Your guide to which outdoor jobs require a professional, and which ones you can easily do yourself. Leave it to the experts Landscaping and grand design Professional landscapers bring knowledge of soil, drainage, plant compatibility and design principles to the table, with specialist equipment for large-scale earthworks or structural changes, while also ensuring compliance with […]
Carl Hooper, from luxury garden buildings experts Crown Pavilions, offers advice on preparing your garden for spring. Spring is a season of renewal and an ideal time to focus on your garden’s health and layout. Drawing on years of experience working with outdoor spaces and garden structures, Carl Hooper has put together five practical tips […]
Light it up Layton Dyer of Layis Landscaping offers some tips on choosing garden lighting. Decide what it’s for: Is it for atmosphere, safety, or to show off features? Knowing this prevents lighting from becoming overdone. Less is more: The best garden lighting is barely noticed. A few well-placed lights will always beat lots of […]
Tring-based Pendley Day Nursery highlights the importance of the early years as the formative stage where children grow into themselves and begin to shape who they will become. The early years of a child’s life are a time of remarkable growth and development. These first few years lay the foundation for everything that follows – […]
Designer, writer and television presenter Kevin McCloud is best known for the successful Grand Designs show on Channel 4. Here, the architectural business owner talks about the potential of our homes as spring approaches. I’ve recently been visiting projects around the UK where designers are experimenting with natural light, renewable materials, and clever, modular solutions […]
Tucked within the village of Long Marston lies an extraordinary connection to one of the most influential voices in British women’s journalism. Mary Grieve (1906-1998), was the long-time editor of Woman magazine and an advocate whose work shaped how millions understood family life, work and womanhood in the mid-20th century. Although her career took her […]
The last person to live at Berkhamsted Castle, Cecily Neville (3 May 1415–31 May 1495) was the wife of Richard, Duke of York, mother of Edward IV and Richard III, and one of the most formidable political players of 15th-century England. Cecily Neville lived until the age of 80, when many at that time were […]
Meet Anna Swannell, the name behind numerous community music ventures, including the inclusive Keep Going Choir, and Long Marston’s open mic nights. Sitting at a bar in Watford at the age of 21, Anna Swannell felt completely lost. It was there that a friend offered some supportive words: ‘Keep going, kid’. It became a mantra […]
In the first of a new series of profiles on Tring folk, we find out more about Peter Ashman, who has recently taken on the role of chairman for Community Action Dacorum, and is also a trustee of Tring Arts Trust. Peter Ashman has become a familiar figure in Tring’s cultural and community life. A […]
In the first of our new profiles on Berkhamsted folk, we talk to Anna Foster, a founding trustee of Berkhamsted Together. Becoming a founding trustee of Berkhamsted Together was an obvious step for Anna Foster, as she describes herself as being fully embedded in community life. Berkhamsted Together is filling the gap left by the […]
When it comes to choosing a tutor for your child, there are a few essential points you must factor in to ensure the confidence, safety and education of your little student. Time to tutor? Making the decision to hire a private tutor can be tough on both parent and child, but reaching a point where […]
Festive and not-so-festive reads for Christmas and beyond. Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin Evie Green’s Christmas dream turns into a nightmare when a viral video makes her the laughing stock of the internet. But then a five-star hotel sees a PR opportunity and invites her to New York for Christmas. But when she’s […]