The Hertfordshire SEND Local Area Partnership has developed a new SEND Strategy for 2026–2029, which sets out their shared ambitions to improve outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This strategy has been shaped by the voices of children, young people, families, and professionals across education, health, and social care.
Local people are being invited to have their say on the ambitious new draft strategy for SEND that has greater collaboration at its core by completing a short online survey.
The consultation seeks to find out:
Do the ambitions reflect what matters most to children and young people with SEND and their families?
Are there any parts which are missing, unclear or need strengthening?
What do you think is the single most important priority for us to focus on?
Anyone eavesdropping outside the barn at Stanstead Bury Farm on Friday 30th May during The Three Musketeers – a latecomer, perhaps, or one of the ducks or geese – could be forgiven for thinking the show had a cast of twenty or so, with all manner of accents and the odd Frenchman thrown in for good measure. In reality, there were only four members of the theatre company This Is My Theatre gracing the stage that evening (three actors, supported by Lily Smith – listed as the ‘musician’ in the programme, but deftly contributing so much more than that). I, for one, still can’t quite believe there were so few of them. This multitalented troupe take multitasking to a whole new level: swapping hats, roles and guises slickly and with a knowing wink, they ensure there is never a dull moment in Alexandre Dumas’ epic tale of skulduggery and camaraderie.
If some productions are underdone, this one is cooked to a ‘T’. A key ingredient is the expertly choreographed sword-fighting, which begins in the very first scene. We see the bold but naïve Gascon, d’Artagnan (Elliot Hay) receiving lessons in swordsmanship from his father (Duncan Woodruff), before setting off to make a name for himself in Paris. While en route, he is defeated in a genuine swordfight, and robbed, by the dastardly Rochefort (who bears a striking resemblance to his father). To make matters worse, our blundering hero manages to put three musketeers’ noses out of joint (one of them bears a striking resemblance…you get the idea). The duelling that ensues lands them in trouble with Cardinal Richelieu’s guards, leading to a mêlée between all sides that is a marvel to behold. In this whirlwind of cyan cloakology, it is hard to say which moves more quickly: the characters’ headgear as it is whipped from tête to tête, or their swishing blades. How the cast keep track of who’s who at any given moment is a mystery – it’s a feather in their cap that they do so! The upshot is that d’Artagnan, who helps to fight the guards off, becomes firm friends with the musketeers and is taken under their wing.
One of the musketeers, Porthos, is somewhat different from the others (Athos and Aramis), insofar as he is played by a mannequin atop a tripod. He certainly doesn’t let this hold him back, though. A helping hand wields his sword for him whenever necessary, and his guttural exclamations in French add to the play’s Gallic flair. Another character with an air of mystery to her is Milady de Winter, Cardinal Richelieu’s chief spy: using a hooded robe to good effect, she never lets us catch sight of her face. Dumas’ plot is convoluted, but it is centred around the need to retrieve a diamond necklace from an English duke, so that the French queen can wear it at a forthcoming ball (a ball that is definitely the suggestible king’s idea, and is not in any way dreamt up by the scheming cardinal). The queen will thus avoid embarrassment (the diamonds had been a gift from the king, but have somehow ended up with her secret lover, the duke of Buckingham). The musketeers bravely agree to undertake the journey to London: “En protégeant la reine, nous protégeons le roi!” (“By protecting the queen, we’re protecting the king!”). They travel with a speed that makes any frequent rail passengers in the audience turn green with envy, calling out the stops along the way: “Calais!” “Ashford!” “London!”
Alas, many of the characters in Dumas’ tale lack the loyalty and good character shown by the musketeers and will stop at nothing to foil their plans. The chief villain of the piece is Cardinal Richelieu, and special praise goes to Leon Topley for the stunning set-piece in which he plays both the Cardinal and the weaselly Bonacieux, dashing back and forth from one man’s floppy hat to the other’s red zucchetto. It is a real tour de force, and he repeats the trick later in the play…chapeau! The machinations of the various villains ultimately come to nothing, though, and d’Artagnan is rewarded for his heroics by being made a lieutenant in the King’s Musketeers.
This dazzling, rip-roaring show is a spectacular success. This Is My Theatre was founded with the aim of bringing great theatre to rural areas, and this production certainly fulfils that brief.
The theatre company will be back in Stanstead Abbotts later in the year, performing Pride and Prejudice – don’t miss it!
Have you heard about the very special family event that happens on Christmas Eve in the villages? The 3 Churches Benefice hold ‘The Christmas Journey: The Nativity Story Reimagined’: a service for everyone, young and old, to become part of the nativity story!
Meeting at St Margarets Train Station at 3pm, we journey together like Mary and Joseph, stopping at inns along the way to see if there is any room. Finally, we travel to the stable (at St Andrew’s Church) to find baby Jesus has been born! With singing and readings at each stop, we follow the nativity story, and the kids get to be part of all the action.
Martha (age 6), who has attended every year since it started in 2021, said: ‘It is really fun and exciting. We knock on the doors and see if there is room, but there isn’t, so we have to keep going until we find the stable. Baby Jesus is there and there are lights. It looks really pretty. I love the singing and being with Rev’d Sarah.’
Every year we see the numbers who attend The Christmas Journey increase and there is quite a buzz in the local community in the lead up! This year, we had a fantastic 180 children and adults (not to mention dogs) gathering together at St Margarets Train Station to make the journey to meet baby Jesus in the manger.
As our numbers swell, we are even more conscious of the need for road safety. As such, we had a greater number of helpers in hi-vis jackets marshalling everyone safely on our journey. Thank you so much to everyone who helped.
We visited inns along the way and, as always, love to see the engagement with the general public as we sing and share the nativity story. Special thanks to The Jolly Fisherman, The Oak and The Red Lion for taking part again this year. We were amazed to see our Innkeeper at The Red Lion dressed for the part – that was an extra treat!
We are really pleased that this special service continues to go from strength to strength and has become a Christmas tradition for local families. It will be on again this year, so make sure to wrap up warmly and join us!
On Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th December, 2–6pm, The 3 Churches Benefice held a Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s Church, St Margarets.
St John the Baptist Church, Great AmwellWoodland Beavers ColonyHoddesdon Women’s ClubBobtails Playgroup & Teddy ClubSt Andrew’s Primary SchoolSt Mary’s Church, St MargaretsNativity Scene (close up) by Mary YoungmanNativity Scene (Mary Youngman, Hertford Baptist Church)Age UK1st Stanstead Abbotts BrowniesSt Andrew’s Card-Making GroupThe 3 Churches Benefice Wednesday Coffee MorningThe Three Villages MagazineMemory TreeCraft StallView from outside
The church looked beautiful all lit up with the trees that had been provided and decorated by local groups and businesses. Powell Funeral Services donated the tree for St Mary’s and Gini Trower from The Wallen Garden kindly loaned two of her wonderful rooted trees. The amazing nativity scene at the altar, made by Mary Youngman and on loan from Hertford Baptist Church, was much admired by everyone. There were some delicious cakes, biscuits and mince pies; a raffle; a scavenger hunt for the children and some lovely craft items on safe.
Rev’d Sarah told us that the whole event was a brilliant success, with over 130 people going along to get in the festive spirit and over £450 raised. These funds will go towards the upkeep and work of the church.
The 3 Churches Benefice would like to thank everyone who helped: organising beforehand, providing and/or decorating trees, making cakes, volunteering as helpers, donating raffle prizes etc. It was a great team effort and there was some lovely feedback from those who came along.
On Friday 23rd June, the annual Madrigals Concert at Amwell Pool took place.
Julia Davies, who attended the evening along with a large number of other locals, said it was ‘a beautiful evening in aid of Isabel Hospice’.
Local resident, Betty Sewell, organised the first concert over 40 years ago! It has become a much -anticipated annual event – the music and stunning setting makes the evening truly magical.
Thank you to the organisers and the choirs involved. We look forward to the next concert!
‘To see a rabbit is nothing remarkable… To hear it comment upon the time is quite remarkable… To follow it down a rabbit-hole into a strange new world not knowing how you’ll get out again is something extraordinarily remarkable indeed!
As Alice encounters the weird, wacky and wonderful characters who live in the world at the other end of the rabbit-hole, she’ll experience an adventure like never before! Finding her way home again won’t be an easy task and it will definitely make her rethink all the thoughts she has previously thought!’
~
This promotional introduction to the performance of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ by the touring group This is My Theatre certainly gives a flavour of the story. It doesn’t quite indicate how very slick and fast-moving the cast were in each successive scene. The props and costumes were minimal but suggested clearly which character was being portrayed whether it was Alice’s family, the White Rabbit, Dum and Dee, or The Queen of Hearts. The shrinking and expanding of Alice were cleverly portrayed with props that were identical apart from their size and a table, which one of the actors held aloft at a moment when he was fulfilling a stage manager’s role. Another clever device was when two of the actors held a blue cloth representing the tears Alice had shed that she nearly drowned in.
The production fitted so neatly into the hay barn at Stanstead Bury that it would seem to have been created expressly for it. This is the fourth production that they have brought here – I for one look forward to the next one.
The performance lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes without an interval and kept the audience completely rapt.
On Sunday June 5th, the first Great Amwell Comedy Shindig drew a crowd of several thousand people who laughed uproariously at numerous points. Ed Byrne had his spot during the afternoon in a programme that included Milton Jones, Angela Barnes, Jason Manford, Reginald D Hunter, Phil Nicoll, Ivan Brackenbury and Lloyd Griffith. Many of these stand-ups would be familiar to TV viewers and they clearly lived up to expectations.
Angela BarnesThe crowdMilton JonesReginald D Hunter
The dead pan Milton Jones kept his audience on the alert for punchlines as his anecdotes about dozens of relations – especially grandads – included surprising and imaginative word-play as they reached their conclusions. Angela Barnes comically shared her experiences as a woman who doesn’t conform to the expectations of the norms in the more general population. In fact it was of course the recognition of her differences being very many people’s differences that made her so warmly received.
The event was well-organised, with food and drink available on site, loads of parking space and no queueing on the road. Thanks go to Just the Tonic/Church End Comedy team for their hard work organising such a fun event.
On Friday 3rd June, in the glorious sunshine, crowds of you came along to the Platinum Jubilee Party held at The Stanstead Abbotts and St Margarets’ Village Club.
A fantastic time was had by all who attended – and there were a lot of you! Live music, a delicious BBQ, dance performances, tombola, cake stall, face painting and ice creams made for a brilliant afternoon of celebration.
Huge thanks go to Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council, The Village Club and the army of volunteers who made it all happen.
On Thursday June 2nd, around 150 people were present at the Easneye field – at the invitation of Nicholas and Henrietta Buxton – and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The late sun was shining on the trees with a golden glow as villagers arrived, from 8.30pm onwards, to gaze down to Hoddesdon and far beyond to the City of London and Canary Wharf. People happily picnicked and enjoyed refreshments from the bar as the late sun sank out of sight and the music became more patriotic. From his trailer, Nicholas Buxton delivered a rousing speech extolling the long reign of Her Majesty the Queen, before going over to the enormous bonfire and lighting it – dead on 9.45pm – so that it took its place in the official network of beacons across the country.
Thanks are due to the Buxton family for the welcome on to their land, for the work that went into building the beacon and providing the music. Volunteers were supervising the parking and running the bar and a committee had met several times to ensure that everything was in place. Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council very much appreciates and thanks all of those people who made the beacon happen.
On Thursday 2nd June residents of Great Amwell were able to meet on the Vicar’s Field (with the kind permission of St. John the Baptist School) and enjoy the sunshine and some fun together before the Platinum Jubilee beacon lighting at 9:45, to coincide with all other beacons across the Commonwealth. Some lively games of rounders were played, children and adults had their faces painted and the souvenir mugs were handed out to provide a memento of what was truly a unique event, all to a well-judged soundtrack of music that easily overcame the neighbouring music festival.
Image courtesy of William Brown
The beacon was lit by Tom Foy as Chair of Great Amwell Parish Council and was spectacular. Indeed, someone called the fire brigade who were obliged to attend; although on a night of national beacon-lighting, this was probably not the only place that this happened. Hopefully, the young who came will look back in years to come and be able to say, ‘I remember the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee’.
Image courtesy of William Brown
The event was organised by Suzie Nichol and supported by East Herts District Council, Great Amwell Parish Council, St. John the Baptist Church and Parish Hall, the Amwell Society, and generous private donations.
All ready for the event to start!The Beacon is litRoaring awayAll gallery images courtesy of Rev’d Sarah Forrest
The Three Villages 