Hemel Hempstead is a new town in Hertfordshire, 24 miles from London.

Although the town itself is quite old - dating back to the 8th century, it has developed rapidly since being designated a New Town after the Second World War, and now has a population of nearly 95,000 people.

As you’d expect much of the town is post-war, but the Old Town area is very much worth a visit and has some beautiful old buildings which contrast with the recent architecture that makes up most of the town.

Hemel Hempstead is home to the “Magic Roundabout” - not the children’s TV classic, but the road layout in which one large roundabout is formed from five mini-roundabouts - complicated when you first see it - but it works, and the locals are used to it.

Although Hemel Hempstead is not a tourism hostpot, there’s quite a bit for visitors to do, including the Snow Centre with indoor skiing on real snow, and the ice rink Planet Ice.

Hemel Hempstead hit the headlines in 2006 when there were explosions and a major fire broke out at the Buncefield storage depot. This is believed to be the largest explosion in peacetime Europe at 2.4 on the Richter scale and caused widespread damage, including destroying some of Kodak’s nearby offices.

Although Hemel Hempstead is home to many commuters, there are lots of major employers in the town itself including BP Oil, Kodak, Amazon and Dixons.