A grassroots hospitality organisation is calling for local support for a national campaign to reduce the amount of VAT paid by pubs, restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels. Currently hospitality businesses pay 20 per cent VAT on top of running a heated, air-conditioned, regulated, staffed environment, compared to supermarkets proportionately paying just...
Businesses will soon have the opportunity to decide whether to back the renewal of St Albans BID (Business Improvement District) – the umbrella organisation which represents their interests in the city centre. Last week the BID submitted a proposal to SADC for a new five-year term starting on April 1 2027,...
A host of well-known figures from across the St Albans district will be brought to justice when arrest warrants are issued by a local homelessness charity. Herts Young Homeless will be overseeing jail time for various familiar faces as part of The Great Escape, hoping to raise £6,000 for the charity,...
Students at Oaklands College have taken learning to new heights with the completion of a brand-new aviary for the college’s owl, Bumblebee. Blending creativity, technical skill and real-world construction experience, the project brought together students from Animal Management, Carpentry, and T Level Construction in partnership with developers Willmott Dixon - showcasing...
Jazzy, sassy, and sparkling in the open air, OVO is bringing a 1920s-styled version of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest to the Roman Theatre Festival this week. The new production, which is adapted and directed by OVO founder and artistic director Adam Nichols, transports Wilde’s comic masterpiece to the...
Paul Davis Fencing Academy has again been recognised on the national stage after being named British Fencing Club of the Year at the 2024–25 British Fencing Community Awards. The award marks the fourth time the Academy has received the prestigious title, including three consecutive years which is a remarkable achievement among...
If you are looking for two hours of unadulterated laughs, then The Company of Ten in St Albans are standing by to deliver. They will be staging the contemporary dark comedy Sheila’s Island next month in the Abbey Theatre Studio. Scripted by Calendar Girls playwright Tim Firth, it tells of the...
A man in his 20s from St Albans has been issued a five-year Sexual Risk Order (SRO) to help protect women and girls. The order was granted to Herts police at St Albans Magistrates Court following a previous interim SRO. The order means that the man is prohibited from approaching unknown women...
The Maltings Shopping Centre in St Albans has been shortlisted for two prestigious national awards in recognition of its commitment to supporting retailers and bringing communities together through free events such as Summer Sounds. The centre has been named a finalist in both the Retail Liaison Award and Community Initiative of the Year (South) categories...
After six years running Vache Bleue memorabilia store and gallery in The Maltings Shopping Centre, art expert Olesya Bean has launched her own independent venture: Olesya Contemporary Art Gallery (OCA Gallery) - based in the former Rennie Grove Peace Hospice charity shop in Victoria Street. The new store officially opens its...
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