Winter Newsletter
A lot has happened on the Aldenham Estate since our last newsletter
And just like that... it’s December again! As advent calendars start to be ripped open, Christmas decorations go up, and people’s attentions turn to the first Christmas in what feels like a long time that the terrible spectre of Covid-19 hasn’t loomed over us: what better time to reflect on an eventful, scarily warm and often turbulent six months?
The UK wilted in an unprecedented, terrifying 40C heatwave followed by an equally scary unseasonably warm autumn. Leaders have come and gone in a bewildering flash, along with their policies, and the country’s economic stability and reputation. We have a new monarch, and Putin continues to menace Ukraine and global security.
This isn’t a political publication, and we aren’t a think-tank, but we don’t live under a rock and can’t avoid mentioning just how unsettled things have become at home and abroad, and how much of an impact this is having on individuals, households and businesses.
In the absence of international stability, affordable energy prices, reliable supply chains and strong institutions, we turn to the things we do have some control of, some ability to shape the future of, or at least do our absolute best to maintain. We look at what our business can do to support our team and look after the place we hold dear, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, and doing what we can to help our local community do the same.
A diverse mix of enterprise on the estate
The Aldenham Estate is involved in several sectors and home to many different people – residential tenants, chefs, pilots, pod-makers, gardeners, welders, mechanics, bus drivers, a care farm, dog trainers, electricians, musicians, pavers, yoga teachers, caterers, campers and farmers – a sort of microcosm.
Dapapod.com, located at Hiflield Farm
Everyone we speak to and work with wants a return to relative normal as soon as possible, but no one has a crystal ball for an increasingly unpredictable future. It is in this landscape that we continue our efforts to upgrade and improve the Estate, replacing tired farm barns and World War II hangars with sustainable and energy-efficient buildings that can help these people to do what they need to do to weather the storm and grow their businesses.
We are working with advisors, contractors and stakeholders to ensure that this is done collaboratively, transparently and to the highest possible quality. Like many businesses, we have had setbacks, but we are kept going by the resilience and positivity of the fantastic people around us.
Bringing the community together at Elstree Aerodrome
Summer Open Day (Credit: @nbalchemy)
One thing that we do hold very dear, especially in the midst of such chaos, is having fun and bringing people together.
Our Aerodrome Open Day was an attempt to do this, and its (almost literally) overwhelming success shows how in need everyone is of a good day out!
Read more about that very special day, and join us for the festive fun 🎅 we have planned at Home Farm Glamping and at The Aerodrome Cafe this month.
Building a team fit for the future
Mike (left) with Ben, Estate Carpenter & Groundsman, and his daughter
Having the right people in the right positions is more vital than ever in these circumstances. At the Aerodrome, we have had a brilliant crew on the ground and in the air traffic control tower since we took the management back in hand in 2011, and now the Estate team is also increasing in number with specialist project, property and finance managers to help us with our development plans and deliver a stronger service for our resident businesses and tenants.
In the last two years, we have welcomed Matt, Dave, Ivan, Michaela, Irina, Anna and Sagar, who now support Jessica, Humphrey, Leila and the aerodrome team. George is helping Ben with building projects, and Rob spends a day a week managing ecological projects, and we now have an established team of local contractors.
Elstree Aerodrome News
Summer Open Day, 1st September 2022
On 1st September we hosted our first open day of the century at Elstree Aerodrome. Although air shows were commonplace in the post-war decades, tightening airspace and stricter safety regulations have made loop-the-loops and flour bombing impossible at Elstree. But we realised that, even without such mischief, the aerodrome is very popular with locals, it is an ideal space for large outdoor events, and we have lots of great resident businesses who we want to show off and spotlight.
Click to view gallery (Credit: Regular visitor to the aerodrome, Mark Mockridge @nbalchemy)
The day was a big hit, with hundreds of visitors of all ages enjoying tours of the air traffic control tower, displays and talks from aviators, family fun and great food and drink from the café and vans.
Our resident flying schools ran flight experiences and show-and-tells, and the 6-minute landing challenge on Flight Training London’s simulator was keenly contested. The weather, while not as scorching as August, held enough for a few fly-ins, and numerous exhibitors set up stands in a long marquee including the RAF London, de Havilland and Bentley Priory museums, NEBOair, the Air League, the Royal Aeronautical Society.
The only issue was that, even with an online “register your interest” function, we didn’t expect over 2,500 people to attend! The one thing we are short of is good access and parking, and this was our big learning from the day, which we will take into our next open day.
Despite this snag, we all had an amazing time, and we want to say another big thank you to all who visited, exhibited and helped in some shape or form – it was a great team effort and what the aerodrome and general aviation is all about.
London elstree, an airfield fit for the future
We continue to develop the airfield and we have enjoyed the first few months of the Southeast Hangar (the first building one sees when turning left on Hogg Lane) which now sits proudly on a site that used to be, ahem, slightly less impressive!
The building is occupied by Flight Training London, our busiest fixed-wing training school, and Sloane Helicopters, a helicopter maintenance and service company. Since their arrival at Elstree Aerodrome in September 2012, Flight Training London has guided hundreds of people through their Private Pilots Licence (PPL). We’re proud to be able to grow with them as they celebrate their 10th-year anniversary with us – happy birthday guys!
Sloane Helicopters, who have been operating for over 50 years out of Sywell and 3 other sites, attract high-quality aircraft and work with clients including the regional Air Ambulance services. We look forward to building a long-term partnership with Sloane Helicopters and to Elstree Aerodrome becoming a vital part of their UK network.
You can keep up to date with the latest news from all of our resident aviation businesses at Elstree Aerodrome here.
Elstree Aerodrome’s journey to Net Zero
The aviation industry has a huge part to play in the transition to a net zero future, and general aviation is key to inspiring the next generation of aviators, aerospace engineers and other aviation specialists who will be pivotal to that journey.
We are working closely with advisors and partners to ensure that the aerodrome can grow together with residents and get itself firmly on the path to sustainability and lead the way in the future of aviation.
The UK’s aviation industry has set a net zero target of 2050 but we would like to beat this if possible, so as well as installing solar panels and working to improve the efficiency of our built environment, we are staying up to date and involved in developments in the “future flight” space. This includes sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen-propulsion, and electric flight such as retrofitting electric engines to light training aircraft, right through to eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing).
To ensure that we are ahead of this curve we are delighted to have welcomed Sagar Patel BEng (Hons), PGCE, MRAeS, FHEA, a senior academic from the University of Hertfordshire into our team to help ensure that we can take all the necessary steps to ensure the Aerodrome transitions to the future as soon as possible.
A great summer for The Aerodrome Cafe
Head Chef Jean-Luc Sainlo together with Colleen and her team have been finding their feet and cooking up a treat following a year that featured the Omicron variant and almost every setback imaginable thrown at the hospitality and restaurant industry. The Aerodrome Café is very much open for business with new equipment and an imminent winter interior makeover.
Festive fun at Elstree Aerodrome, 19-22nd Dec, 2-4pm
They’ll be bringing festive cheer to the aerodrome in the week leading up to Christmas with seasonal food and drink, and the chance to meet Father Christmas and for children to climb aboard a real plane outside (weather permitting) in return for a donation to the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance.
Keep an eye on the Aerodrome Cafe web page and social media to get the latest updates.
In the meantime, Colleen and the team are all set to host your next shindig beside the runway, so round up your family, friends and colleagues for a Christmas party or meal. Email Colleen to enquire and make your reservation bookings@aerodromecafe.co.uk.
Inspiring the next generation in aviation at Elstree Aerodrome
The Air League ‘Soaring to Success’ programme launched at Elstree Aerodrome this summer
As the last licensed airfield in Hertfordshire and a local employer, Elstree Aerodrome is an ideal base to explore a career in aviation. We're keen to engage and retain top talent in Hertsmere by inspiring young people to become the future of flight.
So, we were delighted to join other Hertsmere businesses, including Sky Studios, the NHS and Warner Bros, at the Generation Hertsmere event at the Double Tree by Hilton in Borehamwood last month.
The event was opened by the Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr John Graham; Adrian Hawkins OBE, Chair of Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Skills Advisory Panel; Sajida Bijle, Hertsmere Managing Director; and Cllr Caroline Clapper, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development.
Over 500 teenagers came through the doors to talk to companies large and small about their futures. We attended to spotlight the range of opportunities in the aviation industry at Elstree and other organisations.
(from R to L): Ivan, Flight Training London | Sagar, Aviation & Aerospace Consultant for the Aldenham Estate | Mo, London Elstree Aviation Aircraft Maintenance | Mike, Elstree Aerodrome Manager - attending Generation Hertsmere event in Borehamwood last month
Thank you Flight Training London and London Elstree Aviation for joining us. We spoke to many enthusiastic local students about education and career pathways into piloting, engineering, operations, management and air traffic control.
We were inspired by the energy and curiosity in the room, and we look forward to playing a more active role in promoting the future of flight in our borough and county through events like this as well as our ongoing work with The Air League and a new partnership with The Aviatrix Project - two organisations dedicated to enabling careers in aviation.
Home Farm Glamping NEWS
celebrating its most successful season yet
Glamping resumes at Home Farm in April (Credit: @_tyzack_)
In October the Home Farm Glamping team packed away their bell tents and yurts for another year, celebrating its most profitable glamping season in its eight years of trading. Things don’t stop for the winter, however, check out the festive events happening this December from festive sausage making (yes you heard us!), to Tiny Ts Magical Christmas Woodland Trail. See What’s On >
It was hard to predict how bookings were going to go this year, with the ‘staycation’ boom of the pandemic giving way to more options and delayed holidays abroad. In the end, however, the consistently warm weather made for perfect glamping conditions and helped the team achieve a very good level of growth, putting us in a great place to invest in the site and continue to compete happily on your doorstep with (almost) everything the wider world has to offer.
Wedding party at Home Farm this summer
With covid restrictions thankfully behind us, Home Farm welcomed the return of corporate events this summer, with businesses bringing their teams together to enjoy a rural retreat and blue-sky thinking in our meadow. This included a sustainability conference for local beauty brand Evolve; a senior leadership retreat for Mr & Mrs Smith; a team building day for tech firm Venquis; a summer party for Innocent Drinks; not forgetting to mention a team BBQ for the Singapore High Commission.
We're proud of the financial growth we have managed to sustain despite all the challenges, and of fulfilling our promise to help 5,000+ hard-working guests find rest and sanctuary in nature during their visit, many of whom returning for their third or fourth stays.
home farm supporting the local community
We’re also very proud of all the other great initiatives Home Farm Glamping Director Alice has brought together at the farm. Through local relationships with Hertsmere Borough Council and others, we employed 8 local people, including some local students who we trained, allowing them to position themselves for future roles in hospitality.
We raised £2,862 for the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, hosted a fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees, and donated stays to support other small charities. Not the most glamorous part of the job but another huge source of pride was improving our waste management system, through a combination of food donations from guests supporting the Borehamwood Foodbank, systematic recycling and on-site compost systems. We even learnt how to build a wormery! Read Alice’s blog to learn more about our efforts.
Primary school children helping plant trees at Home Farm, Elstree
tree planting continues
This winter and early spring 2023 will see more woodland management and tree planting with the help of local businesses and schools, continuing to allow local primary school groups to use our site to help inspire kids to enjoy time in nature, and the development of informative nature trails for guests to enjoy next year.
Going forward, we will continue to look at ways to bring our business in line with the UN's Global Goals framework. Read more in this blog.
At Home Farm News
live events programme celebrates its 2nd year
This summer saw 6 live performers light up the woodland stage At Home Farm, hailing from around the world from Watford to Australia via Canada. Local sisters the Staves, Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler, Rae Morris, Bear’s Den, Patrick Watson and RY X all put on magical shows, and three delighted with double-headers.
RY X performing live this summer on the outdoor woodland stage at Home Farm (Credit: @shotbymillie)
We had delicious food from Ben Quinn’s Woodfired Canteen – Moro’s Sam & Sam put on two special nights of long-table feasting, and Ixta Belfrage brought her Ottolenghi delights to Home Farm for one glorious sunny evening.
There was more theatre from the ever-entertaining Rogue Theatre and the Handlebards, and it was great to see such a strong turnout from families which we hope to see more next year.
Gifford's Circus first UK tour stop at Home Farm
A new addition to this season’s programme was the iconic Giffords Circus, the travelling troupe who have become such a feature around the country. This year was their Home Farm debut, with most of their 8 shows sold out over 4 days, and they have confirmed that they will be back 22nd - 26th June 2023.
The atmosphere was filled with great vibes! Bring on next season of Giffords Circus at Home Farm, Elstree.
Home Farm Hub
The biggest victim of the last few months…
…and our greatest regret is the postponement of our development of Home Farm into a workspace, studio and restaurant hub.
Although we were granted planning consent in January and we are desperately keen to get started with this project which we believe will be a trailblazing and inspiring place to work and eat as people adapt to a post-covid way of working, the rising costs of materials, labour, energy and debt have forced us to postpone our start date while we concentrate on our immediate pipeline of work around the Estate.
There are silver linings to a short hiatus in the development that we hope will be a massive feature of the local landscape for decades. While we wait, the emphasis on biophilic design and the importance of wellbeing in the workplace is only growing, and at Home Farm we have the opportunity to build something truly unique and special.
We will therefore use this time to work on the offering – workspace layout and amenities, interior design, high-level discussions with restaurant and café operators, exhibitors, instructors etc., landscape design, including a 600 square metre kitchen garden, and enhancing the surrounding ecology.
Please let us know if you would like to know anything more about Home Farm Hub, and whether you know anyone who might be interested in being a future resident. Register your interest here.
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE ALDENHAM ESTATE
WORKING WITH LOCAL TALENT TO DEFINE OUR WAY FORWARD
As understanding of the climate crisis increases following the extraordinary weather of the last six months, it is clear that global efforts to prevent catastrophe are gathering pace and responsible businesses are working hard to work out what they can do to improve their operations.
The good news is around just how many very very clever people are working hard to provide us with guidance and advice as to how we can adopt some of these new methods and solutions. And Hertfordshire, the county of innovation, has a huge role to play in this period of adaptation and mitigation.
Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Conference, October 2022, Rothamsted Enterprises in Harpenden
We are very fortunate to have two amazing centres of excellence within the county: both Rothamsted Research Centre in Harpenden and BRE Group in Bricket Wood are leaders in their field and Jessica and Humphrey with their team have been able to learn from their expertise by attending conferences and visits to their campus.
We are also fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with the University of Hertfordshire to support their research funding application from Innovate UK, as well as benefit from ENE-funded sustainability advice from the University of East London.
As a local enterprise, our team will have the opportunity to explore the challenges of global climate change and the benefits of taking action through WENTA’s Action Zero programme. It’s very important to us that everyone in the estate team feels supported in understanding the biggest challenge of our generation.
Hilfield Farm Estate Improvements
As part of our move towards creating a sustainable business, we have been working with Hertsmere to design a masterplan for the redevelopment of our commercial workspace at Hilfield Farm on Hilfield Lane. Half a mile from A41 and 2 miles from the M1, Hilfield is ideally placed for commercial warehousing and offices and already houses many small businesses providing important skills training and employment for the local community.
Hilfield Farm Estate, Hilfield Lane, Watford
The Hilfield masterplan hopes to rebuild a large section of yard, replacing old, inefficient and largely vacant farm buildings with well-spaced, energy-efficient light-industrial workshop space incorporating solar panels, rainwater harvesting, sustainable drainage and linking with our other workspaces at Home Farm and Elstree Aerodrome to improve transport links and encourage sustainable travel.
regenerative ecology goals
One of our most pressing responsibilities as managers of land is to ensure that we do everything we can to combat the terrible biodiversity crisis this country is facing.
A study published by scientists and the Natural History Museum in October 2021 revealed that biodiversity in the UK has declined by 50% in the last 50 years. This is a far greater decline than other EU countries, and puts the UK in the bottom 10% globally for biodiversity.
Biodiversity is the network of living things that allows life to be sustainable, humanity is unlikely to survive without it, and we have reduced it by 50% in the last 50 years. One of the reasons the UK’s biodiversity is so depleted is due to the agricultural and industrial revolutions beginning in the country.
Intensive agriculture, whilst important for maintaining a secure food chain, has devastating impacts on nature. Whilst we have a strong farming background on the Estate, this understanding of the impacts farming has on biodiversity is one of the reasons we believe we have a responsibility to diversify away from arable farming and to use our land, which due to its condition very rarely produces crops of a high enough quality for humans to eat, and explore better uses of that land.
Rob Hopkins, Local Ecology and Biodiversity Consultant
Together with Rob Hopkins, a wildlife gardener who worked for the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust for over 15 years, we are implementing our environmental management plan which includes planting varied seed mixes in the place of monoculture crops, removing non-native invasive species such as laurel, rhododendron, bamboo and other plants that do not provide food for natural wildlife.
We are also very fortunate to have received a Natural England grant to restore 6 “ghost ponds” close to Elstree village which will now provide a fantastic habitat for great crested newts, frogs, toads and a huge range of invertebrates to feed our local birds.
We are always looking for volunteers to help us with this huge task, and in particular, people who are keen to learn more about what they can do in their own gardens and the importance of this work, so please get in touch if you would like to help.
Farming efforts and solar farm plans
A large proportion of our land is used for arable farming, and requires ongoing management. We work with a local farming family to ensure we have access to advanced technology helping us minimise the use of chemical inputs, fertilizers and pesticides.
This year we took part in a project sponsored by Affinity Water to prevent soil erosion and chemical runoff, supporting their efforts to provide high-quality drinking water. Hopefully, some of you will have seen the fantastic array of sunflowers, phacelia and millet near the footpaths between Hilfield Lane and the A41. The roots of these crops will have helped improve our soil structure and the plants provided food and cover for bees and birds.
At a higher level, we are looking at our overall strategy for sequestration, decarbonisation and biodiversity. The proposed Elstree Green Solar Scheme would be a fantastic way to ensure we achieve all these goals, but whilst we wait for the verdict from the Secretary of State, we continue to try to establish how we could achieve at least some of these important goals if the scheme does not gain planning approval.
Pages Care Farm in growth
As well as the work the Estate team are involved in, we are also very keen to support the amazing work done by some of our tenants. Hidden next door to Elstree Aerodrome on the Aldenham Estate is Pages Care Farm, a private farm run by Nathalie Simpson who is committed to improving mental health and wellbeing for groups and individuals through skills and therapy projects.
After a landmark visit from the Mayor and Mayoress of Hertsmere and Mayor of Brent, their trustees, and friends and family this summer to celebrate a year of hosting groups from Hertsmere and North London, Pages Care Farm has just launched a new website, pagescarefarm.co.uk, to shine a light on the valuable work that they do and the much-needed community resource they provide.
If you know of any local schools, community groups or corporate teams who could benefit from the opportunity to thrive outdoors caring for friendly-farm animals and horticultural projects, please contact Nathalie via pagescarefarmuk@gmail.com and follow their important journey on Instagram and Facebook.
Share your thoughts on our news updates
We welcome your thoughts on this newsletter and our website aldenhamestate.co.uk, and invite you to follow us on LinkedIn and register for our email newsletters.
Thanks again for your support and interest,
Humphrey, Jessica and the Aldenham Estate Teams