Are You The Next Big Author?

A short story competition to find and publish 20 great new writers in Herts, Bucks and London has been launched

Where ideas & skill meet

Connecting Henry Moore, James Bond and the Prince of Wales, Hertfordshire sculptor Derek Howarth has forged a singular career

Renewing power of laughter

We all need a laugh right now and perhaps a hug, and you may be surprised to learn just how powerful these two simple things can be

Our State of Nature

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust has published a local state of nature report drawing on 50 years of data. Its author Dr Tom Day here discusses the good, the bad and the future

Keeping the spirit alive

A new family-friendly festival people have taken to their hearts aims to be back this year, but how do you plan in the face of coronavirus?

Capturing the strength within

Trained in London and Florence, young figurative sculptor Poppy Field is creating outstanding works from her Much Hadham studio that reflect our age

ASHRIDGE SAVED

From 1920s appeal to today’s 5,000 acres of secured historic landscapes, Liz Hamilton continues her history of the National Trust at Ashridge

A rainbow response

We’ve all been trying to adjust to the new realities of social distancing. It’s not easy, but the support on offer for our mental and physical health is terrific

Around the world on a PENNY FARTHING

This month, 135 years ago, a Berkhamsted born grocer set off on a world first – to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle

A homemade home

A newly married couple with a baby on the way used their DIY and bargain hunting skills to transform a tired 1950s house in Abbots Langley

THE LAST STRAW?

As UK legislation comes in this month banning plastic straws and cotton buds, St Albans mum Caroline Thain looks at what’s happening in the city to combat plastic and greenhouse pollution

Return of the native

England’s largest new native forest near Harpenden is an example of how the UK can tackle both wildlife loss and global warming.

Festival of drama

The long-running Hertford Theatre Week is among the best of its kind in the UK. Not heard of it? Then cue the spotlight...

The best of HERTS

Attracting around 30,000 people over the late May bank holiday weekend, Hertfordshire County Show is a fabulous day out for all ages

Lussmanns, Tring

The Herts-based fish and grill restaurant continues to grow, showing the sustainable approach to its whole operation is a winning formula

LOST WATFORD

A new book of historic images of Watford charts the changing town through more than a century.

EXCELLENT VINTAGE

Stevenage may not sit among vineyards, but it is home to the world’s oldest wine club with a unique approach

‘ IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING FAITH '

Emma Franc’s often ethereal oil paintings reveal a vision of the world that seems just beyond reach, like the fragments of a dream on waking

THE WILD IN THE TAMED

A double British Wildlife Photographer of the Year at just 32, Hitchin’s Dan Trim is in love with nature, especially in the most unexpected places

The White Horse

With a new look and new menus, the popular Harpenden pub-restaurant has successfully combined tradition with the latest trends

The M word

Making small changes to diet and lifestyle can be key to managing the menopause

Signs of SPRING

Early flowers, returning birds, and mammals and insects beginning new cycles – some of the sights and sounds that spring is beginning in the county

Scientific maverick

From finding the gas responsible for ozone damage to exploration on Mars and the Gaia theory, Letchworth-born James Lovelock has been a key mind in environmental science for decades. At 100 he’s not slowing down

SAVING ASHRIDGE

Walk the woods, hills and valleys of the Ashridge estate and the feeling is one of timelessness. It could all have been very different when it was put up for sale in the 1920s

Renovation plan

Celia Warbrick, MD of Moneyhill Interiors in Rickmansworth, gives her key tips for a successful renovation

Outside the box

When trying to sell your property, you want to present the house as attractively as possible, but don’t overlook the garden, it’s an increasingly important space

NEWSPAPER MONSTER

The presses that rolled under Fleet Street are silent, replaced by the likes of Broxbourne’s mega newsprinting site – the biggest in the world. We go inside to see the ‘nightly miracle’

A Century Of History Makers

Meet 10 Herts men and women, some well known and others less so, who helped mould their times and left a lasting legacy

WELWYN GC at 100

A year of celebrations is planned as remarkable Welwyn Garden City marks its centenary

The road less travelled

Ever dreamed of upping sticks and heading off on an adventure? Meet the St Albans family of five (and two cats) on an ongoing volunteering trip around Europe in a caravan