We use cookies to make sure we give you the best experience possible. By continuing, you're accepting that you're happy with our cookie policy. Click here to find out more 0) 90%);pointer-events:none;}Press REMIND ME below to get first access to tickets when they drop on WEDS 30TH APRIL AT 6.30PMView More>@media (min-width:0px){.css-pgb489{font-size:0.8rem;}}@media (min-width:1100px){.css-pgb489{font-size:1rem;}}Please note: The event information above has been added by the organiser Whilst we try to ensure all details are up-to-date we do not make any warranty or representation as to the accuracy or completeness of the information shown because we believe true fans deserve a fairer and smarter way to discover events they love.” 0.08);border-bottom-width:thin;margin-top:35px;margin-bottom:35px;border-color:#4e4e4e;margin-top:16px!important;margin-bottom:16px!important;}© 2001 - 2025 Skiddle Ltd | Skiddle is a registered trademark | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Home   News   Article The Conservatives have sensationally lost control of Hertfordshire County Council for the first time in 26 years after the Liberal Democrats Reform UK and the Green Party all gained seats at their expense in Thursday’s (May 1) election The Tories lost just over half of the 46 seats they won at the previous poll in 2021 to be left with 22 The Lib Dems are now the biggest party on the council but their tally of 31 seats is nine short of the 40 required to be able to assume control by themselves so they could be looking to form a progressive administration with Labour and the Green Party The Conservatives and Reform cannot form a right-of-centre administration – even if the two parties desired it – as their combined seats amount to 36 The political make-up of the new council is: Liberal Democrats 31 (up 8 on the 2021 result) The turnout of 32% – less than a third – was down on the 37.2% in the last county council election four years ago 40 are newly elected and 38 were re-elected which is illustrated perfectly in Bishop’s Stortford where the Lib Dems – one newcomer and one returner – comfortably won both urban seats Miriam Swainston – who is leader of Bishop’s Stortford Town Council and a member of East Herts Council – gained Bishop’s Stortford West from the Conservatives while Calvin Horner decisively retained the Bishop’s Stortford East seat he won in 2021 Mark Pope dramatically retained Bishop’s Stortford Rural for the Conservatives by just SEVEN votes from Reform’s Jonathan Grose after a recount Reform wanted a second recount but withdrew their request The seat was previously held by Graham McAndrew who defected to Reform and stood unsuccessfully in Hertford on the authority were up for grabs in Thursday’s election Liberal Democrats and Reform fielded candidates in all 78 while the Green Party had 77 including smaller parties and independents the Conservatives won an overall majority – as they had done at every election since 1999 their 42 seats – four fewer than they won on polling day four years ago – gave them a narrow majority of six Independents five and the Green Party and Reform UK one each Miriam Swainston polled 1,072 votes with Harrison Grose pipping Conservative John Wyllie for second by just two votes – 949 to 947 David Jacobs (Labour) polled 632 and Maura Connolly (Green) 294 Calvin Horner polled 1,536 votes with Reform’s Mike Casey second on 774 beating third-placed Conservative David Snowdon (628) Andrew Zsibrita (Green Party) was fifth with 175 and Barry Hensall (Heritage Party) sixth with 11 Cllr Horner told the Indie at the East Herts district count at Wodson Park Sports Centre in Ware: “I’m extremely pleased – I’m delighted to have over 1,500 votes “As well as being delighted with the result I’m honoured to be entrusted with another term by the people of Bishop’s Stortford but I was hopeful that what I have done over the past four years had been enough to earn the trust of the electorate He said the result gave him the chance to complete projects he had already started “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to finish them,” he said Cllr Horner became the first non-Tory to be elected to represent the town on Hertfordshire County Council in 24 years when he beat Conservative John Wyllie In Bishop’s Stortford Rural – which as well as part of the town includes the Hadhams polled 1,087 votes to Reform candidate Jonathan Grose’s 1,080 the Green Party’s George Williams fifth with 316 and Jane Fowler Conservative incumbent Eric Buckmaster polled 1,802 votes beating Reform UK Hertford and Stortford chairman John Burmicz (1,230) by more than 500 votes fourth was Lib Dem Julia Davies with 318 and fifth was Sarah Santos of the Green Party with 267 the East Herts district’s 10 seats on the county council were held by eight Conservatives Lib Dem Calvin Horner and the Green Party’s Ben Crystall his party’s only member at County Hall and the leader of East Herts Council the Conservatives have just three of those seats: newcomer Mark Pope in Stortford Rural while Eric Buckmaster and Ken Crofton retained their Sawbridgeworth and Hertford Rural seats respectively The Greens have four – all in Hertford and Ware – the Lib Dems two (both in Stortford) and Reform UK one, after Terry Smith won the Buntingford division having also won an East Herts Council by-election Nigel Farage’s party were also second in eight of the seats and third in one Ben Crystall comfortably retained Hertford All Saints by 1,121 votes polling 1,870 to Reform runner-up Graham McAndrew’s 749 He will now be joined at County Hall by Rachel Carter who won Hertford St Andrew’s from Reform’s David West by just 59 votes who ousted long-serving Conservative David Andrews in Ware North While counting in the vast majority of the county’s seats began on Friday morning the six divisions in Broxbourne were declared last night The Conservatives held four of the six – Cheshunt Central Hoddesdon South and Waltham Cross – despite significantly reduced votes But Reform’s Tony Hill won in Flamstead End and Turnford – beating serving Tory Mark Mills-Bishop by 28 votes – while Anthony Owen took Goffs Oak and Bury Green from the Conservatives In 2016 Broxbourne voted 66% for Brexit and more recently the party has seen its first two councillors on the borough council said that the Conservatives would now have to realise that support for Reform in the county was “not just a protest vote” Voters were feeling the pain of the past 14 years and wanting change locally and with seats on the county council Reform would have the opportunity to influence budgets and to highlight “erroneous decisions” the previous Conservative leader of the county council said: “There’s a national sentiment that has been driven by Nigel Farage and it has washed over our local elections from the north of the country to the south.” We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports Ricky Harrison fraudulently obtained four Covid Bounce Back Loans Money from the loans was used by Harrison for his own personal benefit and he attempted to avoid having to make any repayments by applying to have all four of his companies struck-off the Companies House register  Harrison has been sentenced to more than three years in prison following Insolvency Service investigations into his conduct A director who secured maximum-value Covid loans for three dormant companies and overstated his turnover to secure a fourth during the pandemic has been jailed Ricky Harrison received a total of £200,000 in Bounce Back Loans during 2020 when he was entitled to just £16,000 at most He also spent the money for personal purposes Tower Hamlets Works Ltd and Ricky Harrison Holdings Ltd were not trading at the time he made his fraudulent applications to the bank The 41-year-old also exaggerated his turnover by more than £150,000 for a fourth company was sentenced to three years and two months in prison when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday 25 April He was also disqualified as a director for 10 years Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service Ricky Harrison’s actions were deeply cynical He exploited an opportunity to help himself to taxpayers’ money during what was a national emergency Harrison did not co-operate with Insolvency Service investigations failing to attend a pre-arranged interview and instead producing a typed statement where he implausibly claimed he was entitled to all the loans and was at liberty to spend the funds as he saw fit The reality is that Harrison was not entitled to the vast majority of the money he received and was required to spend the funds for the economic benefit of his business This was public money and we will continue to prosecute those who made such obvious false representations to secure Covid support Harrison’s four companies were incorporated within a three-week period in December 2018 and January 2019 and Newham Works were all described on Companies House as providing “educational support services” Ricky Harrison Holdings was described as a holding company Only Newham Works appeared to have any trading income in 2019 Harrison himself admitted to an accountant that Hackney Works and Tower Hamlets Works were dormant and that there was no need to prepare any accounts for them Analysis of the accounts of Ricky Harrison Holdings revealed no evidence that the company had begun trading in its own right Harrison falsely declared the companies had an annual turnover of £245,000 and £315,000 respectively when he made the applications for three £50,000 Bounce Back Loans across a two-day period in May 2020 Harrison made a fraudulent application for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for Newham Works He declared on the application form that the company’s turnover was £215,000 when it was actually only £64,000 Harrison transferred some of the money he received to his other companies and paid a percentage into his own personal account A total of £85,000 also appeared to be used for the purchase of a vehicle in June 2020 Harrison told the bank he would repay the funds as was required under the terms of the scheme Harrison applied to have Hackney Works and Tower Hamlets Works struck-off the Companies House register Harrison subsequently attempted to strike-off Ricky Harrison Holdings and Newham Works in 2021 but was unsuccessful No loan repayments were made by Harrison aside from a single payment of £833 Hackney Works Ltd (company number 11752788)  Tower Hamlets Works Ltd (company number 11752770)  Ricky Harrison Holdings Ltd (company number 11732773)  Newham Works Ltd (company number 11735583)  Read more about the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the action the Insolvency Service can take if it finds misconduct   Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct. Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May the Revenues & Benefits Online Forms for Benefits and Council Tax will be unavailable while an upgrade takes place  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.  East Herts Council and housing association have announced the handover of affordable homes at Limsi Grove a brand new development built by Cala Homes with 20 being rented at an affordable rate to local people on the council’s housing register The remaining seven are being sold on a shared ownership basis (part-buy The properties include one and two-bedroom flats and two and three-bedroom houses with two of the two-bedroom flats having wheelchair access Limsi Grove is situated in the open countryside but is within easy walking distance of Hertford town centre with all its shops and amenities including the brand new BEAM entertainment venue affording children the opportunity to walk and cycle to and from class whilst two train stations regularly offer services to London East Herts Executive Member for Neighbourhoods said “I am delighted to be able to open the doors at Limsi Grove to the people of East Herts The completion of this development is another milestone in the growth and evolution happening in our corner of Hertfordshire offering new and affordable housing opportunities to our community.” Executive Director of Development for Paradigm “The East Herts Council housing team is really proactive and understands the growing need to more affordable housing Producing new neighbourhoods that actively add value to the Council's local communities is not easy  We’re thrilled that our relationship with the Council continues to go from strength to strength allowing us all to provide more homes for those that need them the most.” Designed and built by Webcurl Our under-18s advanced to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Hertford Town on Tuesday night and a brilliant brace from Dan Casey secured the win as we battled past a resilient Hertford side in a game full of excitement and drama We started the brighter of the two sides and took an early lead through a composed finish from Andre Harriman-Annous Our young Gunners nearly doubled their advantage when Dan Casey broke in behind the Hertford defence only to see his powerful effort fly over the bar coming close when Finley Lynch narrowly missed George Andreou’s inviting delivery They didn’t have to wait long for their equaliser as Archie O’Brien pounced on a loose ball to fire a shot across goal and into the bottom corner we regained control with two quick-fire goals Dan Casey restored our lead with a moment of brilliance deftly chipping the ball over the onrushing keeper after a perfectly weighted pass from Louis Zecevic-John reacting sharply to a deflected ball in the box to finish from close range putting us firmly in command heading into halftime Hertford hit back from the penalty spot when Finley Lynch was adjudged to have been brought down by Sweet Lynch stepped up and calmly converted from 12 yards regaining our two-goal advantage through a moment of magic from Dan Casey who unleashed a stunning 25-yard strike that left the goalkeeper with no chance Hertford refused to back down and pulled another goal back with five minutes of normal time remaining A mistake at the back allowed Nathan Devshi to finish clinically and set up a nervy finale pushing hard during a lengthy period of added time defending resiliently up to the 100th minute to secure a 4-3 victory and book our place in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup We’ve secured our spot in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup The draw for the next round will take place soon and we’ll share the details as soon as they’re confirmed The tie is scheduled to be played no later than Saturday Our under-18s will now take a break until the new year several members of the squad will be part of the under-19s team facing Monaco in their final UEFA Youth League group stage match Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source MEN WOMEN ACADEMY CLUB Everything you need to know about our 24/25 European campaign MEN WOMEN ACADEMY ALL MEN WOMEN UNDER-21 UNDER-18 Explore our Help Centre for answers to common questions For all other enquiries please use our New Enquiry form Website feedback? Fill in our form Report abuse and discrimination here Check out our exclusive Wallpapers for desktop and mobile today MEN WOMEN ACADEMY Hertford and Stortford MP Josh Dean has pressed the Government to improve support for neurodivergent pupils in schools During questions on education in the House of Commons on Monday Mr Dean addressed early education minister Stephen Morgan “We know that young people are at the sharp end of the mental health crisis so can the minister update the House on the progress his department is making on our manifesto commitment to put specialist mental health support into our schools and tell us how gaps in support for neurodivergent pupils – as highlighted in the Trailblazer programme – will be addressed?” Mr Morgan responded: “This Government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school so that every young person has access to early support “NHS-funded mental health support teams will continue to roll out across schools and are expected to cover at least 50% of pupils this year.” The grand opening was attended by key stakeholders and project partners all of whom played an instrumental role in bringing this ambitious project to life Local and district councillors also joined the celebration recognizing the venue’s growing role in enriching Hertford’s cultural scene and supporting local talent.Councillor Sarah Hopewell expressed her excitement for the future of BEAM’s expanded offerings stating: “I’m so pleased to see how this expansion of BEAM’s offer will provide the community more opportunities to visit and use the venue It’s been incredible seeing how popular events have already been and I’m really looking forward to seeing what events will grace the screen and stage of Stage 2.” The newly developed Stage 2 has been made possible through a £325,000 investment from Hertford Town Council Designed to be a flexible and accessible space allowing it to be fully customized for a wide range of events from intimate performances and film screenings to workshops and community gatherings This adaptability ensures the venue can cater to a diverse audience while encouraging greater participation from local creatives and independent production companies.Councillor Ann Woodward Chair of the Development and Leisure Committee commented: “Hertford Town Council is delighted to fund Stage Two at BEAM which is the perfect venue for local events and productions modern studio space is accessible for all and we are so looking forward to seeing how it will be used by the various community groups in Hertford who are all so active and innovative in all their activities.”BEAM has already established itself as a cornerstone of Hertford’s arts and entertainment scene the venue is set to further elevate its programming and provide an inclusive space for the local community to showcase their creativity.The expansion of BEAM aligns with Hertford Town Council’s commitment to supporting local arts and culture and investing in high-quality facilities that benefit residents and visitors alike The newly unveiled space promises to offer even more opportunities for cultural expression and social connection in the heart of Hertford.For more information on upcoming events and community hire opportunities at BEAM’s new Stage 2 Consultants have slashed East Herts Council’s (EHC) money-spinning projections for Hertford’s £30m theatre in the next financial year by 89% had been predicted to earn the authority £19.5 million over nine years to 2033-34 But those two figures have now been reduced to £4m over the same period – around a fifth of the previously predicted figure – and just £200,000 in the first year after “external consultants” reviewed BEAM’s business plan EHC’s executive member for financial sustainability said the biggest single factor in the reduction was that cinema and theatre audiences nationwide have not returned to pre-Covid levels “The original business case was based on figures from around 2017,” he said “Then Covid came and the business case wasn’t changed because it was always assumed that attendances would get back to pre-Covid levels Attendances are 75% or 80% of what they were before That obviously has a massive impact because your fixed costs are pretty much the same A spokesperson for the council added that operating costs after the pandemic were “significantly higher” than they had been in previous years Cllr Brittain said the council had been “surprised” by the extent of the reduction He added that BEAM “could end up being more successful” financially than predicted He stressed that BEAM was about more than just providing an income for the council It provides a lot of social value to the community,” he said “That value isn’t necessarily measured in pounds and pence We’re doing something here for the community BEAM’s construction ran significantly over budget costing more than £30m against an initial estimate of £18m the Green-Liberal Democrat administration signed off on a final £6m last January to ensure its construction went ahead EHC has just appointed Steve Sargeant as BEAM’s new commercial and cultural development manager The revised figures for BEAM’s earnings come as discussion of East Herts Council’s budget for 2025-26 begins The proposed budget is just about balanced Cllr Brittain had to find savings of around £2m for the next year with further savings needed in future years There will be a 2.98% rise in the district council’s portion of council tax bills meaning a household living in a band D property will be charged £201.04 for EHC services from April And charges for garden waste collections will rise to £59 a year leader of the Conservative opposition group on EHC said residents would “find it very hard to understand” why garden waste collection charges would rise in East Herts to a higher level than those in North Herts given there is a joint waste contract between the two district councils in those areas North Herts Council plans to increase its charge to £55 per year Cllr Brittain responded that EHC had “no choice” but to raise it because of “severe challenge” to its finances He pointed out that other councils in Hertfordshire charged £59 a year The budget will continue to be discussed in the coming weeks and is set to be confirmed at a full council meeting ahead of the new financial year starting in April Our under-18s will play Hertford Town under-18s in the third round of the FA Youth Cup The tie is scheduled to take place at 7pm on Tuesday December 3 and will be held at Hertford Town FC (Hertingfordbury Park) We’re entering the competition in the third round while Hertford reached this stage with a 4-3 win over Bristol Rovers on Tuesday We made it to the final of the competition in the 2022/23 season with a number of players who have since progressed to the under-21s and first team Hertford and Stortford MP Josh Dean has called on the Government to level the playing field between non-league and professional footballers He spoke out on contracts during the second reading of the Football Governance Bill in the House of Commons The legislation will establish a new independent regulator for the game whose core purpose is to improve the financial sustainability of clubs The Government says the bill will “ensure financial resilience across the leagues and safeguard the heritage of English football” began the debate on the second reading on Monday (April 28) She said: “Football is genuinely our national game – it is the beating heart of our communities a core part of what it means to be British and one of our greatest exports while we celebrate the global success of the Premier League there is deep concern at every level of the footballing world about the fragility of the wider foundations of the game which threatens its global success and the success of the whole game itself 60 clubs in the top four divisions have been plunged into administration and behind that is the stark reality that fans have lived with for too long: that of being just one bad owner away from collapse.” The bill builds on legislation introduced by the last Conservative Government attempted to pass an amendment halting the bill He said: “Notwithstanding the need for financial sustainability in the English Football League pyramid the regulator proposed to be established by the bill will damage the independence of English football “The bill will increase the regulatory burden and costs on all English football clubs – particularly lower league clubs – leading to increased ticket prices for fans and will in turn reduce the international competitiveness of Mr Dean began his intervention by paying tribute to the grassroots clubs across his constituency and highlighted how Ware and Sawbridgeworth had avoided relegation He said: “It has become apparent in recent years that we need to protect our game and I applaud the bill’s aim of protecting and promoting the sustainability of English football in the interests of fans and the local communities that football clubs serve “I welcome its core objectives of ensuring sound club finances and systemic financial resilience and safeguarding club heritage the creation of an independent football regulator is most welcome delivering on this Government’s manifesto commitment to protect clubs and empower fans “I want to mention one quick point that was raised with me by some of our non-league clubs ahead of this debate which I would be grateful if the Secretary of State could address “Clubs have highlighted the disparity in contract regulation between non-league and professional football; currently non-league players can be offered a full-time contract only at the age of 18 “To ensure fairness to our grassroots clubs will the Secretary of State consider equalising the age at which non-league clubs and professional clubs can offer full-time contracts to players in the future?” said: “Leeds United could have found itself in the top six of the English premier division had it not been for bad ownership and bad financial decisions.” The rich architectural tradition of One Port Hill is improved on by its current owners to create a family home of real excitement and fun I do not know much about the town of Hertford but despite being a small place it is also a big place who created some of the most astounding modern churches in the country It is only fair that One Port Hill carries on the bold architectural choices of its previous owners the property is a somewhat unassuming four-bedroom Victorian townhouse it is on the inside that the excitement begins contrasting with white Classical details to create bold statements throughout You never know what is going on behind a front door (Image credit: Hamptons)(Image credit: Hamptons)(Image credit: Hamptons)(Image credit: Hamptons)(Image credit: Hamptons)But it works looks a fine space to hold a drinks party or just enjoy an afternoon The purple dining room looks the perfect spot to hold a suitably ridiculous dinner Classical and period details are always welcome but they can be oppressively formal on occasion but you can also tell that whoever lives here is fun and is situated to the rear of the property you will find further evidence of great taste with a variety of colourful shrubs and clever planting creating a small oasis in this market town One Port Hill is for sale with Hamptons for £1.5 million. For more information and pictures, click here James FisherDeputy Digital EditorJames Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life You can watch the highlights by pressing the play button above East Herts Council (EHC) is facing a £955,000 overspend in its annual revenue budget the council’s executive member for financial sustainability will tell fellow Green Party and Liberal Democrat exec members how the authority has run up the deficit – and what steps will be taken to balance the books detailing the results of the last quarter of the 2024-25 financial year that ends on March 31 warns that a £652,000 planned contribution to reserves is not achievable the money should be used to offset the overspend The cabinet has been told that significant variances have pushed the revenue budget into the red EHC invested £30 million in a revamp of Hertford Theatre and hoped the newly-renamed BEAM complex would be a money spinner but “overspend and under-achievement” meant a spend of £953,000 and an overall variance of £1.501 million against budget Extra costs included delayed IT infrastructure and lack of WiFi which required the council to pay for an overnight security company and a £170,000 gap between the council’s commercial rates estimate of £30,000 and the £200,000 bill The business rate revaluation also hit multi-storey car parks like Northgate End and the authority’s Wallfields headquarters in Hertford East Herts budgeted £1.588m but has been billed £255,000 more The district plans to appeal but Cllr Brittain’s report warns: “There is no guarantee of success.” The council’s planning service is forecast to be £311,000 overspent and staff restructuring costs resulted in a one-off bill of £160,000 Charringtons House in Bishop’s Stortford’s Causeway is awaiting demolition as part of the Old River Lane transformation scheme Parking income was estimated at £1.115m but is expected to hit £1.373m Waste services are forecasting an underspend of £374,000 against the £3.817m budget The council is working to reduce the £3.09m debt it is owed The revised capital budget for 2024-25 is £19.082m plus another £4.16m has been approved but not yet committed giving a variance of £10m in year and proposals for £7.835m to be carried forward to 2025-26 Steve is an experienced and knowledgeable cultural expert specialising in driving strategic development within arts and cultural organisations He is joining BEAM from Trafalgar Theatres Part of the Trafalgar Entertainment group where he was the Director for The Beck Theatre for 7 years leading it to become the UKs most diverse commercial Theatre He also worked as the Development Director for the Trafalgar Entertainment Trust- a National Charity set up to increase access to the Arts for all whose programmes reached over 55,000 people last year Prior to that he was designing and delivering strategy for High Peak Theatre Trust which included setting up a commercial cinema enterprise and designing a bespoke Customer Experience of the highest quality.  Steve said “BEAM in Hertford is truly inspiring and I feel privileged and excited to join this world-class venue so early The potential at BEAM is boundless and the range of world-class facilities means BEAM can be a cultural destination for all with a broad programme that connects with our audiences in a truly meaningful way Venues that bring our communities together are perhaps more important now than ever before and I can’t wait to work with the expert team at BEAM to unlock an extraordinary future for BEAM and for Hertford.” leader of the council said “We are really glad Steve is joining us to become the figurehead for this brand-new venue We welcome his wealth of experience and cannot wait to see everything he will achieve with the support of the great team we already have at BEAM.” Steve will take up the role from this week He will oversee the summer programme and the delivery of the venue’s second stage which has been purpose built to bring in more intimate shows and support local talent.  Each act was given seven minutes on stage and all went down well with the audience who also appreciated the variety of entertainment on offer By Martin Neal · 4 February 2025 ON STAGE: The Rolling Moss performing at the new venture's launch night A new monthly open mic night for creative people has been hailed as a big success And after the HeartsArts Open Mic launch night at at Mudlarks Café in Fore Street the organiser has said she is looking forward to more of the same The Broke and The Broken opened the first half of the launch event with a set of Nirvana-inspired music comedy musical act Three Wise Men and poet Peter James followed before comedian Julie Bee closed the first half The second half was opened by quirky musical duo The Rolling Moss before comedian Chipo - who travelled from Bedford after hearing about the event on social media - Harlow comedian Stephen Young and Stand-up Comedy Award winner Georgia Thorp took to the stage The night was organised by Hertford comedian and actor Sara Louise Aston “I have acts booked for February and March’s open mic events already,” she revealed there will be a different line-up - from poets to comedians to musicians It was an honour to have acts travel from outside of Hertford but also a delight to have local artistes too.” has been a comedian for over 20 years but still classes herself as a nobody “When you’re not famous it’s hard to get the MC gigs,” she said “so I thought why not have my own monthly gig where I can MC as much as I want?” “I am so grateful to Mudlarks for letting me take over their café on the last Friday night of the month “I was given a lot of false hope from another venue in Hertford last year and had almost given up hope of running this event until Victoria Broscomb She was really encouraging and said I could really make the night my own The open mic nights will take place on the last Friday of each month with the next on February 28 They will start at 8pm and Sara is aiming for each finish to be no later than 10.15pm so everyone can travel home without the worry of missing trains “That’s my biggest and anxious fear when I gig in London,” she admitted “I am trying to deliver a night to acts where they don’t have to worry about leaving so late I want them to just have fun and perform what they love Probably corny too but that’s how I want it to be The next challenge for February’s event is to pull an audience in again “January’s audience said they will come back,” she added “I know we all say things in the heat of the moment but I do hope at least some audience members come back.” There is no admission fee for the night but it is advisable to reserve seats - send an email to Sara at heartsartsopenmic@gmail.com It’s a bring your own booze event but there is plenty of water available Sara is putting her own money into the project and is hoping it will become an established event “The marketing takes a lot of time but I am so determined to make HeartsArts into something very established and to continue the nights as long as I can,” she said "I have a ‘pay what you like’ bucket at the end of the night and if people want to drop a coin or a note in they are more than welcome to If HeartsArts gets bigger I will invest in a tap card machine I am aware HeartsArts could be a very long journey to getting it to where I want it to be.’’ LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} Hertford College Principal Professor Tom Fletcher announced he will be leaving his role for a new appointment as Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Relief and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations leading the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Fletcher recalled how his experience at Hertford “changed his life” in the years he’s been “blessed to see Hertford from every angle”: as a student of Modern History After graduation Fletcher served as a UK diplomat in Nairobi and Paris the foreign policy and Northern Ireland advisor to Prime Ministers Tony Blair Upon returning to Hertford as an honorary fellow Fletcher was elected as the youngest ever principal in 2020 the UN Secretary General asked me to take [the OCHA role] on Millions are in dire need of protection and support Fletcher emphasised his commitment to accessibility at Hertford during his tenure A first-generation university student who got the highest mark in Oxford and is now on the frontline of tackling the climate crisis told him last week that “Hertford is base camp.” Another masters student from Syria who got funding from an alumni due to Fletcher’s efforts told him that Hertford is her “sliding door moment.” They will have had every reason not to make it Fletcher oversaw the establishment of the Asseily Scholarship for a student displaced by conflict as well as the Sibusiso Scholarship for five African graduate students Fletcher was commended by the UN for possessing “strong experience of leading and transforming organisations” and “an understanding of diplomacy at the highest levels” as well as previous colleague Gordon Brown for his “creativity and resilience” As Martin Griffith’s successor, Fletcher will be the sixth successive British head of OCHA. Prior to his selection, over 60 diplomats and humanitarians wrote an open letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres calling for equal consideration of nationals of all member states in deliberation for the role For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 07:54 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 cloud will increase from off the North Sea to bring a few light showers during the day Some bright or sunny spells developing by late-afternoon Staying dry with some lengthy clear skies overnight Turning chilly with a touch of grass frost in places Largely dry with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells on Wednesday with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells throughout the period Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average The Society have collaborated with Hertford Town Council to decorate Hertford’s town centre Christmas Tree The imagination of The Secret Society of Hertford members knows no bounds and the tree promises to fall no short of spectacular when it is revealed in all its glory on Friday.  To elaborate decorations that have been knitted include crocheted and invitations to the ball addressed to well-known children’s characters.  They’ve also made Prince Charming’s whole castle complete with moat dancers in flowing gowns and ties and tails The story wouldn’t be complete without the cruel sisters some scoundrels trying to sneak in without tickets (called Noel & Liam) a fairy Godmother and of course - Prince Charming and Cinderella!  The complete castle will be installed on the Wednesday 20 November complete with lights will at 6pm on the Friday 22 November at the Hertford Christmas Gala Whilst the story of Cinderella was at the heart of the plans recycling was a fundamental feature of the Christmas yarnbomb The aim was to recycle and reuse as much as possible estate agent boards and even a lampshade!  The yarnbombers will also be holding a stall selling gorgeous Hertford during the Hertford Christmas Gala on Friday 22 November from 3pm till 8pm Giving visitors the opportunity to find Christmas and Cinderella themed goodies enabling the Society to raise more funds for the Hertfordshire Breast Unit Appeal After the Christmas Gala, if you’re full of festive cheer – head online and book tickets to see Cinderella and the Glass Slipper at BEAM, in the heart of the town this Christmas in our fantastic new venue. Tickets are available now, so book your seats Bedford Ath suffered another loss at the weekend as they remained eleven points adrift at the bottom of Regional South East One after a comfortable defeat at Hertford The home side eased to a 43-15 victory in this rearranged Regional One South East encounter The visitors led briefly in the first half and were in touch at half time but eventually fell away A fast start from Hertford saw them into an early lead through a try by winger Hugo Creasey in the second minute converted by full back Louis Kendrick Bedford Athletic were competitive and worked their way back into the game They scored their first try though electric winger Bradley McKenna on 17 minutes and although full back Sam Valpy was unsuccessful with the conversion he was on the mark three minutes later with a penalty to see Bedford Athletic lead 8-7 at the end of the first quarter Hertford scored again though left winger Ben Bridgewood The turning point in the match came just before half time as Bedford Athletic lost an attacking lineout close to the home side’s line and Hertford were able to counter attack which eventually led to a second try for Creasey and a ten point swing against the visiting side Hertford went into half time with a 17-8 advantage Whilst several opportunities had been created throughout the half the familiar stories of a lack of accuracy and discipline meant it was difficult for Bedford Athletic to make an impression on the scoreboard In the second half the match began to get away from the visitors Hertford scored their fourth and bonus point try through centre Ben Gilchrist and ten minutes later they had their fifth as Taite Williams with a conversion added by Kendrick to lead 29-8 Matters were getting worse for Bedford Athletic as a string of injuries to Nick Tarr Bradley McKenna and Lewis Ager saw the side reduced to 14 players They did well to score a second try through replacement prop Tom Prowse on 57 minutes – his first for the team – which Valpy converted but when Lewis Sharp was sin binned on the hour mark for escalating a brawl any chance that the team had effectively left the field with him It was Hertford who were to go on to dominate the final quarter of the game with two more converted tries ticking the score up to 43-15 by the end of the game With just one solitary bonus point to show from their last seven matches Bedford Athletic remain rooted to the bottom of the table and with sides ahead of them not playing today still eleven points from safety with six matches remaining The first of these is at home to Shelford this Saturday with a 3pm kick off at Putnoe Woods Arsenal under-18s head coach Adam Birchall praised his team’s application in key moments following their thrilling 4-3 victory over Hertford Town in the FA Youth Cup third round and a brace from Dan Casey sealed the win in a game that tested the young Gunners’ character and that’s the most important thing,” said Birchall “I’m really pleased with the team’s application They’ve been excellent in training over the past three days and I thought what we worked on really showed on the pitch we could’ve managed the game better and allowed Hertford to hit us on the counter “It’s unbelievable for them and so important at this stage of their development and the players had to manage that—it’s a great experience “We knew coming into the game we’d need to be fully committed in every duel I was really pleased with the running and effort across the team and our midfielders worked incredibly hard defensively “The biggest moment for me was Dan winning the duel for our first goal and hitting the crossbar—it was great to see his hard work paying off showing real composure and technical quality when it mattered Our under-18s begin their FA Youth Cup campaign with a short trip to Hertingfordbury Park to take on Hertford Town on Tuesday The team will be looking to bounce back from our 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League Cup last time out Under the guidance of new head coach Adam Birchall our young Gunners will aim to get their FA Youth Cup journey off to a strong start Hertford Town's under-18s have enjoyed a sensational run in the FA Youth Cup already this season making history by reaching the third round proper for the first time Their journey has been nothing short of remarkable: Having already defeated two EFL sides—Cambridge United and Bristol Rovers—Hertford Town will approach this match with confidence and belief in their ability to cause another upset especially as they’ll have the home crowd on their side The FA Youth Cup has long served as a platform for young talent to shine we are the third most successful club in FA Youth Cup history with a team that included former under-18s head coach but falling to Chelsea and West Ham United our young Gunners will be looking to build on this proud history and bring the trophy back to north London You can also stay up to date with live commentary on our academy’s X page. A full match report will be available on Arsenal.com shortly after the final whistle don’t miss exclusive interviews with Adam Birchall and one of our young Gunners who played critical roles in the execution of the development were also present to celebrate the completion of this monumental legacy project will welcome visitors for the first time this bank holiday weekend where they can enjoy a packed few days of theatre cinema and events. Previously known as Hertford Theatre BEAM has undergone a £30m redevelopment over the last three years including backstage areas and dressing rooms The venue’s varied creative programme will blend the best of touring comedy and family performances while also showcasing local professional and community organisations “It’s tremendous to see so many of the council’s partners attend the opening of BEAM a venue which promises to serve our district community for generations to come.” “Much effort has been made by each party involved in the delivery of BEAM and the new team working to invigorate this iconic venue certainly deserve the spotlight this bank holiday weekend Castle Hall and Hertford Theatre before it I look forward to BEAM becoming a cultural landmark at the heart of East Herts.” To find out more and book tickets, visit the BEAM website:https://beamhertford.co.uk/whats-on/  Hamlet’s pulverised body is thrown backwards by the implosion.]’ Don’t quite remember this scene from the bard’s masterpiece You won’t forget it after watching Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane’s spectacular docu-drama about the staging of a production of Hamlet inside the game of ‘Grand Theft Auto Online’ during COVID Hertford alumnus Pinny Grylls returned to her old college for a showing of the film and to answer the many questions she knew the audience would inevitably have.  Welcome to the world of Los Santos – a city miraculously like its Californian homophone – where guns and random acts of violence are the norm with aching sunsets and perfectly-rendered verdure.  all too many people with too much time on their hands found something like solace in video games Open world games provide the opportunity to live a life of vicarious freedom: to see sights Equipping an avatar allows for the anonymity needed to forge a new identity and escape the ennui of looking at the same four walls The entire conception of Grand Theft Hamlet – beyond just its dialogue about staying sane during lockdown – brings back COVID claustrophobia For anyone who’s not been exposed to ‘Machinima’ (a somewhat hideous portmanteau of ‘machine’ and ‘cinema’) the idea of trying to create a cinematic work inside a video game may sound comic Yet Pinny Grylls is clear that the artistic potential of video games is immense but the worlds that they offer are – in some cases quite literally – boundless This artistic potential finds full and fabulous expression in Grand Theft Hamlet which takes a play already obsessed with performance and facades and goes above and beyond in exploring the verbs ‘to act’ and ‘to play’ It’s impossible to tell what’s scripted and what’s not – everything flows effortlessly and naturally: a testimony to Grylls’ skill in editing and shooting inspired by stumbling upon a huge amphitheatre in-game decide one day to stage a production of Hamlet inside GTA Online they go through the digital world of Los Santos trying to enlist willing recruits Calling upon friends and strangers from the internet alike they slowly begin to assemble a rag-tag bunch of performers and various emotes to enact their characters The surrealness of watching 90 minutes of in-game footage does wear off and at times you even feel something like emotional connection to the pre-programmed movements of the various players until you’re intentionally brought back to awareness of the absurdity of it all The film effortlessly moves between languid conversations between Sam and Mark as they move through the world plotting how to get more actors and solve difficult staging problems with a hysterical contrast to the contents of the screen Whilst chaotically firing machine guns at the insurgents they report to Horatio no disturbance during their watch and calmly say that it has been a peaceful evening (as the violence continues to unfold).  Other reenactments of the play are also impeccable: Hamlet’s sixth soliloquy (“Now might I do it”) sees the protagonist steadfastly training a gun on the kneeling Claudius; the Ghost’s first appearance to his son sees a huge zeppelin appear in the night’s sky topped with a fluorescent ghost mask-wearing character whose ‘skin’ (the appearance) is that of a green dragon with a distinct rear not wanting to play a character but clearly very attached to the show acting as a loyal protector to the actors – he ensures that the final performance is safe by flying above in a huge military jet.  The non-playable characters (NPCs) also have an essential role. Their automated dialogue and preset sayings feature variously as hilarious, prescient, and poignant. In one of my favourite scenes of the film, whilst Hamlet recites the ‘What a piece of work is a man’ monologue Pinny zooms in very close to the faces of some aged and bewildered NPCs the bedraggled NPCs look confusedly around perfectly contradicting Hamlet’s words in seeming to be utterly devoid of reason and faculties But these words are not just an exaltation of human reason; it’s said in one of Hamlet’s darkest hours (but wherefore I know not) lost all my mirth forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition; that this goodly frame the earth whilst the film is oftentimes raucously funny it is also a serious reflection of the difficulties that come with social isolation Mark is at times very like the morose protagonist: we learn that he’s living alone and the tediousness of being isolated in the same place is sure to make everything seem like a “a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours”.  is a moment of exhilaration and joy (and incredible staging) By NOTICEBOARD · 24 March 2025 In collaboration with the Secret Society of Hertford Crafters Hertford Town Council organises three themed children’s trails across the year for families to enjoy free of charge participants are invited to follow the trail map and discover the themed knitted characters hiding in shops and shop windows across Hertford town centre The trails coincide with the school holidays providing families with a free activity to entertain children during the break which promotes exploration and enjoying the outdoors The first themed trail ‘British Greats - Past and Present’ will take place over Easter The themes of the remaining trails are still to be confirmed The themed knitted characters are handmade by the Secret Society of Hertford Crafters which are then auctioned at the end of the trail to fund charities and future projects Details of the auction will be available on the trail leaflets To take part, families can collect a trail leaflet from the Hertford Town and Tourist Information Centre or download via the Hertford Town Council website: www.hertford.gov.uk/eventslistings participants are invited to return their completed trail leaflets to the Hertford Town and Tourist Information Centre to enter the prize draw Chair of Hertford Town Council’s Development and Leisure Committee commented: “Hertford Town Council is delighted to offer our popular Children’s Trails as a fun We are proud to partner with the infamous Secret Society of Hertford Crafters to bring joy to the town and to the many children and their families who take part.” The Secret Society of Hertford Crafters added: “Our members are always so keen and excited to make items for the Town Trails be making a character that they may never have imagined crafting but each time they rise to the challenge and produce an entirely unique item It is so pleasing to know that many children and their families enjoy taking the trail and some love the characters enough to bid for them in our auctions.” Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitsbeds bucks hertsnewsMan arrested after woman 'dragged along and pushed to the floor' by car in Hertford Police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward information and dash cam footage following an incident in Hertford a man and a woman were involved in an altercation on Ware Road was reportedly dragged along the road and pushed to the floor Officers arrested a 31-year-old man from Bedfordshire on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm He has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries said: “We are continuing to establish the full circumstances of this incident and I’m appealing for any witnesses to please come forward if you have a dash cam fitted and were driving in the area at the time please check it because you may have captured some important footage." Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. After the breathless league match on Saturday we turned our attentions to the Hertfordshire Charity Cup and a pairing with Hertford Town of Division One Central where we would have been but for the reprieve any notion of our opponents being underdogs was purely nominal I think the same applies to our forthcoming match in the FA Cup Expected changes were made for this cup tie and there were starts for Jhai Dhillon Supporters of a certain age may be interested to know that one of the Hertford players was Harry Gilzean grandson of former Tottenham Hotspur player Alan Gilzean Of interest too was that former Hitchin player George Devine was now in Hertford colours and we wish him every success We began with a decent header from Albie Hall that just cleared the bar Albie was wearing a number nineteen shirt as the number nine was worn by Shane Bush when he dislocated his shoulder and the shirt appears to have gone missing a home corner was neatly held by Danny Purdue Jhai Dhillon’s cross was neatly netted by Albie Hall but that was ruled out by the linesman’s flag Callan’s long clearance actually went for a corner which was beaten away There was another cross from Dhillon and another mild header from Hall so it was mostly Hitchin pressure in these opening stages There was a free kick from the right that was defended Then there was another in a better position and Morrell’s strike hit the defensive wall Brooks was denied almost on the goal line by a cool piece of defending Then Brooks opened the scoring with a fine individual effort Then a glancing header from Hall was followed by but the referee correctly awarded a free kick to Hertford and the next bit of thrilling action was when Dhillon’s lovely low cross from the left was met enthusiastically by Morrall who made it 2-0 to Hitchin after about thirty-six minutes The dominance by the hosts was underlined by Brooks’ unchallenged shot from range that needed a strong parry by Purdue the visitors had not been able to construct a meaningful attack on the Hitchin goal but the number of goal chances and shots on target from Hitchin was encouraging Hertford won their first corner virtually in stoppage time and it was defended with ease Hitchin thus took their two-goal lead to the interval The second half had a mildly scrappy start with a number of stoppages but we did see the first real assault on goal by Hertford with one of the substitutes Brown – Johnson providing the foiled opportunity The Hitchin rhythm of the first half was missing so far and Devine missed a glorious chance of scoring against his old club There was a Hitchin free kick from the right well taken by Dhillon and only defended with difficulty Brooks’ effort brought a corner and a fluffed chance from Morrall Another free kick for the hosts saw a goal line clearance and a shot wide It was at this time we noticed the dramatic moon of a different colour on the rise the colour caused by the moon’s closeness in orbit at this time By this time Hitchin had made three substitutes with Jones Twenty minutes of this half had expired and Hitchin despite many chances were yet to add to the score A low shot by Brooks was held comfortably by Purdue Lewis Franklin provided the assistance for a smart goal from Coree Wilson whose low shot made it 3-0 after seventy- two minutes It was by now inevitable that the Canaries would be welcoming St Albans City in the next round Coree Wilson almost made it four from close range Hertford had used all five of their substitutes but it made little difference to the impact of their play and this first win of the season was indeed welcome as an extra boost to confidence following the heroic defeat at Telford Hall was unlucky not to score right at the end from close range it ended three- nil and I think the visitors can have little complaint We wish them a successful season in Division One Central Substitutes – all used – Lanrewaju Balogun Hitchin Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Hertfordshire Our Men's team currently play in the Southern League Premier Central Division.