Hitchin Nub News is your dedicated online newspaper, working to keep YOU informed as the second national lockdown looms.

We're running this live blog to keep our readers updated on events locally and nationally - as well as to help boost local businesses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed the nation on Saturday of the forthcoming lockdown which will begin on Thursday - and is set to last for 27 days, until Wednesday, December 2.

As a champion of business and the high street, we want to help you as much as we can. We run a weekly in-depth feature on Hitchin businesses and people doing great work in our community called Up Close.

You can read our latest here Up Close which focusses on the Half Moon pub in our town here

We run a free Hitchin business directory giving your company and services a boost. You can add your business to it here.

If you run a cafe, pub or restaurant, will you be changing to offer takeaway? Let us know your plans and we'll publicise them.

Do you work in an industry which will have to stop for the lockdown, and will you be using the furlough scheme which has been extended?

Below you'll find information on how businesses are responding to the lockdown, changes to council services, community requests and more.

If there's something you'd like to share, get in touch and we'll post it on our platform which is read by thousands of Hitchin residents. To make your voice heard, please email [email protected] or tweet us @HitchinNubNews

Alternatively, you can find us Hitchin Nub News on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

LIVE BLOG:

845am: A sunny start to a wintry spell as lockdown looms. As lockdown approaches the feeling among users at the Hitchin gym Nub News attends most mornings is one of resigned frustration, but an acceptance that measures have to be taken as lockdown looms. There was a sense of solidarity as people wished each other well. With gyms closing by Thursday, many spoke of the importance of keeping fit, with some deciding to run around local parks instead. A good idea.

As we walked back after our session, it was instructive to note the trees were now bare in Butts Close. A metaphor for a tough few weeks ahead? Let's hope not....

935am We're big backers of Hitchin businesses here at Nub News, so if you know of businesses, companies and individuals continuing to offer their services through lockdown we'd love to add them to our list that we've been compiling. Here's a few to start with

1047am We speak with a well-known Hitchin businesses for a piece we'll push shortly. As lockdown approaches we ask how they feel: 'Burnt out but positive' comes the reply. See Nub News for our article on Fabio's Gelato soon...

1230pm Did you know there's a new interactive map that lets you know how many Covid cases there are in our area? Read more here

145pm Here we go again, says Fabio Vincenti, owner of Fabio's Gelato as he shares how he feels about the forthcoming second lockdown and how it will affect them. Read on for his take here