st albans NOW Feb 20

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st albans February 2020

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Welcome to February...bringing with it anything from snowy days to sunny skies, and the promise of spring around the corner. The magazine is packed with lots to do and see from Pageants to Pancakes, Snowdrops to Stargazing, Anne Frank to the Feb Fest and even a baby Rhino, what a lot going on in just one month!

If you run your own business, and are interested in advertising with us, please get in touch, we offer a helpful, friendly service, working hard to make the magazines the best they can be. They’re monthly and if you don’t have a copy handy, you can always find them on our social media pages or online.

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music, drama & more

NOW at the Museums

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pageants, comedy & dragons

NOW at the Alban Arena

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comedy & music

Feb Fest

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fun for the kids

NOW at the Cathedral

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Anne Frank & more

Event Cinema

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opera, drama & Freud

NOW for some Music

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12 months £33 per edition £40 per edition £49 per edition £84 per edition

NOW at the Local Theatres

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music for all

February Fun pancakes, stars & a baby rhino!

Snowdrops & More snowdrops galore

Walks, Talks & More bird spotting & more

Do Something for Charity

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Please get in touch

What’s on in February & March

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Index of Businesses

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NOW for Some Art

Exhibition: AlbanArts Feb/March 2020 This photographic retrospective of ‘a year in the life of The Arts in St Albans’ features contributions from a number of arts organisations around the District. A timely reminder of the richness and diversity of the St Albans Arts Scene. Hosted by St Albans Arts Team to launch their programme for the 2020 Herts Year of Culture. The exhibition will be on display in Verulamium Park and other public spaces. www.1life.co.uk/st-albans-arts-team Exhibition: Daylight! Camera! Action! until 26th Feb Featuring the photographs, artwork and words of the Daylight Club, a social club for adults with physical and other disabilities living in the St Albans District. This project included visits to Paradise Wildlife Park, Harpenden Common and Verulamium Park to photograph autumn scenery and wildlife; plus drama and shadow play work at Trestle. Free Trestle Arts Base, St Albans AL4 0JQ www.trestle.org.uk Art Meet @ Notcutts 4th & 11th Feb 10.30am - 12 noon Come and meet Artist Clare Timmis and see if you would like to learn drawing, painting, and/or experiment with collage mixed media.

Notcutts Café, Hatfield Road, St Albans AL4 0HN www.artrecyclingrelaxation.com Lecture: A Provocative Beauty - The Art of Grayson Perry 20th Feb Grayson Perry won the Turner Awards in 2003 and is close to becoming a National Treasure, Frank Woodgate will look at his work in detail, including his finely crafted pottery, his colourful, imaginative and often amusing tapestries as well as considering his cross dressing alter ego, Clare and his fondness for his childhood teddy bear, Alan Measles. For more details visit www.theartssocietyharpendenareadfas.org.uk

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The Roald Dahl Museum Guided Roald Dahl Countryside Walk 9th Feb 12 noon & 2pm Explore the beautiful Chiltern countryside that Dahl loved and learn how it inspired him and his books, from Fantastic Mr Fox to Danny Champion of the World.

Dahl’s Disgusterous Food Parties 15th Feb & 23rd Feb 12 noon & 1.30pm Join in with gloriumptious games and challenges inspired by the revolting foods in Dahl’s stories. Have fun as you get stuck in with everything from flying snozzcumber balloons to building wormy spaghetti.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to eat any frightful food!

Yucky Foods Drama 16th Feb 12 noon & 1.30pm Explore your senses using the yucky foods in Dahl’s stories as inspiration. Along the way you’ll learn some great drama techniques as you create sound for the Twits’ bird pie and guess what’s on Mr Twit’s beard just using touch.

Talk: Roald Dahl’s Writing Hut 16th Feb 1pm, 2pm & 3pm Learn the secrets behind this special place and some brilliant Roald Dahl facts to impress your friends.

Free with Museum entry. Age 5+ The Twit’s Storytelling with John Kirk 17th Feb 12 noon, 1.30pm & 3pm Be immersed in the wicked world of The Twits as John brings one of Dahl’s most brilliant stories to life.

Whether you’re a budding storyteller or simply love sitting back and listening, you’re sure to enjoy this fun-filled, interactive session.

Make a Clay Bird Pie 18th Feb & 21st Feb 11am, 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm Mr and Mrs Twit are always playing nasty tricks on each other and the poor animals that live nearby, from wormy spaghetti to eyeballs in drinks to a pie that Mr Twit makes using birds. In this workshop find out more about this tricksy pair and their sneaky plans, then get your hands messy making your own version of bird pie. What unusual or disgusting ingredient will you use?

All events are the same cost and age except 16th Feb event, £4 plus Museum entry cost, age 5+ The Roald Dahl Museum, Bucks HP16 0AL www.roalddahl.com

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Textiles with Mary Hearne 8th Feb 11am - 12:30pm £8 Get creative with your little ones, learn a variety of hand sewing skills, while creating a personalised room decoration. Age 6+ must be accompanied by an adult. £8 The Hat Factory Arts Centre, Luton LU1 2EY www.culturetrust.com

February Frolics 15th - 23rd Feb There’s plenty of family fun with activities from live lambing, newborn lamb feeding and a full programme of fleecy fun for a baa-rilliant day out, including skating on the magical synthetic ice rink. Child £18, adult £17, concs £16 Willows Activity Farm, St Albans AL4 0PF www.willowsactivityfarm.com

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NOW at the Local Theatres Abbey Theatre Alligators 24th Jan - 1st Feb A successful teacher with a loving family is forced to watch his whole world crumble as an allegation is made against him by a former pupil. A fast paced thriller proving that the past can never truly be forgotten. Presented by The Company of Ten Ladies in Lavender by Shaun McKenna 28th Feb - 7th March A bittersweet story of forbidden love adapted from the film starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

Presented by The Company of Ten Abbey Theatre, St Albans AL1 2DL www.abbeytheatre.org.uk

geek Liam has to live with his father, a man he doesn’t know, has nothing in common with, and whose nickname is Violence. Happiness comes from new girlfriend Jen, but events take an alarming turn.

Hilarious and shockingly brutal, it forces us to question issues such as consent, parenthood and masculinity. £13 www.barntheatre.co.uk

Maltings Arts Theatre

Lossless 13th - 15th & 20th - 22nd Feb Tender and chilling, a two-part play about living with loss. In ‘Ghost Vocal’ an elderly widow’s haunting narrative written to her dead husband hints at unspoken resentments beneath the superficial ordinariness of their lives. There’s only one problem: she’s forgotten her glasses and can’t read it. Part Two, ‘End Sequence’, charts the effects of the loss of a young woman on her brother and his young daughter. In a devastating address to his sister, he attempts to make sense of a death he might have prevented. £7.50 - £13.50 The Radlett Centre Room on the Broom Gone 27th - 29th Feb 8pm 6th Feb 1.30pm / 7th & 8th Feb 10.30am & 1.30pm When a child vanishes without trace from remote The witch and her cat are travelling on their woodland, the local community is ripped apart. An broomstick when they pick up some hitch-hikers, a epic thriller exploring storytelling, brutality and loss friendly dog, a beautiful green bird and a frantic frog. through a series of interweaving narratives that But this broomstick’s not meant for five and it snaps span thirty years. Strong language, adult themes. in two... just as the hungry dragon appears! £7.50 - £13 Age 3+ £13 The Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans AL1 3HL www.maltingsartstheatre.co.uk Hermans Hermits 55th Anniversary Tour 26th Feb 7.30pm The Sandpit Theatre One of the biggest selling bands of the 60’s with hits Big Book Tall Tales including There’s A Kind Of Hush, Wonderful World, 20th Feb 11am and many more. An evening of nostalgia, song and The Rainbow Caretaker can’t stop talking about his laughter. £25 favourite books while he is cleaning, He suddenly 50 Things About Us, Mark Thomas 27th Feb finds a 6ft tall book but all the words have been A mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and well washed away. An adventure that will have you falling researched material examining how we’ve come to through the pages, discovering the washed away inhabit this divided wasteland some of us call the UK. words and helping the caretaker find the story!

It’s a show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, Age 3+ £6, £4 unicorns, guns, bungs and rich people in the vein of The Sandpit Theatre, St Albans AL49NX The Manifesto-meets-sweary history channel. www.sandpittheatre.co.uk Aldenham Avenue, Radlett WD7 8HL Wheathampstead Dramatic Society 01923 859291 www.radlettcentre.co.uk Love From A Stranger 20th - 22nd Feb 8pm

by Agatha Christie & Frank Vosper. £10 The Barn Theatre Memorial Hall, Wheathampstead AL4 8AT Violence & Son 7th - 15th Feb www.wheathampsteaddramaticsociety.co.uk After his mother’s death, 17-year old self-confessed 01582 621357

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Re-performing Past Pageants! 20th Feb 7pm Celebrating the wonderful spectacles past pageants as actors and community members perform excerpts from these pageant scenes, bringing history to life for St Albans today.

Free, please book St Albans Museum + Gallery Messy Science Workshops St Peter’s Street AL1 3DH 01727 864511 21st Feb drop-in 10am - 11am (relaxed session) Exhibition: Pageant Fever!

11.30am / 2pm / 3.30pm St Albans Performs its Past until 23rd Feb Get messy exploring a variety of experiments. £3 Telling the story of the St Albans pageants with Science Show Off - Comedy Night objects, costumes, audio recordings, images and 27th Feb 7.30pm £20 film, showing how the events were organised, Join Dr Steve Cross and some of the region's how they brought history vividly to life and what funniest science folk for stand-up comedy, they meant to the people of St Albans, then stories and entertainment on not knowing and now. Free enough science yet. Adults only Talk: ‘An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles’ Exhibition: Handley Page

by Dr Chris Lyal 6th Feb 7.30pm 29th Feb - 7th June One in every four animals is a beetle, and so far, Iconic aviation company Handley Page science has named more than 350,000 different manufactured planes locally for over 60 years, kinds, with many more still unknown. Lyal will including some that aided the effort in both World explore some of the more bizarre forms they Wars. Learn about some of the planes and take, and how they affect all of us. £10 pieces of equipment they invented, and hear Mad Science at the Museum! 15th Feb 2pm some fascinating stories including the first man Enjoy surprises and pop up experiments with a to break the speed of sound backwards! Free scientist from Mad Science. Free Verulamium Museum Unlocking the Universe with Lucy Hawking St Michael's AL3 4SW 01727 751810 17th Feb 4pm Running with Thread until 19th April Have you ever wondered how the universe Local artist, Nicola Moody has collaborated with began? Join Lucy to find out more about the Parkrun Luton and Wardown House to create mysteries of the universe. three woven artworks based on data from three Age 9+ Suggested donation £3 different participants of Parkrun, the runners’ Theatre Workshops: Participate in the time, heart rate and length of stride. Free Pageant 18th & 19th Feb 10am - 4pm Half Term Activities Workshops with Trestle Theatre to capture the imaginations of young people with an exploration All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Free with admission of scenes from the pageants. Ages 8 -14, £15 Meet a Roman Soldier Workshops: Help Make a Dragon 18th Feb 2.30pm & 3.30pm 18th & 19th Feb 10.30am & 2pm Meet Decanus Laurentius Calvus Petronius, a Help the Museum make a large-scale dragon to tell part of St Albans’ pageant story, working with Roman Soldier posted to Verulamium Museum during the rebellion of Boudicc. stage and costume designers. The dragon will Crafts in the Colonnade then be used at the Re-performing Past 21st Feb drop in 2 - 4pm Pageants! show on 20th February. Free Take part in themed craft activities. www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

NOW at the Museums

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NOW at The Alban Arena All Star Superslam Wrestling 1st Feb 7.30pm Boo the villains and cheer for your favourites as some of the country’s top ring stars clash in an action-packed spectacle that will have you on the edge of your seat. £15, child £10 The Classic Rock Show 3rd Feb 7.30pm Paying tribute to the world’s all time rock greats from Led Zeppelin to The Who. £36.50, £26.50 Jimmy Carr: Terribly Funny 4th Feb 8pm This new show contains jokes about all kinds of terrible things because political correctness at a comedy show is like health and safety at a rodeo. £29.50 That’ll Be The Day 5th Feb 7.30pm With hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s this show is guaranteed to have you dancing in the aisles. £27, £25 Milton Jones in Milton Impossible 6th Feb 7.30pm Just gloriously daft nonsense or is there a deeper meaning? £27.50 Buble Meets Sinatra: The Showdown 7th Feb 7.30pm Experience the closest thing to the superstars themselves in this new tribute musical. £15 - £23.50 Jack Dee: Off The Telly 16th Feb 8pm “In these difficult and uncertain times people need hope – a ray of sunshine ...and that’s very much where I come in” £23 Tango Fire 17th Feb 7.30pm An explosive journey through the history of authentic Argentine Tango, guaranteed to make pulses race. £24 - £32 Adam Kay: This Is Going To Hurt 19th Feb 7.30pm Kay shares entries from his diaries as a junior doctor in this “electrifying” evening of stand-up and music. £25 Menopause the Musical 2 20th Feb 7.30pm It will have you laughing, singing and maybe even dancing on-stage.

Age 16+ £30 Joe Brown in Concert: 60th Anniversary Tour 21st Feb 7.30pm Combining timeless classics, rockabilly, gospel, country, bluegrass, and rock ‘n’ roll. £31.50, £29.50 The King is Back: Ben Portsmouth is Elvis 22nd Feb 7.30pm Internationally renowned as one, if not the Best Elvis Tribute in the world today, £31.50, £27.50 Hertfordshire Wedding Fair 23rd Feb 11am - 4pm With over 70 quality exhibitors. Free Rhod Gilbert: The Book of John 24th Feb 8pm Rhod like never before; raw, personal and brutally honest. £27.50 Ed Byrne: If I’m Honest… 26th Feb 8pm Ed takes a long hard look at himself to see if he has ANY traits worth passing on to his children. £25 California Dreamin’ 27th Feb 7.30pm Featuring hits from the flower power era, with the music of The Mamas and Papas and more. £23.50 We Remember Joe Cocker by Paul Cox 28th Feb 7.30pm Celebrating 50 years of the raspy soulful sound of Joe Cocker. £22.50

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Feb Fest An arts event for children and young people jam-packed with stuff to do and things to see. Handpicked by Full House, there’s great theatre, storytelling, dance and workshops… something for everyone to enjoy!

Luton Library Theatre St George’s Square LU1 2NG Charmane 15th Feb £7 age 5+ Piggin thinks Charmane is a kitten as that's what he sees on the outside, but she doesn't feel like a kitten on the inside. This is a story about acceptance, courage and learning how to find your inner ROAR! Chloe and the Colour Catcher 21st Feb 2.30pm £7 ages 4 - 7 Join Chloe on her journey to unleash all seven shades of the rainbow in this original tale of bravery, self-expression and fighting for what your heart knows to be true. See details of workshop below.

Hat Factory Arts Centre Bute Street Luton LU1 2EY Imagination Station 17th - 21st Feb 11am - 3pm free Free drop-in space for all ages with arts and crafts, face-painting, storytelling, music and more.

Muckers 17th Feb £5 age 7+ Paloma has always mucked about with Pichón. They dress up like tigers, flamenco dancers, rabbits and Lady Gaga. Life is fun until one day a blinding light lands on Paloma. Embarrassed and confused, her days mucking about with Pichón seem to be over...Muckers is a quest for self-acceptance, with original songs and a lot of Spanish. Sidesplitting and poignant in equal measure, it brings us face-to-face with the curious invisible forces which are acting upon us when we don’t even know it. Join Paloma on a magnetic and mucky journey.

Little Darling 20th Feb £5 age 4+ Magical memories of Peter Pan, a fun adventure story for small people with big imaginations with music by BAFTA nominated composer Rebecca Applin.

Taleshakers 21st Feb 10am, £4, age 0-6 Revel, rave and rhyme, in this fun filled family session that combines storytelling, games and movement.

Chloe and the Colour Catcher Workshop 21st Feb 11.30am £4 ages 4 -7 Join Ad Infinitum for a colourful performance workshop based on ideas and themes explored in Chloe and the Colour Catcher. See above.

Stockwood Discovery Centre Luton LU1 4LX Gulp 19th Feb £5 Age 7+ An extraordinary adventure about water in a magical story dripping with fun, unexpected twists and turns, and watery surprises about how to care for the world and its precious resources.

Various Venues Trunk Tales 18th & 19th Feb £5 age 4+ A lady, a trunk and a collection of stories from around the globe.

Share tales of boastful toads; magical fish and fearsome beasts of the wild woods. Using puppetry and the contents of her magical trunk she will create Arabic seas; epic mountains; fields of turnips and the tallest trees. Children are invited to join in. www.culturetrust.com

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Talk: The Surprising Global Legacy of Anne Frank 4th Feb 7.30pm £10 Abbey by Night 5th Feb 8pm & 8.30pm A rare chance to be transported back in time and explore the stories of the medieval Abbey, while meeting the men and women, monks and pilgrims to whom this great Abbey was a home and a centre for learning and worship. Restrictions apply, £15 Lunchtime Recital 8th Feb 1pm Michael Butten performs a classical guitar recital.

Talk: Simon de Montfort and England’s First Revolution 8th Feb 2.30pm £10 Weekend Wisdom Tour: Built For Glory 9th Feb 1.30pm Discover the unique architecture of the cathedral through 10 beautiful objects. (Tours held every second Sunday of the month to explore a special feature of the cathedral). Free Organ Recital 12th Feb 12.30pm William Fox, Sub Organist, St Paul’s Cathedral.

Talk: Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers 12th Feb 7.30pm Led by bestselling author Wendy Holden with Abbey Tots Tuesdays 9.30am survivor Eva Clarke. £10 Popular weekly get togethers with toys, drinks Handel’s Messiah and biscuits followed by a sing-song for pre15th Feb 7.30pm school children and their parents or carers.

Performed by Hertfordshire Chorus, probably the Exhibition: Anne Frank + You most well-known and performed choral work in until 20 Feb Mon - Fri 2.30pm - 5.30pm the world. £12 Sat 8.30am - 3.30pm / Sun 12.30pm - 5.30pm Family Discovery Morning: Treasure Trail 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation 20th Feb 10am - 12.30pm of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, Follow an exciting trail of discovery around the the death of Anne Frank and the end of WW2. cathedral uncover some hidden treasures, before This exhibition explores Anne Frank, her diary finishing with wonderful arts and crafts. and the Holocaust and how they highlight IOF Concert 22nd Feb 5.30pm contemporary injustices, such as racial hatred.

Konstantin Volostnov, first prize winner of the IOF There is a life-sized replica of Anne’s bedroom in 2009. Works by JS Bach, Mozart, Franck and the ‘secret annexe’ of Prinsengracht 263, offering Liszt. an experience of her life in hiding and the value of Taize Service 23rd Feb 6.30pm freedom. Free Service with music, meditation and singing.

Be a Chorister for an Afternoon Ash Wednesday 26th Feb 8pm 1st Feb from 1.15pm For girls interested in joining the Cathedral Choir, Choral Eucharist with imposition of ashes marking the start of Lent sung by the girls and men of the for more details or to register email Cathedral Choir and Abbey Singers. music@stalbanscathedral.org Oaklands College Exhibition Talk: Hildegard: Radical Woman of Faith 28th Feb - 4th March 1st Feb 5.30pm £10.

Students were encouraged to take inspiration Epiphany and Candlemas Carol Service from the building and its magnificent history and 2nd Feb 6.30pm sketch what they saw. The pieces on display are Music and readings, sung by the girls and men the result of their visit, which included rarely seen of the Cathedral Choir glimpses of the Cathedral’s hidden spaces.

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Out of Town

Shuttleworth Collection Visit the House 23rd Feb 10am - 4pm Learn more about this interesting building and the family that lived there. Explore the rooms, the grounds and areas not usually open to the public. The House, a Grade II Jacobean style home built in 1872 sits in a 5000 acre estate, is surrounded by historic natural parkland and comes with a compelling history. £5, child £1 Parkland Tour 28th Feb 10.30am - 1pm Enjoy a walk through time around the parkland of the estate. Learn about its historical features and uses as well as its modern-day management and preservation.

Ticket includes tea, coffee and cake. Please wear appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear.

Age 16+, £20 Shuttleworth, Beds SG18 www.shuttleworth.org

Bletchley Park Vintage Date Night 14th Feb 4pm Step back in time for a Valentine’s Day vintage date.

February Half Term 17th - 21st Feb 11am - 3.30pm Did you know that any number can be represented using a code of only ones and zeros? Take part in games, challenges and crafts which explore how the codebreakers used this to their advantage. Have a go at binary bingo, binary dominos, binary patterns, art and jewellery, and explore some of codebreaker Bill Tutte’s wider problem-solving challenges.

Included with admission, drop-in, ages 5 -14 Family Tours: Amazing People, Amazing Machines 17th, 21st & 22nd Feb 11am - 4pm Could you have been a Codebreaker, a Wren or maybe a dispatch rider? Would you have been able to keep your work secret even after the war? Find out about the amazing people and machines that helped break the Enigma cipher. Learn some surprising new facts, explore everyday life at Bletchley Park in 1941, and take part in some secret war work.

Included with admission, ages 5 - 14, please book

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Bletchley Park, Bucks MK3 6EB www.bletchleypark.org.uk

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Event Cinema The Metropolitan Opera Live: Porgy and Bess 1st Feb 5.55pm James Robinson’s production transports you to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants. Featuring the duo of Eric Owens and Angel Blue and an all-star ensemble that includes Golda Schultz, Latonia Moore and Denyce Graves.

Exhibition on Screen - Lucian Freud: A Self Portrait 3rd Feb 8.15pm & 6th Feb 3.15pm For anyone interested in 20th and 21st century art. This is a chance to reveal the psyche and development of one of the worlds most celebrated artists.

Kinky Boots The Musical filmed at London's Adelphi Theatre 4th Feb 7.30pm & 9th Feb 5pm Inspired by true events, this huge-hearted hit tells the story of two people with nothing in common, or so they think...Charlie is a factory owner struggling to save his family business, and Lola is an entertainer. With a little compassion, and a lot of understanding, this unexpected pair learn to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen!

NT Live - The Best of 2019: Small Island 6th Feb 7.30pm Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel comes to life in a new theatre adaptation. Small Island embarks on a journey from Jamaica to Britain, through WW2 to 1948 – the year the HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury.

NT Live - The Best of 2019: The Lehman Trilogy 13th Feb 7pm The story of a family and a company that changed the world, told in three parts on a single evening. In September 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside. Dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joined by his two brothers and an American epic begins.163 years later, the firm they establish, Lehman Brothers collapses into bankruptcy and triggers the largest financial crisis in history.

National Theatre Live: Cyrano De Bergerac 20th Feb 7pm A wonderful reimagining of the 1897 play by Edmond Rostand.

Cyrano almost has it all - if only he could win the heart of Roxane.

There’s just one problem: he has a nose as huge as his heart. Will a society engulfed by narcissism get the better of Cyrano - or can his mastery of language set Roxane’s world alight.

The Royal Opera House Live: The Cellist / Dances At A Gathering 25th Feb 7.15pm Cathy Marston took inspiration for her first work from the life of the cellist Jacqueline du Pré. Jerome Robbin's elegant classic provides the second part. This is a dance for five couples, performed to the music of Chopin.

The Metropolitan Opera Live: Agrippina 29th Feb 5.55pm Black comedy starring mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey as Agrippina’s son and future emperor Nerone, soprano Brenda Rae as Poppea, countertenor Iestyn Davies as the ambitious officer Ottone, and bass Matthew Rose as the emperor Claudius.

Campus West, WGC, AL8 6BX www.cwentertainment.co.uk 20

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NOW for some Music

St Saviour’s Church St Albans Chamber Choir - Spanish Mystics 1st Feb 7.30pm Music, poetry and art from 16th and 17th century Spain conducted by John Gibbons with saxophonist Louisa Kataria.

Tomás Luis de Victoria: Vespers Geoffrey Burgon: Dos Coros Geoffrey Burgon: Nunc Dimittis £15, child £5 St Saviour’s Church, St Albans AL1 4DF www.stalbanschamberchoir.org.uk

Herts Jazz Dick Pearce with the Clark Tracey Trio 2nd Feb 7.30pm Dick played with the Ronnie Scott Quintet for 14 years, then with the Peter King Quintet and now leads his own Quartet. Peter King has described him as ‘one of the most brilliant and naturally gifted trumpet players Great Britain has ever The Return of Pub in the Park produced’. £15, concs £13 Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park food and music festival will be making a welcome return to The Raible/Gradischnig Quintet St Albans this autumn after a hugely successful - The Music of Elmo Hope debut in the city last September.

9th Feb 7.30pm The celebrity chef will be bringing some of his This quintet brings together musicians from the superstar chef pals back to Verulamium Park for UK and Europe, paying tribute to the the three-day festival from 11th -13th September. compositions of the late great BeBop pianist, These include a number of Michelin-starred and Elmo Hope. £15, concs £13 award-winning pubs and restaurants – including Art Themen/James Wade-Sired Quintet Tom’s Hand and Flowers – that will be serving up 16th Feb 7.30pm tasting signature dishes.

The Herts Jazz Patron, age defying Art Themen, The festival will celebrate the very best food the makes his seasonal appearance with a talented country has to offer, combined with live music, young trombonist, still studying at the Guildhall at chef demonstrations, top quality shopping and the age of 17. These guest spots with Art are other festival fun. Our very own local restaurants always enjoyable and highlight the accessibility of Thompson’s St Albans and Dylans will be in this music, whatever the age difference. attendance again this year, serving some of their £15, concs £13 most popular dishes.

Julian Arguelles Quartet Pubs that are confirmed so far include The 23rd Feb 7.30pm Hardwick, the Green Man, the Star Inn and the Award-winning saxophonist Argüelles plays a Blackbird alongside Atul Kochhar, who will be unique mix of contemporary jazz infused with serving some of his finest creations. This is just Spanish rhythms, South African grooves and the tip of the iceberg; there’s still lots of chefs, classical nuance. He is an exceptionally gifted restaurants and pubs to be announced. musician, and has been compared to sax legends On the music front, last year’s headline acts Wayne Shorter and Charles Lloyd. included Razorlight, Tom Odell, Will Young and local up-and-coming teen band Angels N’ Bandits, £15, concs £13 The Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans AL1 3HL and music lovers can expect to enjoy the same www.hertsjazz.co.uk calibre of bands and performers again this year.

Priority booking of tickets will take place on Harpenden Choral Society 5th February for those who have signed up to Come & Sing ‘The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins the newsletter. General release for tickets will 8th Feb 1pm be 7th February. See advert on page 2 High Street Methodist Church, Harpenden www.pubintheparkuk.com £15 includes afternoon tea 01582 419379 www.harpendenchoralsociety.org

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The Horn

UHArts

Emily Capell 5th Feb 8pm Singer songwriter and musician from North West London, Capell has a wide range of influences from Dolly Parton to The Clash, and has brought a new genre of country, ska, doo wopp and pop to the music scene.

She supported Texas on their 2017 world tour and has played Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, Reading and Lattitude festivals. £10 Strange Bones 6th Feb 8pm This four piece from Blackpool are putting loud music out and it’s worth listening to because it has a purpose. With a sold out 'Jack Daniels' residency in Blackpool and festival appearances at Download UK and France, Live at Leeds, The Great Escape, Reading and Leeds. £8 The Howlers / All In Motion 20th Feb 8pm Formed in May 2018, The Howlers have received critical acclaim for their broodingly emotive live performances, establishing them as one of the UK’s must see emerging bands. £7 The Horn, St Albans AL1 3TE www.thehorn.co.uk

de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra String Quartet 6th Feb 12 noon Enjoy a musical moment with the orchestra’s string quartet. Free Chapman Lounge, College Lane Campus Czech Classics 9th Feb 3.30pm Free pre-concert talk 2.30pm In their 50th Anniversary Season, the de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra welcome back oboe soloist Jonathan Small, who first appeared with the orchestra in 1973, before launching his professional career.

Jonathan will perform Martinu's Oboe Concerto, accompanied by two works by Dvořák, his Scherzo Capriccioso and the ever popular Symphony No. 9, the “New World” Symphony. £18, concs £15, child £8 Weston Auditorium, de Havilland Campus, University of Herts, Hatfield AL10 9EU www.uharts.co.uk

Classical Guitar Tuition

www.merlinmiller.co.uk 07831572618

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February Fun

Whipsnade Zoo 70kg Bundle of Joy The birth of a giant took place at Whipsnade Zoo just before Christmas when a baby rhino was born. The female greater onehorned rhino was born to mum Behan and dad Hugo on 8th December. At 70kg, the youngster weighed more than twenty times the average 3kg human at birth and was born with furry ears and soft pink folds of skin, which will toughen to form the characteristic ‘armour-plate’ rhinos are known for. Born as part of the European Breeding Programme for the species, this is Behan’s fifth calf and the 15th greater onehorned rhino to be born at Whipsnade, (one of the first zoos in the world to breed the species in 1957).

“With only around 3,500 greater one-horned rhinos left in the wild, this little one’s arrival is the best Christmas present we could have wished for.” Why not visit the Zoo to meet the rhino herd and see their new baby!

Be a Keeper for a Day until March This amazing experience offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close to some of the Zoo's animals. During the winter period you will work with some of the more unusual animals which may include Camels, European Bison or Butterflies. £149 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Beds LU6 2LF 0344 225 1826 www.zsl.org

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St Albans Pancake Race 25th Feb 12 noon Take part in either the Pancake Race or the Flippin’ Walkers Race which is for teams who enjoy the skill and competition of the Race without the need for speed.

You need four people to make up a team, cost £40, free for charities.

This year there will also be fun family sessions for everyone to enjoy.

Funds raised go towards local children’s charity, Home-Start Hertfordshire who try to meet the increasing needs of local families struggling to cope with day to day life.

The Pancake Race is a great community event so grab your friends and colleagues, sign up and join in with an afternoon of flipping (and possibly slightly competitive) fun!

Outside St Albans Museum + Gallery www.pancake.events

Harry Potter Book Night 6th Feb 5pm - 7pm Fancy dress competition. Free, £1 suggested donation for refreshments. Over 8s only.

Limited spaces available.

Redbourn Library www.hertfordshire.gov.uk

I SPY 15th - 23rd Feb 10am - 5pm I spy with my little eye, something beginning with A .......it's Agent Nitrate!!

Calling all wannabe-spies. With the return of Agent Nitrate and the Spy Team, you will enjoy a mix of science, learning and fun.

Visit the science stations to try finger-print dusting and writing secret messages, have fun writing your own spy story and enjoy spy -themed arts and crafts. Try out some cool spy gadgets, make yourself a rocket to escape on, watch the awesome science throughout the day, and finish with a lap of the new Obstacle Course, designed to test both your agility and problem-solving skills, it's a fun challenge for any age. Discover incredible radios, phones and even a WW2 Spy Radio Transceiver.

Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey EN9 1JY www.royalgunpowdermills.com

Get Hands-on with History 15th - 23rd Feb 11am - 3pm, drop in Discover what life was like upstairs and downstairs for lords, ladies and the people who served them at Wrest Park. Being the butler of a country house is no easy job, do you think you've got what it takes? Make sure your shoes are polished, your clothes are immaculate and you're standing up straight. learn about the etiquette of a Victorian house, from dressing a table to folding a napkin. But make sure you pay attention, as the master of the house won't keep sloppy butlers around for long!

Admission charges apply.

Wrest Park, Silsoe, Luton, MK45 4HR www.english-heritage.org.uk

Mill Green Museum All events 10.15am, 11.15am, 1.15pm & 2.15pm £3.50, no need to book Make a Leaf Bowl 18th Feb Make a beautiful bowl to hold tea lights or treasures.

Bee-Friend the Bees Tote Bag 19th Feb Design your tote bag to show your support for these essential pollinators.

Patrick Heron Inspires 20th Feb Be inspired by this renowned local artist's work and make your own wall hanging.

Mill Green Museum, Hatfield AL9 5PA www.millgreenmuseum.co.uk

Stargazing at Dunstable Downs Valentine's Night Stargazing 14th Feb 6pm, 6.30pm, 7pm & 7.30pm An unforgettable evening under the stars. Enjoy a glass of bubbly and take a journey that is simply out of this world. Please book £23 Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

Family Stargazing Evening 15th Feb 6.30pm Join UK Astronomy for an evening of learning about the solar system, with telescopes, binoculars and an inflatable solar system to explain what you see. Food and hot drinks will be available. £17, child £9 Planetarium 2020 19th - 22nd Feb half hour sessions 9.30am - 3.15pm Experience the wonders of the solar systems with a mobile planetarium, relax, sit back and relax under the projected stars. £6 Stargazing Evenings 20th & 22nd Feb 6pm, 6.30pm & 7.30pm Gaze at the stars and then be whisked off on an adventure around the universe with the help of Dark Sky Wales’ mobile Planetarium. £17, child £9 Stargazing Evening & Expert Talk 21st Feb 6pm, 6.30pm, 7pm & 7.30pm Discover the wonders of our universe with expert astronomers who will have telescopes to show you views of the night sky as you've never seen it before. Spend time in the planetarium and relax under starry skies. Includes a 1 hour talk so may not be appropriate for young children. £17, child £9 Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade LU6 2GY www.nationaltrust.org.uk

British Schools Museum Exhibition: Dreamers, Radicals and Satirists: Hertfordshire's inspired writers opens 14th Feb Explore how the county inspired its great writers such as Orwell, Shaw and Forster. Discover their friendship, their insights into society and their links with the county and how to travel the county in their footsteps. This exhibition is part of Hertfordshire Year of Culture 2020.

Dancing for Fun 18th Feb 10am - 12 noon Come and enjoy Maypole Dancing and English Country Dancing. Age 6+ £3 includes light refreshments, children must accompanied.

Please book 01462 420144 British Schools Museum, Hitchin SG4 9TS www.britishschoolsmuseum.org.uk

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Snowdrops & More

Waddesdon Manor Eythrope's Spectacular Snowdrops 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th Feb 10.30am & 12.30pm Enjoy a guided walk to see the white blanket of snowdrops on private parkland at Eythrope, there is an extensive collection of 70 different types.

Laid out for Sir William Stanhope in the mid-18th century, the lake and many of the trees predate Alice de Rothschild’s ownership of Eythrope.

Alice added the boathouse, ornamental rock work and influenced the planting schemes including the snowdrops. More recently snowdrops and winter flowering shrubs have been added to create a truly inspiring winter walk. £50, includes a meal www.waddesdon.org.uk

Benington Lordship 5th Feb - 1st March 11am - 4pm The gardens will be carpeted in a spectacular display of naturalised snowdrops around the remains of the Norman keep and surrounding moat. Hellebores, aconites and shrubs will also be in flower, as well as the coloured stems of acers, cornus and willow around the ponds.

Two main species of snowdrop make up the spectacular display: the single common snowdrop Galanthus nivalis; and double Galanthus nivalis ‘flore pleno.’

The snowdrop walk was planted in the early twentieth century by the present owner’s family and over the years, a collection of rare and unusual snowdrops has developed and many of these can be found growing in the borders.

Refreshments will be available including hot soup and cream teas.

Monday - Saturday in the Tea Room Sundays in the Parish Hall Snowdrops and Hellebores will be available to buy. £5 (£6 on Sundays), child £2 Snowdrop Concerts St Peter’s Church every Sunday at 2.30pm Free with a retiring collection in aid of the church www.beningtonlordship.co.uk

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National Garden Scheme Walkern Hall 8th & 9th Feb 12 noon - 4pm This winter woodland garden is set in 8 acres, where the carpet of snowdrops and aconites is a source of wonder. The medieval hunting park is known more for its established trees such as the tulip trees and a magnificent London plane tree which dominates the garden. In March and April there will be a stunning display of daffodils and other spring bulbs. Home-made teas, soup and cakes in aid of St Mary's Church, Walkern will be available. £5, child free Walkern Hall, Stevenage SG2 7JA Old Church Cottage 15th & 16th Feb 11.30am - 3pm A small garden around a 400 year old thatched cottage adjoining a disused churchyard with ancient yews and a Norman tower. The garden is laid out with raised beds many varieties of snowdrops together with cyclamen, crocuses, irises and other early spring bulbs. Please park in the village as the garden is at the end of a narrow country lane. Mulled wine and shortbread will be available £5, child free Old Church Cottage, Tring HP23 4QT 1 Elia Cottage 21st & 23rd Feb 12.30pm - 4.30pm Snowdrops are the first welcome visitors in this garden, combined with crocuses and hellebores.

There is a stream with a Monet-style bridge, pond and cascade plus water features, two summerhouses and plenty of seating. There will also be a garden quiz. The steep nature of garden means there is no wheelchair access.

Warm baguettes, tea and cake will be available. £3.50, child free 1 Elia Cottage, Nether Street, Ware SG12 8TH www.ngs.org.uk

National Nest Box Week 14th - 21st Feb National Nest Box Week (NNBW) has been running for 20 years. Valentine’s Day was chosen for the start of NNBW as this is the traditional date when birds pair up for the new breeding season. NNBW aims to encourage everyone to put up nest boxes in their gardens to promote and enhance biodiversity and conservation of breeding birds and wildlife while observing any breeding birds that you attract to your garden.

The RSPB provide safe nest boxes made from sustainable, durable FSC timber with good insulation properties, making them warm in winter and cool in summer. They use non-toxic preservatives without decorations that predators can cling to and threaten the birds inside. ww2.rspb.org.uk

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Walks, Talks & More RSPB Walks Harpenden Lea Valley Walk 2nd Feb 8am Guided walk identifying local birds. Meet on the bridge over the River Lea near the 'Marquis of Granby' pub, junction of Crabtree Lane and Marquis Lane. Free but a donation of £1 to the RSPB would be appreciated Morning Walk in the Ver Valley from St Albans 26th Feb 9.45 am A half day birdwatching walk led by Ann and Roger Doubleday, a £1 donation to the RSPB would be appreciated. Contact the leaders for details of where to meet. 01582 764226, annrogerbw@gmail.com ww2.rspb.org.uk

Walking for Health 5th Feb 10.30am Join the ‘Walking for Health' leader on the 1st Wednesday of each month for an intermediate walk across the Downs. There are friendly, specially trained volunteers on hand to provide encouragement and support, and make sure no one gets left behind. The walk covers a variety of paths and bridleways with some inclines. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Free Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre, Whipsnade LU6 2GY www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Luton Hoo Walled Garden Spring Walks 12th Feb & 4th & 11th March 10am Visit the ancient private landscape, not otherwise open to the public on a unique walk with beautiful views over the Bedfordshire countryside. £5 please book Friday Talk 28th Feb 11am Luton Hoo Memorial Park: Howard Chandler £5 Estate Office Lecture Room, Luton Hoo LU1 4LF (take West Hyde/Newmill End turning off West Hyde Road) www.lutonhooestate.co.uk

Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust Please book online for all events Family Conservation Days 17th & 18th Feb 10am - 2.30pm Volunteer with the family and help out with practical tasks on Harpenden Common. Tasks may include scrub clearance, gorse coppicing and bramble bashing. Hot drinks, tools and training all provided.

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Wild Wellbeing Walk 28th Feb 10.30am - 12 noon Peaceful walks through Harpenden Common, with a focus on being fully present in the natural surroundings and enjoying an awareness through all your senses. You will be guided through a series of activities to help you practice the skill of mindfulness.

Adults only, please book, free www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk

Going Underground Trail & Craft 17th - 21st Feb 10am - 2.30pm Have you ever looked under a log, beneath a pile of leaves or deep in the soil? If you look closely, you’re bound to spot a minibeast or two. Follow this trail to learn about the different minibeasts living beneath your feet. Then head back to the visitor centre for a creepy crawly craft. £3 Ashridge Visitor Centre, Berkhamsted HP4 1LT 01442 851227

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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New Year New Smile!

Dr Mayur Desai Russell Avenue Dental Practice

At your new dental practice would you like? √ √ √ √ √ √

A less rushed and more caring approach Enough time to discuss your treatment Costs and options fully explained To see what the dentist can see with our intra oral camera Cosmetic treatment for a nicer smile Reasonable private fees Examination for new patients £40 includes x-rays Phone or email for an appointment Russell Avenue Dental Practice 11 Russell Avenue, St Albans, Herts AL3 5ES

01727 863056 russellavedp@yahoo.co.uk www.russellavedp.co.uk www.theNOWmagazines.com

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Redbourn Dental Practice Dr Victoria Fowell ● ● ● ● ●

Accepting new patients Sedation for nervous patients Teeth straightening and whitening Cosmetic smile makeover Are you having problems with grinding or clenching disturbing your sleep?

Are you a migraine sufferer?

Our treatments alleviate these book a free consultation for further information

The Beauty Room Redbourn Dental Practice CACI Treatments ● Non surgical facelift ● Cellulite treatment for buttocks and legs ● Hydrotone facial Eyelash lifts and eyebrow tints Gelish, manicure and pedicure

39 High Street Redbourn AL3 7LW 01582 793 746

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Rennie Grove Hospice Care

Do Something for Charity Support the Bushfire Relief Efforts A bushfire disaster on an unprecedented scale has unfolded across Australia. As the hot weather continues, the devastation caused is predicted to carry on, threatening thousands of Australian people and millions of animals. You can support the relief efforts by donating money to these registered Australian charities: Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund - providing funds for the Red Cross’s emergency responses to bushfires, training and coordination of volunteers and equipment supplies. www.redcross.org.au Wires - wildlife charity working to rescue sick and orphaned animals from burning habitats. www.wires.org.au Givit - coordinating donations such as clothes and blankets and getting them to the people and charities who need them. The best way to offer support from the UK is through cash donations. www.givit.org.au

30-day Virtual Challenge Are you looking to make 2020 a time to get fitter, if so why not raise money by taking on this virtual challenge to be completed by 29th February.

Examples might be to run 30 miles, take 300,000 steps or cycle 300 miles within 30 days. You can decide on whatever activity works best for you, perhaps taking 30 minutes exercise a day or giving up chocolate for 30 days. Please sign up on-line Make Your Will Month During February you can write a new Will or update an existing one and help Rennie Grove Hospice Care (RGHC) at the same time. Solicitors supporting Make your Will Month will provide you with professional advice and in return will ask you to make a minimum donation to RGHC of £140 for a single Will or £200 for mirror Wills.

For more information see advert on page 38 Local solicitors supporting this event: Abbey Law St Albans 01727 839162 City Lawyers St Albans 01727 228890 Sherrards St Albans 01727 832830 Taylor Walton Harpenden & St Albans 01727 845245 www.renniegrove.org

Hospice of St Francis Sky Dive 29th March Push the boundaries and take to the skies in a tandem Skydive. Paired with an instructor, you’ll have the ride of a lifetime as you soar through the sky in aid of the Hospice.

Sign up online today www.stfrancis.org.uk

Race For Life St Albans 30% off entry in January Sign up in January for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life and claim 30% off the entry fee by using code RFLJAN30. The Race for Life events take place in Verulamium Park on 19th July and are open to all ages and abilities. The events are fun, colourful, emotional and uplifting. You can take part at your own pace – taking as much time as you like to complete the course. For some, the Race for Life is literally a walk in the park, for others, it’s a jog or a run.

Money raised funds world-class research to help beat 200 types of cancer.

Why not sign up today! www.raceforlife.org

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What’s on in February 42

until 9th Feb Exhibition: Wildlife Photographer of the Year Natural History Museum, Tring HP23 6AP, free until 22nd March Exhibition: British Wildlife Photography Awards Stockwood Discovery Centre LU1 4LX 1st Be a Chorister for an Afternoon page 16 All Star Superslam Wrestling page 12 1st - 29th Event Cinema page 28 2nd There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly Broadway Theatre, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3DD, 2.30pm www.broadway-letchworth.com 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd Herts Jazz page 22 4th Talk: The Surprising Global Legacy of Anne Frank page 16 4th & 11th Art Meet @ Notcutts page 4 5th How to Get Involved in Sustainable St Albans Courtyard Cafe, St Albans AL1 3RR, 10am, free 6th Milton Jones in Milton Impossible page 12 7th Buble Meets Sinatra: The Showdown page 12 Fisherman’s Friends Harpenden Public Halls 7th - 15th Violence & Son page 8 8th The Foundations Harpenden Public Halls 9th Kinky Boots: The Musical Sandpit Theatre, St Albans, filmed live at the Adelphi Theatre de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra: Czech Classics page 23 9th - 23rd The Roald Dahl Museum Events page 4 10th Soroptimist Women's Group Chiswell Green URC, 8pm, free www.sigbi.org/st-albans 12th Luton Hoo Walled Garden Spring Walk pge 20 12th - 15th St Albans Scout & Guide Gang Show The Alban Arena www.stalbansgangshow.com 14th Valentine’s Dinner & Dance www.shuttleworth.org 14th - 21st Stargazing at Dunstable Downs page 25 15th Absolute Bowie Harpenden Public Halls, £18.50

15th - 21st Feb Fest page 14 15th - 23rd February Frolics page 6 Get Hands-on With History page 25 16th Grimethorpe Colliery Band Harpenden Public Halls, 3pm, £20 St Albans Antiques & Vintage Market St Peters Street, 9am - 3pm 17th & 18th Family Conservation Days page 20 17th - 21st ArtShed! Holiday Art Camps page 5 Going Underground Trail & Craft page 20 18th Let’s Talk…Dementia Harpenden Public Halls, with leading Dementia & Palliative Care specialists, 6.30pm, £10, please book www.stfrancis.org.uk/dementia 19th Adam Kay: This Is Going To Hurt page 12 Displays Beginning With O or P St Mary's Church, Childwickbury AL3 6JJ, St Albans, Harpenden & District Philatelic Society, 8pm 20th Big Book Tall Tales page 8 A Provocative Beauty - The Art of Grayson Perry page 4 20th - 22nd Love From A Stranger page 8 21st Ben Hart: Wonder Harpenden Public Halls 22nd The King is Back: Ben Portsmouth is Elvis page 12 23rd Film: In Search of Mozart The Sandpit Theatre, St Albans AL4 9NX, 3pm, £10 24th Rhod Gilbert: The Book of John page 12 25th St Albans Pancake Race page 24 26th Ed Byrne: If I’m Honest… page 12 Julie Felix Harpenden Public Halls, Singer Songwriter & Environmentalist, 7.30pm, £16 27th Science Show Off - Comedy Night page 10 28th Shuttleworth Parkland Tour page 18 28th Feb - 4th March Oaklands College Exhibition page 16 29th Feb - 7th June Exhibition: Handley Page page 10

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What’s on in March 44

1st Film: In Search of Chopin The Sandpit Theatre, St Albans AL4 9NX, 3pm, £10 www.sandpittheatre.co.uk 2nd Rob Beckett - Wallop www.alban-arena.co.uk 5th - 7th Sound Of Music www.alban-arena.co.uk 6th Talk: Woodland Edge Gardening www.shuttleworth.org 6th & 7th Sarah & Duck Big Top Birthday The Radlett Centre WD7 8HL www.radlettcentre.co.uk 7th Crime Scene Investigation at the Museum! www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk 9th Our Planet Our Future Event: Rewilding Bennet’s Club, Harpenden AL5 2HU, 7.30pm, free, please book www.sustainablestalbans.org Ben Fogle - Tales From Wilderness Tour www.alban-arena.co.uk An Evening with Steve Perryman & Ossie Ardiles The Sandpit Theatre AL4 9NX, £30 www.sandpittheatre.co.uk 11th Joint Schools Concert St Albans Cathedral, Verdi, Wagner & Puccini, 7.30pm, from £10 12th - 21st The 39 Steps The Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans AL1 3HL, hilarious, fast-paced spy story in which a cast of 4 play 40 roles 14th ELO Experience www.alban-arena.co.uk Christian Cartwright & Stephen Foulkes St Albans Organ Theatre, Camp Road AL1 5PE 7.30pm, £12.50 www.stalbansorgantheatre.org.uk 14th & 15th 66 Book Club Unit 2, Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead HP2 7DU, 10am - 6pm 15th Circus of Horrors – 25 Years Tour www.alban-arena.co.uk 16th - 17th The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans AL1 3HL, as never seen before: alone, no glitz, no glamour 18th Displays Barnet & District Philatelic Society St Mary's Church, Childwickbury AL3 6JJ, St Albans, Harpenden & District Philatelic Society, 8pm, 01582 762284 Abbey by Night St Albans Cathedral, 8pm & 8.30pm, £15

19th Lecture: Beethoven at 250: Classical Music’s Greatest Revolutionary a guide through the life & work of this astonishingly original composer www.theartssocietyharpendenareadfas.org.uk 20th Guided Walk: The Trees of the Swiss Garden www.shuttleworth.org Sound Of Springsteen www.alban-arena.co.uk 21st Lea Singers: Vivaldi Squared St Nicholas Church, Harpenden AL5 2TP, Vivaldi's Gloria & motets by Bach & Monteverdi, 7pm, £15, concs £7 www.leasingers.co.uk Ian Ashpitel & Jonty Stephens as Eric & Ern www.alban-arena.co.uk Rumplestiltskin The Snail of Destiny The Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead HP1 3AE, 2.30pm 22nd Harpenden Street Festival theatre, circus skills, street performers, dancing, face painting, live music, workshops & more, 10am - 2pm Mother’s Day High Tea www.shuttleworth.org Vintage Mother's Day Afternoon Tea 1.30pm - 3.30pm www.bletchleypark.org.uk 24th - 28th Summer Holiday The Musical Harpenden Public Halls, 01582 767525 The Regina Monologues The Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans AL1 3HL, 6 women share their experiences of marriage to a man called Henry with humour & a great deal of wine 25th An Evening With Sir Geoff Hurst www.alban-arena.co.uk 27th Talk: A Country House Opens to the Public Luton Hoo 1950, Luton Hoo Walled Garden, 10.30am, £5 please book www.lutonhooestate.co.uk 28th Stabat Mater St Albans Cathedral, St Albans Bach Choir Concert, 7.30pm The Carpenters Story www.alban-arena.co.uk Rothamsted Cinema - Frozen 2 Rothamsted Conference Centre, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, 2pm www.rothamstedenterprises.com Dvorak ‘Requiem’ St Nicholas Church, Harpenden, Harpenden Choral Society, 7.30pm, £15, child £5 www.ticketsource.co.uk/harpendenchoralsociety Faulty Towers The Dining Experience www.shuttleworth.org

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Index of Businesses Dental Practices Redbourn Dental Practice 33 Back Cover Russell Avenue Beauty Dental Practice 31 The Beauty Room 33 The Cove Spa Front Cover Domestic Appliance Repairs Bicycle Repairs Spin Doctor 18 Cycletech UK 41 Education Building Kumon 6 Open Plan Solutions 40 Electricians Charity Alban Electrical Services 18 Rennie Grove Hospice Care 30 Anderton Electrics 19 Traid 36 Fencing Children’s Art Camps Verulam Fencing 27 Artshed!

5 Fencing Club Children’s St Albans Fencing Club 29 Development Classes Gymboree 7 Garage Doors Garolla 47 Chiropodist Kathy Witchard 3 Healthcare Spire Harpenden Cleaning Hospital 34 & 35 Daily Poppins 37 Domestique 37 Hearing Services WeCleanAnyProperty.com 37 Hearing Healthcare Practice 32 College Oaklands College 43 Locksmith Lock Around the Clock 13 Conservatory Roof Solutions Nu-Look 9 Loft Ladders Home Counties Dance & Drama Loft Ladders 21 Penny Waterman Mortgages School of Dance 7 Stagecoach 6 Individual Mortgages Solutions Ltd 39 Bathing Mobility Bathing Mobility Advisory Service

Music Events Pub in the Park Tubular Bells

2 45

Music Tuition Merlin Miller

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Painters & Decorators CB Decorators M & M Decorators

17 17

Plasterers A Merson Plastering

17

Plumber DJ&M Plumbing Services Ltd

41 & 47

Roofing GJ Smith Roofing

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Shutters The Harpenden Shutter Company Shuttercraft

15 15

Slimming Vision Weight Consultancy

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Smart Home Solutions Smart Port Europe

19

Soft Furnishings Sue Smyth

15

Tree Surgeons Fircroft Tree Surgery Ltd

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TV Repairs JB TV Services

13

Will Planning / Writing Rennie Grove Hospice Care Westminster Wills Ltd

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Windows & Doors Cloud 9 Kings Windows

11 13

Yoga Classes Intelligent Pilates

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