Hunsdon Church has booked Stefan Smart to perform his Edinburgh Fringe show, ‘I am Mark’.
He is a professional storyteller and the story he tells is Mark’s Gospel (word for word from the NIV – from memory!).
THE DETAILS
Date: 28th March, 2026 Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Location: Hunsdon Village Hall, 45 High Street, Hunsdon, Ware SG12 8NJ
One man. One chair. One incredible true story
‘I am Mark’ is a dramatic staging of one of the most explosive books of all time – the Gospel of Mark.
Join actor and storyteller Stefan Smart as he draws a uniquely intimate and provocative portrait of the Son of God and breathes new life into the greatest story ever told.
A sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019, we are pleased to welcome Stefan to Hunsdon.
We are very excited to announce that we are hitting the road with… Jane Eyre!
That’s right! We cannot wait to kickstart 2026 with our heartwarming and magical adaptation of Brontë’s beloved novel – packed with scandal, song and suspense! And we are so excited to be bringing our production to Stanstead Bury Farm in Stanstead Abbotts on Friday 20th March following our previous visits with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Three Musketeers and Pride & Prejudice and more!
About Jane Eyre Orphaned and alone, Jane Eyre grows up in a world that seeks to silence her spirit. Defiant in her search for freedom, belonging and love, she finds herself at Thornfield Hall – where the enigmatic Mr Rochester hides dark secrets behind its walls…
Passion, mystery and resilience collide in this sweeping story of self-discovery and courage, brought to life in a bold new adaptation!
Written by Charlotte Bronte Directed by Sarah Slator Assistant Direction by Chloe Bond Music by Simon Stallard Adapted by Ethan Taylor
Reviews “An enchanting production of Jane Eyre brilliantly performed by talented actors who manage to convey the drama and poignancy of the original novel!” – Sussex Local Magazine
“A lovely production with an enchanted feel… This Is My Theatre are certainly worth looking out for!” – ingenu/e magazine
More information This performance will take place indoors at the Hay Barn, so please dress warmly. Doors Open from: 6.30pm Running time: Approximately 85 minutes What3Words Location: twin.porch.rock Parking: There is audience parking outside the venue. Seating Provided: Yes. Food and Drink: Refreshments will be available before the performance for donations towards church funds. Dogs: No dogs other than guide dogs will be admitted to this performance. Wheelchair User Access: There is step-free access into the venue. If you have any access requirements before your visit, please contact the Box Office via email or phone (07981 227790) ahead of the performance date.
So why not join us for what we are sure will prove to be a very special evening for all ages!
Join us for a relaxed and family friendly community event on Sunday 8th March, combining an Equine Table Top Sale with a fun Dog Show, all in support of a wonderful cause.
The event will take place from 11am until 1pm at Albury Village Hall, SG11 2JD and is entirely indoors, so you can enjoy the day whatever the weather brings. Even if conditions outside aren’t great, the event will still go ahead as planned. In the event of bad weather, the dog show will also be held indoors.
🐶 Dog Show
The dog show is all about having fun and getting involved, rather than serious competition. There will be prizes awarded from 1st to 5th place, kindly sponsored by Essex Cooling Ltd. It’s a great opportunity to show off your dog, have a laugh and enjoy the community atmosphere.
🐴 Equine Table Top Sale
Browse a variety of equine-related items and other small business-holder stalls, meet fellow enthusiasts and pick up some great finds in a warm, indoor setting.
❤ Supporting a Great Cause
All funds raised from the event will go towards Rose Cat Rescue, helping to support their important work caring for cats in need. You can find out more about this great charity on their website: https://www.rosecatrescue.co.uk/
Whether you’re an equine enthusiast, a dog lover, or simply looking for something enjoyable to do on a Sunday, this event promises a lovely couple of hours for everyone.
WHAT: SAINT VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE WHEN: February 14th – March 1st 2026 WHERE: Brothership Studio, 14 Bull Plain, Hertford, SG14 1DT
At Brothership Studio, the art doesn’t sit still. We’re a living, breathing studio space, where creation unfolds in real time and visitors step inside an experience rather than simply viewing one. This spirit of experimentation sits at the heart of our mission to break down traditional art‑world barriers and champion a more open, immersive way to connect with creativity. It aligns perfectly with the pioneering energy of this upcoming show.
We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Pure Evil for a vibrant new exhibition that brings together iconic favourites and never‑before‑seen works, revealed exclusively on opening night. The show will sit alongside fresh pieces from our resident artists — Cherry Pie, Liz Loxton, Matt Collinson, Natasha Jowett, Nick Shipton, Oliver Combellack, Sue Black and Tim Voss — celebrating the full spectrum of talent that fuels our space.
Ever wondered what links the rave scene, graffiti culture, pop art and unfiltered emotion? Pure Evil provides the answer.
Using imagery and graphics recognised from popular culture, Pure Evil reveals the hidden depths and possibilities that lie beneath the surface of these icons. Often featuring his trademark teardrop, his work can turn beauty into a nightmare and the everyday into a social statement. His art mines a much deeper vein than what is visible on the surface, it prompts difficult emotional questions and elevates our sense of place within the world.
Just as Pure Evil’s icons begin to reveal their untold stories, we invite you to dig deep and ask: What is yours?
Come along to our Exclusive Opening Night. 13th February | 6pm–11pm.
We’d love to see you all there. Bring a friend and let’s celebrate the great art in our wonderful town of Hertford.
On Sunday 18 January 2026, Stanstead Abbotts Concert Society is delighted to welcome Terence Blacker and Kath Tait, joined by Sally Vinson.
Taking place at Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall, this promises to be a real treat for lovers of folk, acoustic music and live performance.
Event Details The concert will be held at Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall, Roydon Road, SG12 8BU. Doors open at 7.00pm, with the performance starting at 7.30pm.
Performers Terence Blacker and Kath Tait will perform, with support from Sally Vinson. The event is presented by the Stanstead Abbotts Concert Society and supported by the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
Tickets and Booking Tickets are £10 and can be booked online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk or by calling 01920 870558.
Additional Information Soft drinks and snacks will be available on the night, and guests are welcome to bring their own alcohol.
Whether you’re a long-time folk enthusiast or simply looking for a memorable night out close to home, this concert is an excellent choice.
The Stanstead Abbotts Local History Society is hosting a fascinating talk by Miles Dymock this Friday 9th January and everyone is invited to attend.
WHEN: Friday 9th January at 7.30pm WHERE: Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall, Roydon Rd, Stanstead Abbotts, Ware SG12 8EZ WHAT: ‘Olive Farm: from Bronze Age to where we are today’ DETAILS: Free to members, £3 for non-members, includes refreshments
The talk promises a journey through centuries of local history, showing how one place has evolved through different eras.
About the Society The Stanstead Abbotts Local History Society collects and shares information about the history of Stanstead Abbotts and neighbouring St Margarets. Their website features articles and archives on a wide range of local topics from ancient times through more recent village life, and they encourage contributions of photos, memories or research from the community.
The society’s events and talks are open to both members and non‑members (unless stated otherwise), with meetings held at Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall most months. Find out more on their website: salhs.co.uk
** POSTPONED ** Please note that this event has been postponed until March 8th…
Join us for a relaxed and family friendly community event this Sunday 11th January, combining an Equine Table Top Sale with a fun Dog Show, all in support of a wonderful cause.
The event will take place from 11am until 1pm at Albury Village Hall, SG11 2JD, and is entirely indoors, so you can enjoy the day whatever the weather brings. Even if conditions outside aren’t great, the event will still go ahead as planned. In the event of bad weather, the dog show will also be held indoors.
🐶 Dog Show
The dog show is all about having fun and getting involved, rather than serious competition. There will be prizes awarded from 1st to 5th place, kindly sponsored by Essex Cooling. It’s a great opportunity to show off your dog, have a laugh and enjoy the community atmosphere.
🐴 Equine Table Top Sale
Browse a variety of equine-related items and other small business-holder stalls, meet fellow enthusiasts, and pick up some great finds in a warm, indoor setting.
❤ Supporting a Great Cause
All funds raised from the event will go towards Rose Cat Rescue, helping to support their important work caring for cats in need. You can find out more about this great charity on their website: https://www.rosecatrescue.co.uk/
Whether you’re an equine enthusiast, a dog lover, or simply looking for something enjoyable to do on a Sunday, this event promises a lovely couple of hours for everyone.
The countdown is on for one of the brightest nights in our local community: The Annual St Margaretsbury Fireworks Display!
This year’s spectacular event will take place on Sunday 2nd November at St Margaretsbury Recreation Ground, and it promises to be a brilliant evening for families, friends and neighbours alike.
What’s on Gates open at 4.00 pm, kicking off a fun-filled afternoon with something for everyone:
Mini Fun Fair from 4.00 pm – perfect for little ones (and the young at heart!).
Licensed Clubhouse Bar open from 4.00 pm – enjoy a sociable drink before the show.
Bonfire lit at around 6.30 pm, bringing that warm, autumn glow.
Professional Fireworks Display from 6.45 pm, lighting up the night sky in a dazzling show of colour and sparkle.
And that’s not all! There’ll be hot food, a catering truck and hot mulled wine to keep everyone toasty while you watch the fireworks.
Family-friendly fun The St Margaretsbury Fireworks Display is one of the highlights of our community year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to come together. Children under 3 go free and tickets are great value:
£20 Family (4 people)
£8 Adults
£5 Under 14s
You can pay by card or cash at the gate, but make sure to arrive early – on-site parking is limited and fills up fast.
WHEN: Tuesday 28th October at 7pm for a 7.30pm start WHERE: St Mary’s Church, Ware
St Mary’s Ware is delighted to be hosting journalist and author Stephanie Saldaña to speak about her latest book What we remember will be saved. Copies of the book will be available to purchase on the night.
Stephanie will be joined by Kurdish musician Ferhad Feyssal whose story features in the book. Ferhad will play some traditional Kurdish music.
Stephanie has offered the talk for no fee, but with the suggestion donations are asked for charity. So any donations received will go to Herts Welcomes Refugees (HWR). Local HWR volunteers with some of those supported by HWR are organising some cakes as part of the hospitality for the evening.
About the book… In an era of mass migration in which more than 100 million people are displaced comes this lyrical portrait of Syrian and Iraqi refugees and the belongings they carry. What We Remember Will Be Saved: A Story of Refugees and the Things They Carry is a book of hope, home, and the stories we hold within us when everything else has been lost.
Journalist and scholar Stephanie Saldaña, who lived in Syria before the war, sets out on a journey across nine countries to meet refugees and learn what they salvaged from the ruins when they escaped. Now, in the narratives of six extraordinary women and men, from Mt. Sinjar to Aleppo to Lesvos to Amsterdam, we discover that the little things matter a great deal. Saldaña introduces us to a woman who saved her city in a dress, a musician who saved his stories in songs, and a couple who rebuilt their destroyed pharmacy even as the city around them fell apart. Together they provide a window into a religiously diverse corner of the Middle East on the edge of unraveling, and the people keeping it alive with their stories.
Born of years of friendship and reporting, What We Remember Will Be Saved is a breathtaking, elegiac odyssey into the heart of the largest refugee crisis in modern history. It reminds us that refugees are storytellers and speakers of vanishing languages, and of how much history can be distilled into a piece of fabric, or eggplant seeds. What we salvage tells our story. What we remember will be saved.
About the author… Stephanie Saldaña is a journalist and religion scholar from San Antonio, Texas, whohas spent most of the last twenty years living in the Middle East. Saldaña studiedreligion at Harvard Divinity School and is the author of A Country Between and TheBread of Angels, hailed by Geraldine Brooks as "a remarkable, wise, and lovelybook. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, WallStreet Journal, America Magazine, and Plough, and she has been featured on National Public Radio. Saldaña and her family split their time between Bethlehem and France. Twitter: @stephcsaldana
The Three Villages 