Good Morning, Hertford! ☀️

It's a big one this issue - the August Bank Holiday weekend is nearly here, and Knebworth's throwing a fab send-off with vintage cars and moonlit Motown. Closer to home, there's an open mic tonight, a last call on those escaped dinosaurs, and a wine pairing evening that's very much calling our name. Oh, and we want to know what you'd like to see more of in your inbox each week - poll's below.

👇 Here’s what we’ve got for you this week:

• What’s On

• Community Highlights

• Kiddies Scoop

• Eye Catching Deal: Sculpt + Glow Offer

• Property Of The Week

• Weather: Best Days = Today (Tue) & Sunday

• Mind, Health & Fitness

• Extra Sprinkles: Club Sandwich Salad

WHAT’S ON

🎭 ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Open Mic Night
📅 Tonight (18 Aug) | 19:00-23:00 📍 Hertford Corn Exchange
Free entry, all welcome - grab a mic and a pint, or just heckle supportively from the bar.
🎟 Free - Here

Amplify: New Music Night
📅 Thu. 20 Aug | 20:00 📍 Hertford Corn Exchange
Local up-and-comers Deadbeat Bracket, Apollo and Damned Charade share the bill - a good one for discovering your new favourite local band.
🎟 More here

Adults Paint & Sip Workshop: Decorate a Wine Glass
📅 Fri. 21 Aug | 18:30 📍 Artshed Arts Centre, Westmill Farm, Ware
A relaxed wine glass painting workshop with tutor Esther Clark - Prosecco included, no experience required.
🎟 £35 pp - Book here

Moonlight Nights at Knebworth
📅 Fri. 21 Aug (80s by Moonlight) & Sat. 22 Aug (Motown by Moonlight) | 📍 Knebworth Gardens
Live bands and vocalists under the stars - bring a picnic, a blanket and your best dance moves for a night of Whitney, Wonder and the Temptations (or Duran Duran, if Friday's your night).
🎟 From £15.35 - Info here

Dog Man: The Musical
📅 Mon 24 - Wed 26 Aug | 100 mins 📍 BEAM, The Wash, Hertford
A hilarious new stage musical based on Dav Pilkey's bestselling comic series - George and Harold's crime-fighting canine hero comes to life for the whole family.
🎟 From £21.50 pp - Book here 

Last chance: Fractured, by Jo Hallam
📅 Until Sat. 29 Aug 📍 Stables Gallery, Courtyard Arts
A moving exhibition from local self-taught artist Jo Hallam, exploring light, emotion and resilience.
🎟 Free - More here

🏰 COMMUNITY + FAMILY

Music and Motors
📅 Sat. 22 Aug | 12:00-17:00 📍 Tudor Square, Ware
A vintage and classic vehicle display with live music through the square - bring the whole family.
🎟 Free - Here

Daytime Summer Party
📅 Sat. 22 Aug | 14:00 📍 White Lion, Bengeo, SG14 3ET
Vinyl-only soul, funk and disco with Martin D, Darren and Jon, plus a Scrumpy Pigs hog roast and VanPizza.
🎟 Free entry

Knebworth Classic Motor Show
📅 Sun. 30 & Mon. 31 Aug (Bank Holiday weekend) | 10:00-16:00 📍 Knebworth Park
Vintage and classic vehicles, parades and a "Decibel Duel," plus your ticket gets you into the Gardens, Adventure Playground, Fort Knebworth and the Dinosaur Trail - a full day out.
🎟 From £13.60pp, family ticket (4) £50.75 - Info here

Guided Walk: Crime & Punishment
📅 Mon. 31 Aug | 14:00-15:30 📍 Starts at Tesco, Mill Road, Hertford
Witches, murder and highwaymen - a themed walk through Hertford's darker history. Not suitable for unaccompanied children.
🎟 £8pp - Info here

ONGOING EVENTS

Stay & Play at Southern Maltings - on pause this fortnight (no sessions 19 or 26 Aug), back in September.
BEAM Seniors Cinema Club (65+) - fortnightly Thursdays, next up Thu. 20 Aug, 11:30am.

🌱 HEALTH + WELLBEING

Move and Meditate in Hartham Park
📅 Wed. 19 Aug | 10:00 📍 Hartham Park, Hertford
Fun, movement, mindfulness and relaxation out in nature - everyone welcome, no experience needed, and parents are welcome to join in with their kids too.
🎟 No need to book, just turn up - pay what you feel. Email for more details

Panshanger parkrun
📅 Every Saturday | 9:00 📍 Panshanger Park
Free, timed 5k, all abilities and paces welcome - a lovely way to start the weekend.
🎟 Free - just turn up

Hertford Juniors parkrun
📅 Every Sunday | 9:00 📍 Hartham Common
The junior version - free 2km for younger runners.
🎟 Free - just turn up

Sound Bath at Hartham Leisure Centre
📅 Fri. 21 Aug | 18:00 📍 Hartham Leisure Centre, Hartham Common, Hertford
A calming sound bath session designed to reduce stress and help you unwind — spaces are limited.
🎟 Book here - Free for You+ | Move+ £10 | PAYG £20

🍜 FOODIE

British Farmhouse Kitchen Cookery Workshop
📅 Fri. 28 Aug | 18:30-20:30 📍 Tewinbury Cookery School
Steak & ale pie, bangers & mash, toad in the hole and bubble & squeak - proper British comfort food, from scratch.
🎟 £65pp - Info here

Field Supper with Francesco Mattana
📅 Fri. 28 Aug 📍 Roots, Tewinbury
A long-table seasonal supper under one of Hertfordshire's most talked-about chefs.
🎟 Here

Humble Grape x Roots Wine Pairing
📅 Sat. 29 Aug 📍 Roots, Tewinbury
A guided evening of wine pairings from Humble Grape, matched to a Roots menu.
🎟 More here

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

🎸 Rock at the Castle raises £2,901.50 for Home-Start Hertfordshire
Hertford Town Council's free summer music festival packed out Hertford Castle across three stages, and the Mayor presented this year's donations to Home-Start Hertfordshire, who support local families with young children.

🦕 Last chance: the dinosaurs (and ice creams) are still loose
The yarnbombed dinosaur trail wraps up 22 August, and the knitted ice-cream trail runs to 30 August - complete a Mystery Gelato Challenge at Tilly's Gelato for a free scoop. Free trail maps from the Town & Tourist Information Centre.

🏊 Hartham Leisure Centre: petition calls for aircon and parking fix
A change.org petition (337 signatures and counting) is pushing Everyone Active and East Herts Council to sort out the gym's ongoing air conditioning struggles and chronically tight parking. The council says the heat pumps are being overwhelmed by this summer's extreme temperatures, and extra fans plus contractor call-outs are underway, with longer-term fixes like added units or window shading under consideration. On parking, staff spaces may be relocated to free up room for members - though the "green mound" can't be touched due to asbestos.

✨ Fresh for autumn: BEAM's new Creative Learning line-up
Fancy writing a picture book in a day, or trying stand-up? BEAM's autumn courses (a one-day picture-book workshop on 19 Sept, and an 8-week comedy course from 8 Sept) are open for booking now - early birds get first pick of spots.

📌 Reminder: BEAM will be closed to the public every Monday in August while they carry out some behind-the-scenes improvements.

KIDDIES SCOOP

School Holiday Activity: Football Skills
📅 Thu. 20 Aug | 12:00-16:00 📍 Ware Priory
Freestyle footballer Jay Rosa runs an interactive workshop and show - all abilities, ages 4+.
🎟 Info here

The Giant Straw Maze at The Pop Up Farm
📅 Open Tue-Sun | 10:00-16:00 📍 The Pop Up Farm, Hertfordshire
New for 2026 - a giant straw maze, bale stacks, lavender fields and giant bubbles for an affordable family day out.
🎟 Here - £3.20 per ticket

Kids Pottery Workshops
📅 Wed. 19th (desk tidy pots) + 26 Aug (freestyle) 📍 Tewinbury Farm
Hand-build and glaze your own piece to take home.
🎟 Book here

Quick reminder: Animal Encounters at Van Hage runs today (18 Aug, 2:30 & 3:45pm) if you haven't already booked - meet friendly creatures, ages 3+.

🔥 EYE CATCHING DEAL

The Beauty Spot’s Sculpt & Glow Offer @ £127 👉🏼 Full Body Lymphatic + Express Glass Skin Facial!

🏡 PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

A Super-Sized Semi with the Countryside on Its Doorstep

Out on Ware Road in Hailey - just a few minutes from both Hertford and Ware - this four-bedroom semi is nearly 2,500 sq ft of proper family space, with three reception rooms and an open-plan kitchen/breakfast room that spills straight out onto the gardens. And what gardens: well-kept and bordering open countryside, with a gated driveway out front for several cars.

There's a large home office (handy for the hybrid workers among us), a separate garden shed, a utility room and an integral garage - this is a house built for a family that's outgrown the basics. Freehold, council tax band E.

Check out the property listing

🌦 HERTFORD WEATHER: 18 - 24 AUG 2026

A much better week than it might feel like - mostly dry with sunny spells, bar a soggier patch Wednesday to Friday. Today's the warmest at 24°C, dipping to a cooler, breezier Saturday-Sunday around 21-22°C. Friday's the one to watch for showers (57% chance); Tuesday and Sunday are your best bets for staying dry.

Best days: Today (Tue) & Sunday 🌞
Warmest: Today at 24°C
Wettest: Friday, 57% chance of rain

✨ MIND, HEALTH + FITNESS

🌿 Slow down, Hertford

Some weeks call for hustle. This one calls for the opposite. Between Wednesday's Move and Meditate session in Hartham Park, Friday's sound bath at Hartham Leisure Centre, and Saturday's ever-reliable Panshanger parkrun, there's a proper excuse to unplug at every turn this week - whether that's stretching out on the grass, lying back to a singing bowl, or just getting your steps in before breakfast. No experience, no pressure, no kit required. Pick your moment and go.

Share your favourite way to slow down around town and we’ll share it with the readers next week 😊

🧁 EXTRA SPRINKLES

🥗 A sandwich, but make it salad!

You’re now fully up to date, Hertford.

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