Issuu

20th

Anniversary Edition Look inside for local events

st albans October 2026

NOW

promoting local businesses, events and much more since 2006

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Welcome to our 20th anniversary magazine!

In 2006 we set up the NOW magazines from our kitchen tables! Starting in black and white and learning along the way, we feel very proud of the well used publications they have become. We work hard every month to make the magazines the best they can be, and continue to include all sorts of businesses from Architects, Builders, Chimney Sweeps, Funeral Directors and Gardeners to Painters & Decorators, Plumbers, Solicitors, Tree Surgeons, Will Writers and more. We do everything from layout and advert design to sourcing content, editorial and proof reading, and as we still receive positive feedback from readers and advertisers, will continue to publish the magazines for many years to come!

Jane & Wendy

@theNOWmagazines

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Book online today - Deadline 6th October theNOWmagazines.com jane@theNOWmagazines.com 07983 588291

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Conveyancing, Family Law, Immigration, Litigation, Landlord and Tenant, Road Traffic Offences, Private Client We are a small friendly law firm and understand that when facing a legal problem it can be stressful, so our aim is to make you feel as comfortable as possible and assist you with achieving the results you desire by listening to you. We specialise in Conveyancing, Family Law, Immigration, Litigation, Landlord and Tenant, Road Traffic Offences and Private Client, and our rates are very reasonable for this area. Book a free 20 minute appointment to discuss how we can help. There is free parking for an hour right outside. Prepare for the future and protect yourself and your family.

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Out & About

Tour: Flora & Fauna 3rd Oct 10.30am £12 See how the natural world has been depicted in stone, wood, glass, brass and textile over the Whipsnade Zoo centuries. All free with admission All Creatures Great & Small: Pet Blessing Exhibition: ZSL at 200 until 31st Dec Service 4th Oct 2pm Give thanks for all God’s Showcasing the Zoo’s rich history. creatures and the joy and companionship they Boo at the Zoo 24th Oct - 1st Nov bring to us. Enjoy Halloween activities, spooky stories, Coldplay By Candlelight creepy crafts, animal adventures 7th Oct 7.30pm £20 - £60 and dressing up. Elvis By Candlelight World Lemur Day 30th Oct 8th Oct 7.30pm £20 - £60 With a special lemur talk and feed. Dunstable LU6 2LF whipsnadezoo.org Country by Candlelight 9th Oct 7.30pm £20 - £60 Stockwood Discovery Centre Queen By Candlelight Exhibition: British Wildlife Photography 10th Oct 7.30pm £20 - £60 Awards 18th Sept - 31st Oct 11am-5pm, Tour: 1077 & All That closed Mons & Tues 13th Oct 2pm £12 Recognising the achievements of amateur and professional photographers while highlighting the Learn about the changes Abbot Paul and his successors made to the monastery, how it rich variety of wildlife and natural landscapes became the leading Benedictine house in the across Britain. Free, please book London Road Luton LU1 4LX culturetrust.com country and a focus for pilgrimage. Tour: Abbey by Night Berkhamsted Golf Day 14th Oct 8pm £23 1st Oct 11am £120 As darkness descends, huddle around and meet With only natural hazards this course provides the monks and pilgrims and see, hear, feel and a unique challenge for any golfer. Enjoy a smell the inspiring tales these men and women relaxed day, finishing with a BBQ and an auction. have to tell. Berkhamsted Golf Club, Berkhamsted HP4 2QB Hertfordshire Chorus - Elgar: From the stfrancis.org.uk Bavarian Highlands 17th Oct 7.30pm £5 - £32 Abbey Theatre Tour: Angels & Demons Stars & the Moon 18th Oct 1.30pm £6 1st - 3rd Oct 7.30pm £24 Explore examples of both the good and the bad, A celebration of the music of Jason Robert and the conflict between them. Brown, with tracks from The Last Five World Voices Festival - The Concert Years, Songs for a New World, The Bridges 18th Oct 7.30pm £7.50 - £25 of Madison County and more. With internationally acclaimed artists, Bharatanatyam: A Story in Motion choirs from across the UK and beyond. Gospel, 10th Oct 7pm Pop, A Cappella, musicals and a breath-taking Performance of Dashavataram (the 10 200-voice finale. incarnations of Lord Vishnu) through one of 90's Silent Disco India’s most ancient and celebrated classical 23rd Oct 8pm, from £32.01 dance forms. £18, child £13 St Albans Community Showcase Lecture: The Arts Society St Albans 24th Oct 11am - 3pm With over 60 charities and 14th Oct 10.30am £7.50 Focusing on real life, community organisations dedicated to making a Protestant influences, merchant wealth and difference in our community. Dutch independence through masters like Beatles by Candlelight Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals. 28th Oct 7.30pm £20 - £60 janesayer110@yahoo.co.uk Meat Loaf by Candlelight The 39 Steps 16th - 24th Oct 29th Oct 7.30pm £20-£60 A wildly funny and physical comedy. £15, £13 Pink Floyd By Candlelight St Albans AL1 2DL abbeytheatre.org.uk 30th Oct 7.30pm £20-£60 St Albans Cathedral The Zombies Begin Here Festival Talk: From Black Death to Dissolution: 31st Oct 8pm the making, breaking & re-shaping Festival honouring the band and their St Albans of monks at St Albans origins with a concert, signing sessions, themed 1st Oct 7.30pm on line/in person £12 master classes and events. £45 - £170 stalbanscathedral.org

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Out & About

Kerry Ellis - Rock Anthems 17th Oct 7.30pm Paying homage to Queen, Meatloaf, Bonnie Tyler and the other rock legends, Ellis will sing a juke box full of classic rock anthems. Hat Factory Arts Centre Choose George: Celebrating George Michael Lucy Porter: Let Yourself Go! 18th Oct 8pm 2nd Oct 7.30pm £25.30 Featuring early Wham! hits through to George Festival favourite Lucy returns with a new Michael’s later songs, all performed by the show about the power of letting yourself incomparable Steve Mitchell. go - in every sense. An Evening with Tottenham Legends John Mackay presents: Alfie Brown: 20th Oct 7.30pm, meet & greet 6pm The Entertainer 3rd Oct 8pm £19.80 Join Chris Waddle, Gary Mabbutt and Graham A show so entertaining you can scarcely Roberts to hear about all things Spurs. believe it, from a man in crisis, desperate to find meaning in life! The Arts Society Harpenden Evening 21st Oct 8pm Ian Stone is ‘Looking for the Wow’ Manet and Monet - Founders of Impressionism? 15th Oct 7.30pm £22 “Life can't just be the humdrum…before the Rave On 23rd Oct 7.30pm inevitable slide of disease, decay and death. The ultimate 50s & 60s experience with hits from Why can't we sneak in a bit of awesome, a tad Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, of amazing and maybe a smidge of wonderful?” Connie Francis, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Lulu and The Beach Boys. Phil Ellis: Bath Mat 24th Oct 8pm £19.25 Multi-award winning "comic genius" and the new New Dawn Fades - A Play About Joy Division star of Taskmaster is on his first national stand& Manchester 24th Oct 7.30pm up tour. The story of four ordinary lads who, inspired by the punk revolution came together to form Joy Olaf Falafel's Stupidest, Super Stupid Show Division, then following the death of lead singer 25th Oct 11.30am & 2pm £10, ages 3-13 The comedy show comedians take their kids to is Ian Curtis, went on to world-wide success as New Order. back and even funnier! Hat Factory Arts Centre, Luton LU1 2EY Go West – We Close Our Eyes & Other culturetrust.com Stories 25th Oct 7.30pm Peter Cox from Go West performs classic hits Eric Morecambe Centre like We Close Our Eyes, Call Me, Faithful and An Evening with Nigel Owens MBE King of Wishful Thinking. 2nd Oct 7.30pm, meet & greet 6.30pm The Amazing Bubbleman 26th Oct 2pm One of the most engaging characters in Breath-taking dynamics of bubbles, combining Rugby Union, known for his charm, wit comedy and artistry with audience participation and fairness as a referee. and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep Come From Away 7th Oct everyone mesmerized. Harpenden Musical Theatre Company perform the story of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, Ruby Wax: Absolutely Famous 27th Oct 7.30pm and nearly 7000 passengers who landed there Provocative and hilariously abrasive, Ruby and when US air space closed on September 11, lifelong friend Clive Tulloh share scandalous 2001. This heart-warming musical is a joyful celebration of human connection, resilience, and stories never been heard before. Andy Hamilton’s Night To Remember the extraordinary power 29th Oct 7.30pm of generosity. Exploring the wonders and the weaknesses of Dr Richard Shepherd: Time of Death human memory and how laughter oils the wheels - More Unnatural Causes 14th Oct 7.30pm of the brain. Step into the world of the forensic investigation Frank Sinatra Big Band Bash of sudden and suspicious death with the UK’s 30th Oct 7.30pm most distinguished forensic pathologist. Enjoy songs including ‘You Make Me Feel So The Arts Society Harpenden Area Young’, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, ‘Just 15th Oct 10am One of Those Things’, ‘Pennies From Heaven’, The Geology of the Crown Jewels. ‘‘Makin’ Whoopee’: ‘New York, New York Oasiz 16th Oct 7.30pm and more. One of the UK’s most authentic tribute bands Rothamsted Park, Harpenden AL5 2FR celebrate the 30th anniversary of the record everyonetheatres.com breaking Oasis shows at Knebworth.

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Can the sky warn us of the earth's most devastating tremors? The Pain of My Immortal Soul, by Ronald Karel presents a breathtaking memoir that bridges the gap between atmospheric science, seismology, and the profound depths of human spirituality. Born in Istanbul to a family that could not understand his gifts, Karel sought refuge in the sky, developing a lifelong obsession with clouds and weather forecasting. At the age of sixteen, a fateful observation of abnormal cloud formations moments before the devastating 1970 Gediz earthquake altered the trajectory of his life forever. What follows is a solitary and courageous struggle for scientific recognition. Karel introduces his pioneering concept of "Meteoquakes"- the controversial but meticulously documented correlation between atmospheric magnetic fields, low-level clouds, and imminent seismic activity.

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Shunned by orthodox science and battling relentless familial opposition, his journey takes him from the shores of Istanbul to the meteorological institutions of Paris and London, driven by an unwavering conviction to save lives. But this book is more than a scientific crusade. It’s a profound philosophical exploration of reincarnation, the laws of karma, and a bold vision for a ‘New World Order’, aimed at eradicating global poverty and restoring human rights. Karel weaves a rich tapestry of true-life struggles, celestial observations and spiritual awakenings. Discover a unique blend of science and soul. Dive into the incredible true story of a man who danced with the clouds to unlock the secrets of the earth. Available to buy on Amazon at £11.13

jane@theNOWmagazines.com

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Out & About The Alban Arena

80s Live! 2nd Oct 7.30pm The ultimate 80s night out, come dressed to impress as you spin around and around for a night to remember. Nigel Havers Talking B*ll*cks 3rd Oct 7.30pm There’ll be behind-the-scenes gossip, tales of triumph (and disaster), moments of sheer madness, and a fair bit of talking b*ll*cks. Princess Proms 4th Oct 2pm& 5.30pm With songs from Frozen, Wicked, Moana, The Wizard of Oz, Beauty & The Beast, Anastasia, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, as well as a few from favourite popstars like Taylor Swift and Coldplay. The Bootleg Beatles in Concert 6th Oct 7.30pm For Beatle enthusiasts of all ages. Tim Peake’s Astronauts: The Quest To Explore Space Tour 7th Oct 7.30pm Bringing his own incredible journey to life through storytelling and archive footage, as he shares the remarkable stories of fellow astronauts and explores the spectacular evolution of space travel. Radio Gaga 9th Oct 7.30pm The ultimate celebration of Queen, playing Don’t Stop me now, I Want to Break Free, Somebody to Love, Another one bites the Dust, We Are The Champions, We Will Rock You and of course Bohemian Rhapsody. Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Blue Film Programme 10th Oct 7.30pm A collection of short films filled with extreme journeys, untamed characters and captivating cinematography. Simon Brodkin: Unleashed 11th Oct 3.30pm & 7.30pm Packed with outrageous punch-lines and electric crowd work, Simon rips into wild swimmers, vape shops, religion and his wife’s friends! Country Roads 16th Oct 7.30pm Enjoy the biggest country songs of all time; 9 to 5, Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, King of the Road, Crazy, Rhinestone Cowboy, Jolene, Dance the Night Away, Walkin’ after Midnight and more. Day-time Disco For Grown Ups 70s 80s 90s Party 17th Oct 3pm Get glittered up for a fun, feel-good day of dancing to the best 70s disco and soul, 80s pop and 90s dance floor classics. Halloween In Concert 23rd Oct 7.30pm Arrive dressed to impress, and settle in for a spine-tingling show that’s simply out of this world. Susan Calman: Tall Tales 25th Oct 7.30pm A show all about cruising, driving tanks, cats and getting older!

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Queenz – Battle of the Divas 29th Oct 7.30pm Live vocal drag spectacular, expect Whitney vs. Mariah, Gaga vs. Madonna, Beyoncé vs. Britney in a clash of music icons. Thank You For the Music 30th Oct 7.30pm Calling all Dancing Queens. Soulfish Charity Concert 31st Oct 7.30pm A night of sweet soul music, in aid of Youth Talk, local charity providing free, confidential counselling to local young people. everyonetheatres.com

Edge Grove School Open Mornings 3rd & 6th Oct See advert on page 6 Aldenham Village, Watford WD25 8NL edgegrove.com

Oaklands College

Harvest Festival 3rd Oct 12pm - 5pm A day of fun at the zoo, farm and orchard, with tractor rides, a scarecrow walk, and the chance to learn more about agriculture and the natural world. St Albans Campus Open Events 10am - 3pm Learn about apprenticeships, university level courses and courses for 16+ school leavers and adults. 10th Oct Welwyn Garden City Campus 17th Oct St Albans City Campus oaklands.ac.uk

The Pioneer Club

Indie Forever Battle Royale 3rd Oct 8pm £13 Expect to hear The Smiths, The Breeders, Pulp, The Libertines, The Cure, The Strokes and many more. Day Rave - Dance for a Cause 17th Oct 1pm - 7pm DJs will be bringing the best in dance music, while raising funds for Youth Talk and The Pioneer Club. £10 18+ Heathlands Drive, Harpenden Road AL3 5AY pioneerclub.co.uk

Highfield Park

Apple Day 4th Oct 1.30pm - 3.30pm free With a great local band, apple juice and cider on sale, juicing demonstrations, apple based games and more. Fun with Fungi 28th Oct 10am - 12.30pm, age 4-11 Take a mushroom meander to find the answers to the fungi quiz; enjoy mushroom painting and more. £6 Hill End Lane, St Albans AL4 0RA highfieldparktrust.co.uk

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Out & About

Mill Green Museum & Watermill Halloween Wreath Workshop 4th Oct 10am £65 Botanical Inks Workshop 25th Oct 10.30am £45 Family Mosaic Workshop 28th Oct 11am / 12.15pm £15 The Miller's Monster Mash Bash 30th & 31st Oct 10am - 4pm £10 Explore the haunted trail filled with classic scares and retro thrills, and enjoy a day of good old-fashioned Halloween fun. Bush Lane, Mill Green, Hatfield, AL9 5PD millgreenmuseum.co.uk

Tour: Museum by Torchlight 30th Oct 5pm Complete the trail challenge £1, make a spooky animal and get up close to the handling specimens. Free, please book, age 5+ Akeman Street, Tring HP23 6AP nhm.ac.uk

Hatfield House & Park

Hatfield House Music Festival: Celebrations 8th - 11th Oct 1.30pm - 5pm, from £5 Celebration lies at the heart of music, this year’s Festival reflects that, with programmes that move across centuries, from Renaissance consort music to contemporary composition. Old Hatfield Farmers Market 18th Oct Hatfield AL9 5HX hatfield-house.co.uk

Verulamium Museum

Talk: Roman & Iron Age Silchester 8th Oct 7pm Hear about recent excavations and ongoing research in Silchester, shedding new light on its Rennie Grove Peace Iron Age origins, people and daily life through its The Taylor Trek 4th Oct 8am Watford FC supporters honour Graham Taylor’s 400 year history. £10 Coins Tour 22nd Oct 2.30pm £20 legacy, while raising money for local charities. An exploration of the museum's remarkable Vicarage Road Stadium, Watford WD18 0ER collection of coins. Dying Matters Webinar 5th Oct 10am For anyone who would like to feel more confident Half Term Activities 26th Oct Mosaic Making Workshop supporting someone living with a serious illness 27th, 28th, 29th & 30th Oct Archaeology for or experiencing bereavement. Families. Learn how archaeologists record what Charity Screening: Grease they find by analysing genuine finds. 8th Oct from £20.50 includes a glass of fizz. St Michael's Street, St Albans AL3 4SW Odyssey Cinema, St Albans stalbansmuseums.org.uk Advance Care Planning Event 8th Oct Harpenden Charity Golf Day 9th Oct Time For Tea A fantastic day of golf for players of all abilities, Choose a date in October, and host your event with 18 holes of golf, breakfast, a BBQ lunch, at home, work or school, bake it, buy it, and help competitions and an auction, with prizes raise vital funds. including a golf fourball at The Grove and a Firewalk 12th Nov Harry Potter Studio Tour family ticket. Funds Sign up for this challenge to walk across raised will help local charity, DENS prevent and hot coals. alleviate homelessness, poverty and social renniegrovepeace.org exclusion. Sponsorship packages are also available for local businesses. Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust Stocks Golf Club in Aldbury HP23 5RX A Walk in the Park 7th Oct 2pm dens.org.uk/golf26 Find out about Luton's hidden green spaces. Barn Theatre Stockwood Park, Luton LU1 4LX Jazz at the Barn: Soul Time! With Leon Smartphone Safari 26th Oct 10.30am Greening & Steve Fishwick 9th Oct 8pm Learn how to take amazing nature photography with your phone. The Father 16th - 24th Oct 8pm Grebe House, St Albans AL3 4SN A darkly funny descent into the terrifying hertswildlifetrust.org.uk fog of dementia. Blue Heart Tring Natural History Museum 27th - 31st Oct 8pm & 31st Oct 2.30pm Museum Highlights Tour 7th Oct 3pm £6 Two plays; Heart’s Desire, where two parents adults only Explore the history of the Museum, hear fascinating stories from its past and discover await the arrival of their daughter from Australia, the scene is repeated with variations both its most iconic specimens. hilarious and shocking. The second play, Blue Brilliant Bats & Super Spiders Kettle, deals with a reunion of parents and 27th - 29th Oct 10.30am & 1pm children, combining experimental techniques with See how these animals have adapted to their a startling vision of the fragility of family life. environments, finding out the truth behind the Welwyn Garden City AL8 6ST myths and discovering why it’s so important to barntheatre.co.uk protect them. Free, drop-in age 5+

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The Flooring Professionals You Can Trust

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Out & About

Pumpkin Festival 10th - 31st Oct

Harpenden Gardening Society Talks

St Albans Organ Theatre

The Book That Changed the World: William Tyndale & the Battle for the English Bible

Pick a pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch, enjoy a Pumpkin Hunt, Arts & Crafts, Halloween Maze, Halloween Disco and lots more. Included in admission Willows Activity Farm, St Albans AL4 0PF willowsactivityfarm.com Organ Concerts 10th Oct & 7th Nov 3pm Mechanical Instrument Concerts 11th Oct & 8th Nov 3pm 320 Camp Road AL1 5PE stalbansorgantheatre.org.uk

St Albans Symphony Orchestra

Destiny 10th Oct 7.30pm, £5 - £18, child £2 Liszt: Les Préludes / Schumann: Cello Concerto Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette - Romeo Alone; Festivities at Capulet’s / Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini Family Concert: Fairy Tales 15th Nov 2.30pm £8, child £2 Fancy dress is invited - for audience and orchestra! St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane AL1 4DF ticketsource.com/stalbanssymphonyorchestra

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity Love Luton Run Fest 11th Oct Join Team Charity and raise funds for hospital appeals and campaigns. Wear It Pink 23rd Oct Dress in pink with friends, family or colleagues and raise funds for the Breast Screening and Breast Cancer services. bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/charity

St Albans South Signal Box Open Days

11th, 25th & 28th Oct & 8th Nov 2pm - 5pm 5 Ridgmont Road, St Albans AL1 3AJ sigbox.co.uk

Waddesdon

David Garrick & Huguenot Music in England 11th Oct 5.30pm, from £25 An atmospheric evening celebrating David Garrick, with music and words by Bloomsbury Baroque. Autumn Game Dinner 17th Oct 7pm, from £150 With a focus on game, locally and ethically sourced produce, and seasonal offerings from the estate. Standing with Giants 21st Oct - 29th Nov 10am - 4pm, free with grounds admission D-Day 1476 – For Your Tomorrow – this display commemorates the 1,476 lives lost on 6th June 1944 under British command on D-Day. Bucks HP18 0JH waddesdon.org.uk

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13th Oct: Gardening for Wildlife 1.30pm 10th Nov: Joys & Problems of Making a Garden in France 1pm All Saints Church Hall, Harpenden AL5 4UU

15th Oct 7pm £12 Drama telling the true story of a scholar, a fugitive, and a revolution that shaped our language and our faith. St Peter's Church, St Albans AL1 3HG stalbanscathedral.org

St Albans Museum + Gallery

Talk: The History of Mermaids & Women of the Waters 15th Oct 7pm £10 / Zoom £6 Explore the myth and folklore of the mermaid, from the world of Homer to the present, and learn about our relations with water and the way we define women. Exhibition: Still Lives 23rd Oct - 11th April free From 17th century Dutch masterpieces to works by some of today's most celebrated contemporary artists, learn how artists have transformed ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art. Half Term Activities: Family Art & Craft Workshops 27th Oct Bag Decorating - decorate a unique and personal drawstring bag. 28th Oct Still Life - arrange and draw your own composition, using a selection of art materials. 29th Oct Mask Making - craft a disguise for fun or for Halloween. Town Hall, St Peter's Street AL1 3DH stalbansmuseums.org.uk

Aylett Nurseries

Orchid Care Talk 17th Oct 11am £5 Terrarium Workshop 17th Oct 2pm £40 North Orbital Rd, St Albans AL2 1DH aylettnurseries.co.uk

Crossing the Channel

17th Oct 7.30pm Join the Music Makers choir for some beautiful Choral music by the great British and French composers of the Romantic Period; Finzi, Stanford, Parry, Vierne, Saint-Saëns, Fauré and more. £17 High Street Methodist Church, Harpenden AL5 2RU musicmakerschoir.wordpress.com

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Out & About

family day out filled with ancient crafts, storytelling, woodland adventures and the Haunted Forest. Celtic Harmony Camp, Brickendon SG13 8NY celticharmony.org

Shaw's Corner Apple Day

18th Oct 10.30am - 5.30pm Enjoy apple tastings, garden tours, children’s The Big Draw: Make a Mark games, chatting with the gardeners and more. 26th Oct - Wardown House, Museum & Gallery From £5.50 27th Oct - Stockwood Discovery Centre Ayot St Lawrence AL6 9BX nationaltrust.org.uk 29th Oct - Hat Factory Arts Centre The world’s largest celebration of drawing, Shenley Park Walled Garden Apple bringing people together through the power of Day 18th Oct 12 noon - 4pm creativity. This year it offers a space for creative Celebrating all things apple, with unusual freedom where everyone can get involved and varieties to try and buy, apple juice, produce and make their mark! Free, drop in. craft stalls and children’s activities. £1 culturetrust.com Shenley WD7 9DW shenleypark.co.uk

Halloween Creative Make & Take

Chiltern Open Air Museum

Blacksmithing Demonstration 18th Oct Chair Making Demonstration 25th Oct Halloween Spectacular 30th Oct 5pm - 9pm Explore the museum after dark as historic buildings are transformed with spooky decorations, brave the scary walk, hear spinetingling storytelling, keep an eye out for spooky horses, and toast marshmallows on the bonfire. Younger visitors (or those of a more sensitive disposition) can enjoy the not-so-spooky enchanted woodland, listen to the Halloween Band and make crafts in the marquee. Newland Park, Bucks HP8 4AB coam.org.uk

Spooky Half Term Trail

24th Oct - 1st Nov 10am - 4pm £3 Complete 10 activities at stations along the path to Chute Wood, each stop features clues or challenges, helping to piece together a puzzle and bringing Halloween to life at Dunstable Downs. Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 2GY nationaltrust.org.uk

Freaky Fun Fest 24th - 31st Oct

Enjoy the Freaky Circus, journey through the haunted Halloween mazes, then head to the Pumpkin Patch and pick a free pumpkin. £19.95 Mead Open Farm, Billington, Beds LU7 9JH meadopenfarm.co.uk

Harpenden Farmers' Market

25th Oct 10am - 2pm Harpenden High Street

28th Oct 11.30am,1.30pm & 3pm £4.50 Age 3+ Make Halloween crafts, bat bookmarks, spooky masks and mummify a beast! Wardown House, Museum & Gallery LU2 7HA culturetrust.com

Luton Hoo Walled Garden

Autumn Open Day 28th Oct 10.30am - 1pm Outdoor fun and crafts with an autumn theme. £3, child £5, under 2’s free Garden Tool Amnesty All unwanted tools accepted (except power tools). Check your shed and ask your neighbours. LU1 3TQ lutonhooestate.co.uk

Twilight Tricks 29th Oct 5.30pm - 8pm £12

Explore the galleries where you might bump into Miss Trunchbull. Get creative by candlelight, play with shadows in the courtyard and meet a glowing juggler. Take a Trick or Treat trail into the village to meet some Halloween characters, then hear the story of The Witches brought to life. Roald Dahl Museum, Bucks HP16 0AL roalddahlmuseum.org

Halloween Masks

29th Oct 2pm - 3pm Harpenden Library, High Street AL5 2RU hertfordshire.gov.uk

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory: The Musical 29th - 31st Oct

Step into a world of pure imagination with a dazzling stage adaptation of this classic story. The Sand Pit Theatre, St Albans AL4 9NX 25th Oct 12 noon - 4pm Explore the Castle and find out about its amazing sandpittheatre.co.uk history from William the Conqueror to the present Harpenden Art Club Exhibition day. Hertford SG14 1HR hertford.gov.uk 30th Oct - 1st Nov With over 300 stunning works of art on Celtic Harmony display, showing an exciting and diverse Archery & Axe Throwing Experience range of contemporary art, from realist work 25th Oct £35 through to abstract pieces, with paintings, Test your aim and sharpen your skills. prints and sculpture. Samhain Celebrations Harpenden Trust Centre, Southdown AL5 1PS 26th - 31st Oct £15 (31st Oct £20) harpendenartclub.co.uk Celebrate the Celtic New Year with a magical

Hertford Castle Open Day

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Out & About & More Shuttleworth

Murder Mystery: Halloween Special 31st Oct With a particularly spooky twist! £78 Comedy Night 6th Nov Featuring fantastic stand-up acts from around the world. £25 Remembrance Weekend 7th & 8th Nov free Explore a range of history exhibitions, including the House's time as a convalescent home during WWI and WWII, enjoy guided tours with knowledgeable volunteers, and make-a-poppy activities for the young at heart. Fireworks Night 7th Nov With live music, fairground rides, and a spectacular fireworks display, with the Hangars illuminated in colourful lights to create a vibrant backdrop. £12, child £6, under 4’s free Alder Drive, Beds SG18 9EA shuttleworth.org

vital sounds, such as smoke and fire alarms, providing them with companionship and emotional support, and rebuilding their connection to the world around them. Fostering involves welcoming a breeding dog into your home and caring for her - especially during the exciting time when she gives birth, then helping her raise her puppies and playing a crucial role in their early development before they go to live with one of the charity’s volunteers at the age of 8-10 weeks. After her last litter, foster carers can adopt the hearing dog mum as their pet dog. To find out more about fostering, to speak to a current foster carer, or to find out more about the charity’s other volunteering opportunities, please visit www.hearingdogs.org.uk/volunteer/brood -foster/ or contact the Volunteering Team at volunteer@hearingdogs.org.uk or call 01844 348129

This Harvest, Help a Local Neighbour Find Hope

St Albans & District Foodbank is asking the local community to come together to support neighbours facing difficult times. For Emily, a local mum, the Foodbank became a vital source of support during one of the hardest Half Marathon & 10k 1st Nov £38 - £57 times in her life. Struggling to afford food for her In support of the Garden House Hospice. family, she began skipping meals so her children Knebworth House, Stevenage SG1 2AX could eat. She also became increasingly isolated knebworthhouse.com and lost confidence. “For me, it’s been like a lifeline”, says Emily. St Albans Sleepout 13th Nov “I feel safe. I feel like I can just be my normal Whether you're a family looking for a meaningful self (at the foodbank)” challenge, a community group wanting to rally While working with the foodbank’s Wellbeing together for a great cause, or a school seeking a Team, Emily began to rebuild her confidence, powerful way to bring the curriculum to life, this is connect with others and take steps towards a your moment. Sleep out for one night. Change brighter future. She has now started a college lives for good. Registration is free with no course, something she thought wasn’t a minimum fundraising goal, and this community possibility for her. event supports local charities working to prevent Many people who come to the Foodbank never homelessness and help vulnerable young people imagined they would be in the situation they are in Hertfordshire. in. It can take just one unexpected event – ill Oaklands College, Evolution Building AL4 0JA health, job loss, a relationship breakdown – for stalbanssleepout.org.uk someone to find themselves unable to afford the essentials. In 2025, St Albans & District Foodbank provided over 13,000 food parcels to local people, with almost 40% going to children. There were over 600 new households referred to the Foodbank for emergency food and additional help. National charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is This Harvest, your support can provide calling on Hertfordshire dog lovers to open their more than food. It can give someone the homes – and their hearts – to some of its most welcome, connections and help they need extraordinary dogs: the charity’s ‘supermums’, to move forward. who are responsible for bringing the next Together we can help ensure no one in the generation of hearing dogs into the world. community faces hunger alone. Hearing Dog mums play a vital role in the journey info@stalbansdistrict.foodbank.org.uk of each hearing dog. Their puppies go on to stalbansdistrict.foodbank.org.uk/support-us/ become lifelines for deaf people, alerting them to

Hearing Dog Charity Seeks Fosterers to Care for its ’Supermums’

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Index of Businesses Accountants Hicks Verulam Tax

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Architect Hampshire Build

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Personal Stylist Elevated by Clementine

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Healthcare Spire Harpenden Hospital 20 / 21

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