Sandy Walkington

Entries Tagged as 'Sandy Walkington'

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the dearest train fare of them all?

January 6th, 2012 · 4 Comments · Sandy's blog

I am quoted in a story published today on the BBC News website investigating which is the most expensive rail journey in the UK – see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16390608. I have always argued that St Albans must be up there at the top based on comparisons with other commuter stations at a similar distance from their London [...]

Need to promote St Albans District Credit Union as a far better alternative to payday loans

December 7th, 2011 · 5 Comments · Sandy's blog

Today’s news that millions of Britons are likely to take out a high-interest loan in the next six months to last them until payday – so-called “payday loans” – prompts me to write an overdue post on St Albans District Credit Union (STADCU).
It has its own shop premises in Hatfield Road by the Methodist Church [...]

A re-opening of the previous public inquiry still makes the most sense if we want to stop the Helioslough lorry terminal

November 25th, 2011 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

Along with other witnesses to the previous freight terminal inquiry, David Parry and I were invited to comment on the latest submissions from Helioslough arguing that the Park Street freight terminal should go ahead. St Albans District Council also submitted a critique which is an excellent piece of work and STRiFE offered their own arguments [...]

Was Gladstone a paragon of mastication?

November 19th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

My recent visit to Gladstone’s Library at Hawarden dredged an odd piece of historical flotsam from the recesses of my memory. It was back in the 1970s, I was campaigning for the Liberals in Cambridge, and a middle-aged lady explained why the family would never vote for the party.
Her grandmother had been made to chew [...]

Special Olympics St Albans

November 3rd, 2011 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) is a charity which promotes access to sport for individuals with learning disabilities. I recently had the pleasure of meeting the St Albans group, Special Olympics St Albans or SOSA for short.
SOSA is a charity in its own right, running weekly sessions in athletics, basketball, boccia, swimming, equestrian, and a [...]

“Farage”: leader of UKIP; “Farrago”: a confused mixture; hodgepodge; medley

October 21st, 2011 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I found myself unexpectedly crossing swords on air with UKIP leader Nigel Farage last night. I was one of the panel on Rob Perrone’s Three Counties Radio Drive programme’s weekly politics debate. My fellow guests were Kristy Adams, a Conservative councillor from Bedford, and Glen Jenkins, a non-party affiliated community activist from the Marsh Farm [...]

The Secretary of State should re-open the Park Street Freight Terminal Inquiry

October 10th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Hands off Herts, Sandy's blog

As an individual objector at the Inquiry into the Park Street Freight Terminal, I was one of the “interested parties” written to last month by the Department for Communities and Local Government asking for our views on how the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, should respond to the High Court order quashing his refusal decision.
The [...]

Darren’s Buggy Dash at Garden Fields a huge success for St Albans Bereavement Network

September 25th, 2011 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I am a Trustee of St Albans Bereavement Network (SABN), which is exactly what it says on the tin – a local organisation which provides counselling and other emotional and practical assistance to those who have been bereaved – widows and widowers of course but also children when a parent dies tragically young.
I’m not sure [...]

Shock news – local St Albans businesses to pay rates to St Albans Council and Herts County Council

July 20th, 2011 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

The relocalisation of business rates sounds the most boring topic ever. But it has been a quiet passion of mine for many years as people who have heard me speak at the St Albans Chamber of Commerce will know. It was in the Liberal Democrat manifesto. I am really pleased that the coalition government has [...]

Council decides not to appeal Railfreight decision

July 12th, 2011 · 4 Comments · Sandy's blog

I hope the new Conservative administration at St Albans District Council has made the right decision in not appealing against the latest High Court ruling. This upheld one of HelioSlough’s challenges to the Secretary of State’s decision to overrule the Planning Inspector’s decision to find in favour of the Park Street lorry terminal after it [...]

Sandy 4 St Albans