On three separate occasions during the 20th century, Verulamium Park played host to epic reenactments of key moments from St Albans’ long history, with members of the public stepping into the roles of kings, queens, bishops, anarchists and martyrs. The city’s first pageant took place in July 1907 and involved 3,000...
It’s Hedgehog Awareness Week between May 4-10 and probably everyone is aware of how Britain’s favourite mammal is in trouble. The hedgehog was red-listed as ‘Vulnerable to Extinction’ in 2020, and their numbers continue to dwindle. In the 1950s there were estimated to be around 50 million hedgehogs in Britain, now...
Out of the smog from the coal fires of Victorian St Albans, rose a new look and a new sense of change. It was 1901, Queen Victoria was dead and Edward VII, known as Bertie, had succeeded to the throne. Lampooned as Edward the Caresser by novelist Henry James, Bertie was...
Forty-five-year-old Gavin Gost has always had artistic flair and studied art and photography at Oaklands College in 1995, but a moment in lockdown rekindled his desire for being behind the camera and his passion for taking pictures is developing. “I’ve always been creative. From a young age, I have sketched, drawn...
Elena Hogg, founder of local culinary company FOOD by Elena, has been encouraging her children to sample spring greens...
From creating heartfelt campaigns and writing endlessly for leading publications, inspiring listeners through heartfelt radio interviews, sharing her voice and story, and appearing on TV, Stacey Turner’s passion for mental health shines through every step of her journey. She’s brought stories to life for nursery children, inspired minds in schools, colleges,...
One of St Albans’ most popular garden centres is celebrating seven decades since it was founded on seven and a half acres of land off the North Orbital Road. Roger Aylett was just 21 when he set up Aylett Nurseries in 1955, having studied at Oaklands Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture...
Even before the unprecedented High Court challenge against the Government’s imposition of VAT on private school fees, many independent establishments were already looking at ways of coping with the changes. While some schools have tried to absorb a percentage of the extra costs, others have looked at ways of increasing their...
A grieving family is calling for tougher controls for motorists awaiting trial for dangerous driving following the death of their beloved brother. On the morning of March 3, 29-year-old Bobby Smith was on his way to work at 4PX Express in Dunstable, driving his moped along the A5183 Watling Street from...
It is somewhat surprising, given St Albans is Hertfordshire’s cathedral city, that so few of the district’s residents are listed on the roll call of more than 450 named High Sheriffs since 1567. Of the 20 or so who are mentioned, names such as Roger Pemberton (famous for endowing the St...
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