24 Jan 2026
Times columnist James Cameron has come up with a new concept for the first month of the year…
January is a funny old month. Everything is still dark and cold and a bit depressing, but the methods that we used to fight back through December (basically over-consuming on all fronts) are starting to wear thin. Unlike most of our waistlines.
This in turn leads to a puritanical backlash where people try to give up everything that is fun as part of their New Year’s Resolutions, and inevitably fail.
This is epitomised in Dry January (Dryanuary for short), whereby people give up alcohol after the excesses of Christmas and New Year. Whilst this might be a relief for the livers out there, it’s not so good for those who produce and sell alcohol which led to the rhyming fight back of Try January (Tryanuary for short), encouraging people to try new and different beers and wines this month, preferably from smaller producers.
This more positive approach to January seems a lot more attractive, rather than denying yourself and fighting your cravings, rechannel them into actions and behaviours that are beneficial both to yourself and society at large. With this in mind I am proud to announce the launch of ‘Try New Things in St Albans January’ (or TrynewthingsinStAlbanuary for short), although as some of these things are actually next month it will run into StilltrynewthingsinStAlbansruary.
Go to a Pub Quiz
As mentioned above, January can be a tough time for the many fantastic pubs around St Albans, so whether you’re drinking alcohol or not, it’s a great way to get out and support them.
No need for awkward chit-chat, just debates about goal-scorers for Bolton Wanderers or the flag of Uzbekistan. Luckily we have an embarrassment of pub quizzes in St Albans, to sort you out for any day of the week. On Monday you have the Horn, Tuesday is the Great Northern, Peahen, Lower Red or White Lion, Wednesday is a bumper night with options at the White Hart Tap, Saint & Sinner, King Harry and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, Thursday is the Speckled Hen again, as well as the Mad Squirrel and for weekend quizzers the Slug and Lettuce have one on Sundays.
Harpendenians mustn’t feel left out, with quizzes at the Harpenden Arms and the Red Cow, and both the Pioneer and Royston Road Social Club run occasional themed quizzes. Don’t feel downheartened if you come bottom of the table first time out, as there are a lot of brain-boxes in this town, but feel proud that you are stocking up your knowledge of otherwise completely useless facts. Oh, and it may be worth memorising the Monopoly board as it comes up a lot, and you will also need a terrible pun for your team name (might I suggest either ‘Agatha Quizteam’ or ‘I was Happy in the Haze of a Drunken Hour (But Heaven Knows I’m Quizerable Now)’).
See some New Music
If talking to other people is not your thing, why not check out some new up-and-coming bands to drown out the awkward silences. The Horn are fantastic for showcasing new acts, through their regular Amplify nights, their Blue Angel Open Mics on Sunday or the various heats of the Battle of the Bands that runs through the year.
The sound system there is first rate, and there is always a great variety in the acts so if one band doesn’t float your party-boat then another lot will be along in a minute.
Also, if any of them become superstars you can say you saw them playing in the back-room of a pub, although to be fair you could say that whether it was true or not.
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, why not start your own band and take part yourself, then you could become the superstar that people lie about having seen. Check out what’s on here: https://www.thehorn.co.uk/full-listings
See some Comedy
Another way to drive away the January blues is to have a good old chuckle. They say laughter is the best medicine, and when you’re doing it as part of a group it can become almost transcendental.
There are always good acts playing the Alban Arena, but these often sell-out in advance.
If you fancy being a little more spontaneous, why not check out ‘Jest Another Comedy Club’, every Wednesday at The Crown.
This has the added benefit of being completely free, so you have very little to lose and might be able to steal some jokes with which to impress friends and co-workers.
Do some Deep-Thinking
Slightly more esoteric, this one, but the Lower Red Lion hold a regular evening of Philosophical Discussion on Tuesdays. Centred around a different theme each time, and led by a Professor of Philosophy, this could be a chance to completely change the way you look at the world.
Alternatively it could be a chance to get drunk and spout off nonsense, but either option sounds fun. Next up is Morality on the 3rd February, and I think we could all do with a refresher on that.
Do some Drawing
Now you obviously don’t need to leave the house for this one, all you need is a biro and any form of paper that you won’t get shouted at for defacing, but if you want to take your doodling skills to the next level why not head back to the pub. The Crown, Wicked Lady, Three Hammers and Harpenden Arms all have occasional sip and paint evenings where you can drink, chat and create, because what better to improve your fine motor skills than consuming alcohol.
Even better, on 29th January The Crown are hosting a Life Drawing class, so you can drink beer and look at naked people whilst feeling virtuous.
How often can you say that?
Go for a Walk
This may seem a fairly obvious one, but so many studies continue to find that even a small amount of time in the open air and around nature has enormous benefits on our physical and mental health. You probably don’t need me to explain how to walk here, but there are other options to make it more inviting. St Albans Tour Guides do regular walking tours if you want to find out more about our endlessly fascinating city, and they also do themed walks with subjects such as ghosts and women https://www.stalbanstourguides.co.uk/calendar.
If you want to go further afield we are surrounded with delightful countryside for at least a few more months before it all gets built upon. Good spots for walking include Gorehambury, Colney Lakes and the Alban Way, but if you want to be more sociable you can hook up with the St Albans or West Herts Ramblers. Each run regular walks of varying lengths and locations, and offer trial walks to see if it’s your thing before signing up. More information at
https://stalbansrambler.co.uk/ or https://www.westhertsramblers.org.uk/
Go for a Run
Like the above, only faster. Judging by the quantity of brave souls hitting the pavements and Alban Way this is already a popular choice, especially at this time of year, and if you want to get in on the action a great way to start is with Park Run. These 5k runs happen every Saturday at 9am and we have three in St Albans, at Verulamium Park, Jersey Farm and Oaklands. All are completely free, you just need to turn up, although if you want a record of your time you will need to sign-up for your all important barcode at https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/. If 5 kilometres seems daunting there are plenty of people who walk it, and dogs and children are all welcome (terms and conditions apply). Be warned though, it can become very addictive when you experience the rush of beating your Personal Best, but getting all of your weekend’s exercising out of the way by 9.30am on a Saturday unlocks guilt-free lying on the sofa for the next two days.
If you are busy on Saturday mornings, or are ready to run more often, then now might be the time to join the St Albans Striders running club.
They run sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, plus Thursday lunchtimes, around Westminster Lodge, and they also have various other activities, both running and social, throughout the year.
Like the ramblers they offer you the chance to try before you buy, and when I went along to my first session this month I found everyone incredibly welcoming and friendly, and was instantly put at my ease. Like laughing, running is more rewarding when you do it in a crowd and if you need motivation to get you to the level where you can tackle a 10K, half-marathon or beyond, this is a fantastic way to do it. They are also offering a reduced membership of £25 for January to March, more details here https://stalbansstriders.com/club-info/joining-striders.
Go for a Sport
If you like the idea of physical activity but wish there were more balls involved then you are in luck as there are many ball-related sporting clubs in the district. If you’re over 34 then Veterans’ Football run 5-a-side indoor leagues at Westminster Lodge and St George’s Home – www.veteransfootball.com, if you don’t mind limping a bit on Monday mornings.
If you feel more capable with your hands than your feet, then you could give netball a try. Go Mammoth run Tuesday night sessions at Westminster Lodge that are suitable for beginners:
https://www.gomammoth.co.uk/netball/st-albans/.
Of course, St Albans is really a rugby town so why not see what all the fuss is about. For a gentler introduction to the sport that hopefully won’t lead to massive spinal injuries, St Albans Touch Rugby run training sessions on a Tuesday that are open to newcomers: https://www.stalbanstouchrugby.co.uk/.
For those that don’t wish to undertake any kind of physical activity at all, but still want to be competitive, there are some excellent Petanque courts in Highfield Park. New members are welcome on alternate Friday mornings at the club, https://www.highfieldparktrust.co.uk/highfield-park-petanque-club/, but why not grab a Boule set from your nearest online retailer, along with a bottle of wine and a baguette, and head down there with a couple of friends.
You may be worried that you will be terrible and everyone will either point and laugh or berate you like a hungover PE teacher but a) most people are terrible and are just doing it for a laugh and b) the more you do it, the less terrible you will get. As with running there is a pure and intrinsic joy to seeing yourself improve at something that most of us don’t experience much once we leave school, and the worse you are to begin with the easier it is to get better.
See Some Big Things
At the moment we are lucky to have a couple of Big Things that you can go and look at. There are some big whales in the Nave of the Abbey, and a big sun at the Museum. Both are free (though you need timed tickets for the Museum), both are here until the end of the month and as mentioned both are big.
Make Yourself a Sandwich
Because everything is better after a sandwich.
So there you go, so many options for things to do. It is always easier to feel tired and make excuses to not go out and never try new things. All it takes is a little change in mindset, though, to investigate rather than shut down possibilities, and you will soon find yourself with more memories and more casual acquaintances. We are incredibly lucky to live somewhere with so much going on, so rather than give all your money to Thameslink why not find new and exciting ways to integrate yourself into your local society.
