Yarnbombers’ crowning glory for the Coronation

They can be relied upon to bring some cheer to any occasion, as well as to raise money for our local charities – and it looks as if the forthcoming Coronation of King Charles III has given the Secret Society of Hertford Crafters the opportunity to work on some of their most imaginative creations to date.

On the evening of Friday 21st April, 37 Coronation-themed toppers were installed on post boxes across Hertford and Ware while the society also yarnbombed the Priory Gates in Ware with a large crown, King Charles’s cypher, red, white and blue flowers, plus roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks representing the four nations of the UK.

The post box toppers each fit into one of the five themes of Coronation, Celebration, King Charles, Community and Conservation. Among the creations there’s a gold state coach pulled by two horses with the King and Queen inside; a large teacup and saucer featuring the Coronation logo and surrounded by sandwiches and cakes; King Charles and Queen Camilla walking dogs along the River Dee at Balmoral with sheep in the fields and heather on the hills; 56 figures holding flags representing the 56 countries of the Commonwealth; and King Charles planting a tree.

How to donate

You can find PDF maps of the post boxes in each town on the website ssohc.co.uk where you’ll also find a link to JustGiving where you can make a donation in appreciation of the group’s amazing efforts to its charity for 2023, the Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance Trust. l For more on other Coronation events across the Axis area see our what’s on and food and drink pages in this issue, from page 21 to 25.

Redevelopment of Hertford Industrial Estate approved

Plans for the redevelopment of Hertford Industrial Estate were approved by East Herts Council’s development management committee in April.

The original estate, accessed via Caxton Hill off Ware Road, is believed to have been mainly constructed during the 1940s and has historically been home to a range of industrial-style businesses including workshops and warehouses.

Many of the buildings have been derelict for some time.

The new plans will see it redeveloped with new modern industrial units of varying sizes with offices above, along with parking, ancillary structures and landscaping. The site measures approximately 3.88 hectares.

The new development will be accessed primarily via John Tate Road to the south, which would require the removal of barriers that currently separate John Tate Road from Caxton Hill. This would enable vehicles to access the A414 and A10 easily.

Half a dozen local climate change protesters set out on a two-day, 35-mile walk from Parliament Square in Hertford to Parliament Square in Westminster to meet up with The Big One – a four-day peaceful protest in London from 21st to 24th April. Their trip took them through Ware, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Enfield and Tottenham as they made their way down the Lea Valley, their bright XR (Extinction Rebellion) flags attracting attention on the way. The Big One was organised by a coalition of more than 100 movements calling for a citizen-led, greener, fairer world and the end of the use of fossil fuels.

B&M Care has announced the closure of St Catharines care home in St Catharines Road, Broxbourne. The company said that the home, which has been providing care for 65 years, would normally have been demolished and rebuilt to modern standards as it has successfully done with other homes but that this was not possible with St Catharines because it lies within a conservation area.

The home is due to close in the next few months, and B&M

Care says it expects residents to be transferred to its new, purpose-built Hillview care home in Collett Road, Ware when it opens in early summer. Hillview is a 38bed home that will offer residential care as well as specialist dementia care. B&M Care is a family-run business that has been providing care for almost 50 years.