As you have seen on the home page of this website, Hempstead has won the Ruggles Brise Trophy for the Best Kept Village of our size (Class 4) again this year. We are delighted at this victory.

For your information, the entry was sponsored by the Parish Council and Gardeners’ Club jointly. Sean McCarthy, John Sladen and Diana Frost put the entry form together that accounts for 40% of the marks awarded. Community projects and involvement are the key ingredients to this competition and we had much to shout about this year. In particular, the project of the new acoustic panels in the Village Hall for which we have to thank John Cockman. John put his engineering brain to the challenge of how we could affix panels discreetly to the ceiling after some research was done with local companies and the results are amazing. Even our County Councillor had commented on the difference it has made with resonance much reduced, making hearing for everyone much more comfortable. The panels were installed by a small group of villagers and we are grateful for their work.

Another remarkable project his year has been the refurbishment of the church bells, about which you can read and see photos in the Bellringers section of the website. And similarly, the refurbishment of the children’s play area by the Pre-School which is also on this website.

These are the things that make Hempstead special - the ability to have good ideas and make them happen for the benefit of many. If you haven’t joined in some activity or project in this village I hope you now feel inspired to do so. Look round this website and see what interests you, and make sure that you get the best out of where you live.