This issue of the magazine focuses on nature and wildlife. We consider the wealth of beautiful local nature reserves, where natural habitats in our area are being protected and improved. You can visit many of these, and several reserves also offer the opportunity to get involved as a volunteer. Indeed, we have two fascinating articles from such volunteering groups. Angela Dimond of the Commonswood Nature Watch group writes about the varied habitats of The Commons Local Nature Reserve and the excellent work the volunteers are doing to manage and improve the site, which is under the stewardship of the Council. The Sherrardspark Wood Wardens Society describe the surveys they carry out on the flora and fauna of the wood, and the active woodland management they do to assist the Council. The wood recently earned Natural England’s highest rating for its condition.

Graeme Bell and Howard Cropp have contributed a most interesting piece about the making of the plinth for the statue of Ebenezer Howard. Instead of settling for a plain concrete base for Ebenezer to stand on, a steel support was fabricated to support a slate plinth beautifully inscribed by the letter-carver Simon Langsdale. The article describes the skill and creativity that went into making the plinth, the problems that Covid threw up, and the generosity of the companies who supported the project.

Ruth updates us on the progress being made to refresh the content and refurbish the fabric of the poster booths in the town centre, and Anneke describes the new posters we created for Remembrance Day last year. We’re enormously grateful to those members who have written new content for the booths, which we’re starting to deploy. A small team from our Society is working on the poster booths, and we’re very keen to attract new volunteers to this effort. We’d love to hear from you if you can spare just a little time every month.

Anneke writes about DeHavilland Park, a proposed large new housing development north of the Panshanger district of the town, part of which will occupy green belt land. She explores the issues surrounding the scheme, which has only as yet had outline permissions, subject to conditions. But if it were built as currently planned, it would further extend a large swathe of new housing planned to wrap around the eastern side of Welwyn Garden City, and it would erode more of the green space between our town and Hertford. Finally, our regular planning update covers other aspects of planning in the town.

We thank all our contributors, who have given their time and expertise to make this such an interesting issue. We hope you enjoy it.

The next issue of the magazine will explore music in Welwyn Garden City. Do you have any memories or photos of choirs, orchestras, concerts or gigs? Did you see Led Zeppelin play at The Cherry Tree in 1969? Please let us know!