My top 10 places: Food, football and family fuel Bishop’s Stortford High School student Eddie Sneddon’s selections

The Bishop’s Stortford High School student Eddie Sneddon, who next summer will be taking A-levels in history, English language and media studies, is the latest work experience guest of the Indie to take our challenge of naming his 10 favourite places in the Stortford area. It was written before the sad demise of Empire Cinema...

From my younger days, besides some hidden gems in my home village of Much Hadham, Stortford was always the place to go: the haven for events and parties with primary school friends. It may not give me as much excitement as it used to, but a fair proportion of my favourite places to be are there.

10 – Castle Park, Bishop’s Stortford

Whenever I’ve been to Castle Park, it’s always been for parkrun that takes place every Saturday at 9am. This won’t paint the whole picture for you, but, nevertheless, I have a happy connection with this place. There’s always a positive community vibe on Saturday mornings as runners huddle around the bandstand through rain and shine. The 5k course passes Grange Paddocks and people playing football, which, as an avid follower myself, is always interesting to watch.

9 – The Bull, Much Hadham

There were many doubts as to whether The Bull would survive the Covid pandemic, but it pulled through and continues to thrive as Much Hadham’s only remaining pub. I’ve spent many evenings here with family and friends on special occasions since we moved to the village in 2006-07. I have many fond memories of their classic pub meals.

8 – The Hoops Inn, Perry Green

Next to Henry Moore Studios and Gardens, The Hoops is the ideal pub for me. They do a beautiful Sunday roast and allow a pug to roam around, which, for someone who likes dogs, is always nice. It’s a very rewarding pub (especially after being taken on an overly long walk by my dad) which is affordable and good value. The service is always very efficient, and the ham, egg and chips are to die for.

7 – Great Hadham Golf Club

This is the ‘go to’ for my dad and me when it comes to facing off on the golf course. There’s a variety of ways to play, including pitch and putt, footgolf, 9-hole and 18-hole courses. It's suitable for all ages and provides lessons for beginners. The course is very well looked after and presents a variety of challenges. I’d be lying if I said its inclusion was not swayed by its clubhouse. Whenever there’s a hearty bacon roll and an ice-cool drink, I’m instantly sold.

6 – Empire Cinema, Bishop’s Stortford

Watching and analysing films is one of my favourite hobbies, so it’s no surprise a cinema comes high up in my top 10. The Empire in Stortford isn’t exactly five stars, but that’s probably my favourite thing about it. That area has seen a lot of change in recent years, but the Empire has kept its originality and for that I love it. It has played host to some of my most memorable viewing experiences – including my favourite film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – with my mates.

5 – Hatfield Forest

Hatfield Forest is one of the most nostalgic areas for me. I’ve spent many fun times here in summer and have fond memories of playing football and other games in one of the massive fields. Cycling is also encouraged as there are multiple routes suitable for all ages. It’s not only a lovely communal area for family and friends but also a beautiful area of wildlife and nature. There is so much to get involved in and, as is of high regard for me, it has a great café.

4 – Much Hadham Recreation Ground

This will always be a special place for me, for a variety of reasons, but the main one is football. This has always been, and still is, the place where I see my friends to play football for hours on end. Also, it holds a multitude of events such as a drive-in cinema and summer fayre. The rec hosted the village’s Coronation party, where people celebrated with lots of food stalls and activities. It has been prominent throughout my life and I will dearly miss it when I leave for university next year.

3 – H@ME & EAT, Bishop’s Stortford

If you’re looking for the perfect fry-up, Home & Eat is the place to go. Having been many times, I can confirm that I have never had a better full English than the ones I’ve had here. Home & Eat has its own special feel about it. From my childhood I remember navigating between the hot tubs for sale and desperately pleading with my parents to get one. I was younger then and probably didn’t take much notice of the food, but now it’s the food that draws me in. After my GCSE results last summer (which were surprisingly good), I decided to reward myself and my family with a Home & Eat full English. That was undeniably one of my best days in 2022.

2 – Bishop’s Stortford FC

As a football fan, I adore spending my weekends watching the Blues at the R&D Advisors UK Stadium (a bit of a mouthful). Nothing beats entering the stadium through the classic turnstiles and buying some standard football food (mainly consisting of chips). There’s a consistently good atmosphere, created by the loyal fans, and a buzz around the place after the brilliant campaign the team had last season, being crowned champions of the Isthmian League Premier Division. Football will always be my greatest passion and this place embodies the game’s fantastic non-league presence.

1 – Eat 17, Bishop’s Stortford

As I write, I’m eyeing up Eat 17 as my next stop for lunch – and for good reason. This place has changed the food game in Stortford. Its multiple street food outlets give it an unrivalled variety of attractions. It has brilliant food, an exceptional view of the high street and a variety of things to try and buy. The atmosphere is unlike that of any other cafés I’ve ever been in. It’s perfect for post-parkrun drinks, pizza nights and even for a work environment. I’m so much of a fan that someone who works there picked up on the fact I’d been there two days in a row in my work experience week. This place has consistently been my answer to the question ‘Where do you want to eat?’ for the past five years. This is my favourite place in Stortford and beyond.