2010

Thursday 17 February 7.30pm at Plinston, SG6 3NX

John Harper visits the Garden City to present his fascinating illustrated talk, revealing the secrets behind Letchworth’s codebreaking heroics in World War II.

John recalls 10 years of hard work rebuilding a ‘Bombe’, a machine which decoded Germany’s secret messages during the war, capable of scrambling a code in 150,000,000,000,000,000,000 ways!

Pop along to Plinston over the Christmas break and see the Garden City’s longest established Christmas Pantomime, presented by St Paul's Amateur Dramatics Society.

With nine performances between Monday 27 December and Saturday 1 January, this traditional tale about poor Cinderella and her quest to meet the Prince is guaranteed to spread some festive cheer!

Tickets cost just £9.50 or £8.50 concessions (tiered seating); £8.50 or £7.50 concessions (seating on flat).

A joint statement from Horth Hertfordshire District Council and Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation.

North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) has been formally asked by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation (LGCHF) to withdraw the Compulsory Purchase Order on The Wynd, Letchworth Garden City.

Over 300 people flocked to the Letchworth Garden City Tourist Information Centre on Saturday 4 December, to mark its 10th Anniversary.

As part of the celebrations, crowds of people enjoyed entertainment and fun in the nearby Arcade from stilt walkers, the Humble Theatre Company, Letchworth’s Town Crier and free face painting, while warming up with a mince pie or two. Santa even made a special appearance as well!

Enjoy hassle-free Christmas Shopping in Letchworth Garden City with free weekend parking at The Spirella Building.

240 spaces will be available for use by Christmas Shoppers on Saturday 11th, Sunday 12th, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th December 2010. Open from 8:30am to 6:00pm.

View a location map for The Spirella Building.

The Heritage Museum is having a merry ole’ time this festive season and you are welcome to join the fun.

Christmas Fun Day
Wednesday 22 December 12 – 3pm
Start your Christmas holidays with festive fun, games, crafts and competitions.

Online features

Plinston's OFSTED inspected playscheme for 5 to 12s returns for a special Festive Party. The perfect opportunity for parents to finish the Christmas shopping while the kids play. 

Featuring:

• Live entertainment from Phil Perry, including magic, puppetry and balloon modelling.
• A novelty disco with games and prizes plus lots of great party games and competitions!
• A special advance appearance from Santa with a special present for your child.

Add an early start from 8.45am to your child’s play for just £5.75 extra.

Coming up at Plinston, this Friday, December 3; enjoy great gags, witty one-liners and amusing anecdotes, courtesy of three top comedians; MC Joseph Wilson, opening with young comic genius Jonathan Elston and headline act - Wes Zaharuk.

Tickets cost just £10; available from www.plinston.com or call the Box Office on 01462 672003.

Plinston is owned and managed by the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation.

Over 1,000 visitors ‘flocked’ to Standalone Farm, a traditional working farm in Letchworth Garden City, for its recent annual Craft Fair. Families enjoyed fairground rides, Santa’s Grotto, and an array of delightful craft stalls including toys, jewellery, embroidery, cakes, sweets and more, picking up gifts for Christmas. There was also an opportunity to visit the farm’s animals before the winter closure.

This weekend, (Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 November) pick up some Christmas gifts and entertain the kids all in one place.

Last November, The Arcade celebrated the completion of its most recent transformation. This year, it’s the turn of the Tourist Information Centre to lead the celebrations.

On Saturday 4 December, the Centre will mark its 10th anniversary with mince pies, the odd glass of non-alcoholic bubbly, street entertainers, free face painting, a special appearance of characters from 'The Night B4 Christmas' pantomime, plus the Letchworth Town Cryer will be on-hand. With something for the whole family and a great range of shops, make sure you join in the fun in The Arcade, 10am to 1pm.

A proverbial ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ awaits children of all ages as a new toy store opens in the Garden City.

Cuthberts Toys in Eastcheap – in the former Ethel Austin premises – was officially opened last Thursday by Colin Chatfield, Chairman of Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation.

Before ‘cutting the ribbon', Mr Chatfield welcomed the “excellent” new store to the town and hoped that “its tenure would be long and happy.”

Letchworth Garden City & Baldock Lions Club present their 26th Year Spectacular Charity

Firework Display
Sunday 7 November 2010

Herts FA County Ground, Baldock Road,
Letchworth Garden City
Doors open from 5.30pm for 7pm start

Tickets

Pre-Sale
Adult: £3.50 Children (U16): £1.50

On the night
Adult: £4.50 Children (U16): £2.00

3,000 crowd limit, pre-booking is advised!

A talk about ‘Garden City Cottage Exhibitions’ attracted over 120 guests to The Spirella Ballroom on Thursday, October 22.

Organised by Letchworth’s Exhibition Cottages Group and supported by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, the event was attended by cottage owners, academics, local architects, builders and interested town residents.

Join in the Halloween fun as two Letchworth Garden City attractions get spooky… Be horrified with special screenings of the all time ‘scare classic’ ‘The Exorcist’, playing at Broadway Cinema, Eastcheap on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 October.

With Linda Blair’s head ‘set to spin’, the cinema suitably decorated and the staff dressed to scare this is the ideal way to be thrilled and frightened this Halloween.

For junior ghost hunters and the monster squad there’s ‘Monster House’ (PG) showing on Saturday and Sunday morning’s Kids Club at 10:30am – tickets just £1.

Letchworth Garden City has just ‘voted in’ six Elected Governors for the Heritage Foundation.

Ten candidates stood for Election, which was run and scrutinised by the Electoral Reform Society and the results were as follows:

Thursday 14 October, 7pm
At The Spirella Ballroom, 4th Floor, The Spirella Building

Explore a heroic chapter in World War II and its connection to Letchworth Garden City with Arthur Creighton, retired RAF officer, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and former airline Captain.

Come along for fascinating insights into ‘Operation Chastise’ (commonly known as ‘The Dambusters’ and subject of the classic 1955 British War Film) including actual film footage of the time and a host of wartime pictures.

A video film by John Stoddard about life in Letchworth Garden City during 1990 was re-launched on Monday, September 27, at Letchworth Garden City Tourist Information Centre.

Featuring nearly two hours of not-to-be-missed Garden City nostalgic moments, the DVD called: ‘A Year in the Life of Letchworth Garden City: 1990’; includes clips of events and occasions, such as the town’s Carnival Procession; Summer Fun Day; Garden City Street Race; Ideas Fair; along with exclusive interviews from the people behind the scenes who helped make them happen.

Last Wednesday (15 September), Broadway Cinema hosted a charity screening of the classic wartime movie, the ‘Battle of Britain’ to mark the event’s 70th anniversary and raise donations for the Royal Air Force Association’s Wings Appeal.

This Saturday, (18 September) the Royal Air Force Association (Letchworth, Hitchin & District Branch) and First Garden City Heritage Museum will mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain with the start of a series of exciting events.

RAFA members will be raising money for the Association’s ‘Wings Appeal’ with competitions, giveaways and the presence of RAF Police Officer from Royal Air Force Henlow in Garden Square Shopping Centre from 8am – 5pm.

The Letchworth Garden City Tourist Information Centre celebrated the conclusion of its community photographic competition; ‘Picture This’, on Friday evening, September 10.

During the summer months residents, locals and visitors to the town were tasked with ‘snapping’ their favourite Letchworth Garden City building or public space to take part in the contest.

Letchworth Garden City residents who appear on NHDC’s edited electoral register or those that have registered direct with the Heritage Foundation will now have received ballot papers to vote in the ballot to elect six of the Foundation’s 30 Governors.

This is a gentle reminder that all completed ballot papers must reach the Electoral Reform Services by noon on Thursday 30 September 2010.

For further information about the election please call 01462 476057 or email response@lgchf.com

Get the best of Letchworth’s great outdoors this autumn with our updated Greenway Fold-out Map & Guide. Discover the many places of interest, from farms to forestry, along the Garden City Greenway’s 13.6 mile (21.8km) route.

Perfect for a country stroll or cycle ride, there are a number of great stopping points and options for you to begin and end your journey. Look out for new features on the map such as recommended photo points, nature spots and recently planted community orchards.  

North Hertfordshire’s premier entertainment venue

Operated and funded by the Heritage Foundation, Plinston have just announced their new season of events for the rest of 2010.

Featuring an eclectic variety of rock performances, theatre and musicals, beer festival, quiz, comedy, christmas pantomime plus carol concert - the highlights of their live music calendar include: 

Earlier this month, Letchworth Garden City Tourist Information Centre selected the winner of their ‘World War Two in Britain’ Quiz.

Entrants had to solve eight anagrams of places around Britain that helped with the war effort – cracking the code to reveal places such as ‘Bletchley Park’; ‘Whitby’ and ‘Coventry’.

The lucky winner, selected at random, was Janina Scheuber from Stevenage, who won a coach trip for two to Bournemouth Airshow, courtesy of Stevenage Group Travel.

The North Hertfordshire Bowls Club recently benefited from a £400 Community Grant; awarded towards the cost of a trip to play a Bowls match against the Yeomen of the Tower of London.

50 Letchworth Garden City citizens and club members made the journey with 12 team players taking part in one of just six matches the Yeomen take part in each year.

Dorothy Harrison, Assistant Treasurer of the club, provided this account of their wonderful outing to the Tower during July 2010:

Earlier this year, budding artists and designers, of all ages were invited to design a flag (ages 16 and under) or a banner (ages 17 and over) that illustrates their ‘take’ on the world's first Garden City.

Whether visiting family and friends or just to enjoy a day out, there’s plenty to see and do in Letchworth, the world’s first Garden City.

From The Spirella Building to The Cloisters, you’ll be fascinated by the range of architecture, from Arts and Crafts to Art Deco.

In the town centre, you’ll find the perfect mix of attractions with specialist shops, 35 eateries, an art deco four-screen cinema, two museums, an arts centre and regular farmers’ markets.

Perfect for families, the Heritage Museum's annual fun day offers great entertainment for all ages.

Saturday 14th August | 11am - 4pm

Grants towards sports equipment; high-level coaching costs and a popular annual road race have just been awarded by the Heritage Foundation.

Included in the Foundation’s Board recent grant approvals;