The end of the year seems to be coming so quickly now. I hope your November Flyer will offer useful information and ideas of things to do as we move into a time of remembrance and then the festive season.

The annual Remembrance Day Parade and Service will be on Sunday 8th November and there will also be a two minute silence at 11am on Armistice Day, Wednesday 11th November, at the War Memorial. Saturday 5th December is the Bishop’s Stortford Christmas Fayre, with plenty to do for all the family, with stalls, music, entertainment and Santa. We have also heard from the Bishop’s Stortford library about its Slipper Swap event (12th November, 10am-1pm) where residents who are older, have mobility difficulties or a disability can throw away worn out slippers and collect a brand-new free pair. Just drop in. You can also find out about other library events: www.facebook.com/ BishopsStortfordLibrary

Renée from Isabel Hospice tells us about the Christmas JigFest (14th November) at the Methodist Church in Bishop’s Stortford. There will be completed jigsaws to view and buy and the event is raising funds for Isabel Hospice and the Methodist Church.

Isabel Hospice will also hold its Lights of Love services, in Bishop’s Stortford Market Square (29th November, 4pm) and Sawbridgeworth Sayesbury Manor (12th December, 4pm) to remember the lives of those who are no longer with us. The charity has also launched The Giftmas Challenge, inviting us to choose preloved and make Christmas more sustainable. Plus, we have advance notice of the annual carols in nearby Sawbridgeworth, which take place on Fair Green at 6.30pm on Christmas Eve.

Updates from local groups includes Stortford Running Club with results from the Takeley 10k. The club encourages runners of all ages and abilities to join them. They will also be hosting a series of seminars between November and April aimed at runners preparing for a spring marathon. Cycle Stortford highlights that the school year has again created traffic congestion and pollution around the town’s many schools. This has been evident even along the newly-opened Newlands Avenue which runs through the Bishop’s Stortford North (BSN) developments. Cycle Stortford says it is great news that, at the time of writing, formal planning permission has been sought to construct Cycle Route North to link Grange Paddocks with the active travel network within BSN.

We have an article from Age Concern Bishop’s Stortford reminding us they have been supporting older people in the local community for more than 50 years. The charity runs The New Apton Centre Social Club, which is open Monday to Friday from 10am until 2.30pm. The club’s aims are simple but important: to promote companionship, reduce loneliness and encourage independence.

More than five decades after it was established, Age Concern Bishop’s Stortford remains committed to providing friendship, support and opportunities for older people.

Thank you to the Mayor, Cllr Martin Adams, for his report in this issue. It’s packed with news about a wide range of events that he and the Mayoress have attended up to the time of writing, and he says: “Each of the selected events highlighted the remarkable spirit, generosity, and dedication that define our community, leaving us incredibly proud to represent our town.”

I hope you enjoy your magazine and thank you for your support.

With best wishes