Sandy 4 St Albans

Sandy Walkington is the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for St Albans

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Entries from March 31st, 2010

Deshi Theatre enchants St Albans

March 31st, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I had a great time last Sunday attending the Deshi Theatre production at the Maltings Theatre of “Chay Kyar Jomin” (’A Piece of Land’ in Sylheti dialect).
The Deshi Theatre Group is the brainchild of St Albans resident Fozlur Rashid and many of the performers in the play were local St Albans residents including a strong [...]

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Truly depressing health meeting

March 30th, 2010 · 1 Comment · SOS Herts NHS, Sandy's blog

I found tonight’s meeting in St Albans Town Hall to question the Primary Care Trust management over the cancelled St Albans Urgent Care Centre to be truly depressing.  Full marks to Anne Main for organising it at such short notice. We were told that Anne Walker, chief executive of the PCT, was out of the [...]

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Lively question-time at St Albans 6th Form College

March 30th, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I have just come back from a three-party panel discussion at St Albans Sixth Form College on London Road.  My fellow participants were Roma Mills and Conservative councillor Julian Daly.
The room was packed with students and teachers and the debate was lively and pointed.  Starting with “why should we vote”, the discussion then moved to [...]

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Floella knocks out St Albans

March 28th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

Floella Benjamin of Play School and Play Away fame gave an absolutely knock out speech to a sell-out audience at yesterday’s St Albans Liberal Democrat dinner at St Stephen’s church hall on Watling Street (just opposite the house where we used to live).
Although she is most widely known for her children’s television work, her credits [...]

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How many more managers in the NHS?

March 26th, 2010 · 2 Comments · SOS Herts NHS, Sandy's blog

As we digest the news of the cancellation of the Urgent Care Centre,  I am grateful to my friend Norman Lamb for alerting me to some just published figures.  I am sure that all St Albans residents will share my interest.
The number of managers in the NHS increased by 4,748 in the last year [...]

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Urgent Care Centre decision a stab in the front for local people

March 26th, 2010 · No Comments · SOS Herts NHS, Sandy's blog

Yesterday’s suddenly announced decision by the PCT that they are not going to proceed with plans for the Urgent Care Centre on the St Albans City Hospital site is a stab in the front for local residents.
It was only a few days ago that I blogged about the closure of A&E at Hemel Hempstead and [...]

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Is First Capital Connect waking up and smelling the coffee?

March 24th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

I received an e-mail from Neal Lawson, Managing Director of First Capital Connect.
He wrote that he and senior colleagues “have spoken to and corresponded with many customers as well as meeting with a high proportion of MPs along the route.”
And guess what, they have decided to improve the compensation package for season ticket holders [...]

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Fascinating feedback on local NHS

March 23rd, 2010 · No Comments · SOS Herts NHS, Sandy's blog

I am getting a lot of letters and e-mails on local residents’ perceptions of local NHS services following my invitation to people to write about their experiences.  They show a fascinating range of opinion, some rating our local health services as very good, some as not so good, all of course coming from the same [...]

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Solomon in all his glory

March 21st, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

One of Francesca’s friends sings in St Albans Bach Choir and we went to last night’s performance of Handel’s Solomon at the Abbey.  (I then realised how many of my friends and contacts are also members – it’s a real community thing.)
Solomon is a work I have never heard performed before and it was a [...]

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The NSPCC’s I Stand for Children campaign

March 19th, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I have been contacted by many supporters of the NSPCC in St Albans about the NSPCC’s I Stand For Children Commitment.  I have been very pleased to sign it.
My association with the NSPCC goes back over 40 years.  As a child I went round carol singing every year to raise funds for what [...]

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