North Mymms News: November 2018

Oyster cards to extend to Welwyn Garden City

Scheme to be introduced next year

Oyster card and wallet. Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons

Rail travellers from Brookmans Park and Welham Green stations will be able to use the Oyster Card system next year, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).

No firm date has yet been set for the rollout, but the DfT says it will be early 2019, and introduce in a phased approach.

Local residents kept completely in the dark

Eden and Molotov on Brookmans Park station - Thursday 21 May, 1942
Screen grab from Imperial War Museum film

It was a massive news event that, apparently, Brookmans Park residents totally missed.

In 1942, the then foreign secretary, Anthony Eden, and his Russian counterpart, Vyacheslav Molotov, met on Brookmans Park station.

Two local women were on the platform at the time, but they were too busy making sure they caught their train to notice.

Free entry, free parking, licensed bar

A charity which offers a stimulating work environment for local people with learning disabilities is holding its Christmas event on Sunday, 2 December.

It's a chance to support a cause that offers a work experience opportunity to people from the local community, a number of whom require additional help which is provided by the charity’s leisure, education and occupational services.

Police says don't do drugs and drive

Image of cars in Gobions car park courtesy of Hertfordshire Constabulary

Image courtesy of Hertfordshire Constabulary

"Two lads" escorted home to "unimpressed" parents

Responding to reports of suspicious activity in Gobions Open Space car park this week, officers found two 17-year-olds who had "clearly taken something" and were "unfit to drive".

Sergeant Stephen Hynes says police spoke to the "two lads" - who were not local - and decided to escort them home where they were met by their parents who were "unimpressed and supportive of the police action".

The history of North Mymms as a film location

Dr Smart-Alec arrives at Narkover in the film Boys Will Be Boys (1935)

Screen grab from film by Paul & Hilary Marston

The first motion picture known to have been shot in North Mymms was released more than 110 years ago; the most recent was filmed in the last 12 months.

In the intervening years North Mymms has proved to be a popular destination for directors of feature films and TV series, producing big screen blockbusters, cult TV favourites, and TV soap operas.

But company "considering a change in investor"

Brookmans on Bradmore Green, Brookmans Park
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons

One of the owners of Peach Pubs has brushed aside speculation about the company's future saying it's business as usual at Brookmans pub and restaurant on Bradmore Green and that "nothing is changing".

RSPCA supporters decorate post boxes with festive scenes

Swanley Bar Lane - Hawkshead Road junction, Little Heath

Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons

The support group for the RSPCA at Southridge has brought a bit of festive fun to postboxes in North Mymms by decorating them with knitted Christmas scenes. It's part of a fund-raising campaign that aims to add festive cheer and boost donations.

Just 10 tickets left for Al9ddin

Rehearsals are continuing this week for the three performances of Aladdin - renamed Al9ddin in this postcode-localised remake - at North Mymms Memorial Hall on Friday and Saturday. At the time of writing there are just 10 tickets left for the show.

Plan is to deliver to 3,000 local addresses

The new NMPC community directory could on your doormat next year
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons

A community directory, containing news and information about North Mymms parish, could be delivered door-to-door early next year.

North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC) has agreed a proposal which could see the directory being put through around 3,000 letter boxes by April, perhaps even sooner.

News updates, history, local information, and walks

North Mymms now has a Facebook page for those who want to follow the latest updates from North Mymms News, the North Mymms Local History Project, and Hertfordshire Walker.

Parish council discusses the introduction of fees

The car park at Gobions Open Space
Photograph taken Saturday November 24, 2018

Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons

Councillors on North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC) have been considering the introduction of car parking charges at Gobions Open Space in Brookmans Park, according to council minutes. It's understood the charge, if it ever goes ahead, would not apply to North Mymms residents.

The well-used car park is accessed via Jonas Way off Moffats Lane, and is popular with dog walkers, anglers fishing at Gobions Pond, and walkers visiting Gobions Wood. (Grid Reference: TL 24978 03958).

At 10am on Saturday morning, November 24, there were 16 vehicles parked at Gobions Open Space.

Image of typing by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons

The minutes for the October meeting of North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC) have been uploaded to the council's website.

They are for the meeting that was held on Wednesday October 24, 2018 at 19:00 in the council offices at 1a Bushwood Close, Welham Green.

Two or three local residents required

Campfire - one of the activities of the North Mymms Youth Project in 2017

Leaflets have been delivered door-to-door by the North Mymms Youth Project (NMYP) inviting applications for the role of volunteer trustee for the charity.

The project is hoping to appoint two or three new trustees to help ensure that the legal requirements of the charity are met.

Aim to create "a legacy for generations to come"

North Mymms Cricket Club Pavillion - August 5, 2018
Image courtesy of North Mymms Cricket Club

North Mymms Cricket Club (NMCC) has made an early new year's resolution for 2019. It's to "create a sporting legacy" for the local community in order to "inspire everyone to play and support cricket".

To achieve the aim the club plans to visit every school and every community group in North Mymms during the year ahead to "talk about the exciting cricket project" the club is embarking on.

Talks underway to secure pub's future

The Hope And Anchor, Station Road, Welham Green - August 2018 Image by the North Mymms History Project, released under Creative Commons

The Hope and Anchor - August 2018
Image by the North Mymms History Project, released under Creative Commons

There had been fears that the Hope and Anchor on Station Road, Welham Green had closed, with rumours circulating on social media that the last pint had been pulled at the Grade II listed North Mymms pub.

But Ei Group, who own the building, have confirmed that they are not looking to close the pub, but are working with the current tenant to ensure the 19th century inn continues to serve beer as it has for 180 years.

Comparing the parish outline 100 years ago

The North Mymms History Project has created an interactive map showing the outline of the parish of North Mymms as it was in 1914, and the outline in 2018.

100 years ago, North Mymms stretched as far as The Forum in Hatfield and included parts of south Hatfield and Roestock.

Police move rubbish to side of the road

Fly-tipping along Bulls Lane, Sunday, November 11, 2018
Image by North Mymms News, released under Creative Commons

Police warning signs have been positioned either side of a large dump of fly-tipping along Bulls Lane between Bell Bar and Welham Green.

It's the second time rubbish has blocked the lane in as many weeks.

Shadows on pews for 100th anniversary

Silhouettes at St Mary's Church

Image by Mike Allen of the North Mymms History Project

40 life-size head-and-shoulders silhouettes have been placed at the end of the pews in St Mary's church, North Mymms as part of the 100-year commemoration of the end of WWI. Attached to each of the black cutouts, designed to look like the shadow of a soldier, are details of servicemen from the parish who died during the 'Great War'.

Charity's warehouse "trashed" overnight

Isabel Hospice shop in Haldens, WGC

Image courtesy of Isabel Hospice

Isabel Hospice says its appeal for the public's help to try to salvage warehouse stock damaged overnight has been met with such a good response that help is no longer needed at the Welwyn Garden City warehouse, "trashed" after a break-in.

However the charity says it now needs to replenish damaged stock, and has put out a fresh appeal for donations to sell in the local charity stores.

Charity appeals to public to help salvage stock

Salvaging stock from the Isabel Hospice warehouse
Image courtesy of Isabel Hospice

Isabel Hospice is appealing for the public's help to salvage warehouse stock damaged overnight.

According to the charity, its Welwyn Garden City warehouse was broken into, "water pipes trashed and our shop stock is being ruined".

Wartime archaeology on private land

Photograph of A type 24 pillbox in the fields of Boltons Park Farm owned by the Royal Veterinary College Image by the North Mymms History Project released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

A type 24 pillbox in the fields of Boltons Park Farm owned by the RVC
Image by the North Mymms History Project released under Creative Commons

Standing in the corner of a field south of Hawkshead Road, Little Heath, with good views to the north, south, east, and west, is the only pillbox in North Mymms.

It's a type 24 box, and was part of the local WWII defences set up to protect London from invasion.

To the north and east of the pillbox is a dip in the land, formerly the trench that was part of the outer London anti-tank defence line.

Checks carried out in Welham Green and Little Heath

The speed warning sign on Bluebridge Road, Brookmans Park
Image by North Mymms News, released under Creative Commons

Recent speeding checks in North Mymms found that an average of 22% of motorists driving through Welham Green and Little Heath were travelling above the legal speed limit. Police say some offenders lived locally.

Officers have issued an invitation to local residents to volunteers in order to help catch speeding motorists. They say members of the public are "more than welcome" to help carry out their own speed checks using police equipment.

Local history team digs deep in the archives

Hawkshead Road, Little Heath - left 1967, right 2018
Mix of photographs by R Kingdon (1967) and the North Mymms History Project (2018)
Montage by North Mymms History Project, released under Creative Commons

The North Mymms History Project (NMHP) has been examining how the Hertfordshire parish has changed since Victorian times by selecting images from its archives and comparing the scenes with modern day snaps of the same spots. And the results are fascinating.