List of people from Watford
This is a list of notable people from Watford, a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of central London. People on this list may have been born in Watford or resided there for a significant period of time. People whose only connection to Watford is attendance at the Watford Grammar School for Boys or Watford Grammar School for Girls may be found listed as alumni in those articles.
Artists
- Neil Lawson Baker (1938–), multi-disciplinary artist[1]
Businesspeople
- Steve Easterbrook (1967–), ex CEO of McDonald's[2]
- Declan Ganley (1967–), businessman and political activist[3]
- Nick Leeson (1967–), securities trader responsible for the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995[4]
Entertainers
- KSI (born 1993), rapper, boxer and YouTube personality
- Bruce Alexander (1946–), actor, best known as Superintendent Norman Mullet in A Touch of Frost
- Rene Alperstein (1964), actress
- Michael Attwell (1943–2006), actor
- Marion Bailey (1951–), actress
- Michael Bentine (1922–1996), comedian and former Goon
- Sue Cleaver (1963–), actress, best known as Eileen Grimshaw in Coronation Street
- Cyril Fletcher (1913–2005), comedian
- Philip Glenister (1963–), actor, Life on Mars
- Robert Glenister (1960–), actor
- Adam Godley (1964–), screen and stage actor[5]
- Vinnie Jones, actor and former footballer
- Matt King, actor, comedian and writer
- Rebecca Lacey, actress
- Bernard Lloyd (1934-2018), actor
- Tim Lovejoy, television and radio presenter
- Anthony Meyer, actor
- David Meyer, actor
- Neil Mullarkey, actor best known for roles in Austin Powers
- Mary Portas, retail consultant and television presenter
- Terry Scott (1927–1994), TV and Carry On actor and comedian[6]
- Paul Terry, former child actor, star of James and the Giant Peach
- Roger Tilling, voice actor, voiceover artist and broadcaster
- Simon Treves, actor and writer
- Bradley Walsh, actor, comedian and television presenter
Journalists
- Barbara Amiel (1940–), journalist
- Grant Benson (1963–), broadcaster
- Sean Hoare (1963–2011), journalist
Musicians
- LTJ Bukem (1967–), drum and bass musician, producer and DJ[7]
- Ray Cooper (1942–), percussionist (performed in both Elton John's and Eric Clapton's bands)
- Geri Halliwell (1972–), singer and Spice Girl
- Kyla La Grange, singer-songwriter
- The Staves, Emily, Jessica & Camilla Staveley-Taylor, Singer Songwriters
- Simon Le Bon, lead singer for Duran Duran, born in Watford
- Gerald Moore (1899–1987), pianist
- George FitzGerald , electronic artist
- Rak-Su, boy band, winners of the fourteenth series of The X Factor
Politicians
- Liz Kendall, Labour politician who attended Watford Grammar School for Girls
- Mo Mowlam (1949–2005), Labour politician
- Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat politician
- Grant Shapps, Conservative MP for nearby Welwyn Hatfield
- Nat Wei, Baron Wei, politician
Scientists and academics
- Chris Date (1941–), author and lecturer on relational databases
- Geoffrey Hodgson (1948–), institutional economist and professor at Loughborough University[8]
- Stuart Parkin (1948–), experimental physicist[9]
- Arthur Peacocke (1924–2006), biochemist and Anglican theologian
- Marion McQuillan (1921 – 1998), British metallurgist who specialised in the engineering uses for titanium and its alloys
- Arthur Geoffrey Walker (1909–2001), mathematician who contributed to general relativity theory[10]
Sportspeople
Footballers
- Percy Austin (1903-1961), footballer
- Luther Blissett (born 1958), Jamaican-born footballer for several clubs, most prominently Watford
- Tom Carroll (1992–), footballer for Swansea City
- Jack Collison (1988–), former West Ham United and Wales footballer, turned coach
- Darren Edmonds (1971-), footballer
- Kenny Jackett (1962–), Welsh international footballer who spent his playing career at Watford; formerly manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Lewis Kinsella, footballer for Colchester United
- Roy Low (1944-), footballer
- Craig Mackail-Smith, Luton Town and Scotland footballer
- Paul Robinson, footballer for several clubs including Watford
- Kelly Smith, Arsenal Ladies, England and Great Britain footballer
- Gareth Southgate, former football player for several teams including England men's national team, now manager of England's national team
- Ian Walker, former Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and England goalkeeper, turned football manager
- Arthur Woodward (1906–1984), footballer who spent his entire career at Watford
- Frank Yallop (1964–), former footballer turned manager
Cricketers
- Steven Finn (1989–), Middlesex and England cricketer
- Mark Ilott (1970–), former England cricketer
- Nick Knight, cricketer turned commentator
- Jeremy Quinlan (1965–), cricketer
- Robert Simons (1922–2011), cricketer
Others
- Reece Bellotti, boxer, former Commonwealth featherweight champion.
- Anthony Joshua, boxer, 2012 Olympic gold medalist and current WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO world heavyweight champion.
- Josh Lewsey, 2003 rugby World Cup winner with England, grew up in Watford
- John Taylor (1945–), former rugby player for Wales and British & Irish Lions, turned commentator[11]
- Mark Walsh, (1965–), professional darts player
- Alex Roy, (1974–), professional darts player
Writers
- Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, English Sikh screenwriter and playwright[12]
- T. E. B. Clarke (1907–1989), screenwriter and novelist
- Anthony Berkeley Cox (1893–1971), crime fiction author
Others
- John Lawley, Commissioner in The Salvation Army
- George Pearkes (1888–1984), Canadian politician and soldier[13]
- Thomas Webster Rammell (1814–1879), engineer of The Crystal Palace, is buried in Watford
- Lawrence Sanderson (c.1542–1611), landowner and Vicar of Watford
- Mike Pilavachi, international evangelist and Senior Pastor at Soul Survivor Watford
References
- ^ Blackhurst, Chris (31 August 2014). "Neil Lawson Baker interview: 'I've gained so much from art. It's only right to give something back'". The Independent. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ Monaghan, Angela (29 January 2015). "Profile: McDonald's chief executive Steve Easterbrook". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ McDonald, Henry (13 June 2008). "'I have witnessed how inherently undemocratic socialism was, and that is why I don't want an overweening EU'". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ Rodrigues, Jason (24 February 2015). "Twenty years ago, rogue trader Nick Leeson brought down Barings Bank". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ John Nathan. "Mr shy and mighty". The Jewish Chronicle.
- ^ Roll of Honour Archived 5 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Heritage Foundation.
- "Great Scott!". Chortle. 9 May 2003. - ^ "DJ on a rhythm mission". 19 April 2000. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ "Geoffrey Hodgson | University of Hertfordshire - Academia.edu". herts.academia.edu. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ Solon, Olivia (9 April 2014). "Data storage pioneer wins €1m Millennium Technology Prize". Wired. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ Hitchin, N. J. (2006). "Arthur Geoffrey Walker. 17 July 1909 -- 31 March 2001: Elected FRS 1955". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 52: 413–421. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2006.0028.
- ^ John Taylor player profile ESPN Scrum.com
- ^ "Profile: Playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti". 20 December 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ George Randolph Pearkes fonds