St Albans

Entries Tagged as 'St Albans'

What the Dickens?

February 7th, 2012 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

It’s Dickens’s bicentennial. While Bill Sykes lurked in Hatfield, following the brutal murder of Nancy, Bleak House is firmly in St Albans, standing behind its pineapple-topped gateposts at the corner of Normandy Road and Catherine Street. (How many Albanians still pronounce Catherine with a long ‘i’ I wonder.)
BH is now a chi-chi interior designer’s office. [...]

High noon for Park Street – official

February 3rd, 2012 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

The Secretary of State has considered carefully all the representations before him. On the basis of the submissions received, he is of the view that there are no substantive issues which require the Inquiry to be re-opened and he has therefore decided that he is in a position to re-determine the appeal on the basis [...]

From The Book of Hawking to the book of Hawking

January 31st, 2012 · 4 Comments · Sandy's blog

Last week I attended the presidential lecture by Donald Munro at the Arc and Arc (the St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society). All newly elected presidents give a lecture. Donald chose as his topic the history of printing and publishing in St Albans up to the end of the nineteenth century.
Not many people [...]

Nick Clegg’s dogged insistence on better resources for mental health treatment

January 19th, 2012 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

In 2008 Nick Clegg came to the Sopwell House Hotel in St Albans to make one of his first speeches as newly elected Liberal Democrat leader. The occasion was the annual Guardian Public Services Summit.
He chose to concentrate on the inadequacies of service provision for the mentally ill. It was not an obvious crowd-puller for [...]

“Curryoke” – mixing curry with karaoke for a unique night out

January 8th, 2012 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

St Albans saw a world first on Friday with the inaugural “curryoke”, courtesy of St Albans District Liberal Youth. The venue was Fleetville Community Centre. The delicious curry came from Halema Takeaway on Hatfield Road. There was some extraordinary (in every sense of the word) musical talent on display.
The Fleetville Community Centre didn’t know what [...]

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 [...]

Christmas Tree Festival at St Saviour’s

December 19th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Sandy's blog

The interior of St Saviour’s Church in Sandpit Lane is one of the glorious surprises of St Albans at any time of year. But it’s particularly spectacular this week with its Christmas Tree Festival of 93 trees decorated by local families and voluntary groups. The festival only happens once every three years, so see it [...]

Meeting with Rail Minister about First Capital Connect

December 15th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

Very useful and wide-ranging meeting this afternoon with Rail Minister Norman Baker MP in the House of Commons. I was accompanied by Caroline Pidgeon AM, chair of the Greater London Assembly Transport Committee, and by Chris White, leader of the opposition on Herts County Council.
We took with us a dossier prepared by two St Albans [...]

Encouraging those entitled to free school meals to register so as to maximise their school’s pupil premium

December 14th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

I was very interested to receive today a letter from my daughter’s head teacher about the Pupil Premium – the Liberal Democrat initiative to target specific extra money at schools according to the number of pupils they have from less well off families. This has already resulted in an extra £800,000 for St Albans schools [...]

Here’s dreaming of a greener Christmas

December 13th, 2011 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I take no credit for the attached suggestions. They are a selection of ideas for a greener Christmas from local members of Transition St Albans (about which I have blogged previously).
It would take dedication to follow all the ideas to the letter, and no-one is suggesting that. Being St Albans, a lot of people reading [...]

Sandy 4 St Albans

Sandy Walkington campaigns with the Liberal Democrats across St Albans