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Good morning {{first_name |Reader}},
November is here, and you can feel it. The mornings have a proper chill to them now, the scarves are out and the evenings are drawing in fast.
Halloween was busier than ever this year. Doorbells across the borough were going all evening, so if you ran out of sweets by half seven, you weren't alone.
This month carries two important causes. It's Movember and men's mental health month, so expect moustaches everywhere and use each one as a reminder to check in on the men in your life. Remembrance is in the air too. Cheshunt Old Pond is full of poppies, the railings at Lowewood Museum are covered in knitted ones, and parades take place across the borough this Sunday.
The biggest story this week is the Government withdrawing its plan to split Hertfordshire into four new councils. It's our lead today, with what it means for you. Today is also a packed one in Cheshunt. Fishy Delishy hosts the AI for business Basecamp this morning and the Broxtown Supper Club tonight. Details for both are below.
A quick reminder that the Goffs Oak Autumn Newsletter is out, for all things Goffs Oak. Check their website.
If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help keep it going, you can support the newsletter by buying me a coffee using the link below. This token support helps pay for the tools I work with. Thanks in advance 😊
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🍽️ Broxtown Supperclub, TODAY Tuesday 3rd November @ 6:30pm
You only have 3 hours to secure the last ticket for the Broxtown Supper Club
Get your ticket now and we’ll see you later this evening.
Places are deliberately limited and you never know who you'll be sitting next to, so reserve yours now.
🏛️ HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
The plan to split Hertfordshire into four new councils has been withdrawn, here is what it means for you
Courtesy Broxbourne Council
As I shared on our social channels last week when the news broke, the Government has withdrawn its July decision to replace Hertfordshire's councils with four new unitary councils. It was one of several areas affected. That means there is currently no agreed plan for how Hertfordshire will be reorganised, and Broxbourne will not become part of a new Eastern Hertfordshire council in 2028 as planned.
The Government is still reviewing the areas affected. It expects to publish some new "minded to" decisions before the end of the year and the rest early in the new year, but we don't yet know when Hertfordshire's will come. Each one will have a short review period when councils, organisations and residents can respond before a final decision is made.
The timetable has moved back a year. Elections to the new shadow authorities are now due in May 2028, and the new councils would go live on 1 April 2029. In the meantime, the Government will release about £2 million, half of Hertfordshire's transition funding, this November, with the rest to follow once a final decision is made. Hertfordshire's councils say work will carry on, including setting up a Mayoral Strategic Authority for the county.
So what for you: nothing changes to your services. Broxbourne Council still collects your bins and runs local planning, and the county council still runs schools, roads and social care. The pause also gives you a second chance to have your say. When the new proposal for Hertfordshire comes out, look out for the review window, and we'll tell you as soon as it opens.
Bills going up this winter? There is help in Hertfordshire if you know where to look
Winter is hard on household budgets, but trusted local support is out there if you need it. A single page brings together advice on energy bills, food costs, money and staying warm across Hertfordshire. Save it now, even if you're fine today, so you know where to send a neighbour who isn't.
The AI Work Handbook That Cuts Your Workday in Half
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COMMUNITY UPDATES
Google is backing Broxbourne's small businesses on AI, and you can be part of it today
Google's Data Centre Community AI Fellowship, run with the Watson Institute, is helping small businesses near its Waltham Cross data centre put AI to work, and today it comes to Cheshunt. The free Basecamp at Fishy Delishy on College Road brings together the Mayor of Broxbourne, the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and local business owners who already use AI, to show what is possible on our high street. If you run a business, charity or community group and keep meaning to "look into AI properly", come along: doors open at 11am and places are limited.
Cheshunt Old Pond has turned red, and it is there until 12 November
Cheshunt Old Pond is covered in a striking display of poppies, made and installed by the Cheshunt and District Royal British Legion. It stays up until Thursday 12 November, and this week Love Cheshunt volunteers will be selling poppies and collecting donations next to it. Stop by, take a photo and drop a coin in the tin. Every pound goes to supporting the Armed Forces community.
Lowewood Museum's railings are covered in knitted poppies, and Tommy is waiting inside
Lowewood Museum in Hoddesdon has made its own tribute ahead of Remembrance, thanks to a group of local woolly crafters. The railings are covered with knitted poppies, the post box has a creative woolly topper, and the museum's Tommy figure is ready to greet visitors inside. It's a lovely one to visit with children if you want an easy way to explain what Remembrance means.
Remembrance Sunday parades take place across the borough this Sunday, here is where to go
Every town in Broxbourne will hold a parade or service this Sunday, 8 November, so there is one close to you wherever you live. In Cheshunt, the Royal British Legion parade forms on Crossbrook Street, marching from Longlands Close to the Almshouses memorial, and everyone is welcome back at the Legion club afterwards. The other services are:
Waltham Cross, Cheshunt and Turnford: parade from the British Legion to the Almshouses and back
Cheshunt and Goffs Oak: church service and ceremony at the Methodist Church and memorial
Wormley: service and ceremony at 1st Wormley Scout HQ
Broxbourne: church service and memorial at St Augustine's Church
Hoddesdon: parade to the memorial and service at St Catherine's and St Paul's Parish Church
A Cheshunt school remembered an American airman at the weekend
St Mary's held a remembrance service this weekend at the memorial to Lt John D. Ellis, an American airman. Members of Broxbourne's civic leadership and cadets laid wreaths. It's a reminder that the people we remember in Broxbourne came from well beyond the borough.
Movember is here, so use every moustache as a reminder to ask twice
HABS Strength in Mind Therapeutic Service is backing Movember this year and encouraging men across the borough to grow a moustache for men's mental health. But it's about more than the mo, it's about getting men talking. Each time you spot one this month, check in on the men and boys in your life. Ask twice, and listen properly.
Careless parking outside schools puts children at risk every day, and a new council video shows why
Broxbourne Council has released a short video showing what can happen when drivers park unsafely or rush outside school gates. The fix is simple: park a few streets away, walk the last bit, and never stop on the zig-zags. Watch it and pass it on to the school WhatsApp group, because that is where it'll do the most good.
Local charities and community groups can get free help writing funding bids that stand out
If your charity, community group or social enterprise has a project that needs funding, the Community Alliance Broxbourne and East Herts is running a free workshop to help you write a bid funders will back. You'll leave with a working project plan, a checklist of the documents a strong bid needs, and a list of marketing materials that show your impact. It runs on Thursday 12 November, 1.30pm to 4.30pm, at the Nigel Copping Community Building in Stanstead Abbotts. Only the last few places are left, it's one place per organisation, and you need to be a member, but membership is free.
Renting in Broxbourne has changed, and the council will pay landlords upfront to let to local tenants
At last month's Landlord Forum, Broxbourne landlords were told what the new rules mean for them. "No fault" Section 21 evictions have ended, tenancies now roll on month to month, tenants can ask to keep a pet, and Making Tax Digital is being phased in for landlords from April 2026. The good news is that Broxbourne is ahead of the country on energy efficiency, with 52 per cent of homes rated EPC C or above against 44 per cent nationally, which matters because rented homes are expected to reach C by 2030. If you're a landlord, the council's Simple Lets scheme will pay the deposit and first month's rent upfront, give you a cash incentive and refund your landlord insurance. Email [email protected] to find out more.
UPCOMING EVENTS
🏡 Local & in-person
⚽ Holdbrook Multi-Sports Sessions, ages 11–18
📍 Holdbrook, Waltham Cross
🗓️ Every Monday evening
⏰ See booking
🎟️ Free entry
👉 Details / Book
🚶 Hertfordshire Health Walks
📍 Cheshunt, Waltham Cross and Hoddesdon, various locations
🗓️ Weekly, various days
⏰ See booking
🎟️ Free entry
👉 Details / Book
☕ Free Energy Saving Workshop
📍 Active Local Hub, Waltham Cross Playing Fields, EN8 7LX
🗓️ Tuesday 3 November 2026
⏰ 6pm to 7:30pm
🎟️ Free entry
🍽️ Broxtown Supper Club, Personal Brand, AI & Good Conversation
📍 Fishy Delishy, 13a–14 College Road, Cheshunt, EN8 9NU
🗓️ Tuesday 3 November 2026
⏰ 6:30pm to 8:30pm
🎟️ Paid ticket
👉 Details / Book
🎵 BArts Presents My Kind of Music
📍 The Spotlight, Hoddesdon
🗓️ Wednesday 4 November 2026
⏰ See booking
🎟️ See booking
👉 Details / Book
💃 Adam Garcia’s Emerald Storm
📍 The Spotlight, Hoddesdon
🗓️ Wednesday 4 November 2026
⏰ See booking
🎟️ See booking
👉 Details / Book
💪 Free Calisthenics Sessions
📍 Waltham Cross Playing Fields
🗓️ Every Wednesday
⏰ See booking
🎟️ Free entry
👉 Details / Book
🎤 Sing The Musicals 2026
📍 The Spotlight, Hoddesdon
🗓️ Thursday 5 November 2026
⏰ See booking
🎟️ See booking
👉 Details / Book
📍 BEAM, Hertford
🗓️ Friday 6 November 2026
⏰ See booking
🎟️ See booking
👉 Details / Book
😂 The Comedy Store
📍 BEAM, Hertford
🗓️ Friday 6 November 2026
⏰ See booking
🎟️ See booking
👉 Details / Book
🥊 WBM: Live Boxing Event
📍 The Spotlight, Hoddesdon
🗓️ Friday 6 November 2026
⏰ See booking
🎟️ See booking
👉 Details / Book
🌺 Remembrance Sunday Parade, Cheshunt
📍 Royal British Legion Cheshunt, Crossbrook Street, to the Almshouses memorial
🗓️ Sunday 8 November 2026
⏰ See event details
🎟️ Free entry
👉 Details / Book
💼 Business & enterprise
🤖 Townstead AI Basecamp, How AI Can Help Your Business
📍 Fishy Delishy, 13a–14 College Road, Cheshunt, EN8 9NU
🗓️ Tuesday 3 November 2026
⏰ Doors open 11am | Starts 11:45am
🎟️ Free entry
👉 Details / Book
🇬🇧 Level 1 Award in Understanding and Displaying British Values
📍 Online, live streamed
🗓️ Monday 9 November 2026
⏰ 9:30am
🎟️ £55
👉 Details / Book
✍️ Content Writing for Blogs, Books and Business
📍 Online, live streamed
🗓️ Monday 9 November 2026
⏰ 1pm
🎟️ £35
👉 Details / Book
💻 Digital Skills Essentials for the Workplace
📍 Stevenage Central Library
🗓️ Wednesday 11 November 2026
⏰ 10:15am
🎟️ £35
👉 Details / Book
📝 Crafting Strong and Competitive Funding Applications
📍 Nigel Copping Community Building, 88 Sanville Gardens, Stanstead Abbotts, SG12 8GA
🗓️ Thursday 12 November 2026
⏰ 1:30pm to 4:30pm
🎟️ Free entry for Community Alliance members in the VCFSE sector. Membership is free.
👉 Booking link to be added
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HEALTH & WELLBEING TIPS
Movember is a good excuse to book the free check most men skip.
If you're aged 40 to 74 and don't have an existing heart, kidney or diabetes condition, you're entitled to a free NHS Health Check every five years. It takes about 20 minutes and checks your blood pressure, cholesterol and risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Ask your GP surgery, or check whether you've been invited. If the man in your life keeps putting it off, this is the month to nudge him.
Sponsored by Our Resident Doctor.
🎨 TUESDAY MOTIVATION
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.
Weather ☀ Tuesday - Sunday
Tuesday 3 November 12°C 🌡️ 8°C | ☁️ Overcast, dry | ☀️ Sunrise 06:57 | Sunset 16:29
Wednesday 4 November 11°C 🌡️ 8°C | ☁️ Overcast, dry | ☀️ Sunrise 06:59 | Sunset 16:27
Thursday 5 November 10°C 🌡️ 7°C | ☁️ Overcast, dry | ☀️ Sunrise 07:01 | Sunset 16:25
Friday 6 November 12°C 🌡️ 7°C | ☁️ Overcast, dry | ☀️ Sunrise 07:02 | Sunset 16:23
Saturday 7 November 11°C 🌡️ 6°C | ☁️ Overcast, dry | ☀️ Sunrise 07:04 | Sunset 16:22
Sunday 8 November 8°C 🌡️ 4°C | ☁️ Overcast, dry | ☀️ Sunrise 07:06 | Sunset 16:20
Monday 9 November 10°C 🌡️ 4°C | 🌦️ Light drizzle, cloudy | ☀️ Sunrise 07:08 | Sunset 16:18
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Wishing you a fantastic rest of your day!
Cheers,
Editor-in-chief | Emeka Ogbonnaya
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