Every year advent calendars from our favourite retailers gain much anticipation, and while some may be extravagant, there are many which are not just a joy to open but also purposeful too.

Shocking racist, antisemitic, and homophobic graffiti is being investigated after ‘Heil Hitler’ was sprayed onto a field.

Ex-Bushey Meads PE teacher Matthew O'Kelly was jailed after plotting to abuse a 10-year-old girl and amassing child abuse material.

A Bushey man has denied having indecent child images and “extreme pornography” at St Albans Crown Court.

Three companies, Green King, Stonegate, and Heineken, own around a third of Watford pubs, with one company behind around six different boozers.

A fox had to be rescued after “crashing around” a Rickmansworth garden with a lantern stuck on its head.

A new Rickmansworth nursery for up to 60 children will open after plans to convert a vacant church hall were approved.

Watford is one of the UK’s biggest shisha bar hotspots, with 2.75 per 100,000 people according to a new study.

The opening date for new Watford restaurant Burger Boi has been announced and there is not long to wait.

Plans for 1,200 homes across 128 acres by the Hertfordshire M25 in Maple Cross have taken a step forward.

Enjoy a slice of Americana every night with country music entertainment and daytime activities at Hayling Island’s popular resort

A Watford school is among four in Hertfordshire to make the top 50 of a new league table based on this year's GCSE results.

Public space upgrades have been completed to improve accessibility and appearance.

Oasis are to return to Knebworth more than 30 years after their original gigs at the Hertfordshire park, as part of their 38-show Live 27 world tour.

New plans have been brought forward for 40 homes on the green belt in Bedmond.

Recent weeks have seen a number of casting calls for adults and children in the Watford area, seemingly signalling a ramping up of preparations for some of the big productions coming to Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.

A nostalgic video has been shared online showing revellers enjoying a night out at a Watford pub.

A glowing Ofsted report and results well above the national average have helped make Field Junior School one of Watford's best.

All eateries in every area of Hertfordshire that currently have a food hygiene rating of 1/5 or worse according to the Food Standards Agency.

A new list has ranked the 12 best restaurants in Hertfordshire, with Watford's eateries missing out.

A woman in her 80s has been seriously injured following a crash in Hertfordshire,

Discover a perfect day out in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, with walks at Rothamsted Park and Harpenden Common, plus independent pubs, restaurants and cafés.

The Wicked Lady near Wheathampstead is ranked the highest-rated gastropub in Hertfordshire on Tripadvisor.

I wrote a few months ago about my former hero, Paul Gascoigne who, having seen him “live” at an event in Watford had fallen, in my eyes, from his hero pedestal, due to the vitriol he reserved for friends and the public alike.

Despite opening less than a year ago, Browns is already one of Bushey's most popular restaurants, according to reviewers.

A highly rated Hemel Hempstead business will close for around three weeks while filming takes place.

It has been a star-studded September so far in Hertfordshire, with five celebrities spotted in the county including a Premier League star and chart-topping singer.

Watford Borough Council has debunked rumours that a hotel in the town is set to house asylum seekers.

JD Wetherspoon will slash prices for one day at its Watford and Rickmansworth pubs next week.

A travelling card trading event will be taking over the home of the Hornets tomorrow (September 13).

Verulamium Museum in St Albans has been described as "extraordinary" and "wonderful".

The 142 Watford to Brent Cross bus route will have its frequency cut starting today.

New owners have seen an “overwhelmingly positive” response since taking over The Bricklayers Arms in Flaunden.

Councillors will discuss plans for Hertfordshire County Council to seek “County of Sanctuary” status next week, as a petition opposing the proposal passes 11,000 signatures.

A new road of “high-quality detached houses” has been proposed for “underutilised land” in Chipperfield.

A Watford shoplifter has been jailed after spitting at a security guard during a summer of thefts.

Watford’s Estcourt Tavern has reopened under new management after a six-figure refurbishment, and the Watford Observer went along to sample its new offering.

A Hemel Hempstead pub could be demolished to make way for a block of flats.

Watford-based hotel business Hilton has been named among Britain's best workplaces for women.

Rumours that a “beautiful” Victorian Watford house in a conservation area is being “gutted” are being investigated.

The trust responsible for Watford General Hospital has been ranked 17th out of 134 in a new NHS league table.

A fire next to the Lioness Line tracks between Watford Junction and London Euston has cancelled all upcoming trains and could cause disruption all day.

Burglars forced their way through a Bushey home's front door and stole items from inside.

Watford has been named one of the UK’s 10 best places to live for quality of life.

Three large warehouses and offices are set to be built on a 17,000-square-metre site by the A41 and M1 after councillors voted unanimously to approve plans.

Monopoly: Watford Edition will be unveiled at a Watford landmark set to feature on the board and residents can see which places made the line up.

A South Oxhey school could soon expand to take on more pupils if a consultation gathers support.

The A41 is currently blocked just before the M25 following a crash, according the AA.

Move over, classic blue – there’s a new garden showstopper in town – meet the beautiful Agapanthus ‘Blush Pink’.

Four Hertfordshire state schools have made the top 100 in a new list based on this summer's A-level results.