What a match. England are through to the semi-finals after a determined performance, with Jude Bellingham once again showing why he's one of the world's best. Next up is Argentina, another huge test that promises plenty of drama. Do you think England have what it takes to reach the final? I'd love to hear your predictions.

Away from the football, the hot weather is showing no signs of easing, meaning another week of warm days and even warmer nights. With water supplies under pressure, hosepipe bans are being introduced across parts of Hertfordshire, with Stevenage and Watford among the areas affected.

There is plenty of good news too. Dacorum is looking for local homes to feature in its next television production, and there are fantastic events taking place across Hertfordshire throughout the summer, all rounded up for you below.

As always, I've done the hard work by bringing together the stories that matter from across Hertfordshire, so you don't have to spend time searching for them yourself.

If I've missed an important local story or event, please get in touch, I read every email. And if you'd like to put your business, event or product in front of more than 10,000 readers across Hertfordshire each week, I'd be delighted to hear from you.

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Hertfordshire Constabulary and the county council's Youth Justice Service say a preventative, partnership-based approach helped cut the number of children entering the youth justice system by 28.8% last year, with first-time entrants down by 31% and recorded youth offences falling by more than a third to 596. The approach leans on tailored support covering education, mental health and family circumstances rather than criminal records, alongside the Child Criminal Exploitation Prevention and Diversion Team's work on gangs, county lines and knife crime. A new Youth Justice Plan for 2026-28, building on the approach, goes before Full Council for approval on Tuesday 21 July.

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A report going to the county council's Education, SEND and Inclusion Cabinet Panel on Tuesday 14 July sets out how an expanded Elective Home Education team, now six officers instead of two, has helped return children to mainstream education. Last autumn term, 235 children returned to school after home education arrangements ended, 83 were admitted through School Attendance Orders, and a further 141 were supported back into education or alternative provision by Services for Young People. Hertfordshire's rate of children missing education now sits at 0.3%, below the 0.4% national average.

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📅 Monday 21 July 2026 | 5:00pm – 6:30pm

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The council and the Friends of Water Lane Hall have made progress on the conditions needed before the historic Bishop's Stortford building can transfer into community ownership. East Herts remains committed to £170,000 towards necessary works, but officers say the immediate priority is agreeing what's needed to make the building safe and securing funding to do it, with the statutory transfer paperwork now being coordinated so the newly formed Water Lane Community Arts Studio CIC can apply for major national capital grants. The CIC says it will soon launch local fundraising campaigns and is asking Bishop's Stortford residents to back the effort.

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Hundreds of households on the Stortford Fields estate have gone without reliable water since Monday 6 July, with Independent Water Networks Ltd running tanker deliveries into the local network and a bottled water station on-site while it blames the disruption on upstream supply problems at Affinity Water. Hertford and Stortford MP Josh Dean has written to both companies' chief executives demanding an urgent meeting, and says anyone on the priority services list who hasn't received a bottled water delivery should contact his office. IWNL has declined to give a timeline for a permanent fix while recovery work continues.

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East Herts Council's annual Love Parks Week celebration comes to Castle Park in Bishop's Stortford on Thursday 30 July, with free tennis coaching, arts and crafts, a story and rhyme time session from Bishop's Stortford Library, and the popular Love Parks Dog Show. The event is part of a national campaign led by Keep Britain Tidy to spotlight parks and the people who care for them.

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The council is developing a new Hemel Hempstead Town Centre Masterplan building on its earlier Town Centre Vision, and wants residents, businesses and visitors to help shape public spaces, the shopping and leisure offer, and sustainable travel in the years ahead. Drop into the Rainbow Stage on Thursday 23 July, 10:00am to 4:00pm, to see the emerging plans and ask questions in person. Can't make it? An online survey is launching soon for those who want to have their say another way.

The Dacorum Film Office is expanding its filming locations database, with current productions showing particular interest in flats and shops across the borough. Hosting a shoot earns a location fee plus a behind-the-scenes experience, and one recent homeowner praised the Film Office's support throughout the process. You don't need to be sure your property is right for it, registering costs nothing and productions are looking for a wide variety of locations.

Sign up →

Two Letchworth community groups have been awarded council grants following recommendations from the Letchworth Community Forum. Letchworth Garden Shed CIC gets £1,551 to expand its tool-lending catalogue with items including a portable power station, while Caring Herts CIC receives £1,500 to support its weekly wellbeing hub for older residents at Norton Methodist Church, tackling loneliness through gentle exercise and companionship every Friday morning. Both groups say the funding lets them buy or deliver things their own budgets couldn't stretch to.

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The Waltham Cross Sports Festival returns on Saturday 15 August, giving residents of all ages a free go at basketball, football, mini-tennis, calisthenics, skateboarding, boxing and cycling, with all equipment provided. It's the second summer the revamped Playing Fields have hosted a festival since the site's 2024 refurbishment, which added a fully accessible pavilion and the interactive Sutu Rebound Football Wall.

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The council is consulting on a proposed Community Infrastructure Levy that would charge £100 per square metre on residential developments of one to nine new homes, closing a gap where smaller schemes currently avoid contributing to local infrastructure the way larger developments do through Section 106 agreements. Larger schemes and householder applications would remain unaffected. The consultation closes at 5pm on Monday 20 July.

Have your say →

Affinity Water's hosepipe ban takes effect at 00.01am on Friday 17 July, banning use for watering gardens, washing cars, filling paddling pools and running sprinklers or pressure washers, though the council is asking residents to start complying immediately. Separately, refuse and recycling crews are starting collections at 6am while the hot weather continues, so bins need to be out the night before. Check the Affinity Water website for the full list of exemptions if you're on the Priority Services Register.

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The council has awarded social enterprise Wenta a new long-term contract to run the Business and Technology Centre and Chells Industrial Units, securing two hubs that support local jobs and start-ups. Wenta has helped 2,153 Stevenage residents since 2019, creating more than 463 local jobs and launching 343 businesses in the town. If you're weighing up flexible workspace or business advice, this is where to start.

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Anglia in Bloom judges toured Hatfield this week, assessing the town in the "Small City" category plus three special awards covering White Lion Square, Market Place and the Potential to Grow Community Garden at The Galleria. Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City have also been entered into virtual categories for Oak Hill Crematorium and Howardsgate and Parkway. Results land at an awards ceremony on 24 September.

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The council has opened a consultation on turning the Panshanger Golf Course site into a new leisure centre with a swimming pool, sports hall, gym, community garden and new homes, since WGC currently has no public pool of its own. You have until 11:59pm on Friday 31 July to complete the survey at welhat.gov.uk/leisure-engagement, or attend one of four drop-in sessions running through the month at Campus West, Panshanger Community Centre, Haldens Sports and Social Club and the Howard Centre.

Submit your comments →

The council has launched a self-guided heritage and public art trail starting at Campus West, taking in historic landmarks, public art and lesser-known corners of the town centre. It's available as an interactive online map or a printed guide, with a separate child-friendly version for younger explorers, and free printed copies are available from locations across the town centre.

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The council's Healthy Hub team is running free advice sessions on physical activity, mental health, weight management, smoking cessation and nutrition at venues across the borough, with several dates also joined by Sexual Health Herts. Remaining sessions this month:

Find out more →

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Affinity Water has confirmed the same hosepipe ban covering Watford, driven by exceptionally high demand during the hot weather. Residents can't water gardens, wash cars or windows, or fill pools while restrictions are in place, though anyone on the Priority Services Register, WaterSure Tariff or holding a Blue Badge is exempt. Sign up for the Priority Services Register at affinitywater.co.uk/priority-services if you think you qualify.

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Watford Actually has confirmed its Big Screen line-up for August, moving from Pondside in the town centre (Monday 3 to Sunday 9 August) to Woodside Playing Fields (Monday 10 to Sunday 16 August). Titles include Lilo and Stitch, Superman, Wicked for Good, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Entry is free and no booking is required, just bring a chair or picnic blanket.

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Council chair Cllr Keith Martin has written on this year's Srebrenica Memorial Week, remembering the roughly 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys murdered in July 1995, drawing on the testimony of a colleague who served with the British Armed Forces in Bosnia during the war. The blog frames the anniversary as a reminder to actively stand against prejudice and division rather than simply mark the date.

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The council's Anti-Social Behaviour team, backed by Hertfordshire Constabulary, has secured a closure order on a council-owned flat on Abbots Avenue West, Sopwell, after neighbours submitted complaints, three impact statements and Ring doorbell footage. Anyone entering the property without authorisation over the next three months faces prosecution. The council says it will now work with partners to bring the flat back into use as a safe home.

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Location: Humphrey's Café, Campus West, Welwyn Garden City
Date: Monday 13 July 2026
Time: 11:00am to 2:00pm
Cost: Free, no booking required
More information:

Location: Panshanger Community Centre, Welwyn Garden City
Date: Wednesday 15 July 2026
Time: 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Cost: Free, no booking required
More information:

Location: Hatfield Town Centre, Hatfield
Date: Saturday 18 July 2026
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm
Cost: Free
Highlights: Jedi training, meet a Stormtrooper, Best Cosplay Competition, face painting, themed games and live music.
More information:

Location: Peartree Park, The Ridings, Stevenage
Date: Saturday 18 July 2026
Time: 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: Free
More information:

Location: Haldens Sports and Social Club, Welwyn Garden City
Date: Monday 20 July 2026
Time: 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Cost: Free, no booking required
More information:

Location: Bill's, St Albans
Date: Tuesday 21 July 2026
Time: 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Cost: Free for BID member businesses. Drinks and food provided.

Location: Hatfield Library, White Lion Square, Hatfield
Date: Tuesday 21 July 2026 (recurs every other week until 1 September 2026)
Time: 4:15pm to 5:15pm
Cost: £4.40 per child. Suitable for ages 5+, children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
More information:

Location: Howard Centre, Welwyn Garden City
Date: Saturday 25 July 2026
Time: 11:00am to 2:00pm
Cost: Free, no booking required
More information:

Location: Hatfield Town Centre, Hatfield
Date: Tuesday 28 July 2026
Cost: Free
More information:

Location: CathARTic's Workshop, Oak Yard, Queens Road, Watford
Dates: Thursday 30 July, Thursday 13 August and Thursday 27 August 2026
Times: 10:30am to 12:30pm (ages 5–11) and 2:00pm to 4:00pm (ages 12–19)
Cost: Free, booking required. Email [email protected] to reserve a place.
More information:

Location: The Barn, Croxley Business Park, Watford
Date: Friday 31 July 2026
Time: 11:00am to 11:45am
Cost: Free, booking required
More information:

Location: Hertford Castle, Hertford
Date: Sunday 2 August 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 7:30pm (gates open at 11:30am)
Cost: Free, donations welcome in support of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Highlights: Three stages of live music featuring rock, indie, rap and dance, plus a dedicated SEND area.
More information:

Location: Pondside, Watford Town Centre
Dates: Monday 3 August to Sunday 9 August 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Cost: Free, no booking required
More information:

Location: Woodside Playing Fields, Watford
Dates: Monday 10 August to Sunday 16 August 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Cost: Free, no booking required
More information:

Location: Waltham Cross Playing Fields, Broxbourne
Date: Saturday 15 August 2026
Time: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Cost: Free, equipment provided
More information:

Monday 13 July 27°C 🌡️ 15°C | ⛅ Sunny intervals with some cloud, hot and dry | ☀️ Sunrise 04:56 | Sunset 21:14

Tuesday 14 July 30°C 🌡️ 15°C | 🌤️ Very warm with sunny spells and light cloud | ☀️ Sunrise 04:57 | Sunset 21:13

Wednesday 15 July 29°C 🌡️ 16°C | 🌤️ Hot with prolonged sunny intervals | ☀️ Sunrise 04:58 | Sunset 21:12

Thursday 16 July 30°C 🌡️ 16°C | ⛅ Hot and humid with sunny spells | ☀️ Sunrise 04:59 | Sunset 21:11

Friday 17 July 29°C 🌡️ 15°C | 🌦️ Warm with showers developing later in the day | ☀️ Sunrise 05:00 | Sunset 21:10

Saturday 18 July 27°C 🌡️ 14°C | 🌦️ Cooler with sunny spells and a few showers | ☀️ Sunrise 05:01 | Sunset 21:09

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Editor-in-chief | Emeka Ogbonnaya

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