Events 2025
EMC EXHIBITION SERIES WITH LOCAL ARTIST HILLARY TAYLOR - PART OF HERTS OPEN STUDIOS
The Eric Morecambe Centre is hosting an exhibition of work by local artist Hillary Taylor during the month of September as part of their ongoing Exhibition Series and as part of Herts Open Studios. There will also be a series of Meet the Artist sessions as part of the series.
Alongside Hillary’s well-known townscapes and cityscapes from Harpenden to Hong Kong and places in between, the exhibition will also feature a range of other works, including music-themed, asemic and other drawings, plus sketches and photography with a sense of humour.
Hillary says of her work: “A lifetime of engineering, languages and art, alongside natural and built environments all inspire and inform my practice. I love that information and physical objects can be put together in so many ways and at the same time experienced so differently by individuals”
As part of Herts Open Studios 2025, visitors are able to come and meet Hillary on the following dates:-
Wed 17th September between 10am and 2pm
Sat 20th September between 10am and 2pm
Wed 24th September between 10am and 2pm
Sat 27th September between 10am and 2pm
(Or other days by appointment - please arrange directly with the artist by email or phone)
Hillary Taylor
To find about more about Hillary Taylor and her work please visit:-
Instagram: hillarytaylorart
Herts Open Studios
For more Open Studios information: https://www.hvaf.org.uk/open-studios/hillary-taylor/
On Saturday 27th September at 10:30 am, UNA Harpenden will be hosting a public lecture on UN Peacekeeping in the 2020s by Dr David Curran of the University of Coventry, at the Salvation Army Hall, Leyton Green, Harpenden AL5 2TG. Click here for more information about the talk. Register here for the talk.
Join Herts Young Homeless for a sponsored half marathon walk on September 17th or 27th.
The 13 mile circular guided walk takes you from Brocket Hall, through the surrounding countryside of Wheathampstead, Sandridge and Harpenden. Thanks to a partnership with Helping Herts, a charity supporting children and young people, all sponsorship raised for the event will be doubled so you really can make each step count.
To register your interest, go to The Great Big Walk for Herts 2025 - hyh - herts young homeless
Free charity event offers one-of-a-kind experience to help the homeless
Hertfordshire-based homelessness charity, DENS, has announced the return of its popular Sponsored Sleepout on Friday 21st November, with free places available for everyone in the community.
Taking place at the new venue of Hammond Academy in Hemel Hempstead, the fundraising event promises an inspiring night under the stars, packed full of community spirit and entertainment.
Open to adults and children aged eight and over, the evening will include activities for all ages, an informative Q&A session about the charity’s work and live music performances.
When it’s time to bed down, participants can experience just a small glimpse of the challenges faced by rough sleepers during the harsh winter months.
At dawn, they can wake up feeling a huge sense of achievement, knowing the sponsorship they have raised will make a life-changing impact for local people facing homelessness each night.
The event is proudly sponsored by Safran Electrical & Power UK, a leading aerospace company, based in Pitstone, that is committed to supporting local causes.
Last year's edition saw a record-breaking attendance – raising an astonishing £33,000 to help rebuild the lives of local people facing homelessness.
Charlotte McCarthy, Community Fundraiser at DENS, said: “We’re determined to make this our biggest Sponsored Sleepout ever. It’s a truly eye-opening experience, and an inspiring way to come together as a community. By raising sponsorship on the night, every participant helps us make an even greater difference to local people in need.”
Free places for the DENS Sponsored Sleepout are available now at www.dens.org.uk/sleepout25.
The Harpenden Society Public Meeting Oct 16 2025
The Harpenden Society are pleased to confirm that our MP Victoria Collins will be the key speaker at the next Public Meeting on October 16. This will be a Question Time format, taking place at Katherine Warington School from 7.30 pm - 9.30pm.
Victoria will start the evening with a review of her first year as an MP, describing the experiences of working in Westminster and more recently the Party Conference season.
Then, moving on to Question Time.
She has been briefed on the current Harpenden Hot Topics:
Airport Expansion
Green Belt Erosion
NHS Issues
Future Infrastructure
Net Zero Progress
Poor Post Office Services
But will be happy to take questions on many other subjects.
This is a perfect opportunity to hear about the intricacies of Government life and how our MP can raise issues of importance for Harpenden residents with the potential for generating pathways to solutions.
Victoria has been campaigning actively recently: VICTORIA COLLINS MP CALLS FOR RAIL FARE FREEZE AS FARES IN HARPENDEN ARE SET TO INCREASE BY £290 and is seen outside Harpenden Station.
Demand for seats will be high, so to secure a place please visit the Harpenden Society web site and book soon. Free Parking is available on site.
Sept 25 - 30.
Harpenden Artist Pip Mole will be having an art exhibition at the Collective Gallery in St Albans.
A chance to see her amazing work.
SUNDAY SEPT 22ND WOMEN'S F.A. CUP 2ND QUALIFYING ROUND.
HARPENDEN TOWN WOMEN 8 WOODLEY UNITED LADIES 1 HT 4-0.
The Harpenden Town Women were at home to Woodley Utd Ladies in the 2nd qualifying round of the Women's F.A. Cup and what a match it proved to be as the Harps Ladies won 8-1 with six of the goals being headers and they all came from corners which were taken by the player of the match and also star of the game Rebecca McShane. (Pictured below)
The first goal came after six minutes when a Becca McShane corner kick to the back post saw SOPHIA AMANOR racing in to head the ball home firmly into the back of the net to make it the score 1-0. After a few more chances which saw Amana Oguntuga firstly have a shot saved by the Woodley keeper Jo-Anna Nowak-Allum and then Oguntuga had a header cleared off the line by Chloe Griffiths while a third chance for Oguntuga hit the foot of the post and rebounded back out. The Harps then scored a second goal from when from yet another McShane corner saw this time CHLOE DINSEY head the ball home into the far corner on 22 minutes and then six minutes later it became 3-0 when Amana Oguntuga after a good run down the right found the nippy JAIME CURTAIN who fired home from eight yards for the Harps third goal of the match.
Woodley then nearly pulled one back when a effort from Grace Wiseman clipped the far upright whilst Belle Shannon and Sophia Amanor went close with a couple of well struck low drives. On 36 minute it became 4-0 when McShane delivered yet another inch perfect corner kick and CHLOE DINSEY was there once again to head home her second goal of the match at the far post as usual.Lucy Giles for the vistors then struck a free kick just over the crossbar whilst at the other end Sophia Amanor saw her effort hit the foot of the near post and rebound back out.
In the second period the Harps Ladies added a fifth goal when they won yet another corner kick and Becca McShane corner kick saw a SOPHIA AMANOR header hit the foot of the far upright and cross over the line despite the efforts of the Woodley keeper Jo-Anna Nowak-Allum to keep it out. Belle Shannon went close with a couple of shots with her second one being tipped around the far upright by a good stop from Novak-Allum and then on 68 minutes it became 6-0 when Becca McShane put over yet another brilliant corner kick and this time it was NANCY TUCKER at the near post who sent a glancing header into the back of the net past Nowak-Allum.
For Woodley saw Grace Wiseman have a shot blocked on the line by the outstretched leg of the Harps custodian Daisy Strouts as the visitors were still trying to pull a goal back but on the 75th minute it was the Harpenden Town Ladies who scored the next goal and this time sae Belle Shannon play the ball out wide to Jaime Curtain on the right wing who skipped past a defender whereupon she squared the ball across into the six yard box for LEAH SHELLARD to nip in and tuck the ball home from close range to make it 7-0. Woodley though quickly hit back with a consolation goal when Grace Wiseman did well down the right and swept the ball over into the box for May HAMBLIN to score with a low shot past Daisy Strouts.
On the 89th minute the final goal of the match was scored and you guessed it came from another Becca McShane corner kick and this time it was BELLE SHANNON who met the ball into the box whereupon she sent a very powerful header past Nowak-Allum to make the final score 8-1.
TEAM: Daisy Strouts, Kacee Warren, Chloe Dinsey, Belle Shannon, Rebecca McShane, Sophia Amanor, Jaime Curtain, Leah Shellard, Amana Oguntuga, Neave Wilson, Chloe Fletcher. Subs played; Ellie Deville, Abbie Vizard, Nancy Tucker. Did not play; Shannon Alderman, Erin Shacklock.
In the next round of the Women's FA Cup see the Harps Ladies drawn away to Haringey Borough Women on Sunday 5th October KO 2pm.
This forthcoming Sunday 28th see the Harpenden Town Women play Enfield Town Ladies in a League match KO 2pm. Admission £6 Adults, £3 Concessions.
Come along and support the Harps Ladies.
PS>HARPENDEN TOWN WOMEN COLTS WON 5-2 AWAY TO GOFFS OAK WOMEN 1ST'S WITH TWO GOALS FROM SASHA CHESTER AND TWO FROM ELLA CLEMENT PLUS ONE FROM JESSICA CURTIS WITH KEEPER PIPPA BARKER BEING NAMED PLAYER OF THE MATCH.
TERRY EDWARDS. FOOTBALL AS IT'S MEANT TO BE.
NB> PHOTOS courtesy ANDYWICKS Photography
Saturday Oct 4th
11.30 - 4pm at The Oval
Home of YWAM
Apple Fest
A fun time for all the family with apples galore, market stalls. inflatables