The latest column from North Herts Council leader Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg honours the late Paul Clark.

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I'm later than I wanted to be writing this column.

I had it planned out and was ready to begin work when the news about councillor Paul Clark came through.

Losing Paul, who was not just my deputy leader, but a friend and supportive influence from the day I joined North Herts Council, was a painful and cruel shock.

Paul was passionate about Hitchin, its people, and doing the right thing.

He was also passionate about Barnet FC and Saracens.

I don't believe he had a selfish bone in his body. He is missed greatly by so many.

It feels cold to try and simply move into the column I had planned from here.

I've drafted and redrafted this piece so many times and nothing feels quite right.

So. I will set my grief to one side, and accept the callous cliché that life goes on, and jump into what I wanted to say this month.

Christmas is coming so get your skates on...

Christmas is coming and the winter sports season is well underway as athletes prepare for the Winter Olympics in Beijing next February.

I can think of few better things to do this festive season than taking friends and family to try out the Letchworth ice rink provided by Stevenage Leisure Limited at the outdoor pool.

The rink will be in place until Sunday, January 2, 2022. There was even a Prince and Princess Party on Saturday.

It's no secret that I have a passion for ice skating – I've skated since I was five, and a ten year break and restarted in 2015, competing internationally and securing regular show, film and television work.

It's temporary and small pleasure rinks that gave me the start in my sport, and I'm proud we are able to provide a facility like this once again.

To book tickets visit SLL

Christmas

Christmas also means presents.

Presents can mean an increase in waste.

One simple thing we can do this year (and next year, and at birthdays and so on…) is to change the way we wrap presents.

Co-op is selling fully recyclable wrapping paper (no foil, no glitter, no plastic!) which is sealed with paper stickers, not wrapped in plastic. Washi tape can act as a fun, decorative seal, and there's also plant-based Sellotape which can be composted at home, and paper tape which is also compostable is available in many stores. It's easier than ever to ditch the plastic when it comes to wrapping this year.

Food waste

Food waste is a big part of the festive season – our Food Rescue Hubs will tell you all about the horrors of what happens to brussels sprouts, red cabbage, turkeys, mince pies and more on December 26.

Supermarkets overstock for the holidays, but so do we.

Our waste team has been busy pushing out hints and tips on social media to help you reduce food waste over the holiday.

One helpful tip is to "shop in your freezer" between now and Christmas so you've got plenty of room to store your leftovers from Christmas, and have ready prepped meals to get through any January blues.

I know our freezer is full of all sorts of weird and wonderful items, but often all that's needed is a little veg or a side salad and you've got a meal and made room for some turkey curry!

Our High Streets are back

Finally, our high streets are back.

Well, they never went away. What better way to celebrate the place we live than by shopping local for our gifts.

Not only does that boost our economy, but it reduces the carbon cost of all those different delivery vans zigzagging across the region.

There're some fantastic things going on in Hitchin this season, including the [L]https://hitchin.nub.news/e/hitchin-christmas-market[L+]Christmas Market[.B] that's on until 21 December.

And don't forget you can pick up your H-Town Pounds from the Information Centre in town.

They make a great gift for those who like to pick their own presents.