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NOW

February 2024

promoting local businesses, events and much more since 2006

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Welcome to February With so many places to visit and things to do this month, we’ve squeezed in as much as we can from Lambing, Live Cinema, Luton Hoo, the Firewalk, Feb Fest and Football Legends to Workshops, Wildlife, Walks, Wanders, Poems, Plays and Peace Doves!

To make sure you don’t miss out the magazines are always available to read online, and if you run your own business we’d love to include you it’s so easy, just book your space online today.

Jane & Wendy @theNOWmagazines

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

3 months £43 per edition 1/4 page £52 per edition 1/3 page £64 per edition 1/2 page £110 per edition Full page

other options are available

You can NOW book advertising online Deadline 8th Feb for March editions wendy@theNOWmagazines.com 07983 588313 www.theNOWmagazines.com

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NOW for the Kids

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Meet Paddington 11th Feb Meet everyone’s favourite bear at intervals throughout the day. Your entry tickets include everything the heritage railway has to offer, with unlimited steam train rides and entry to the Railway Museum and Visitor Centre. £14.50, child £10.50, under 3 free Steaming Days 14th & 18th Feb from 10.30am There will be a full-size steam train ready to take you for a ride up and down the track, plus miniature ride-on trains, and 25-acres of railway land to explore. £12.50, child £8.50, under 3 free Aylesbury, Bucks HP22 4BY www.bucksrailcentre.org

Half Term History Makers

17th - 25th Feb 10am - 4pm Join characters from the past for historical hijinks and hands on shenanigans this half term. Be transported back in time to Queen Victoria's reign. Hear from two Victorian authors and how they recall this remarkable time.

Included with admission Wrest Park, Silsoe, MK45 4HR www.english-heritage.org.uk

February Frolics

17th - 25th Feb Watch the smallest members of the flock start to arrive, supervised by Tuck the Shepherd.

There’ll also be newborn lamb bottle feeding demonstrations and a full programme of fleecy fun for a baa-rilliant day out.

Willows Activity Farm, London Colney AL4 0PF www.willowsactivityfarm.com

Lambing is Back

17th - 25th Feb Watch new-born lambs take their first steps in the undercover Lamb Nursery and keep an eye on the expectant ewes, you might even see a lamb being born! Included with admission Mead Open Farm, Billington, Beds LU7 9JH 4www.meadopenfarm.co.uk

Feb Fest

It’s been over 10 years since Luton’s Full House Feb Fest began and this year has an amazing lineup of shows and workshops for children and families. * multiple times, please book Stockwood Discovery Centre LU1 4LX African Drumming 19th Feb * This energetic and dynamic workshop will get your hands pounding and heart racing.

Apple 'N' Spice 19th Feb £7 * An original, interactive, multi-cultural family dance show with shadow puppetry.

Stax! 21st Feb £5 * Create the best den ever as your whole family make an exciting shape-shifting installation using an array of vibrant materials.

Clay People 22nd Feb £5 * Come along and craft a character from clay.

The World & Us 23rd Feb 10.30am, please book £5 A captivating storytelling workshop exploring Identity and Diversity, presented by The Drama Geezers.

Now That's What I Call A Story 23rd Feb 1pm, please book £5 The Drama Geezers arrive with a blank story book and a big bag of props - all they need are curious imaginative children to build the story adventure with them.

Hat Factory Arts Centre LU1 2EY

The Philharmonia Cellos Present Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh 19th Feb £7 * Enter Hundred Acre Wood and join live musicians on an adventure with Winnie-the-Pooh and his lovable companions.

Imagination Station 19th - 23rd Feb 10.30am - 3pm, free drop in Space for children and young people of all ages to take part in creative arts activities.

WiFi Wars 20th Feb £7 * A live comedy game show where you play along!

Splat! 21st Feb £7 * Two artists, one neat the other messy, attempt to cover the history of art with chaotic consequences.

Clay Time! 22nd Feb £7 * An interactive clay play experience! Come to a world of fabulous forms, amazing animals and morphing monsters.

Boxed In 23rd Feb £7 * A playful show about (mis)understanding the rules. www.culturetrust.com

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Out & About

to follow the route, locate the sensory highlights, and look out for Trust Trail Icons around the reserve. The route is pushchair and wheelchair accessible. Dogs are not permitted (except assistance dogs) due to the sensitive wildlife and habitats. Free Guided Walks: Wednesday Wander 7th Feb & 6th March 11.45am - 2pm Join a volunteer guide for an informal walk around RSPB Rye Meads and witness the diversity of wildlife that calls the reserve home at this time of year. £5.75 Rye Meads, Hoddesdon SG12 8JS www.rspb.org.uk

Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust Artist Rooms: Diane Arbus until 25th Feb

A rare opportunity to see the work of one of the great figures of 20th century photography. Arbus built up relationships of trust with her subjects to produce powerful and intimate portraits.

North Hertfordshire Museum, Hitchin SG5 1JE www.northhertsmuseum.org

St Albans Museum + Gallery

Shine a Light until 28th Feb A collaborative community display of selected artworks are displayed on the museum railings, aiming to celebrate the different things that keep us positive and connected during winter.

Drop-in Origami Making 3rd, 10th & 17th Feb Experiment in the art of paper folding. Free Willow Lantern Workshop 4th Feb 1.30pm Using Rana Begum’s exhibition Ordered Form as inspiration, learn how to make a willow lantern.

Prepare to get messy as you make a delicate willow frame and cover it with papier mache. £10 Hands on History Café 7th & 14th Feb 11am - 12.30pm Drop in, grab a cuppa and join this friendly group to look at a changing set of museum objects.

Exhibition: Becoming Us 16th Feb - 30th June Exploring the role of the African Caribbean community in St Albans and celebrating its multifaceted contributions to the city over the past 80 years. Co-curated by Leeannas Wish and Active Lifestyles, it aims to inspire the next generation and encourage people from different backgrounds to embrace a shared history. Free Talk: Butch on the Inside: Butch Lesbian History & Identity, 1950-Present 21st Feb in-person £10, online/Zoom £6 Lecturer Amy Tooth Murphy draws on oral histories of butch lesbians to explore the hopes and fears, strengths and vulnerabilities of women whose masculinity renders them ‘gender outlaws’.

St Albans Museum + Gallery AL1 3DH www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

RSPB Rye Meads

Sensory Trail until 31st March daily 9am - 5pm Enjoy this trail, using your senses to connect with the surroundings while you stay active. Use an OS Map 6

Winter Tree Identification Workshop 3rd Feb 10am - 3pm Learn to identify trees in their winter state. Spend the morning in the classroom, identifying trees using bud and twig characteristics and in the afternoon take a walk around Cassiobury Park Nature Reserve to put your new skills into practice. £12, age 18+ Cassiobury Park on the A412 Watford to Rickmansworth road WD18 7LG Half Term at The Wildlife Garden 20th Feb 11am - 1pm drop in, free Explore the wildlife garden, do some crafts, and meet Willoughby, the giant willow-weaved hedgehog! Aimed at children but all ages welcome.

Grebe House, St Michael's Street AL3 4SN www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk

Repair Fairs

17th Feb All Saints’ Church, Harpenden 2pm - 5pm 16th March Chapel Halls on Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead 2pm - 5pm Take along your faulty electrical items and worn, torn fabrics, the team of skilled amateur fixers will do their best to put them right or offer advice. Please book www.sustainablestalbans.org

Verulamium Museum

Mosaic Making Workshop 20th Feb 10.30am, 11.25am & 12.20pm £12.50 Embrace your inner Roman and create your own mosaic. Enjoy selecting colours of glass and embellishments to make a unique design. Learn how to use professional tools to snip your glass, and grout your creation. Age 4+ children must be accompanied, Roman Mask Making Workshop 22nd Feb 10.30am, 11.30am & 1.30pm Actors in the Roman Theatres often wore masks to make their performances more dramatic. They were eye-catching and beautifully decorated. Craft your own mini mask out of clay to take home. Age 4+ children must be accompanied, £5 The Romans are Coming! 24th Feb 11am Join in and roll some dice as Roman and Ancient Briton model soldiers fight over a village of roundhouses and a Roman Villa. Who will have the luck of the dice roll? Who will hold their nerve? Who will be triumphant? Fun games for all the family.

Drop-in, free with entry St Michael's St, St Albans AL3 4SW www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

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29th March 11am Who worked for Bute in the 18th Century.

Luton Hoo Walled Garden LU1 4LF www.lutonhooestate.co.uk

Haunted Hertford Guided Walk

9th Feb 7.30pm £8 An atmospheric walk through the ghostly sites of Hertford. Meet at The White Hart pub, Hertford www.gohertford.co.uk

More Out & About St Albans City Walks

Historic St Albans 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th Feb 11.15am Ghosts & Ghouls 8th & 22nd Feb 7.30pm Wars of the Roses 17th Feb 2.30pm Walks cost £6, please book online www.stalbanstourguides.co.uk

Burston Knitters

6th & 20th Feb 10am - 12pm A knitting, crocheting and sewing group, where you can share ideas, just turn up. Free Burston Garden Centre, St Albans, AL2 2DS www.burston.co.uk

Luton Hoo Estate

Guided Estate Walks 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th Feb 9.50am Enjoy the tranquility of this private landscape designed by Capability Brown, not usually open to the public and discover its history on a tour led by one of the research team. The walk will be about 6 miles and take at least 3 hours. £15, please book 01582 879863 Friday Talks 23rd Feb 11am Luton Hoo and Luton Town 1914 - 1919

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Snowdrops at Abbey Gate House

18th & 25th Feb & 3rd & 10th March 2pm - 4pm Please wear suitable footwear, dogs on leads welcome. No wheelchair access. £5, child free Abbey Mill Lane, St Albans AL3 4HD

Flights of Fancy 22nd Feb 7.30pm

Harpenden Evening Floral Group floral demonstration by Jackie Page, visitors welcome. £8 on the door. 07747 018620 All Saints Church Hall, Station Road AL5 4UU

Mayor’s Wine Tasting Evening

23rd Feb 8pm Why not go along with friends for a fun evening of wine tasting in association with Majestic Wine, and in support of the Mayor’s charities. £20 01582 463662 / jane.juby@harpenden.gov.uk Park Hall, Leyton Road, Harpenden AL5 2LX

Rothamsted Manor

Wedding Showcase 24th Feb 10am - 2pm Get ready to be inspired by this stunning venue and meet top wedding suppliers who can make your dream wedding a reality. From breathtaking floral arrangements to exquisite wedding cakes, you’ll find everything you need to create the perfect day.

Free, please book Rothamsted Manor, Harpenden AL5 2BG www.eventbrite.com

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NOW at the Cathedral Peace Doves until 13th Feb An art installation by Sculptor, Peter Walker with 10000 paper doves hanging from the Cathedral tower.

Born Survivors: In Conversation with Eva Clarke and Wendy Holden 1st Feb 7.30pm £15, £10 A story of the human capacity to love. Among the millions of Holocaust victims sent to Auschwitz IIBirkenau in 1944, three young pregnant women, separated from their husbands, were determined to hold onto all they had left, their lives and those of their unborn babies. The bestselling book Born Survivors follows their incredible journey, and author Wendy Holden will be discussing this story with Eva Clarke, one of the babies to survive now 78 and among the last living survivors of the Holocaust.

Romeo and Juliet 3rd Feb 7.30pm £20 - £30 A brand-new adaptation by OVO Theatre.

Poems for Peace 4th Feb 1.30pm free A performance of poems on the themes of refuge and asylum, peace and compassion.

Evening Pilgrimage with Peace Doves 6th Feb 7.15pm A guided walk through the Cathedral, accompanied by historical insights, prayers and silence. free Giving Words Wings: Poetry, Prayer & Peace 8th Feb 7.30pm £10 - £25 In this poetry reading, singer and writer Malcolm Guite will explore the themes suggested to him by Peter Walker’s art installation.

From St Albans...With Love 10th Feb 7.30pm An evening of love songs and poetry in aid of St Albans Cathedral Education Trust featuring stars from the West End and Broadway. £29 - £44 More to Explore Tour: The Bishops of St Albans Cathedral 11th Feb 1.30pm There have been 10 Bishops of St Albans since 1877, hear about how they have been remembered.

Charitable Extravaganza Runway 11th Feb 2pm An extravagant fashion show put on in partnership with Cancer Research UK and Oaklands College. Free Peace Doves Concert 11th Feb 4pm free The Choir will mark the end of the Peace Doves installation with choral music and readings on the twin themes of peace and doves, including Mendelssohn’s anthem, O for the Wings of a Dove.

Hertfordshire Chorus - Karl Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace and Joseph Haydn Nelson Mass 17th Feb 7.30pm £5 -£30 Organ Concert: Christopher Muhley 28th Feb 12.30pm free St Albans Cathedral AL1 1BY www.stalbanscathedral.org 16

As Seen in the Sunday Times

It's been a particularly busy few months at the Hearing Healthcare Practice in Harpenden.

To be fair, we’re always busy, serving our local community as we have done for over 40 years, and now a wider clientele which now extends throughout the UK and around the world.

But it was a Hunter Davies piece in the Sunday Times (19/11/23) that really set our telephone lines buzzing and our e-mails… pinging.

Our founder, Robert Beiny, met legendary author and journalist, Hunter Davies, on holiday a few years ago. And this chance meeting led to a friendship, and a conversation regarding Hunter's hearing.

Quoting from Hunter Davies’s Sunday Times Article ‘My Daughters Yelled at Me!’, we’ll let him take up the story: “When I got back to London, I went to see him (Robert) at Hearing Healthcare Practice. He spent three hours on tests and concluded that I did need hearing aids. My hearing was only going to get worse.”

After Hunter’s evaluation, he was expertly fitted with hearing aids and, as you can read online, the results speak for themselves. “… all my family are delighted. They say that for the past few years I had been shouting, which had been a bit embarrassing in restaurants. I never realised, I thought they were just moaning at me because I couldn’t hear.

“Now I wish I had got my hearing aids five years ago”.

Many people come to see Hearing Healthcare Practice because of a personal recommendation, and it’s been wonderfully gratifying to witness Hunter Davies’s very public personal recommendation spurring so many more people to embark on a life changing journey improving their hearing with us.

And suffice to say, every one of our clients receives the same award-winning service.

If you, or a member of your family, is experiencing hearing challenges, please do get in touch.

Call 01582 767 218 email info@hearinghealthcare.co.uk www.hearinghealthcare.co.uk

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Filmed live at the Adelphi Theatre. This musical celebrates a joyous story of British grit transforming into a high-heeled hit as it takes you from the factory floor of Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan!

The Royal Ballet: Manon Wildest Dreams 7th Feb 7.15pm & 11th Feb 2pm 31st Jan - 10th Feb 7.30pm From the Royal Opera House. This adaptation of A quirky drama about four misfits who meet to play Abbé Prévost’s novel finds full expression in the the game 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Married couple, Hazel and Stanley are drifting apart and things aren’t impassioned duets of the central couple.

My Favourite Things - The Rodgers & helped by Hazel's dominating brother Austen who Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert shares their home. Other game participants are 14th Feb 7.30pm computer geek Warren and lonely Rick. To the disparate group, Dungeons and Dragons is more than From the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Featuring the 40 -piece Rodgers & Hammerstein Concert Orchestra, a game; it is a world where they can become international stars of the stage and screen, a West beautiful, wise and heroic. When attractive young End chamber choir and dance ensemble, with Marcie bursts into their lives, and their game, she original arrangements of the most iconic songs from disrupts the cosy status quo with alarming, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, devastating and often funny results. Her interactions Cinderella and The Sound of Music. with each character reveal realities and complexities perhaps more fascinating than those of the Vanya: National Theatre Live characters they play. By the end they are all 22nd & 24th Feb 7pm irrevocably transformed... or are they? £14 Andrew Scott (Fleabag) brings multiple characters to Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans AL1 3H life in this radical new version of Chekhov’s Uncle www.ovo.org.uk Vanya. Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation which Woman in Mind by Alan Ayckbourn explores the complexities of human emotions.

1st - 3rd Feb Exhibition on Screen - Painting The Modern In this triumphant play, wistful housewife Susan is Garden: Monet to Matisse married to a boring cleric named Gerald. Susan 27th Feb 6pm & 3rd March 3pm experiences wonderful hallucinations in which her boring everyday life is replaced by a fantasy in which This dazzling film takes a magical journey from the gallery to the gardens, to Giverny and Seebüll and she is the ideal wife and mother with an ideal family. other glorious grounds favoured by artists. Here we Presented by High Street Players £10 discover how early twentieth century artists designed Katherine Warington School, Harpenden AL5 5FH and cultivated their own gardens to explore from Manor Pharmacy, Harpenden or contemporary utopian ideas and motifs of colour and www.hsplayers.org.uk form. Monet said, ‘Apart from painting and gardening, I’m no good at anything’. For lovers of art or lovers of Live Music with Scarlette Fever gardens, this is an ideal film.

2nd Feb 6.30pm Enjoy an evening of feel good music and wholesome Campus West, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6BX food at the Coach House Kitchen, with multi-talented, www.campuswest.co.uk Scarlette who is just as at home singing a ballad and The Eric Morecambe Centre playing the piano as she is rocking out with a guitar; not to mention her accomplishments as a songwriter, Fairport Convention 8th Feb 7.30pm £30 This year’s tour will present a mix of long-established and more recently, producer.

Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums Hatfield House AL9 5HX old and new. www.hatfield-house.co.uk Petty Criminals – Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks Live Cinema Tribute 9th Feb 7.30pm £24.50 Kinky Boots the Musical 4th Feb 2pm The UK’s top tribute band will perform songs such as

NOW for some Entertainment

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Freefallin’, I Won’t Back Down, American Girl, Landslide, Dreams, Gold Dust Woman and Edge of Seventeen.

Rat Pack Valentines 14th Feb 7.30pm £27 The Official UK No 1 Tribute show, now celebrating its 21st record breaking year. Together they amaze audiences with their recreation of the music of Sinatra, Martin and Davis Jr, bringing the style and excitement of the Las Vegas heyday to life. Including the hits; My Way, Mr Bojangles, New York New York, Amore, Come Fly With Me and of course My Funny Valentine among many other romantic classics.

Shape of You 16th Feb 7pm £24.50, £22.50, £18 This hit stage production, features the music of one of our greatest singer-songwriters, Ed Sheeran, offering all his classics in a completely live captivating performance. The show has it all: trademark loops, heartfelt singalongs, beatbox raps, emotional acoustic compositions, an extraordinary band, excellent visuals and a spectacular light performance.

Reverend Richard Coles: Borderline National Trinket 17th Feb 7.30pm £26 age 16+ Sex, drugs, pop stardom, religious epiphany; love, a dream job, and the madness of grief. Some or all of this may come out as Richard lifts the lid on a life truly and truthfully lived. An intimate evening with a unique national treasure.

Money For Nothing 29th Feb 7.30pm £29 The line-up features top-class and experienced musicians that make this band a worthy tribute to Dire Straits.

Rothamsted Park, Harpenden AL5 2FR www.the-emc.co.uk

Barn Theatre

Hansard by Simon Woods 9th - 17th Feb 8pm & 17th Feb 2.30pm Iron by Rona Munro 21st - 24th Feb 8pm Barn Close, WGC AL8 6ST www.barntheatre.co.uk

American Celebrations

11th Feb 4pm £15, £12, £6 de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s 215th birthday with a concert dedicated to American music.

Bernstein – Candide Overture Barber – Adagio for Strings Copland – Appalachian Spring

Bernstein – Symphony No. 2: The Age of Anxiety The Weston Auditorium, University of Herts, Hatfield AL10 9AB www.herts.ac.uk

Abbey Theatre

The Machine Gunners 15th Feb - 17th Feb 8pm In the tumultuous world of 1940s Britain, spirited young Chas McGill is on a mission to become the town’s best collector of war souvenirs. Amidst the chaos of air raids, bonds are forged and loyalties strained as Chas and his friends pilfer a machine gun from a downed German aircraft and attempt to impose their own brand of justice. In this heartpounding tale, set against the backdrop of imminent German invasion, The Machine Gunners seizes the imagination. The book won the prestigious Carnegie Medal and a place among the decade’s top 10 children’s novels. £13, £11 Steel Magnolias 29th Feb - 9th March Truvy’s salon is at the heart of Chinquapin, Louisiana.

As the characters of the small town come and go through its doors, the beauty and complexity of their daily lives in the Deep South unfold. Celebrating the power of friends, families and resilience in the face of adversity. £14, concs £12 29th Feb - with Soroptimist Women's Group in aid of the Women's Refuge, £15 Westminster Lodge, St Albans AL1 2D www.abbeytheatre.org.uk

The Old Town Hall

Austen's Women: Lady Susan 22nd - 25th Feb A darkly comic tale of society and the women trapped within it; their struggles, their desires, their temptations and manipulations - and at the vanguard, Lady Susan: charming, scheming, witty, and powerful; taking on society and making it her own. But has she met her match? Based on Jane Austen’s first fulllength work from 1794, and created entirely from letters. From £13 Screaming Blue Murder Comedy Club 26th Feb 8pm The Old Town Hall’s resident monthly comedy club with acts, Joey Page and Susan Murray. £10, 18+ The Old Town Hall, High Street, Hemel Hempstead HP1 3AE www.oldtownhall.co.uk

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Free, Endless Love, Ain’t No stoppin’ Us Now, Your Secret Love, The Closer I Get To You and Love The One You’re With.

St Albans Gang Show 14th - 17th Feb 7.30pm & 17th Feb 2.30pm £10 - £15 Milkshake Live On Holiday 18th Feb 3pm £19.50, child £18.50 Join your favourite Milkshake friends with Dora, Pip and Posey, Blue from Blues Clues and You, Milo, Milkshake Monkey plus two Milkshake presenters for an all-new adventure.

The Rock Orchestra 19th Feb 6.30pm & 9pm £45, £39 In candlelit settings, this band of 14 classical Stuart Michael - The Psychic Medium musicians unleash enchanting melodies 1st Feb 7.30pm £32 alongside powerful walls of distortion. Witness Direct from London’s West End, a thrilling and the unexpected union of Classical music and intriguing night of psychic mediumship. Stuart Metal. brings his quick-witted humour, sensitivity and compassion to the stage.

Tottenham Legends 20th Feb 7.30pm £27, meet & greet £60 Daniel O’Reilly: Out Of Character Join Tottenham heroes, Graham Roberts, Tony 2nd Feb 7.30pm £27 Parks, Paul Miller and Ossie Ardiles, as they He has had many characters, but this time he’s going ‘Out Of Character’ to stand up as he brings celebrate 40 years since winning the UEFA Cup and discuss being part of that winning team. the laughs and looks back on the mischief, the mistakes, and the madness of his career so far.

An Evening With Sir Geoff Hurst 21st Feb 7.30pm £31, meet & greet £82 Paul Hopkins’ Roy Orbison & The Traveling Wilburys Experience 3rd Feb 7.30pm £29.50 Join Sir Geoff on his final farewell tour, as he talks amusingly about his illustrious West Ham Take a journey through several decades of pop and England career. celebrating the music of Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The The Sooty Show Heartbreakers, George Harrison and the 22nd Feb 2.30pm £21, child £18.50 collective genius that was The Traveling Celebrating 75 years in show business, Sooty, Wilburys.

Sweep and Soo are planning a special birthday party and you’re all invited.

Carmen performed by the Ukrainian National Opera 5th Feb 7.30pm £44 Jim Davidson, Swimming Against the Tide Feel the thrill of fiery passion, jealousy, and the 23rd Feb 7.30pm £29 violence of 19th century Seville in Bizet’s most Slap on the goose fat and battle through the dark popular opera, performed by the Dnipro Opera. and murky woke infested waters and join Jim for an evening of rip-roaring grown-up comedy.

Tap Factory 7th Feb 7.30pm £29 Brace yourself for a display of high-energy Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour dance, explosive percussion, and jaw-dropping 24th Feb 7.30pm £17 acrobatics, woven together with live music and Join the world’s top adventure filmmakers and mesmerizing choreography. Fast and furiously thrill-seekers as they climb, ski, paddle and ride funny. into the wildest corners of the planet.

One Night Of Billy Joel: The Piano Man Giovanni - Let Me Entertain You 8th Feb 7.30pm £27.50 25th Feb 5pm £50, VIP £124 A celebration concert to one of the most iconic Strictly Come Dancing champion and BAFTA artists of all time. Robert Schmuck and his 7 winner Giovanni, will be joined by world class piece band perform songs such as My Life, professional dancers and West End performers Uptown Girl, Tell Her About it, Still Rock n Roll to bring you an unforgettable show of non-stop To Me, An Innocent Man, Just The Way You Are, action.

We Didn’t Start The Fire, Piano Man and The Sleeping Beauty Longest Time.

29th Feb & 1st March 7.30pm Luther Vandross Celebration 2nd March 2pm & 6.30pm £21, child £19 9th Feb 7.30pm £29.50 Enjoy this classic fairy tale presented by Rare A celebration of ‘The Velvet Voice’ with hits such Productions. as Never Too Much, Give Me the Reason, Stop Civic Centre, St Albans AL1 3LD to Love, The Best Things in Life Are www.alban-arena.co.uk

The Alban Arena

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Effective low cost advertising that really works!

12 months 1/4 page £33 per edition 1/3 page £40 per edition 1/2 page £49 per edition Full page £84 per edition

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Worcester Bosch Specialist (12 years manufacturers guarantee offered)

Gas (domestic & commercial) - installations, service & repairs Oil boiler & tank - installation, service & repairs LPG residential & park homes - installation, service & repairs Underfloor heating specialist System power flushing

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07500 801192

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31

Out of Town

Waddesdon

Tour: Putting the House to Bed 3rd - 25th Feb Saturdays & Sundays 11am & 1pm £15 As well as a behind-the-scenes look at the rooms, you will also be able to see inside the collection stores, learn about conservation techniques used to care for the collection and view the academic apartments, not normally open to the public.

February Half-Term 10th & 11th & 14th - 18th Feb Visit the Woodland Playground, with a brand new zip wire, board rider and swings. Explore the grounds and estate and look out for snowdrops, you might even catch the first of the daffodils!

11am - 3pm: Get creative with giant colouring boards as you help illustrator Scott Walker colour in Waddesdon-inspired doodles in this free activity.

Eythrope Parkland Tours 14th - 16th & 21st - 23rd Feb 10.15am The woodland garden at Eythrope was developed from informal pleasure grounds, adjoining the artificial lake. Visits to this private parkland and woodland garden are accompanied by Eythrope’s garden guides. After the tour enjoy lunch in Waddesdon Manor Restaurant. £50 Winter Waggle for Pace 16th Feb 11am - 3pm Explore this beautiful countryside estate, with two accessible routes, 3k and 5k, while supporting Pace a charity which provides highly specialist education and therapy services for children aged 0-18 with neurodisabilities, such as cerebral palsy. £12 Waddesdon, Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 0JH www.waddesdon.org.uk

Whipsnade Zoo

Walk of the Week 10.30am These guided 90 minute walks and talks are an opportunity to spend time with Zoo experts, getting behind-the-scenes information. Starting at the Visitor Centre by the main entrance, free with Zoo entry 8th Feb: Chinese New Year - As we prepare for the Lunar New Year, meet some of the contestants for "The Great Race".

15th Feb: Darwin Day - Charles Darwin was fundamental in our understanding of life and the species we see today. Walk around the zoo and explore evolution in action.

29th Feb: Reintroduction success - Celebrate some of the incredible projects both in the UK and around the world. Whipsnade, Dunstable LU6 2LF www.whipsnadezoo.org 32

Bletchley Park

Vintage Date Night 10th Feb 7pm Take your sweetheart back in time this Valentine’s, enjoy a delicious three-course meal with live music in the Mansion Dining Room.

Sweetheart Afternoon Tea 14th Feb Romance will be in the air with live music and the elegant surroundings of the Mansion’s Dining Room.

Discover the achievements of the WW2 Codebreakers, as entry to Bletchley Park is included.

Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB www.bletchleypark.org.uk

RAF London

Rations, Ascent and Far Away!

10th - 13th Feb 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm This interactive show will entertain and educate on three significant events of the modern RAF Story.

Learn about the Berlin Airlift, Operation Black Buck and ‘Taffy’ Holden’s accidental Lightning take off. £7.50, child £5 Crazy Comic Book Workshops 14th Feb 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm Calling all crazy cartoonists, the Museum is proud to partner up with James Parsons of Comic Club to bring your wildest ideas to life. During this workshop, young illustrators will create their own Biggles-style characters and cultivate their own stories through the medium of comic book creation. £5 Through Adversity… and Beyond!

15th - 18th Feb 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm Meet Astra, the Museum’s time-travelling hero. Astra has heard that RAF Founder Hugh Trenchard’s pivotal flying lesson has been cancelled. In this interactive show, Astra travels back in time to guide Hugh through key past events to ensure the RAF’s creation and survival. £7.50, child £5 ‘Those Magnificent Sheep in their Flying Machine’ 16th Feb 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm free Join author Peter Bently as he takes you on a wild ride through a reading of his wonderfully wacky children’s book.

Grahame Park Way, London NW9 5LL www.rafmuseum.org.uk

Sculpture Trail Stride 11th Feb 11am free

On this beautiful walk around the lakes and woodland, you will see the Sculptures and maybe even some of the wildlife they reflect. The walk also takes you down to Hall Marsh Scrape where you can see wildfowl, waders and herons. Meet at Pindar Car Park, River Lee Country Park, nearest postcode EN8 9AJ www.visitleevalley.org.uk

Animal Superpowers

13th, 15th, 20th & 22nd Feb 10.30am, 11.15am, 2.15pm & 3pm Explore the extraordinary powers of animals and discover the incredible skills they use to defend themselves, find food and ultimately survive. Get hands on with the specimens and enjoy a craft activity. £2, ages 5+ Tring Natural History Museum HP23 6AP www.nhm.ac.uk

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Index of Businesses Accountants

14

Hicks

Architects

Rock Architects

27

Blinds & Shutters Harpenden Blinds

9

Computer Repairs

34

Ken Hodson

Dance & Drama

AJR Building Services Eco Tiffin Kingsholme Open Plan Solutions

27 27 Back Cover 30

33 33

Business Support STANTA

Car Body Repairs

Prestige Paint Shop Ltd

Car Servicing / Repairs Compass Twenty RTI Auto Services Ltd

8 10 11 11

Charity

Rennie Grove Peace - Firewalk

Children’s Art Classes ArtShed!

Chimney Sweep

Home Sweep Home

22

Front Cover

Footcare

23

Nicole Pyne Podiatry

Funeral Directors

2

Austin’s

Gardening / Landscaping

AR Landscapes Ltd 13 Detail Gardening & Maintenance 12 Lanwarne Landscapes Ltd 12 Sunshine Gardens 13 28

31 31 35

Oxona Healthcare Spire Harpenden Hospital

Pest Control

The Verminator

23 23 21 & 22

Hearing Services

Hearing Healthcare Practice

17

DJ&M Plumbing Services Ltd

Property Maintenance The 50 Plus

Roofing

Singing Club Solicitors

Abbey Law Rayden Solicitors

Tree Surgeons

Fircroft Tree Surgery Ltd

Windows

Cloud 9 Glazing

Ken Hodson

Local Computer Hardware and Software Repairs Upgrades and Advice for Home and Business ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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Low hourly rate Most repairs carried out in your home, if not the computer will be picked up and delivered back to you.

Problems with Windows / Applications / Games / Internet / Networks fixed Friendly training and instruction available in plain English Advice given on upgrades - many older computers can be upgraded at a fraction of the cost of a new machine Upgrades of hardware and software

07974 156743 / 01582 794723 enquiries@kenhodsoncomputerservices.co.uk www.kenhodsoncomputerservices.co.uk We have made every effort to ensure that any material published in harpenden NOW is correct and can accept no liability for any errors or delays in publication or distribution, harpenden NOW accepts no responsibility for its advertisers.

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29 9 9 10

Plumber

Clover Singing Club

Hairdressing Healthcare

CB Decorators M & M Decorators

GJ Smith Roofing

Gas & Heating Engineer

10 3

Home Counties Loft Ladders

Painters & Decorators

Flooring

Image Mobile Hairdressing 31

Cleaning

A&R Roof & Hard Surface Cleaning & Restoration Ltd Merrivac Molly Maid

27

Woburn Heating 5

Lock Around the Clock Locksmith Services

Loft Ladders

St Albans Sparks KC Flooring Specialists Ltd

24 25

Abbots Care Caring Connections

Locksmiths

Penny Waterman School of Dance Stagecoach

Electrician

Building

Home Care

3 & 35 28 7 25 14 15 12 7

Discounts

DJ&M

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