The Armistice that brought an end to the First World War was agreed at 5am on 11th November 1918, and came into force six hours later at 11am. The Armistice officially brought an end to over four years of fighting.

News spread throughout West Herts that the war was finally over, and 11th November was described in the Watford Observer as ‘a day of almost indescribable enthusiasm and rejoicing’.

The news reached Watford early in the morning, but at first the townspeople were reluctant to believe it. People received the announcement with reserve because there had been times when they believed the war to be over, only for their hopes to be dashed. For some time there was no confirmation that the news was official.

Soon after 9am, however, confirmation was received. The war was over.

The sound of the factories blowing their horns in celebration was heard all over the town and church bells rang out during the day. People took to the streets and hung up flags and bunting in their windows, with streamers running from house to house. The Watford Observer reported that ‘flags were in fact everywhere – on motor cars, carts, bicycles, in children’s hands. Nearly everyone was wearing a miniature Union Jack flag.’ The fact that some of them were ‘hung up quite the wrong way round’ didn’t seem to matter at all.

Even though it was drizzling with rain, crowds of people took to the streets. Female workers from the munitions factories and soldiers danced together in the Market Place. The cheering and singing was constant and ‘the gloom of the past four years had disappeared as if by magic’.

The crowds only grew larger as the evening wore on. The lamps in the Market Place were lit for the first time since the beginning of the winter of 1915. People had wasted no time in cleaning the black shading off the glass of the street lamps, so that by the evening ‘the public lighting generally had been considerably improved’. The Observer reported that ‘everyone, old and young alike, was happy in the knowledge that the long period of trial and suffering had come to an end’.

At that evening’s performance of ‘Kick-In’ at Watford Palace Theatre, the orchestra played the National Anthem and every member of the audience got to their feet to sing along.

On Tuesday and Wednesday the air of celebration continued and the flags and banners remained to decorate the houses.

On Tuesday evening a thanksgiving service was held at the Parish Church for a crowded congregation. The Vicar said there was only one expression on the lips and in the heart of every man, and that was “Thank you”.

It didn’t take long for people’s attentions to turn to food. With rationing first introduced in January 1918, people were relieved that ‘the world’s market is again open to us, and that our ships can sail without fear of mine or torpedo, so that the terrible wastage of war will be eliminated’.

There was no parade or grand dinner for returning soldiers. They simply returned to their homes and tried to continue on with their lives as best they could.