Hatfield Town Talk: Explore Hatfield's outdoor spaces

You can’t help but be in a better mood when the sky is blue, and you don’t need to layer up just before popping out.

Cllr Larry Crofton, leader of Hatfield Town Council (Image: Hatfield Town Council)

However, as someone with Celtic heritage and proud red hair, I am fully aware of the dangers of being out in the sun without protection.

May is, in fact, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month - UV exposure from the sun is one of the main causes of skin cancer, but it is also one of the most preventable, with the Melanoma Focus charity telling us that 86 per cent of melanoma skin cancers cases are avoidable.

It’s not only pale skins that have to worry though, a variety of skin tones can also be affected. Whilst those with black or brown skin have a lower change of developing melanoma, they can still get it (often affecting the soles of their feet and palms of their hands).

So please do enjoy the wonderful outdoor spaces we have in Hatfield when the sun is out but do remember to cover up and wear a hat, slap on that sunscreen and importantly regularly check your skin for any changes.

Great tips and advice can be found on the NHS website, and at https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/.

And while we are talking about the wonderful sky, I hope you were one of the lucky ones who managed to get a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, recently.

I managed to grab a few pictures in what I know you all agree was a spectacular natural light show.

Explore Hatfield

Have you seen the wonderfully detailed History of Aviation display, on the footbridge crossing South Way at the southern border of Hatfield?

Across multiple panels, the 3rd Hatfield Air Scouts worked to research, illustrate, and showcase the important part that the airfield in Hatfield played in aviation history, beginning with De Havilland’s work in 1909.