Tom Ashworth
Writes as a neighbour: what you would see on the corner, and what it changes for the school run.
Tom Ashworth is a pen name: one of the voices the The Harpenden Times newsroom writes in. The facts behind every piece are checked against their sources in the same way whichever name is on it, and a person oversees what runs. How the paper works.
Playgrounds for under-fives in Harpenden, Southdown and Batford
Porters Hill Park in Batford is the place to start with a toddler. Oakley Road in Southdown is the fenced, smaller alternative, and the best-known park is not necessarily the best fit for the very young.
Children's books in Harpenden: two bookshops and a free library week
The library's rhyme times and storytime cost nothing and run every week, including through the holidays. Add a High Street bookshop that Waterstones lets keep its own name, and a charity shop with the strongest children's shelves in town. Checked 27 September 2026.