What's On

BROADEN your horizons by enrolling in a creative textiles or yoga course at Croxley Green Red Cross Centre.

Creative textiles, which runs until March 8 and costs £40 for eight weeks. explores various techniques including batik, stencilling, embroidery, painting, applique and patchwork.

Meanwhile, focus on strengthening and toning muscles with mat-based yoga classes, costing £32 for eight weeks, to leave participants feeling relaxed and energised. For more information on both courses, call 01923 776611.

ASPIRING play and script writers are invited to attend a series of weekly workshops in Rickmansworth to hone their skills.

The sessions, led by a professional writer, will held every Tuesday until February 15, from 7-9pm.

They take place at Rickmansworth Library, in High Street, Rickmansworth, and cost £15 for six weeks. Call 01923 776611 to book your place.

EMERGENCY services raced to Northwood this afternoon (7) after female pedestrian was run over by a 4x4 car.

The collision, involving a black Mitsubishi Shogun, is said to have taken place at about
1pm in Watford Road, at the junction with Green Lane.

Picture by Justin Andrews 01923 828 707

TWO educational canal projects in Rickmansworth, one of which helps to engage disadvantaged young people, have been given a welcome cash boost.

Rickmansworth Waterways Trust (RWT) has received £1,500 for two programmes; Learning at the Lock, aimed at teaching primary school children the history of local canals, and Under the Bridge, a scheme to improve underprivileged teenagers self confidence and sense of responsibility, by showing them how to handle and maintain canal boats.

PARENTS, carers and community groups can have their say on school admission arrangements in Hertfordshire for 2012/2013.

The county council will open a public consultation next Tuesday (4) seeking feedback on admissions for all community and voluntary-controlled schools, sixth forms, nursery over-subscription criteria and schemes in operation.

Executive member for education and skills and Hertfordshire County Council, Richard Thake, said: "I hope as many people as possible will respond to this consultation as we really want to hear what they think. All views will be taken into consideration."

The consultation runs until February 28, 2011. Further details can be found at www.hertsdirect.org/csfconsultations

DOZENS gathered in Croxley Green to witness an English patron saint draw swords with a dragon and a giant, as part of a traditional Christmas custom in the village.

For the 16th year running, the Croxley Green Mummers braved the snow and sub-zero temperatures on Sunday (18) to perform a folk play based on the legend of St George.

RESIDENTS across Three Rivers are invited to attend a script-reading session in Rickmansworth.

Playwright Brian Abbott, working alongside community group, Parrabola, and in partnership with Three Rivers District Council's leisure team, are working towards a full scale community play, and are calling on residents to get involved.

RUBBISH in Three Rivers is set to be emptied fortnightly to make way for weekly organic waste collections, in a bid to encourage residents to recycle more.

A survey conducted by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) revealed just 16 per cent of residents were placing a full green (rubbish) bin out each week.

Traditionally, residual or non-recyclable rubbish is collected weekly, with brown (organic) bins emptied on alternate weeks.

THE legendary story of George and the Dragon will be brought to life by amateur thespians, the Croxley Green Mummers.

The group will tour the village on Sunday (19) to re-enact the traditional tale of how England's Patron Saint defeated the the Dragon, the Turkish Knight and the Giant to win the hand of Sheba, daughter of the King of Egypt.

The performance tour route is as follows: All Saints Church at 11.20pm; Dickinson Square at noon; The Red House in Watford Road at 12.30pm; The Coach and Horses at 1.15pm; The Artichoke at 2pm; and The Sportsman in Scots Hill at 2.45pm.

A collection raising money for the Watford Peace Hospice will be held at the end of each performance.

See next week's Gazette for pictures of the Mummers in action.

For further information, www.croxleygreen.com/Mummers-Home.asp

A NATURE park in Rickmansworth is set to receive a facelift this winter in the hope of boosting its wildlife population.

Bishops Wood Country Park, which is managed by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC), will be subject to extensive work to maintain and increase biodiversity in the area, through promoting native broad-leaf plants and providing more light to the forest floor, to encourage the growth of seedlings.

The 35 hectare site - including 18 hectares of plantation - which once boasted SSSI (Special Scientific Site of Special Interest) status, will be thinned by 30 per cent each year over the next three years.