Hertford Town Council is inviting members of the public to submit photographs of scenes in the town for inclusion in the 2012 Hertford calendar.

Hertford Town Council's Town and Tourist Information Centre is running the competition, which is in its fourth year. The closing date of the competition is Friday 17th August 2012, after which 13 photographs will be selected for inclusion – one for each month, and one for the cover of the calendar.

The Mayor of Hertford, Cllr Jane Sartin, will be one of the competition judges, and commented: "Hertford offers a rich source of photographic opportunities, in its buildings, its open spaces and its people. This competition gives people a great excuse to really explore the town, and perhaps look for unfamiliar scenes which capture Hertford in a different way to some of the more classic views. I also hope people will look back at photographs they've taken during other seasons, as we will be looking to match suitable photographs to each month in the calendar."

Photographs must be submitted with an entry form, which can be obtained from Hertford Town and Tourist Information Centre by the Shire Hall, or from www.hertford.gov.uk.

There will be opportunities for local businesses to advertise on the pages of the calendar, and the Town & Tourist Information Centre can provide further details.

Sainsbury's new Hertford outlet opened yesterday at 9am following an in-store opening ceremony.

The store in Hartham Lane is around the same size as Tesco in Ware Road and features a cafe and museum charting the history of the brewery. J.Sainsbury bought the site from McMullen's after the company downsized the release capital to shareholders.

The site also includes a riverside walk and cycle route. A public artwork is also to be installed at the entrance to Hartham Common.

The store is open from 7am to 10pm and car parking is £1 for an hour, £1.50 for 2 hoyrs and £2.50 for three hours, with refunds available in store to customers spending over £10.

Two of Herford's schools are set to become academies, giving them independence from the local education authority.

Sele School in Welwyn Road and Richard Hale School in Hale Road have both applied to become academies, which allows them to attract sponsorship whilst being funded by central government. Academy status also allows schools to set their own rates of pay for staff as well as giving them greater control over the school's curriculum.

Cornish Hearts in Maidenhead Street has closed down after nearly four years in the town.

The shop opened in 2008 and has recently been on the market, together with another outlet in Hitchin.

Menswear shop Mr.H has returned to Maidenhead Street following the closure of women's boutique Maiden.

The business occupied the premises before it became a women's clothes shop. Brands stocked by the retailer include Levis and Ben Sherman.

Hertford's new Mayor, Cllr. Jane Sartin has launched a blog to document her year as mayor and to shine a light on the duties that come with the role.

The first entries in the blog cover the Mayormaking ceremony, a police awards ceremony and the laubch of Hertford Music Festival.

You can find the Mayor's blog at www.mayorofhertford.com.