TIMES
THE
AUTUMN 2019 | ISSUE 10 | BROUGHT TO YOU BY BRITAIN’S OLDEST PUB | YEOLDEFIGHTINGCOCKS.CO.UK
OKTOBERFEST German beer and music festival comes to YOFC this autumn
IT’S PANTO TIME And this year it’s Sleeping Beauty. Oh yes, it is...
‘I HAVE NEVER HEARD SUCH ANGER’ Lib Dem’s Daisy Cooper on Boudicca, Brexit and Boris
Campaign launches city pub-crawl map ANGIE CRONIN REPORTS
T
HE Save St Albans Pubs campaign is looking to put the city and district’s pubs on the map this autumn with the launch of a Give Our Pubs a Break pub crawls. The map, which is available in print form from all of the participating pubs as well as online from the Save St Albans Pubs website, includes five themed pub crawl suggestions featuring 49 pubs. The map is also available by scanning the QR code on the back of the printed version, which takes people automatically to the app. The pub crawls are all named after bands from the city and include: the Friendly Fires Pub Crawl, which features Ye Olde Fighting Cocks; the Fixx Pub Crawl; the Enter Shakari Pub Crawl; the Zombies Pub Crawl; and the Feeling Pub Crawl, also known as the designated drivers’ crawl as it includes pubs outside of the city centre. Alicia Meredith, events co-ordinator at the White Lion on Sopwell Lane, has been one of the driving forces behind the map. “Some of the pubs
YOFC open mic star takes centre stage at festival
LOCAL girl and friend of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks Asha Banks, 15, with her band Angels N’ Bandits, rocked the Pub in the Park stage in Verulamium Park in September. Also a star of West End musicals, Asha started her career singing in the YOFC’s open-mic nights when she was just nine. Full story, page 7 were talking about putting on a fringe festival around Pub in the Park so that the pubs that were not involved directly with the event could feel part of it. That’s when we came up with the idea of the pub crawl map,” said Alicia. “We thought it would be a great way to promote all the pubs as well as talk about the Save St Albans Pubs campaign, which is working hard to highlight the challenges that pubs are facing just to survive because of the crippling hike in
business rates.The Pub in the Park event provided the perfect springboard for us to launch the map. And with so many pubs in the city, we couldn’t just come up with one pub crawl, so we came up with five. “Advertising from participating pubs is how we have been able to fund the printing and the app. The adverts on the map give pubs the chance to promote special offers or events.” Looking ahead to the future, Save St Albans Pubs will be
working with local artist, Hannah Sessions on a Christmas crawl map to tie in with the Save St Albans Pubs Very Local Charity Christmas, all part of the Enjoy St Albans At Christmas Programme. The Save St Albans Pubs campaign is a not-forprofit group fighting a hike in business rates. It is calling on the Government to implement business rate reform to stop pub closures. Since 2016, St Albans has lost 15% of its pubs. savestalbanspubs.co.uk
If you have a news story for The YOFC Times or are interested in being a YOFC Times partner, email loudbird@btinternet.com
Landlord’s hasty drivel THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
Some want to call it editor’s notes, but I’m not having any of it
W
HAT a cracking summer that was! Some amazing events in the sunshine of 2019, which was the summer of festivals for St Albans. And we even had a couple of our own
here at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks. Of course the Pub in the Park touring food and music festival rolled into town, well, rolled into Verulamium Park, and was an absolute triumph. Our own girl Asha Banks, who’s been singing here since she was nine, played the main stage with the band she’s part of, Angels N’ Bandits alongside acts such as Razorlight, Tom Odell, The Christians and Will Young. Dylans at the Kings Arms and Thompson St Albans did us proud alongside Michelin-starred restaurants – the best in the country. This event really
helped put St Albans on the map and brought loads of visitors here to see how amazing our city is. And now we are looking forward to Christmas, and this year there’s a huge effort to put on a team St Albans Christmas. My vision is to get a stage outside the museum and put on some cracking live music on two days: 15 December – the day the Christmas Charter Market opens – and then again on 22 December. If anyone wants to get involved, help with sponsoring the stage, then you are a hero and let me know! Please!
Lastly I wanted to give a shout out to the Shop St Albans campaign that you might have seen on social media. Basically this is a way to help our local shops, restaurants, pubs, get all their offers out to the world and encourage people to take advantage of the awesome things they are doing. You know, those businesses that don’t have the advantage of a huge corporate marketing machine to help them – like the chains do. So get involved, help them out, shop local. Cracking issue for you this quarter. Get reading! Well, get a pint first, then get reading!
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR QUARTER FOUR FOOD and drink, fireworks, and festive fun galore – that’s what you can expect over the next three months – and all within a five to 15-minutes walk from the Fighters. Fill your boots! OCTOBER St Albans Cathedral – Space Voyage 28 October –1 November The Cathedral is offering an out-of-this-world experience, to the edge of the Milky Way and back with its spectacular space-themed Son-et-Lumiere to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing. This is an immersive experience provided by stunning illuminations inside and outside the Cathedral. stalbanscathedral.org NOVEMBER Verulamium Park – Fireworks Spectacular 2 November A spectacular event full of fantastic fireworks, food and fun. The display with musical accompaniment is produced by double winners of the British Fireworks Championships, Fantastic Fireworks. Christmas lights switch on 17 November, city centre Businesses and community groups
will come together to provide a day of Christmas fun, including Santa’s grotto, live music, food, drink and gift stalls and a fun fair. Hatsoff Comedy Club, 22 November Live stand-up comedy nights bringing top-class comedians to St Albans. Trinity United Reform Church, 1 Beaconsfield Road, St Albans. Doors open at 7pm, show at 8pm hatsoffcomedy.co.uk DECEMBER St Albans Museum + Gallery, 14 December Reverse Father Christmas event – organised by St Albans for Refugees Bring your children to see Father Christmas, free of charge, but instead of receiving a present, they will need to bring a present for a refugee, such as a hat, or scarf! Santa’s Post Office Christopher Place, 14 Nov – 23 December Visit Santa’s Post Office this festive season, which will be open in Christopher Place in St Albans city centre. There’s no need to book and entry is free. With Santa being so busy at this time of year, it’s very important to make sure your child’s
letter gets to the North Pole in time! At Santa’s Post Office, children can enter a magical world and write their letters to the big man before posting them into a special letter box. Once posted, they will be able to watch their letter on an enchanted journey to Lapland. As the children watch the journey, Santa’s elves will hand parents a reply with their address on it, stamped by Santa, for you to give to your child when you wish. enjoystalbans.com St Albans City Centre There will also be a treasure trail around St Albans that can be picked up at Santa’s Post Office and participating outlets to be in with a chance to win a St Albans Gift Card. Carols ’Til Closing Now in its 7th year, Carols ’Til Closing has become a favourite part of Christmas in St Albans. Join Father Richard from St Saviour’s Church (Sandpit Lane) for an evening of traditional carols, Christmas songs and festive merriment each evening from 8pm... ‘til closing time. The Boot, The Mermaid, The White Lion, The Great Northern, The White Hart Tap and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks will be this year’s host hostelries. ssaviours.org
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
Oktoberfest takes over at YOFC
Pub gears up for German-style beer and folk festival and launches Christmas menu
standing areas. There will be live music – a combination of THE Pub in the Park and St traditional Bavarian music and Albans Food and Drink modern local bands – and Festivals might be over, and German drinks, alongside might have left a huge food and plenty of beer. And, to go with drink hole in your social the beer, you can feast on life, but fear not, Ye traditional German Olde Fighting dishes. A best Cocks has just dressed Oktoberfest at the thing for competition will YOFC tickets 11 you. provide some and 12 October YOFC has extra fun. There from £8 teamed up with will be three eventbrite.co.uk Empty Events sessions, all of to bring you its which you can own version of the buy tickets for. On German beer and folk 11 October from festival, Oktoberfest, on 11 5pm-11pm, and on the and 12 October. The garden 12 October from midday to will be covered by large tents, 5:30pm and then at 6pm-11pm. and transformed into a And YOFC is also taking traditional German beer bookings for Christmas now festival, with seating and with the launch of its menu, SOPHIE BANKS REPORTS
which is available on line. The menu, £35 for three courses, has been put together by the pub’s head chef, Ian Baulsh, who, before joining the YOFC, worked under Michelin Star-winning Andrew McLeish at Chapter One for three years. The menu includes award-winning English Rose
Suffolk turkey crown, slow-cooked shin of beef, Admiral’s Pie, spinach and ricotta pithivier and roasted chump of lamb. Christmas bookings are coming in fast and if you are looking to make a reservation for your festive celebrations, then email reservations@yofcltd.com
‘People in St Albans are very generous’
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
In the second of a new series of features on Local Heroes, Sophie Banks catches up with St Albans resident and Lib Dem Councillor Liz Needham WHO CAN forget the heart-breaking and shocking image of little Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body, washed up on the beach in Turkey four years ago? Along with his parents, the three-year-old Syrian boy was trying to reach Europe when he drowned in the Mediterranean sea, and that tragic photograph put the European refugee crisis on the front pages of newspapers around the world. Someone who was very touched by that image was Liz Needham, a St Albans business-woman with two grown-up children and a grandchild, who had moved from Dublin to St Albans in 1990. Liz decided to get some other like-minded people together and try to do something
to help. Following a meeting in The Farmers’ Boy pub, Liz set up the charity, St Albans for Refugees (StAR) in the autumn of 2015, in a bid to take vital supplies and emergency aid across the channel to Calais, where a huge refugee camp had been set up. Since then, StAR has helped hundreds, if not thousands, of refugees across the world, in many refugee camps. The charity continues to help refugees today, and there is still a very real problem. “Things are still critical today” says Liz, “But the media moves on and it’s not front page news now. Nevertheless, the people of St Albans continue to be exceptionally generous with both their
donations and their time.” One initiative the charity has arranged for this Christmas is a Reverse Father Christmas event at the St Albans Museum on 14 December. Children go to see Father Christmas, free of charge, but they bring a present for a refugee, such as a hat, or scarf, and in exchange they receive a certificate and a lollipop. Liz, a keen dog-walker and motorcyclist, is also a Lib Dem Councillor, having recently won the seat for Batchwood, and is pushing for a plastic-free St Albans. “Other issues that need attention are the lack of affordable housing and the way business rates are affecting
local businesses (especially pubs).” For information on StAR, please go to stalbansforrefugees.org
GEORGE’S
MarveLlous Medicine By Roald Dahl Adapted by David Wood
14-29 DEC 2019 Abbey Theatre
Box Office: 01727 857861 www.abbeytheatre.org.uk
‘They deserve better from us’ THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks landlord Christo Tofalli caught up with a customer and friend of YOFC recently, and was stunned to find out that he had become homeless
“
HE IS an articulate, caring, family man, who fell on hard times when Brexit wiped out his business. Within six months, he had lost his income, his family unit, and his home. He said when it happened, it felt like “falling off a cliff”. I always thought the council would be there to help; to look after a resident of 25 years who always paid his taxes, worked hard, got involved with the community. His experience has horrified me and opened my eyes beyond belief. He literally could be sleeping in the park if it wasn’t for the help of good people.
It’s no surprise to anyone locally that there is a homeless problem in St Albans: the sleeping bags and cardboard boxes in shop doorways on St Peters’ St, at the station, and in our parks, are evidence of that. But when someone you know becomes homeless, through a run of bad luck, it becomes personal. I want to ask – how can this happen? How can the people who run this city’s finances have huge debates about replacing street lights, when human beings are being treated like this? It is clear from talking to Dave that our system has no heart: no empathy with people who are in extreme emotional distress when this happens to them, and it is not a joined up system either. It’s almost like you’re supposed to know how it all works when you’ve never been in this situation before. This isn’t just a St Albans
BRANDING MARKETING WEB DESIGN SOCIAL MEDIA
problem. In the last five years, England has seen a significant rise in older people applying for help with accommodation due to homelessness. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports a 39% increase in the number of main housing duty acceptances for those over 60 years old. High rents, a lack of affordable housing, and jobs impacted by the Brexit insecurity all play into this current crisis.But St Albans is supposedly one of the wealthiest cities in the country. And anyone who lives around here will tell you this is a problem that is increasing at the rate of knots. It isn’t just kids who’ve been kicked out of their homes, drug addicts and people with drink problems. Homelessness can affect anyone – me and you. We need to address why it happens. And, when it happens, we need to treat peo-
ple better. There are emergency temporary shelters here, and up and down the country, and they save lives in the short term. But families with small children and others more vulnerable are the priority when it comes to being permanently rehoused, which means that people like Dave, and possibly you and I, fall to the bottom of the list. These are hard-working people, who through sheer misfortune find themselves queuing up in a shelter for their dinner each night. There should be the resources there to rehouse them, so they can get back to work and back to their lives. They deserve better from us. Having paid taxes all his life. I see a decent guy. To have a coherent and supportive approach from the local council in such circumstances should be there for him, and us all.
”
400 join River Ver protest
ST ALBANS BASED EST. 2001
THE COLLECTIVE For more information and to get in touch please visit us - www.thecollectivedesign.co.uk
More than 400 people turned out to a protest at the in Verulamium Park in September to save the River Ver as part of the World Rivers Day campaign. Over recent years, the water levels in the River Ver are dangerously low for a number of reasons, including low rainfall and water from the river being used for public water supply. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks landlord Christo Tofalli, who attended the protest, said: “It was great to see so many people passionate about protecting our environment. The river outside the pub has completely dried up; we need action now to ensure that water starts to flow in the river again.”
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
Nearly time for panto... oh yes it is! CHRISTMAS wouldn’t be Christmas without the St Albans panto and this year’s audiences are in for a treat as many of the old favourites will be back at the Alban Arena in their very own version of Sleeping Beauty. St Albans favourite Bob Golding (pictured right) is starring in and directing the show, and locals will be happy to hear he will once again be donning a dame frock. He’s joined by EastEnders’ Rita Simons, CBeebies’ Andy Day and actors Ian Kirkby and Jemma Carlisle – all veterans of St Albans’ panto. The set is likely to go down well with people too; there will
Meraki to return in 2020
apparently be a flushing toilet on stage, as part of a fully functioning bathroom! Produced by Evolution, the first show is on December 6. For tickets, go to alban-arena.co.uk
ORGANISERS of Meraki have confirmed that the summer festival will return for a fourth year in 2020 with the introduction of the new Meraki Village. The new accommodation option for next year will consist of 40 exclusive wigwams with a range of luxury touches, including VIP festival access, luxury beds, toilets and showers, a private welcome party on the Thursday night, a centrepiece tipi serving food and drinks and an evening firepit among other benefits. Other plans for Meraki 2020 include the addition of dodgems, a surprise new adult ride and a tiny tots ride – and all the rides and activities within the festival grounds are free with the exception of food and drink. Organiser Kerry Marks is also running an initiative to raise money to send 1,000 families from Hertfordshire, who wouldn’t normally be able to afford to go to a festival, to Meraki on a camping ticket for four nights for free. To help Kerry with her campaign, go to gofundme.com and search for Kerry Marks. For tickets to Meraki, go to merakifestival.com
Waste collection that’s right up your street.
Friendly, local, affordable.
Contact Cameron Yuill on 07841 053 958 or Cameron.Yuill@biffa.co.uk
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
SOPHIE BANKS REPORTS
W
E ALL know that there is only one real pub in the park in St Albans, and that is Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, but Tom Kerridge’s touring food and music festival called Pub in the Park was the hit event of the St Albans summer this year. It attracted 18,000 guests, many of whom also filled out the pubs, restaurants and shops throughout the city over the weekend of 13-15 September. The festival took place in eight locations across the UK this year, but people at the St Albans event ate and drank them all under the table, over the three sunshine-filled days. More than 30,000 dishes – many of them Michelin-starred quality, at just £5 each – were eaten and the volume of drinks consumed by people at the St Albans event was higher than anywhere else. Dylans at The Kings Arms and Thompson St Albans flew the flag for the city’s pubs and restaurants, and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks hosted
(The other) Pub in the Park is a huge success the after-party for 200 chefs from the event. Live music was provided by Tom Odell, Will Young, Razorlight, and up and coming teen band Angels N’ Bandits, among many others. The comments on social media have been overwhelmingly positive, with people raving about the
weekend – a chance for many to spend some quality time with friends and family at a national festival, right on their doorstep. Social media queen (and our Local Hero from the last YOFC Times) Sharon Linney, spoke for many, when she said it was “the best event yet St Albans has put on”. Christo Tofalli, of YOFC,
said: “This was an 11 out of 10 event. Events like this allow us to show off St Albans. I’m so grateful for that.” Tom Kerridge himself hinted that it would be back when he addressed the crowds from the stage at the end. He said “St Albans, thanks so much. We’ll see you next year!” pubintheparkuk.com
BID launches Shop St Albans campaign
Christmas wine fair 2019
Saturday 7th December 12 – 7pm Meet our producers and taste over 80 wines Tickets £10, redeemable against a case of wine
www.cellardoorwines.co.uk
01727 85 44 88
Unit 1, Verulam Industrial Estate, St Albans AL1 1JB
ST ALBANS city-centre businesses with the support of the Business Improvement District (BID) are gearing up for a busy Christmas with the launch of a Shop St Albans campaign. The new initiative is designed to encourage shoppers to support their local retailers this festive season by visiting the businesses in the city centre. The drive to get people to shop with the many independent and high-streetname retailers in St Albans is also backed by a ‘Shop St Albans’ campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The campaign also incorporates the St Albans Gift Card, a Mastercard-based gift card that works in the same way as department store/shopping centre gift cards. It can be used
in the majority of city-centre retailers as well as restaurants, bars, pubs, the Museum and Gallery and the Cathedral. Lush is the latest retailer to sign up to the card. BID board director Phil Corrigan said: “It is a great gift for friends and family as it gives them the chance to buy from many of our retailers, restaurants and bars, while at the same time supporting our high street, which is facing a tough time. The card is the perfect alternative to shopping online as you get the feelgood factor of supporting many of our independent shops too.” stalbansgiftcard.co.uk
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
Don’t do a Rik Mayall… PARTNER FEATURE
Sherrards is a leading law firm based in St Albans and London, offering a broad range of legal services to support businesses and private individuals across the UK and internationally. Many of the company’s solicitors are leaders in their fields and have a reputation for delivering high-quality legal services based on excellence, which includes providing fully tailored solutions, based on a commitment to understanding their clients and their businesses. In the second of a series of Your Life and the Law features, Donna Payne, Senior Solicitor and Mediator at Sherrards, looks at what happens when someone dies unexpectedly and does not have a valid will. This feature is also available as a podcast on Radio Verulam
• Married/civil partner no children, and you die without a will Everything goes to the spouse or civil partner • Married/civil partner, with children, and you die without a will Assets up to £250,000 and personal possessions (not land) go to the spouse or civil partner. Assets above that limit are split 50/50 between the spouse and the children. • Unmarried, living with someone, with or without children, and you die without a will The cohabitee receives nothing. Where there are children and/or grandchildren, they get everything. Where there are no children, the deceased’s assets go to their siblings and parents. Where there are no children or other dependants, no parents,
grandparents, siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces or aunts and uncles (blood relatives not relatives by marriage), the whole estate goes to the Crown or potentially the Duchy of Cornwall (Prince Charles’s Estate!). To have a share in the estate, the cohabitant would have to make a formal claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act unless all other potential beneficiaries were over 18 and agreed that some assets passed to the co-habitant. What all this means for inheritance tax One of the key inheritance tax perks is that spouses/civil partners can bequeath any amount to each other tax free. But giving assets to children will trigger an inheritance tax bill if the gift exceeds the “nil rate band” or threshold of £325,000 per person plus an additional sum (currently £150,000 as long as the whole estate is not worth more than £2.2 million) in relation to homes passed to direct descendants. If everything passes to a spouse/civil partner, then on their death, the first spouse/ partner’s tax-free threshold can be added to their own – thus doubling what can pass before tax. Everything that passes down above the tax-free allowances is taxed at 40% of that value. Avoiding the intestacy rules, is not the only reason it is a good idea to make a will. With a will: 1. You leave clear instructions
Credit: Shutterstock
C
OMEDIAN and actor Rik Mayall did not have a valid will in place when he died in June 2014. He died “intestate”. This may mean his £1.2 million estate could have paid inheritance tax that could have been avoided with the right will in place. Under the intestacy law, a significant part of Rik’s estate, as a married parent who died without a will, would go straight to his children, triggering the potential tax liability. The Intestacy Rules are set by law and can be summarised as follows:
about how your estate is to be distributed. 2. You choose your own executors – the people who manage the estate. 3. You appoint guardians to look after your children if they are under 18, until they come of age. You can also make financial arrangements for their benefit. 4. You can make specific gifts to friends or family. These can range from items of
jewellery to sums of cash. 5. If you have remarried, you can ensure any children from your first marriage get a share of your estate. 6. You are able to make gifts to charities 7. You may avoid family disputes. And just in case you were wondering, making a will does not bring forward the date of your death!
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
M Fest goes all-inclusive for 2020 ANGIE CRONIN REPORTS
S
T ALBANS music event, The M Festival, has unveiled plans to become an all-inclusive event for 2020, The festival, organised by Marlborough Science Academy, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and has raised more than £100,000 for the school and local charities since its launch in 2009. The M Fest attracted 3,500 festival-goers this year with a packed programme of festival activities and bands, including headline acts Abba Arrival and The Monster Hits as well as local band Blue Hour, and a silent disco for the first time. The festival will be returning on 4 July 2020 and organisers have announced that the event will be all-inclusive so the ticket price will include access to the live music from the festival’s two stages, all of
the activities, funfair rides, the silent disco and car parking. Food and drink from the festival’s many street food providers will not be included in the price, and while festival-goers will be allowed to bring their own picnic, the quantity of alcohol brought into the arena will be limited to a sensible amount per person and spirits will be prohibited as well as glass bottles. The number
of VIP gazebos is being reduced, however, the bring-your-own gazebo pitches will be increased. Festival director Richard Sullivan said: “We have listened to feedback each year, and as we continue to grow, it is clear that now is the right time to take an all-inclusive approach. We are really excited to be moving to a simpler approach next year. “Everything-included-in-
your-ticket-price option seems to have hit the right note with M Fest regulars, so we will be excited to roll it out next year. And we are over the moon with a 98.5% satisfaction rate from festival-goers this year. “Our dedicated team of organisers have already started working on delivering our biggest and best M Fest for 2020. And to help make it another great year, we are on the lookout for local companies to be sponsors as well as food businesses and family-friendly activity providers who want to get involved.” Ye Olde Fighting Cocks will be continuing to support the festival in 2020 following a successful partnership this year, which included heping to run the bar. Businesses interested in getting involved with The M Fest should email oliver@ mfestival.co.uk. mfestival.co.uk
YOU ARE FANTASTIC More people should know about you!
THAT’S WHERE WE COME IN... Loudbird PR is a St Albans-based PR and marketing company run by Angie and Sophie, working with local, national and international clients and forged from 30+ years of experience. Services include traditional PR, social media and digital PR, marketing and copywriting/publishing. Get in touch for a quote @loudbirdpr
@loudbirdpr
www.loudbird.co.uk
@loudbirdpr
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
Ex-YOFC girl backs Grief charity Sophie Banks catches up with former Ye Olde Fighting Cocks barmaid Helen Churchill and finds out why she is giving her full support to a campaign by The Good Grief Trust IT WAS many moons ago, but Helen Churchill was once a barmaid at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks. Now she is a mother of three young adults, who works in a school, is a hairdresser, wins ballroom dancing competitions, and, on top of all that, is a trustee for the Good Grief Trust; a charity that offers support and advice to those who have lost a loved one. Following her young barmaid days, Helen met and married the love of her life Iain, and they ran a successful business together as well as bringing up their family. But, tragically, Ian died in 2015,
at the age of 49 from lymphoma. Helen and her two young sons and daughter were left to navigate the minefield of coping with the grief that comes with the loss of a much-loved husband and father, while trying to carry on with family life. “In my experience grief is an ever-changing landscape,” says
Helen. “Help and support are needed at the beginning when grief is raw, but can be equally needed further down the line.” The Good Grief Trust, set up by 1970s Grange Hill actor Linda Magistris in 2016, is run by the bereaved for the bereaved and helps those who have lost a loved one. Helen says: “I felt that the
amazing organisations and charities out there aren’t always easy to locate, which is why the Good Grief Trust is such a vital resource: it will signpost you to any form of bereavement support you need.” Helen and the charity are currently embarking on a campaign to launch a National Grief Awareness Week at Christmas, which will run from 2-8 December. “We have many well-known UK supporters, in the worlds of entertainment, sports, and even politics,” says Helen. “Grief affects everyone at some point in their life and our vision is to raise awareness of all issues around grief, loss and mental health on a national platform, and give grief a voice across the country via this new media-led campaign.” thegoodgrieftrust.org
DigitalJen expands with more apps focused on the community If you don’t know her from her business profile, you may know Jen through her 25 plus years of volunteering with GirlGuiding in St Albans or her disability sport-based roles. Born and educated in St Albans, Jen has been running her own business for 10 years. She describes the business as providing a ‘pick and mix’ of services that include the design & build of affordable apps, WordPress websites, train-
ing on social media for business and parents and consultancy on the use of tech for new and established businesses for their marketing. Her clients describe her as friendly, practical and flexible, which encompasses her ethical, community focussed, down to earth approach. Over the last year, she’s been working with EYES on St Albans to create an app that blends the business
with the community – offering free listings for fundraising events and charities as well as their range of optical services. She’s also behind the St Albans City Football Club app – where you can purchase your match day tickets, check the fixtures and get exclusive offers from the club. Her most recent app was created in just 48 hours to support Save St Albans Pubs – featuring, of course, Ye
Olde Fighting Cocks! Being part of the community is fundamental to Jen’s ethos and she’s proud to be supporting Earthworks and the Polar Bear Plunge this year – she’ll be there either sharing the event live on Twitter or with her camera – definitely not jumping in! You can contact Jen at hello@digitaljen.co.uk or via the website www.digitaljen.co.uk
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
When fire ripped through the kitchen of the much-loved Plough pub in the early hours of 7 July, co-owner Sean Hughes feared the worst. A few months on, Sean talks to Angie Cronin about that fateful night, the incredible fire service and how the pub has bounced back The most common cause of household fires is overheating pots and pans in the kitchen; overheated tea towels is not something that most people considered to be a fire hazard, but that is what was the cause of the fire at the Plough pub in Sleapshyde earlier this year. “I had no idea that tea towels taken from a tumble dryer and put in a laundry basket could spontaneously combust hours afterwards,” says Sean Hughes, co-owner of The Plough, Dylans and The Boot. “But after two investigations, spontaneous combustion of tea towels was found to be the cause.” de t co ge FC to ice YO ing pr te ook ket o c u Q en b ff ti h w £3 o
‘We were three mins away from full-scale devastation’
The Plough and the fire-damaged kitchen (inset) The fire started at 4am, four hours after the towels had been taken out of the tumble dryer; they had smouldered in the laundry basket and caught fire, destroying most of The Plough’s kitchen in 20 minutes. Sean’s brother Tim and his financé Rachel live at the pub and had a very lucky escape thanks to the fire and burglar
alarms, and of course, the local firefighters. “We were lucky and we owe it to the incredible fire service for their speed in getting to the pub. “Our outside shed area and kitchen were significantly damaged but the fire service was so fast getting there that they saved the oldest part of the building plus the main structure of the kitchen,” adds Sean. “We were all in a huge state of shock as the pub had been three minutes away from a full-scale destruction of not only the building but possibly life.” The support of the local community and the hard work of Sean and his team ensured that The Plough bounced back
quickly, installing a braai coal barbecue in the garden to ensure that the pub could continue to serve a full menu. Three months on, Christmas is sizing up to be a particularly special one for Sean and his team with lots of events planned, including Christmas wreath-making classes with Flower Box at The Plough. Dylans is having its very own advent calendar, which will go live on Facebook on 1 December at 11am, and the Santa Paws event will be making a welcome return on the 3 December at The Boot, with customers being invited to enjoy an evening with their pooch at the pub. The Boot will also be transformed into an alpine ski lodge across Christmas with a melted raclette cheese menu as well as an ultimate Christmas roast lunch menu and an alpine lodge snacking menu for pre-orders in the evening. The Plough, The Boot and Dylans are also now taking bookings for Christmas dinner dylanstheplough.com dylanskingsarms.com
Netflix star to speak at school open days A STAR of Netflix will be taking part in a Q&A at open days at a prestigious Hertfordshire school in October. Joe Ashman, who stars in the Netflix series Free Rein, will be attending open days at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts on 4, 10 and 11 October and 8 November. Ashman, a former Tring Park student, will be answering questions on his life at the school, how it has helped him to pursue a career in showbusiness and what it is like to be starring in a blockbuster Netflix series.
Tring Park School is both a day and boarding school for students aged 8 to 19 who have a passion for performing arts. Alongside a broad academic curriculum, the school offers courses in dance, acting, musical theatre and commercial music. Its glittering alumni include Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) and Lily James (Disney’s Cinderella). tringpark.com
Retirement apartments with care & support services
Join us between 1pm and 5pm for an
OPEN AFTERNOON TUESDAY 8TH OCTOBER These modern apartments at Eywood House are designed to help you maintain your independence. Enjoy your own private space but also benefit from communal facilities and access to care and support services should you need them.
Retirement living made easy.
If you’d like to find out more about life at Eywood House then please take a look at our website or give our friendly sales team a call.
Web: eywoodhouse.co.uk Tel: 01727 617144
Sole selling agents: A Development by:
domovohomes.co.uk
bpha.org.uk
THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
Turning to the dark side While IPAs are still in fashion, darker beers rare making a real comeback, says Roger Protz a St Albans resident, who also happens to be one of the world’s leading beer writers, historians, lecturers and tasters YE OLDE Fighting Cocks is full of surprises. I was astonished – but pleased – to learn from Christo that two of the most popular beers on the bar are dark in colour and they come from the local Farr brewery. For 10 years or more, the beer world has been dominated by pale beers, IPA in particular. IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It was first brewed in the 19th century for export to the British in India but fell out of favour until American and British brewers started to revive it. Today it’s brewed in many countries and is without doubt the most popular ale in the world. But you can’t keep darker beers down, and 2019 has seen a growing popularity for stout and other beers that have some colour in their cheeks. I love porter and stout because the roasted malts used to make them deliver robust and rich
flavours of dark fruits, butterscotch, liquorice, coffee and bitter chocolate, balanced by powerful hops. Farr Brew is based on a farm near Wheathampstead where Nick Farr and Matt Elvidge not only brew a wide range of beers but also grow their own hops and, with support from the local farmer, plan to grow and malt barley. Their two dark beers are Black Listed (4.5%), an India Black Ale, and Our Most Potent Porter (5%). Black Listed is brewed exclusively for the Fighting Cocks and is a tangy, refreshing brew made with three types of malt and American and English hops. Porter is a beer-style even older than IPA. It was first brewed in London early in the 18th century and its success led to the creation of large commercial brewers, notably Whitbread in the Barbican. The strongest version of porter was called stout porter, later reduced to simply stout. Farr Brew’s version is made with six malts and has the addition of honey generously donated by bees on the farm. The bees know a good beer when they see one and you should follow their lead.
Christmas 2019 at Verulam Golf Club
St Albans Ladies celebrate FA Cup wins THE St Albans Ladies 1st team have started their season with two victories in the FA Cup. The team, sponsored by Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, beat Hartham United 5-0 and then went on to beat Histon Ladies 4-0 in the second round, progressing through to the third round, in which they were drawn against Cambridge City. The club is also expanding with the addition of an U16s team to join its U18s and 1st team. The U16s team is looking for a goalkeeper. Any potential candidates should email stalbansladies@gmail.com
CHRISTMAS Party Nights TO INCLUDE 3 course dinner, coffee and mince pies Crackers and novelties DJ and disco SATURDAY 30th NOVEMBER FRIDAY 6th, 13th or 20th DECEMBER
if you wish to discuss another date or a lunchtime function, for further details please contact
IT’S TIME TO DIG OUT YOUR LEG WARMERS THIS CHRISTMAS AS WE TRANSPORT YOU
Back to the 80s
ZOE LEWIS, EVENTS MANAGER house@verulamgolf.co.uk
‘I’ve never see THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
On a balmy September afternoon in the pub garden of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, The YOFC Times talks to Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for St Albans, about Boudicca, Boris and Brexit
D
AISY Cooper’s mother very nearly named her Boudicca, after the ancient British warrior who fought the Romans and is an integral part of the St Albans story. So she was surely destined to end up here, though with a different kind of battle in mind. However, in the end, the name Daisy was chosen, which, although suiting her bright and sunny disposition, belies the iron strength of her resolve to change things, ire for those who got us into this mess (more on Boris Johnson later), and her unwavering commitment to fight for civil liberties. The Liberal Democrat’s prospective parliamentary candidate for St Albans bounds into the garden of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks on the Thursday afternoon before the Lib Dem party conference weekend with a huge smile on her face. She has come fresh from the campaign trail, where she’s been followed around by TV cameras from Sky News, who were interested to see how things were going in St Albans, one of many key seats for the Lib Dems around the country. “Under the current polling, we could win anywhere between 50 and 250 seats,” Daisy says. Born and bred in Suffolk, the five-year-old Daisy would collect conkers and shout at holidaymakers from London, telling them to plant more trees to save the planet. “I’ve always been a campaigner” she says. “My mum was a real campaigner during the ’80s. When I was a little girl, I used to cut out the Persil vouchers to send to the Greenham Common women.” At school, she successfully campaigned to
change the school uniform, and at Leeds University, she campaigned to keep the library open longer and get extra computers for the law department (she has two law degrees). Her career has also always had a distinctly campaigning flavour to it. Her current day job is working for a cross-party campaign group called More United. “I talk to the sensible MPs from all parties, and try to get them working together on immigration, climate action, reform for mental health, all these kind of issues.”
‘A lot of people bought the lie that the EU was a small club and they wanted Britain to be global Britain’ Before this, she worked for the best part of a decade in international affairs, campaigning for LGBT+ rights abroad as well as against human rights abuses in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. She then worked for Hacked Off, the campaign group helping victims of press intrusion, working with Hugh Grant, “a phenomenally bright and really committed guy”. It wasn’t until her late 20s that she went into party politics. “I was watching TV and a Labour minister was asked about their policy on tackling home-grown terrorism. She talked about tackling radicalised communities in the north. And I was disgusted because it sounded like they were going to go to Bradford and start interrogating people.” An outraged Daisy, her strong sense of civil liberties
YOFC landlord Christo Tofalli (top picture) and YOFC Times editorial team Sophie Banks (bottom picture, left) and Angie Cronin talk politics with Daisy offended, thought to herself: “With this stereotyping and this sort of divisive rhetoric, that isn’t being challenged, where is this country going to end up? And I also thought, I am better than her. I went online, signed up, got involved. That was my route into party politics.” She ended up in St Albans by putting herself forward to be the parliamentary candidate due to a family connection with the city. Having spent some of her youth getting familiar with the St Albans nightlife, she is now very happy to be living here with her Scottish husband. Unsurprisingly, Daisy believes the biggest issue for St Albans, and the rest of the country,
is Brexit. Partly because the other two huge issues in her view – the climate crisis and “our creaking public services” – cannot be addressed until Brexit is sorted. Daisy cares deeply about the environment. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if this was the greenest district in the entire country?” she says. “But one of the biggest scandals of Brexit is that none of these other issues are being tackled.” Are the people she talks to on the door steps changing their views on Brexit? “Yes. There are leave voters thinking of voting Lib Dem. A lot of people bought the lie that the EU was a small club and they wanted
en such anger’ THE YOFC TIMES AUTUMN 2019
We now have more in common with the people of St Albans than the extremes of Corbyn and Johnson do. “We are internationalists, environmentalists and pro-business. Labour voters have had a long time to get frustrated with Corbyn’s flipflopping on Brexit.” Politics can be all consuming, so how does she relax? Music seems to be important. “I love
‘I’ve spoken to a lot of people in St Albans... they are furious that the prime minister can shut down Parliament’
Daisy talking politics with local residents (main picture) and on a stop Brexit protest in central London Britain to be part of global Britain. Now many of those who are pro-international and pro-business have realised that being in the EU is the best way of being global Britain so they’re coming over to us easily.” At the Lib Dem conference, the party voted to revoke Article 50 if it forms the next Government. A vote for the Lib Dems is and always has been a vote to remain. Whereas, Daisy says, the prime minister has turned the Conservative Party into a vote leave party. “Boris Johnson is fundamentally changing the nature of the Conservative party, so he may well end up losing seats like St Albans, where you have people with open liberal values.” She says she thinks it’s possible that the Conservative Party and the Brexit Party could
‘Boris Johnson is a liar. He is a proven liar. Nobody trusts him not even his brother’ team up and have “some kind of non-aggression pact”. “The Conservative Party is pretending they want to get a deal, but I don’t think they do. They put party above country, and they’ll do anything to save their party – and if that means doing a deal with Nigel Farage, they’ll do it,” she says. Even though Number 10 has publicly said it wouldn’t work with Nigel Farage? Her answer is unequivocal: “Boris Johnson – I will not just call him Boris, which sounds too fluffy – is a liar. He is a proven liar. Nobody trusts him, not even his brother.”
Because of the Tories’ hard stance on Brexit, and recent unprecedented events at Westminster, Daisy believes that soft Conservatives are moving to the Lib Dems in their droves. “I have spoken to a lot of people in St Albans, and I’ve never seen such anger. They are furious that the prime minister can shut down Parliament.” And Daisy is furious too. We speak the day after the Government was forced to publish the Yellowhammer document. “It says the poorest people will suffer the most from a no-deal” she says. “How is this allowed? How is any Government allowed to push us to this point?” So does she think she will get Labour voters to move over too? “Definitely. We’re attracting equal numbers of former Labour and Conservative voters.
live music.” In fact, her perfect evening would be sitting in a pub garden listening to live music with an Old Rosy cider. Something Christo and his team can certainly make happen over their upcoming Oktoberfest weekend. However, Daisy’s social life is all but “cancelled between now and Christmas” as she fights to topple the Conservatives in this city. So – the big question – can the Lib Dems win? “In the last two weeks in 2017 we thought it was so close we could win it. But then there was a Corbyn surge. And, as we have a first past the post voting system, that helps the Conservatives. But politics is very volatile at the moment and the polls are shifting a lot.” And, she adds, “there is no limit to our party’s ambition. Our leader Jo Swinson has been strong on saying she believes she can be prime minister and we are in a position to return enough MPs to possibly make that happen.” Fighting talk, and Daisy is a fighter. She was nearly named after Boudicca, remember?
WINNER Producer of the Year
WINNER Best local producer
WINNER
Best brewery, South East
WINNER Food & Drink Hero
WINNER Service to the Community
AWARD WINNER
Food & Drink awards
Enjoy our award winning real ales at our Hertfordshire brewery Situated in the beautiful surroundings of the Ayot Estate, Wheathampstead our brewery tap room is open every Saturday, 11am-5pm, selling a wide range of beers, locally sourced spirits, wines and soft drinks. Visit farrbrew.com to book brewery tours and find out about upcoming events. Discover our full range of quality ales. Also known as ‘The Best Beers by Farr’
Farr Brew, Samuels Farm, Coleman Green Lane, Wheathampstead •
: farrbrew
Farr Brew are proud to support:
: farrbrew
: brewfarr
