) 16:54, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

House prices

Is it necessary for the article to have such a large and prominant mention of house prices, this is basically trivia rather than anything encyclopedic.GazMan7 11:16, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Well it is quite a distinguishing feature of the town with prices twice the national average, The east and west common districts have some very expensive houses which only the like of jimbo could afford. These all add to the demographic makeup of the town. Just bee looking at cencus data for the constituancy, 34% degree level qualif, 17% in higher managarial/profesional ocupations, the St Albans & Harpenden PCT had the lowest proportion of residents in socially rented households (2.2%),[1].

These all point to one rich well educated town. --Salix alba (talk) 15:37, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

interesting maybe, but not really that encylcopedic? I would suggest a small comment aboutit lower down the article is more in proportion.GazMan7 16:50, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

You have to remember that we are talking about a town in rural England here, not revolutionary Tibet. Higher than average house prices is about as interesting as things get in Harpenden. --Legis (talk - contributions) 18:28, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

"sons of Harpenden"

"Killing the Lawyers" by Reginald Hill has a citation from a charge by the sheriff which says "nor shall it be taken as mitigation of rudely laying they hands on a citizen and breaking his head, to say that thou mistook him for a Son of Harpenden. But against such as are known by certain signs to be Sons of Harpenden, whose depravations and depredations are notorious amongst sober Christian folk, then lay on amain!" (p. 26, beginning of cap. iii) I presume this is fictitious, but a) should it be in references and b) is there a notorious rivalry between Harpenden and Luton? (the novel takes place in Luton) (or a reference to Cussans' comment, cited in the article?) 142.68.54.190 21:33, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Sounds a bit unlikely to me; Harpenden was a pretty insignificant speck until about 1865 when they cut the railroad (at that time it broke away as a parish from Wheathampstead, which at the time was much larger), and even then, it was only a very small village until about the 1960s when the Thameslink cut through London making it grow rapidly. By contrast, Luton has been a historically significant and sizeable place for hundreds of years. Any kind of rivalry would probably be a bit lop-sided. --Legis (talk - contribs) 19:48, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

Craig Charles

would it be appropriate to call craig charles a 'celebrity alleged rapist' as well as red dwarf and robot wars star Stevehancock (talk) 15:11, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

Generally NO, we have quite strict policies of Biographies of living persons. Any accusations may be appropriate for the Craig Charles page but not here. --Salix alba (talk) 15:45, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

what about mike tyson

or john leslie

aer they a celebrity rapist? Stevehancock (talk) 15:50, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

The only thing that is appropriate to say about Craig Charles on the Harpenden page is that he lives there, and he is primarily famous for X (presumably his appearances on Red Dwarf). Anything about allegations of rape, time on remand, how many times he has been married etc. should be reserved to the Craig Charles page. Same with Mike Tyson, John Leslie and anyone else whom allegations of rape have been made about that ought properly to be documented.

The allegations are already covered there, albeit only briefly: Craig_Charles#Personal_life --Legis (talk - contribs) 17:56, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

Population of 30 000?

Watford has a population of 20 000, is a fully urbanised area and is twice the size of Harpenden. Conclusion: There is no fucking way that Harpenden has a population of 30 000.

Watford has a stated population on here of 80,000, even that sounds a little low. Luton is 185,000. Harpenden has a fully referenced population of about 30k. Conclusion check your f-ing facts before making silly statements.