The Harlequin Centre had been opened for more than a year but there was no let-up in construction work in the area in 1994 which was bookmarked by the demolition of two landmark buildings in nearby Water Lane.
With its large sign on the side of the building, Hammonds music shop was prominent on the corner of Lower High Street and had been the go-to destination for anyone looking to buy a musical instrument for many years. But in January 1994, a Watford Observer photographer captured the scenes as a bulldozer started to pull down the shop.Demolition crews were to return further along Water Lane in November 1994 as George Stephenson College was also reduced to rubble.The college had been built on stilts because of the regular flooding in the area, but was making way for the site of the new Tesco superstore.