Hertfordshire locals can expect a packed calendar of festivals in 2026, with everything from food and drink celebrations to huge live music events.

A round-up of the latest public notices for Watford and the surrounding area.

Leo and Una a bonded pair of 3 and a half‑year‑old cats. Loved by the team at the National Animal Welfare Trust in Watford.

Watford’s Winter Shelter, run by New Hope and funded by Watford Borough Council, supported 56 people this winter, providing 854 nights of accommodation for vulnerable people.

Brett Ellis reflects on a decade of column writing, from accidental internet fame to identity theft mishaps, and the joy—and chaos—of sharing everyday life.

A proposal has been lodged to build a new dwellinghouse at 53 Louvain Way in Watford, including landscaping plus dedicated refuse and cycle storage.

A round-up of the latest planning applications submitted to Three Rivers District Council.

An update has been shared on a road closure near Bushey Arches due to emergency gas repair works heading to Watford.

A detached four-bedroom family home in Woodland Drive, Watford, boasting stylish interiors and a garden office is up for sale with an asking price of £1,225,000.

Here are the latest planning applications registered by Hertsmere Borough Council in the past week, featuring a mix of home extensions among submissions.

A town in Hertfordshire is home to the county’s largest art collection and is a hot filming location, from British TV to Hollywood blockbusters.

A Watford‑based café known for its “five‑star birthday parties” and community feel is celebrating a successful first year in business.

Beautiful photos celebrating springtime from Watford Observer Camera Club featuring Cassiobury Park, Watford, Cliveden and Old Amersham

There is a stunning salt caves spa retreat in Hertfordshire, not far from Watford, that brings a touch of Romanian halotherapy to the county.

Watford Borough Council will plant more than 50 new trees across parks, open spaces, and along the River Colne this year, including a new community orchard.

This is why you should favourite your local Newsquest title as a Preferred Source on Google

Batchworth Lock House, on the Grand Union Canal in Rickmansworth, could be turned into five flats under newly unveiled plans.

Popular car show Classics on the Green in Croxley Green is set to return this year after four years away.

There will be no access to Watford High Street via Bushey Arches starting tomorrow.

Watford's secondary schools have been ranked by School Guide, using a range of official data

A Watford pet owner was asked “do you think you know better” than an “expert” officer as he denied having an XL bully in St Albans Magistrates' Court.

The Watford Observer shines a spotlight on Parmiter's School in Garston.

Hemel Hempstead has launched a bid to to be the UK's Town of Culture.

A Bushey Heath man has been found guilty of false imprisonment and intentional strangulation.

Mark Gatiss features in a short film shot in Bushey Museum, by a local director shining a light on carers’ experiences.

A bankrupt dad from Hertfordshire has been jailed for more than two years for attempting to dodge debts owed to a private school in Ware.

Filming is set to close a fish and chip shop in Bricket Wood today (March 27) with filming set to take place.

A children's play area in Abbots Langley has reopened after "dozens of rats" forced its closure earlier this month.

A "prominent" parcel of lane near two "outstanding" schools with housebuilding potential is now "under offer"

Five new padel tennis courts are being built at Woodside Leisure Centre and Playing Fields in Watford, with two open‑air and three covered, floodlit courts.

Space NK is set to open in Watford on April 10 - here is everything you need to know.

A stunning five-bedroom detached house Cassiobury Drive, Watford, is on the market for £1.85m.

Imagine your garden filled with colour, your home filled with perfume, and friends asking how you did it… get the Ultimate Sweet Pea Collection from You Garden and the collection will reward all summer long.

The preferred route for the Hertfordshire Essex Rapid Transit (HERT) scheme is set to be published this summer (2026), the Local Democracy Reporting Service has learned.

This is how to add your favourite news sources to Google’s preferred sources and make sure you stay up to date with all the news happening near you.

A second woman has died after being airlifted to hospital following a crash near Mount Vernon Hospital which killed her mother and saw one man arrested.

A “bright and beautiful” girl has died in a horror crash in Hertfordshire, police have confirmed, as two others were seriously hurt and the driver arrested.

A look back at a view of King Street from Granville Road in the 1960s before the ring road was built in Watford.

Watford buses 602 and 635 could soon face disruption amid a strike balloting at an operator in Hertfordshire.

York House School near Croxley Green is launching a new wellbeing garden designed to help pupils connect with nature, improve focus and creativity.

Balaclava wearing youths on motorbikes have reportedly surrounded more vehicles in Bushey after a car was smashed up.

Highly rated restaurant Osteria Chipperfield has closed suddenly and “until further notice”.

CCTV footage showing the final moments of a “warm” family man killed by an unprovoked punch at Hemel Hempstead Football Club has been shared.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service have confirmed that a fire in Market Street, Watford, was an accidental blaze with no injuries reported.

Residents in Carpenders Park and South Oxhey, which have been blighted by fly tipping, are “fed up” with repeat dumping.

One of Britain's best-known comedians Lenny Henry has announced he will be performing at the Watford Colosseum later this year, with tickets on sale tomorrow (March 27).

Young people in Watford can enjoy free gym and swimming sessions at Everyone Active’s Central and Woodside leisure centres from March 30 to April 10.

HBO has released the first trailer for its Harry Potter television reboot, filmed at Warner Bros, Studios Leavesden.

Emergency services were called to a fire in Market Street, Watford yesterday evening (March 25).

While the vast majority of Watford businesses have been praised for their "very good" food hygiene standards, some have been told the improve.