Axis magazine May 2024 issue

The independent, intelligent guide to everything that matters locally

May 2024

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LOCAL LIFE

BEAM ME UP

The new name for Hertford’s £30m theatre is revealed

FLOWERED UP

Fresh life for historic building as florist opens

SADDLE UP

Polo club unveils a season of summer events for all

CURTAIN UP

Book your tickets now for Hertford Theatre Week

EAT UP

New York pizza bar and two new cafés open their doors

WELCOME

What’s inside this issue

05-11 y Briefing

Historic house in grounds of County Hall to be sold off for development

17-23 y What’s on

Your monthly guide to the best arts, events and places to visit

14 y Health & beauty

New hearing care clinic opens its doors in Hoddesdon

24-27 y Food & drink

Three new openings to discover in Hertford and Bishop’s Stortford

12 y MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL: Love Hoddesdon BID’s great new event

16 y TAKE A SEC TO CHECK: NHS launches blood pressure campaign

cover

ABOUT AXIS

Axis magazine was founded in 2003 by two award-winning former local newspaper editors who still own and run the business today.

We are the independent, intelligent guide to everything that matters in and around eastern Hertfordshire and we aim to provide a concise, useful guide to local life.

Our editorial content is targeted towards readers’ interests, to maximise readership and gain the best exposure for our advertisers. The magazine is delivered to homes and businesses in selected areas and copies can also be picked up free from venues across the area.

CONTACT US

Axis Magazine, Lyric House, 6b St Andrew St, Hertford SG14 1JA 01992 500198 info@axispublications.co.uk axismagazine.co.uk

PUBLISHERS:

Aaron Gransby & Justine Woods

DIGITAL EDITION:

Read us online at axismagazine.co.uk or issuu.com (search axis magazine)

SUBSCRIBE

For just £35 per year we’ll send you your own copy of Axis by post upon publication each month.

Call us on 01992 500198 with card details to start a subscription or send a cheque made payable to Axis Publications Ltd to the address in the Contact Us section above.

ADVERTISE

Here at Axis we look to build long-lasting relationships with local businesses that understand the benefits of advertising to an affluent and intelligent audience on a regular, ongoing basis.

To find out more about promoting your business with us please call 01992 500198

Front

images (clockwise from top) Beam, formerly known as Hertford Theatre (p5); Sister Act, which is being performed by Broxbourne Theatre Company at The Spotlight (p19); Silver Leys Polo Club in Bishop’s Stortford (p17); The Garfield Movie, released this month (p21); Purple Range by Helen Boden, showing at The Gallery at Parndon Mill (p19); New florist Flowered Up in Hertford (p13).

BRIEFING

Beam, Hertford’s new £30m theatre, aims to be a ‘cultural beacon’ across the region

Ahead of its much anticipated re-opening in August, the new name for Hertford Theatre was revealed in April as Beam, an identity designed to reflect the redeveloped venue’s new, wider artistic offering.

A £30million programme of works, which saw the venue close in 2021, is now nearing completion and has seen the main auditorium expanded to seat 550, and a new 150-seat studio theatre, dance studio, community room, riverside café and upstairs bar all added.

Three bespoke cinema screens upstairs will bring new release films to the town for the first time in decades.

According to the venue, which took the wraps off the new logo on the outside of the building in The Wash on Tuesday 23rd April, among other things the name is reflective both of the ray of light from a projector and that of a spotlight on stage.

It’s also hoped that the new venue will shine a light on Hertford, putting it on the regional and national cultural map.

Initially, plans had been for the cinema screens to open in July with the theatre following in the autumn.

However, all facilities will now open on Friday 23rd August with bookings for films being taken from late July.

A new website, beamhertford.co.uk, and social media channels have now gone live, revealing the shows already confirmed for the autumn season.

These include the theatre’s Christmas show, which has been announced as Cinderella and the Glass Slipper and which will open on Saturday 30th November.

East Herts Council’s executive member for wellbeing, Cllr Sarah Hopewell, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that residents can now get a real flavour of their amazing new arts venue. Re-launching with a different identity reflects the fact that Beam is, to all intents and purposes, a brand new venue.”

Beam director Rhys Thomas called the new venue “a once-in-generation building” and said “With several big names lining up to perform at Beam the team cannot wait to open the doors to our audiences across East Herts and beyond.”

BID explores possibility of pedestrianisation in Stortford’s North Street

The possible pedestrianisation of North Street in Bishop’s Stortford at weekends is being explored by Bishop’s Stortford Business Improvement District, the organisation that works on behalf of businesses to make improvements to, and increase footfall in, the town.

The BID team met with local businesses in April to discuss the

idea which it says could create a much needed ‘hub’ or gathering space with the potential for al fresco dining, pop-up markets, street entertainment and cultural events, all of which could encourage more visitors.

Footfall in this part of town is currently down, something the BID in part attributes to the closure of the nearby Causeway and Charringtons

House car parks and uncertainty over the Old River Lane development.

North Street is an attractive streetscape with listed buildings and wide road and pavements which the BID says lend themselves to such an initiative. Discussions are ongoing with businesses and other stakeholders with possible trials of events in the pipeline.

Director Rhys Thomas and Cllr Sarah Hopewell reveal the name

The theatre’s new name can be seen above the hoardings in The Wash

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Historic Leahoe House set to be sold off by county council for redevelopment

Leahoe House, the Victorian property that lies within the grounds of County Hall in Hertford, is to be sold off for redevelopment by its owners, Hertfordshire County Council.

It forms part of the wider ‘Leahoe site’ of around three hectares which is set to be disposed of. This includes a collection of buildings to the rear of the red brick property known as the annex, plus a further development of housing, Leahoe Gardens.

Buildings within the annex and at Leahoe Gardens had at one time been used to provide staff housing. The council says the site is surplus to requirements and began marketing it back in 2022.

It stipulated that it would expect to see a high quality scheme brought forward by a successful bidder and a shortlist of two developers from an interested 10 were invited to present their proposals to the planning authority, East Herts Council,

as part of the process. While the house is not listed, it is of local historic importance and it is expected that it would be restored and potentially turned into flats.

The council’s resources and performance cabinet panel, which

Ware’s famous festive lanterns have seen their last Christmas

The brightly coloured Christmas lanterns that have adorned the frontages of High Street shops in Ware for many years have seen their last festive season.

Aware that the lanterns would need replacing in the next few years, Ware Town Council asked residents in 2022 whether they would like them retained. Some 63 per cent said they would.

However, a survey by Ringway Infrastructure Services carried out in December identified several issues with the lanterns, including them not being secured correctly and

showing wear and tear from age. Further investigations resulted in cost estimates of £30,000 to upgrade the infrastructure needed to string the lights outside buildings; an annual electrical testing cost of £30,000 to £35,000; a price of £20,000 to £25,000 for the new lanterns themselves and a further £8,000 to £9,000 for installing them each year.

Faced with such a large bill, Ware Town Council decided at its meeting on Monday 25th March not to replace the lanterns. Instead, it will focus on more cross-street displays,

met in April, agreed to recommend that the council’s cabinet declares the site as surplus, authorises its disposal and agrees to identify Cala Homes as its preferred bidder to develop the site. The sale is likely to be completed mid 2026.

lamp-post decorations and setpiece features, such as Wear Bear, a large, illuminated bear which has proved popular. Festoon lights in the alleyway-style East Street and West Street will, however, remain.

Permission granted for 342 homes at Archer’s Spring site

Outline planning permission was granted in April for a development of up to 342 new homes on land at Archer’s Spring on the western edge of Hertford.

The site is an area of mainly scrubland to the north of Welwyn Road with Sele Farm to its east and Panshanger Park to the south.

Together with another area of land to the west of Thieves Lane where 254 homes are already under construction, it forms Herts 3, a site designated in East Herts Council’s district plan to provide at least 550 new homes to meet local need. London and Regional Properties’ development at Archer’s Spring

will provide up to 342 properties of a range of size and types, along with parking, public open space and amenity space.

Access to the new homes will be via Welwyn Road to the south with bus and emergency access and exit through Perret Gardens to the east.

A major programme of works is planned at Sawbridgeworth Congregational Church on London Road subject to planning permission being granted by East Herts Council.

A prominent feature in the local streetscape, the grade 2 listed buildings comprise the original church and schoolroom, completed in 1863, along with a newer classroom block built to the north of the original buildings in 1911. The church proposes a programme of refurbishment works to the main church or ‘sanctuary’ including the removal of pews, organ console, dais and pulpit and the installation of a replacement heating system and lighting.

It also seeks to demolish the 1911 building to the north of the site and modern extensions behind it, and to build a new part two storey, part single storey community hub with, among other things, an entrance foyer and refreshment area, multi activity hall for church and community activities, new kitchen and sanitary facilities plus meeting rooms. It would join the other buildings via a glass link infill.

The church says it is seeking to provide an inspiring and welcoming redevelopment of the existing site, sympathetic to its listed status, to allow it to better serve the needs of the local community.

However, The Victorian Society has questioned why facilities could not be improved whilst substantially retaining the 1911 building and commented that the removal of almost all pews and a number of other internal features in the church would harm the significance of the building.

The Leahoe House site is likely to be redeveloped by Cala Homes

Ware Priory Lido seeks views on plans for major refurbishment to add new facilities

Ware Lido is hosting a public consultation asking local residents what other facilities they might like to see provided at the pool site.

The popular venue in Priory Street reopened last summer after a closure for the 2022 season while repairs and refurbishment works on the pool took place.

It would usually close at the end of the summer and further improvement works were planned to changing rooms and showers. But it has become apparent that the lido building is in need of more extensive refurbishment to guarantee it a lifespan to match the new pool and plantroom.

And, after a trial of cold-water swimming during the winter months proved so popular that sessions have continued right up until the start of the 2024 main season, thoughts have turned to the need for a lido building that could be used all year round.

A large-scale refurbishment is now planned which could include the addition of new facilities, income from which could help to cover the lido’s operating costs.

Ideas include the possibility of

The main swim season at the lido was due to begin on Thursday 2nd May – you can now book swim sessions at warepriorylido.co.uk

adding a sauna, a gym, a multi-use studio space, and hireable treatment rooms for practitioners such as physiotherapists.

The lido would also like feedback on the idea of providing private showering and changing cubicles within a new mixed sex changing village.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON 9th MAY

The consultation event is at Ware Priory in the High Street between 4pm and 8pm on Thursday 9th May where members of the public can see some of the initial ideas and discuss them with councillors and the lido team, who are also happy to hear any other ideas.

Apartments planned for Ware Library building

A planning application has been submitted to convert the current Ware Library building into four flats, with a further three new, two-bedroom terraced houses also proposed on the site.

Hertfordshire County Council owns the building, but it is providing a new library for Ware further along the High Street in the former Peacocks unit which is expected to open this autumn.

It has now submitted plans for the existing grade 2* listed library building, at 87 High Street, to East Herts Council.

These involve converting the main building into four apartments, two one-bedroom and two with two bedrooms, and demolishing the existing single storey extensions.

A new single storey building would then link to three new two-bedroom houses, each with a garden, which would be built behind the

library building, fronting onto Burgage Lane.

The Ware Society has objected to the plans, saying they represent over-development of the site, with cramped rooms, and citing the lack of parking.

Historic England says it does not object to the conversion of the main building into four apart-

Council leader stands down

The leader of Broxbourne Council, Cllr Lewis Cocking, stood down from the council at this month’s local elections ahead of running as the Conservative candidate for Broxbourne at the next General Election, where he hopes to succeed Sir Charles Walker as MP. Lewis was first elected onto the council in 2016 and was appointed leader in May 2019.

With a maxim of “Broxbourne is open for business”, his time as leader has seen major investment within the borough announced with Hollywood’s Sunset Studios set to build a new UK facility at Waltham Cross and just a short distance along the A10 tech giant Google preparing a new data centre site.

Karen Burton (centre) and Madeleine Lees with Bishop’s Stortford Mayor Richard Townsend

New BID bosses

Bishop’s Stortford BID has a new manager in charge – well, actually, two of them!

ments, but it does suggest the applicant submits a revised scheme for the three new houses. It said the current plans would result in “an incongruous building that would fail to enhance the setting of the grade 2* listed building”. The application can now be viewed and commented upon on East Herts Council’s website.

Gina Thomas, who had led the BID since its inception in 2018, left late last year and her old job is now being shared.

The two managers are Karen Burton, who was its chair and ran Karen’s Cakes in the town for many years, and Madeleine Lees who was previously its marketing and communications manager.

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JULIE MARSON

MP FOR HERTFORD & STORTFORD

Campaign for new slip road at McDonald’s continues

I have recently had another meeting with the franchisee at McDonald’s Rush Green in Hertford to discuss the implementations being made to alleviate traffic on the roundabout.

Claude and his team agree that it is important to take action in order to ease traffic and improve safety on this stretch of road. The McDonald’s team have demonstrated commitment to a plan to build a new lane on the site. I am grateful to Claude and his team for their continued engagement with this issue and I look forward to delivering on these improvements.

Tour of Lea Wharf Medical

I had the pleasure of visiting Lea Wharf Medical Centre in Hertford and touring their brand new facilities. It was great to see for myself the fantastic work they are doing to continue to provide top quality primary healthcare in the constituency. I’d like to express my gratitude to the members of staff whose hard work is a key part of what makes these facilities so integral in the community.

Tackling pollution

I also had an illuminating meeting with the CEO of Pollution Solution, a Hertford-based company working to reduce air pollution with Roadvent. Roadvent aims to capture toxic exhaust emissions at the roadside, filter the pollutants, and release clean air back out. I am currently working with leadership at Hertfordshire County Council to get Roadvent trialled at Hockerill lights in Bishop’s Stortford. It is my hope that should this trial be successful, it could be rolled out to other air pollution ‘hotspots’ in the wider community. I hope to provide a more substantive update to residents in the coming months.

Children’s Minister visits

It was a pleasure to welcome the Children’s Minister, David Johnstone, to Chauncy and Amwell View schools with the view of discussing SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) provisions in Hertfordshire.

Due to historic anomalies, Hertfordshire receives less SEND funding per pupil than neighbour-

ing areas, making the minister’s visit and roundtable with local education providers all the more important.

The minister was impressed with what he saw at Chauncy and Amwell View, a testament to how hard the staff there work to make sure every child gets the best start

in life through their education.

Banking hubs update

As I wrote in my last column, I am continuing to challenge the FCA’s current rules on banking hubs and I await their final decisions on this matter, expected in the third quarter of 2024.

Love Hoddesdon to hold 1st Midsummer Festival

Claire Bayless, manager of Love Hoddesdon BID, updates us on its latest initiatives

Our events season started in Hoddesdon town centre with the Spring Fayre and Heritage Day on Saturday 27th April brought to us by Broxbourne Council. Love Hoddesdon added value with vintage bus tours, a vintage cinema playing old films from around Hoddesdon and vintage vehicles.

New festival for the summer

The centrepiece of our summer will be the new Love Hoddesdon Midsummer Festival, inspired by the way Midsummer is celebrated across the UK and Europe. We have organised a ten-day festival beginning on Saturday 15th June and running through to Midsummer Day, Monday 24th June. The festival will also recognise the fact that 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of Broxbourne Borough Council (formerly the Urban District Council of Hoddesdon).

As the local community will see from the programme, we and our many partners at The Spotlight, Lowewood Museum, Hoddesdon Library, sports clubs, Hertfordshire Zoo, St Catherine’s and St Paul’s Church and others have put in lots of thought and effort to bring to people of all ages and tastes a wide selection of events and entertainment. The aim has always been to shine a light on all that Hoddesdon and the surrounding areas have to offer. None of this could have been possible without the army of

volunteers that give many hours of their time freely.

We hope the public support the many local visitor attractions and attend one or more of the many events that have been lined up. Do not miss the Gala Day on Sunday 23rd June in the town centre where you find two musical stages, street entertainment, community stalls, a traditional funfair and so much more.

Food and drink vendors wanted

We will also hold our annual Rock Around the Clock Tower music event in August and our Food and Drink Fest in September. We are already looking for local food and drink vendors to take part in this event, which will be on Saturday 14th September in the town centre from 10am to 6pm.

If you’d like to take part, email lovehoddesdon@outlook.com.

Free training sessions for Hoddesdon businesses restart

To further support the businesses in the town centre we are restarting our free training sessions for all BID members.

We have held social media training and first aid training so far, which has been well received, and we are also introducing our first free public first aid training in the summer.

We are in the process of installing our third public access defibrillator and would like to raise awareness and training for all. Another way we bring businsess together is through our networking events.

We held our first evening networking meeting at the beginning of April, replacing the breakfast

meeting that month and this was an enormous success with over 45 attendees and lots of new faces. We will now hold an evening meeting every six months to accommodate as many people as possible.

In the meantime, we continue to arrange a monthly networking breakfast which takes place in one of our local restaurants or businesses in the town centre. We arrange for a speaker to come along and we have updates from local businesses and from the BID.

If you or someone from your business are interested in attending, please email us at lovehoddesdon@outlook.com.

Love Hoddesdon chair Kevin Brooks speaking at the networking meeting

Flowered Up is a dream come true for Wendy

The opening of a new floristry studio and shop in one of Hertford’s most iconic buildings is “a dream come true” for owner Wendy Shipton.

Flowered Up has opened in The Verger’s House at 43 St Andrew Street, which was previously home to a second branch of art gallery Brothership and is best known for being the historic home of the former antiques shop Beckwith & Son, a Hertford institution. For Wendy, her new business is a step away from the world of hospitality where she was one of the management team of Hertford House hotel and The Store House

in the town, part of the family-run Shipton Hospitality Group.

It is also a return to her first love – floristry, in which she began at the age of 12 sweeping floors on a Saturday at a shop in Hammondstreet, Cheshunt before going on to become a florist there.

When she met her husband-to-be Nick Shipton she joined him at the bar he founded, Elbert Wurling’s, and then at Hertford House.

But after years in hospitality, Nick returned to his first calling – the world of art – when he set up Brothership gallery in Bull Plain five years ago.

And now Wendy has followed his

Jackson Square stores on move to prepare for TK Maxx

The relocation of a number of shops at Bishop’s Stortford’s Jackson Square has taken place as part of the works to bring TK Maxx to the shopping centre.

Mamdani Opticians has moved from its previous site in Bridge Street to Devoils Lane while Photosound, also previously in Bridge Street now occupies a unit within the indoor mall.

Jeweller F Hinds has moved units

lead, launching Flowered Up after working on a freelance basis with Rebel Rebel florist in Mare Street, Hackney since last summer. At Flowered Up, Wendy offers hand-tied bouquets and bespoke arrangements for weddings, events, funerals and dayto-day in a “bold, feminine and earthy” style. The shop also sells a selection of botanically-inspired homewares and gifts, including framed pressed flowers, framed paper sculptures, books and

vases. Some of the artwork comes from the artists at Brothership and her business’s distinctive logo is by Hertford-based designer Luke Shropshire and her website by Clare Leech of Synergy 75. Floristry workshops will be held in a dedicated area of the shop as well.

Flowered Up is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am-5.30pm and on Sunday from 10am-2pm.

Orders can be made by calling 01992 845098 or online at floweredup.co.uk.

within the centre just across the walkway from its previous premises – its new store is pictured here on the right.

Work is now well underway on the Bridge Street side of the shopping centre where a 20,000 sq ft unit, expected to be ready by the spring of 2025, will eventually be home to the new TK Maxx store. The centre remains open while works take place.

JACKSON SQUARE

Wendy’s new business is based in one of Hertford’s most iconic buildings

Jude launches hearing centre in Hoddesdon

Tranquil Hearing Care is a new independent hearing centre in the heart of Hoddesdon, offering hearing tests, earwax removal and the supply of hearing aids. It is run by audiologist Jude Borquaye, an experienced, multi-disciplinary clinician specialising in audiology who worked in the NHS at the Royal Free trust before becoming a clinical lead at one of the country’s major private hearing practices.

Jude says it is important to him for people to feel relaxed and welcomed when they visit his practice. “I aim to offer the highest quality care in a welcoming environment,” he said. “And, to me, the care doesn’t stop when you walk out of the door – after-care is as important as the initial buying of a hearing aid. We will continue to look after you in the future.”

As an independent specialist, Jude

is not tied to any one manufacturer, so he is free to recommend the right product for your needs.

Tranquil Hearing Care is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, while Saturday morning appointments can also be arranged.

You will find the practice at 6a Limes Court, Hoddesdon EN11 8EP, which is just off Conduit Lane behind High Street. Call 01992 934196 or visit tranquilhearingcare.co.uk to book an appointment.

Blonde ambition: Sofi’s ready for awards night

Freelance hairdresser Sofi Morter has been selected as a finalist at The Official UK Hair and Beauty Awards.

Sofi, also known as Fi on the salon floor to her clients, works from Dodge salon in North Street, Bishop’s Stortford, having moved there last year from Ware.

She specialises in working with blonde hair – hence her Instagram handle of That Beachy Blonde; and this is reflected by the category she is a finalist in at the awards – Best For Blonde.

Sofi says the majority of her clients are recommended to her, but that people also get in touch with her through Instagram where they can

view her work.

The Official UK Hair and Beauty Awards will be held on Saturday 1st June at The International Convention Centre in Birmingham.

The red-carpet VIP event celebrates the hair and beauty industry in style, features celebrity guests and entertainment and can only be attended by invitation.

The awards scheme has a particular focus on helping contestants from smaller businesses to build followings and recognition. You can find out more about it at hairandbeautyawards.co.uk.

To see more of Sofi’s work, view her Instagram –@thatbeachyblonde.

Men of Ware invited to book now for prostate screening day

Ware Town Council is funding a prostate screening day on Saturday 25th May offering 60 local men the opportunity to have a simple blood test that could help to detect early prostate cancer.

Prostate specific antigen testing is currently the best readily available indicator of a possible prostate problem as, in its early stages,

prostate cancer generally produces no symptoms. It’s important to diagnose the disease before symptoms arise and while it is still potentially curable. The event, to be held at Fletcher’s Lea within the grounds of Ware Priory, is being run in conjunction with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust and is open to any men

living in Ware over the age of 40.

To find out more and book visit gfct.mypsatests.org.uk and head to the events tab. You will need to set up a free account on the home page to book your tests with the private code then needed to book being WARE (in capitals). You can also call the trust’s helpline on 01926 419959.

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Take a sec to check your blood pressure

One

in four people have high blood pressure but only half of those are aware of it

You may feel healthy and strong but often high blood pressure has no symptoms. That’s why the NHS in Hertfordshire and west Essex is asking local people to ‘take a sec to check’ their blood pressure.

Having this quick test is the only way to find out what your blood pressure is – and it could save your life.

High blood pressure which is left untreated increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and can make you more likely to develop other conditions such as kidney disease.

Free blood pressure checks

Be in the know – if you’re over 40 and haven’t had your blood pressure checked in the past six months, it’s quick and easy to get a free blood pressure check at a pharmacy.

You don’t need an appointment and many pharmacies are open in the evenings and at weekends. More than 200 pharmacies across Hertfordshire and west Essex offer a blood pressure check service.

You can also get your blood pressure checked:

l at your GP appointment

l as part of your NHS Health Check

l using a home blood pressure monitor.

When to get yourself checked

All adults over 40 are advised to get their blood pressure checked at least every five years. Some people of African, Afro-Caribbean or South Asian heritage may have high blood pressure at a younger age and are encouraged to get their blood pressure checked earlier.

If you’re at increased risk of high blood pressure (for example, if you are overweight), you should have your blood pressure checked more often than every five years.

How to lower blood pressure

If you find out you have high blood pressure, there is a lot you can do to lower it to a healthy level.

This might involve making some simple changes to your lifestyle such as doing regular physical activity, keeping a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, reducing alcohol and stopping smoking. Sometimes you may need to take medicines prescribed by your doctor. What works best is different for each person.

Having high blood pressure can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, and nosebleeds.

If you are experiencing these symptoms and think you might have high blood pressure, please see your GP.

For more information on blood pressure, where to get it checked and advice on home checks visit hertsandwestessex.ics.nhs.uk/bp

High blood pressure has no symptoms. If left untreated, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.

pressure monitor

Get a free blood pressure check at a pharmacy

It is easy to check your own blood pressure at home using a blood

WHAT’S ON

THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO GO

Saddle up for a great day out at the polo

If you are seeking a different type of day out this spring and summer then why not venture to Silver Leys Polo Club on the edge of Bishop’s Stortford?

The club has been raising its profile locally by running pony rides for children on the disused Causeway car park in Bishop’s Stortford during late April and early May to raise money for its chosen charity, Caudwell Youth, which supports young people through mentoring. Back at its home off the A120 near Tesco roundabout at Bury Green, it hosts a series of family events and polo matches that offer a great day out for all the family, with three eateries and bars onsite.

You can join the club for the season and get a general admission ticket for every event, or buy tickets on an event-by-event basis. Dates coming up include Ladies’ Day on Saturday 1st June, a dog show on Sunday 23rd June and Shetland pony racing on Sunday 30th June.

The on-site Hertfordshire Polo

Academy also offers the opportunity to learn to play polo.

Alec Banner-Eve is the proprietor of Hertfordshire Polo Academy and general manager of Silver Leys Polo Club.

He said: “We feel like a hidden countryside oasis that we’d like to share with more people.

“With a summer season of family

events, dog shows and of course lots of polo, it’s a fantastic local day out for families looking to watch exciting equine entertainment, enjoy our hospitality with lots of lavish food and drink on offer, or simply relish a day in the outdoors!”

You can find out more at silverleyspolo.com.

10th Ware Food Festival Living Crafts turns 50

Ware’s Food Festival returns to the Priory Gardens for its 10th year on Sunday 12th May from 12noon to 4pm.

The festival features a mix of street food to eat on-site and produce to buy and take home. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic to the backdrop of live music from Lip Service Brass Band from 1-1.30pm and 2.30-3pm. There will be some familiar names returning from past festivals, including Azahar with their superb paella and Spanish goods, Mogg’s Pickles, The Smokin’ Greek, Amber Bees and The Giggly Pig, together with pizza from Danton & Marshall, Bahktar Fresh Food, French & Day Deli, Stort Valley

Spirits, Excentrico Coffee and the Rocking Horse Mobile Bar. And Cook Stars will be offering free biscuit decorating sessions for children throughout the afternoon.

Ware Priory is in High Street, Ware SG12 9AL.

Living Crafts, a four-day festival of art, craft and design, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Held in Hatfield Park, the parkland surrounding Hatfield House, the event runs from Thursday 9th to Sunday 12th May and gives visitors the chance to buy British crafts, watch demonstrations, take part in workshops and relax with live entertainment and food.

Advance tickets for a day cost £12 adults, £10 seniors, £6 children with on-the-day prices £2 higher. Four-day festival passes can also be booked.

The event is open from 10am until 5pm each day and further information is available at livingcrafts.co.uk.

Hatfield Park is at AL9 5AE.

Spring into

Oh What a Lovely War

The Serial Killer Next Door

Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out!

Bringing to life the folly, farce and tragedy of the First World War.

Tuesday 14 May, 7.30pm and Wednesday 15 May, 1.30pm and 7.30pm

The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars

– The Ronnie Scott’s Story

Celebrating one of the world’s most famous Jazz venues.

Thursday 16 May, 7.30pm

Thank You for the Music – The Ultimate Tribute to ABBA

Calling all Dancing Queens!

Saturday 18 May, 7.30pm

There was an old Lady who swallowed a fly…

A captivating combination of live action, animation and puppetry.

Sunday 19 May, 2.30pm

What creates a serial killer?

Wednesday 22 May, 7.30pm

The D-Day Darlings – D-Day 80th Anniversary Tour 2024

A special matinee show!

Thursday 23 May, 1pm

Tottenham 84 UEFA Cup Heroes 40 year anniversary

Join UEFA cup heroes Graham Roberts, Tony Parks, Paul Miller, Ossie Ardiles and special guest Ricky Villa

Friday 24 May, 7.30pm

Fireman Sam Live!

The Great Camping Adventure

Wednesday 29 May, 12noon and 3.30pm

Scan to visit our website

Why not enjoy a relaxing pre-show drink and a slice of our delicious...

441946 (Monday-Friday 10am-2pm) The Spotlight, High Street, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 8BE

See Peppa in her oinktastic brand new live show!

Saturday 1 June, 10am, 1pm and 4pm, Sunday 2 June, 10am, 1pm and 4pm

Six Chick Flicks

Two actors. Six beloved films. One hilarious parody! Thursday 6 June, 7.30pm

Wired For Sound

A Live concert celebrating the music of Cliff Richard Friday 7 June, 7.30pm

Bingo That’s Bonkers

Not just bingo, also, comedy and music with non-stop smash hits from Abba, The Spice Girls, Beyonce and more!

A not to be missed party night! 18+ Friday 14 June, 7.30pm

AUTHENTIC STONE BAKED

Doors and bar open 1.5 hour prior to event start.

Book now for Hertford Theatre Week

With Hertford’s theatre still closed for refurbishment, the Ayckbourn Theatre on the Haileybury College campus, just three miles away, will once again be the venue for Hertford’s annual drama festival which will take place from Monday 27th May to Saturday 1st June.

A different play will be performed each evening of the week as drama teams from across the region offer a rich variety of entertainment while competing for the five different trophies offered by the festival committee.

Curtain up is at 7.45pm each night, except for Saturday’s earlier 7.30pm start to allow time for presentation of the trophies at the end of the evening.

After each performance a professional drama adjudicator will take to the stage to offer a public assessment of all aspects of that night’s production, often an additional entertainment in itself! And at the end of the Saturday performance prizes are awarded to the overall winner and runner up, plus best stage presentation, the Adjudicator’s Award for outstanding moment of the festival, and an audience appreciation award voted for by all audience members holding a weekly ticket.

Ticket prices are £16 per night or a weekly ticket that offers all six

plays for only £54, so considerably less than a single West End performance. Tickets are available at ticketsource.co.uk/ hertford-dramatic-and-operatic-society.

Full details of each of this year’s entries are available at hertfordtheatreweek.org.uk but here is an overview of this year’s productions:

Monday 27th May

Hoddesdon Players present Life X 3 by Yasmina Reza; Tuesday 28th May

Heath Players (Hatfield Heath) present The Revlon Girl by Neil Anthony Docking;

Wednesday 29th May

Hertford Dramatic & Operatic Society present The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project;

Thursday 30th May

The Company of Players (Hertford) present The Invisible Men by Laura Ilinca; Friday 31st May

White Cobra Productions (Northampton) present Lilies On The Land by The Lion’s Part; Saturday 1st June

The Barn Theatre Club (Welwyn Garden City) present Hansard by Simon Woods.

Literary Landscapes at Parndon Mill

Literary Landscapes at Harlow’s Gallery at Parndon Mill features prints by a number of Boden Press artists showcasing a variety of printmaking techniques. The artists have taken their inspiration from the writings of authors including Virginia Woolf, John Betjeman and Laurie Lee. It runs from Sunday 19th May to 23rd June and the gallery, in Parndon Mill Lane, Harlow CM20 2HP, is open Tuesday to Friday 10.30am to 4.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 2-4pm. Visit parndonmill.co.uk for more information or bodenpress.co.uk for more about Bodenpress, which is in Tring and offers a variety of printmaking courses.

Sister Act on stage

Broxbourne Theatre Company take to the stage again at The Spotlight in Hoddesdon with their production of Sister Act, the divine musical comedy. It will show from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th May at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinée at 2pm. Call The Spotlight box office on 01992 441946 for tickets (£19.50, under-15, over-60, family and group discounts available). For more information visit broxbournetheatrecompany.co.uk.

Book your tickets now for Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out at The Spotlight in Hoddesdon. This new stage show is based on the hugely popular animated children’s TV series and comes to Hoddesdon on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June. Peppa and friends’ latest adventure promises interactive fun, songs and games for pre-schoolers, and is a perfect family treat. Tickets are £19.50 for adults, £17.50 children, £24.50 adults with babes in arms. There are shows at 10am, 1pm and 4pm on both days. Book at thespotlightvenue.com.

Hertford Theatre Week presents a whole week of quality drama

Music festival’s free picnic and concert

A free band concert and picnic, organised by the Hertfordshire Festival of Music, will be taking place in Hertford on the late May Bank Holiday.

The event will be held from 12.30 to 3.30pm on Monday 27th May at All Saints’ Church. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic to enjoy on the grass followed by live music from Hertfordshire Festival of Music’s Community Concert Band in the church, which will begin at 1.30pm. Conductor Chris McGinity will present a holiday programme ranging from classics to music from the movies and television. Hertfordshire Festival of Music’s community band brings together musicians from Radlett’s Phoenix Concert Band with guests from the Hertford and St Albans symphony orchestras.

James Francis Brown, Hertfordshire Festival of Music Artistic Director, said: “We are very pleased to see the return to Hertford of the festival’s community band. Their performances appeal to music lovers of all tastes – this community event will give music lovers an opportunity to hear

Festival of Music community concert band played in previous years’ Hertford celebrations for the late Queen’s Platinum

and the King’s Coronation

wonderful music in the delightful setting of All Saints’ Church.”

The Hertfordshire Festival of Music is an annual summer celebration of classical music, based in and around Hertford and first took place in 2016.

This year, its week-long programme of events, which will take place from Friday 7th to Saturday 15th June, is currently

being finalised. This year’s theme is The Power of 2: Musical and Artistic Dialogues, and embraces the concept of partnerships, with the whole being more than the sum of the parts.

The box office will go live early in May and can be found at hertsmusicfest.org.uk.

All Saints’ Church is off Gascoyne Way at SG13 8AY.

At the cinema: Five new films to see

Challengers (15)

Now showing With Wimbledon less than two months away, a timely release for this tennis-based film in which a coach helps her husband transform from a mediocre player to a champion. In an attempt to end a recent losing streak he enters a low level tournament only to find himself up against a once promising but now burnt out former friend who used to date his wife.

Fifteen-love…

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (TBC)

Out on Thursday 9th May Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the epic franchise set in a future world where the apes rule and human beings live in the shadows. Apes in charge of our world? It might sound crazy but they couldn’t do a worse job could they?

IF (TBC)

Out on Friday 17th May

A stellar cast fronted by Ryan Reynolds and including the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Steve Carell. A girl discovers she can see everyone’s imaginary friends and embarks on a journey to reconnect these forgotten IFs with their kids.

The Garfield Movie (U) Out on Friday 24th May

The world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagne-loving indoor cat

An evening with Sir Ian Botham

Cricketing names don’t get much bigger than this… sit back and enjoy insights and anecdotes in

An Evening with Sir Ian Botham, hosted by Graham Gooch, at Wyllyotts Theatre in Potters Bar on Tuesday 14th May at 8pm. Tickets are £34.50 from wyllyottstheatre.co.uk.

Pianist Luke Kimpton will give a piano recital at St Mary’s Church in Ware on Thursday 16th May at 12.30pm, to include works by Beethoven, Joe Hisaishi and Philip Glass. Entry is free, with a retiring collection in aid of church funds.

Community choir’s songs for summer

(voiced in this animation by Chris Pratt) has an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, scruffy street cat Vic, before he and his canine friend Odie are forced out of their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky, high-stakes, outdoor heist.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (TBC) Out on Friday 24th May

This Mad Max prequel tells the origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and team-up with Mad Max.

Broxbourne Community Choir is inviting music lovers to Start the Summer with a Song at its next concert on Saturday 1st June at Christ Church in Ware (SG12 7BS) at 3pm. It will feature songs by Abba and from the James Bond films as well as sea shanties, performed by the choir with special guest singers and musicians. Tickets are £10 for adults, children admitted free, and can be bought by calling Gabby on 07875 221543.

The Hertfordshire

Jubilee

Piano recital by Luke Kimpton

Ryan Reynolds in IF

Summer of events will mark music charity’s 10 years of helping people

Music24, a local community music charity, is marking 10 years of transforming lives in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire through the power of music.

The charity has been offering music-making opportunities to socially isolated and vulnerable adults since April 2014, and this landmark anniversary will be celebrated this summer at a pivotal moment in its history.

Sustained by ongoing fundraising, the support of donors and Arts Council England, the charity was recently awarded a National Lottery Community Fund grant to help push its vital work forward over the next three years, benefitting hundreds of people living with disabilities and ill health in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. This support is recognition of the important work the charity has undertaken and the potential it has to further its reach.

Music24 supports people who are affected by learning disabilities, mental health conditions and those living with dementia, as well as their carers. Its work includes setting up community groups and offering group and one-to-one music therapy, choirs and singing cafés. All its services

are based on music therapy principles. Its 10th anniversary will be marked with a series of special events and projects throughout the rest of 2024, including an evening of celebration and music for all service users and their families, supporters, donors, volunteers and staff.

Teela Hughes, Music24’s CEO and co-founder, said: “It makes me so proud to know how much we have achieved in the last 10 years. Music gives everyone a voice, the chance to express

themselves, to be heard and to connect with others. You don’t have to be a musician to participate – everyone is a musician in our eyes! We strongly believe that music can play an important role in improving people’s health and wellbeing.”

The charity currently supports 450 people per year and Teela wants to increase that to 800.

To find out more about the way Music24 works, about sessions in Hertfordshire and how to attend them, and its anniversary events, visit music24.org.uk.

Celebrate 100 years of Hertford North

The centenary of the opening of Hertford North station is being celebrated through a series of events organised by Hertford Museum.

The station, which is in North Road, is on the Hertford Loop Line and trains on the line run from London Moorgate to Stevenage, also stopping locally at Cuffley, Bayford and Wattonat-Stone.

It opened on 2nd June 1924, replacing the nearby Hertford Cowbridge station.

Hertford Museum, which is in Bull Plain, is hosting an exhibition about the station’s history in its foyer from Tuesday 21st May.

It is also running a competition to design a rail poster for Hertford, for which entries open on the same date.

Hertford historian Peter Ruffles will be leading a guided walk around the station on Sunday 2nd June while there will be free train-themed activities for children in the museum on the same day.

For further information visit hertfordmuseum.org.

Garden open day

As part of the National Gardens Scheme, Ware resident Peter Laing is once again opening his fine garden to visitors to raise money for charity, on Sunday 26th May from 2-5.30pm. Peter raised over £1,500 last year as a result of opening the garden, which is at The Pines, 58 Hoe Lane, Ware SG12 9NZ. Visitors can park in nearby Hertford Rugby Club for the event.

Family Pride Day

The first Hertford Family Pride Day is being held in the grounds of Hertford Castle on Sunday 12th May from 12-4pm. Organised by Hertford Town Council, the event is free to attend and aims to bring the community together to celebrate inclusion and diversity in Hertford, with the simple message: “Be kind, be yourself and all are welcome”.

There will be information stalls, local charities, activities for children and food and drink vendors.

Sawbo May Fayre

Sawbridgeworth’s annual May Fayre takes place on Fair Green on Sunday 5th May from 12noon to 4pm and features arts and crafts stalls, a fun fair, live music, a car show and donkey rides.

URC May Market

There is a May Market at Broxbourne United Reformed Church on the first May bank holiday, Monday 6th, from 1.30-4.30pm, featuring cream teas, home produce, plants, bric-a-brac, china, glass and crafts stalls.

Music24’s co-founders, Teela Hughes and Graeme Davis

An unforgettable Father’s Day treat!

Sunday 16th June

This Father’s Day, let’s raise a glass (or a fork) to the dads or special men in your life. Here’s to creating more memories, sharing more laughs, and, of course, enjoying great food together.

Indulge in a three-course carvery dining experience that will delight your taste buds and warm your hearts on the 16th.

Or for those with more of a sweet tooth, our afternoon tea is available all week long and not to be missed!

FOOD & DRINK

New York-style pizza comes to Hertford

Potentially Hertford’s smallest eatery – but proving a huge success – is newly-opened Sandy’s New York Pizza Bar in the town’s Parliament Square.

The business, born in lockdown, is the brainchild of tennis coach and pizza fan Ross Alexander and his wife Victoria.

With Ross’s tennis coaching business put on hold during the pandemic he decided to devote his time to his other great passion and was determined to master the craft of making fabulous pizza. Joined by fellow chef Louis Isherwood, he initially took his creations on the road in a pizza van, often popping up at pubs around the county and at spots in London, running the business alongside his continuing tennis coaching commitments. But he had always wanted permanent premises in his home town (both he and Victoria hail from the Hertford area) hence the move into the Parliament Square shop, which he decided to name after the short form of his Scottish surname.

Ross’s pizzas are New York in style rather than Neapolitan, with a sauce created by Victoria,

and feature the best ingredients. They are cooked for longer and are crispier and bigger (12 and 16 inches are the sizes currently on offer) than traditional Italian pizza.

Ross offers a deliberately small menu, with three regular pizzas (margherita, pepperoni and the delicious pepperoni and honey) as well as a weekly-changing special. Recent examples have included nduja, vegan nduja, and pumpkin and blue cheese, for example.

Sandy’s has a small bar area that you can eat in at, but the bulk of sales so far have been takeaways collected and eaten at home or in the office. Delivery is now available through GoGetters and Deliveroo too.

Ross is applying for licences to have seating in Parliament Square and to sell alcohol.

Sandy’s is currently open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5-8.30pm, but keep an eye on its social media channels for extra opening hours.

l Sandy’s New York Pizza Bar is at 23 Parliament Square, Hertford. To order online, visit sandyspizzabar.wixsite.com.

Indie café chain Dada opens in Bishop’s Stortford

March saw the opening in Bishop’s Stortford of Dada, a café that’s the fifth site for the small but growing independent chain that first launched in Epping 10 years ago last month.

Other cafés can be found in Chingford and South Woodford in East London and Loughton in Essex.

Dada, its name a nod to the artistic movement of the early 20th century, offers teas, coffees

and other refreshments, breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes including sandwiches and salads, and a selection of cakes. You can find it on the corner of North Street and Northgate End at 42a North Street CM23 2LR, where it also boasts a pretty outside seating area which will no doubt prove popular in warmer weather.

l Pictured on the right are Oana Carcu and Justyna Auguscik

Why Bean & Gone is here to stay in new home

Bean & Gone is here to stay!

The artisan coffee shop, that has been trading from a converted horse trailer at Great Northern Works on the edge of Hartham Common in Hertford for the last two years, now has permanent new premises on the site.

Owners Jordi Posner and Ruby Willcox have opened in a unit at the end of the building which houses Highway Cycles, though they have retained their trailer so they can potentially cater at events in the future as well.

Award-winning speciality coffee Jordi and Ruby started their business in 2022 and gaining more space in their new premises – although they are still bijou – has enabled them to expand their range of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soft drinks, cakes and snacks.

They serve award-winning speciality coffee, which has been sourced from the acclaimed

Roastworks Coffee Co in Devon. Speciality coffee is defined as any coffee that scores 80 points or more out of 100 on an internationally recognised quality scale. The entire speciality coffee market accounts for only 5% of the total global production of coffee, so when you visit Bean and Gone, you know you are getting something good.

You can sit inside, outside or you can simply pop in to get a takeaway.

Whether you’re visiting any of the businesses in Great Northern Works, heading to or from Hartham Common, or out and about on a cycle ride or a walk, you’ll find a warm welcome and a fine cup of coffee at Bean & Gone.

It’s open Thursday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 9.15am to 4pm.

Great Northern Works is in Hartham Lane, Hertford SG14 1QN.

THE GRANDISON

Pub & Dining

This dog-friendly country pub is surrounded by countryside and offers fresh, home-cooked fare using seasonal ingredients and local suppliers wherever possible. A selection of staple pub classics and changing seasonal dishes keep the menu fresh and inviting all year round. The beers at this free house are well-kept and refreshing and the wines varied and affordable. A weekday set menu, available Tuesday to Friday at lunch and Tuesday to Thursday at dinner offers two courses for £12.95 and three for £15.95.

18 Bury Lane, Bramfield SG14 2QL / 01992 554077

grandisonpub.com

VODINA Turkish

Opened in November 2023, Vodina is a new Turkish restaurant and cocktail bar that is a welcome addition to the dining scene in Ware. The stylish, refurbished, family-friendly restaurant is smart, warm and welcoming and can seat 60 at a time, with room for both couples and larger groups. The main menu is available at all sittings and features traditional Turkish cuisine, alongside set menus for two or four people. There is also a £12.95 lunch menu which is available from 12-3pm. Vodina is open seven days a week from 12noon to 10pm.

21-22 Tudor Square, Ware

SG12 9XF / 01920 468866 vodinarestaurant.co.uk

RUAY RôT BY BAAN THITIYA

Thai takeaway & delivery

Ruay Rôt means ‘rich in flavour’ in Thai and that is precisely what the food you can order for takeaway or delivery from Hertford’s newest eatery is. Just a few hundred metres down the road from the town’s previous Baan Thitiya restaurant, this new takeaway outlet offers authentic Thai food for you to enjoy at home, continuing Baan Thitiya’s story after 20 years in Hertford. You can order by phone or through the GoGetters and Deliveroo apps for delivery to Hertford, Ware and Hoddesdon. The varied menu includes many vegan specials.

6 Old Cross, Hertford SG14 1RB 01992 587706 ruayrôt.co.uk

THE GEORGE IV Pub & Dining

Nestled in the picturesque village of Great Amwell, The George IV offers exceptional restaurant cuisine within a warm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Oliver and his team serve a menu of seasonal and fresh small and large sharing plates.

The George IV can also be the perfect venue for your next event. Whether it is an intimate wedding, baby shower, birthday or a special anniversary, there is a variety of dining options to suit any occasion in the private dining room and courtyard.

Cautherly Lane, Great Amwell SG12 9SW / 01920 870039 info@georgeivpub.co.uk georgeivpub.co.uk

PIRCIO Pub & Dining

Pircio is a family-run independent restaurant in Bishop’s Stortford that offers two different menus of Italian and Turkish cuisine. Both menus are cooked by teams of specialist chefs and diners can choose from pizza, pasta and other Italian classics or dishes such as halloumi, falafel, moussaka and lamb tagine. The historic Drill Hall building has been smartly refurbished and can seat 200 people downstairs whilst there is also a mezzanine for private dining. Pircio is open seven days a week, all day.

Drill Hall, Market Square

Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3UU 01279 898181

pirciorestaurant.com

Thai

Baan Thitiya, Bishop’s Stortford’s premier Thai restaurant, is perfect for relaxed dining. Close to Bishop’s Stortford town centre, it also has its own parking. The restaurant is decorated in a contemporary Thai style and the extensive menu features high quality food prepared by Thai chefs with an emphasis on fresh, healthy ingredients and authentic, natural flavours. The restaurant has just launched a new lunch menu and also has an excellent wine list. A warm welcome and great service await you. Baan Thitiya is open seven days for lunch and dinner.

102 London Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3DS 01279 658575

baan-thitiya.com

SHISHBOURNE

Turkish

Shishbourne is a Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant on Broxbourne High Road which is open seven days a week and offers a full menu all day, now including breakfast from 8am to 4pm. It is plush and luxurious with an unforgettable Instagrammable interior, great cocktails and an a la carte menu filled with Turkish classics. It also offers a bottomless dinner option from 6pm Monday to Thursday and a twocourse lunch menu from 12-3.30pm Monday to Friday. There is live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings too.

27 High Road, Broxbourne EN10 7HX 01992 313198

shishbourne.co.uk

THE GOLDEN FLEECE Pub & Dining

The Golden Fleece is an old English pub with a contemporary twist, and one where the food is so good that it has earned an entry in the Michelin Guide for Hotels and Restaurants. Set at the heart of the village of Braughing, Jess and Peter Tatlow’s pub offers a menu of fresh, seasonal and delicious locally sourced food and also caters for diners who require gluten-free meals. As a freehouse at the heart of its community, the Fleece is also able to offer a wide range of real ales, beers, wines and spirits. A takeaway menu is also available.

20 Green End, Braughing SG11 2PG 01920 823555 goldenfleecebraughing.co.uk

RONI’S Fine Dining

Roni’s, set in the heart of Bishop’s Stortford, is a fine dining restaurant where both the quality of food and the service combine to offer guests a memorable experience. Roni’s offers a wide range of traditional dishes, passionately crafted, including gluten-free and vegan menus. There is a set lunch menu as well as the main menu and superb roasts are served on Sundays. Social wine tastings can also be booked for groups of family or friends in the private dining room. Roni’s is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12noon to 10pm, and closed on Monday.

16 North Street, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 2LQ 01279 508856 ronisrestaurant.co.uk

BAAN THITIYA

For Sale: Bengeo, Hertford, £899,950

A four bedroom family home tucked away on a private road in Bengeo. This home is within easy walking distance of Hertford North station and has amazing views over Hertford. The accommodation is well proportioned and laid out and the house really does need to be viewed to be appreciated.

A seven bedroom family gated home with separate annexe, located in the lovely village of Green End, Braughing, Ware.