harpenden NOW March 23

Welcome to March

As always at this time of year we’re loving the lighter evenings, and seeing a bit more sunshine. Why not get out and about, there’s all sorts to do, from the Doggy Fun Day and Dog and Daffs Charity Walk to Mothers Day Afternoon Teas and volunteering at Luton Hoo Walled Garden or with local charity, Remap.

If you run your own business we’d love to include you, it’s so easy just book your space online today!

Advertising Rates 12 months 3 months £33 per edition £43 per edition 1/4 page £40 per edition £52 per edition 1/3 page £49 per edition £64 per edition 1/2 page £84 per edition £110 per edition Full page other options are available

You can NOW book advertising online Deadline 8th March for April editions

Ltd

●Ball Valves and Overflows

●Blocked WC’s, Sinks, Baths and Basins

●Repair/Renew Stopcocks and Taps

●Plumb in Washing Machines and Dishwashers

●Repair Leaking Pipes

●Outside Taps Dean Herrington 01727 764217 07830 159010

info@djmplumbing.co.uk www.djmplumbing.co.uk

see our main advert on the inside back cover

Out & About

RAF London

Talk: Pauline Gower and the Spitfire Women

8th March 6.30pm - 8.30pm £15

Celebrate International Women’s Day and learn all about Pauline Gower, the leader of the Spitfire women during WW2. Alison Hill, author of Pauline Gower: Pioneering Leader of the Spitfire Women will be talking about her incredible life and career. You’ll even get the chance to sit in a spitfire and get a taste of what it was really like for the Spitfire Women.

RAF London NW9 5LL

www.rafmuseum.org.uk

Waddesdon Manor

Normal grounds admission applies to all events

Spring at Waddesdon

15th - 19th March 10am-4pm

Get outdoors to see the gardens bursting into colour with all the beautiful spring bulbs.

Mother's Day Afternoon Tea

18th & 19th March

Treat mum to a sumptuous afternoon tea, with a selection of savoury treats and sweet fancies. £28.50, child £16.50

Gin Tasting

18th & 19th March 12.30pm & 2.30pm

Head down to the atmospheric cellars to learn about the history of the spirit and the distilling process, as well as sampling a number of gins. £15

Easter Adventures at Waddesdon

29th March - 10th April 10am-5pm

(closed 3rd & 4th March)

Enjoy a fun-filled Easter adventure on the Easter trail. Please book, £3 per trail

Waddesdon, Aylesbury HP18 0JH www.waddesdon.org.uk

Bletchley Park

Build your own Morse Tutor

18th March 10am & 1.30pm

Join The Radio Society of Great Britain at the National Radio Centre for a fun, hands-on workshop.

Ages 11 - 18, please book, £10 includes entry

Mothers Day Afternoon Tea 19th March

12 noon & 2.30pm

Enjoy a delicious afternoon tea in the iconic Victorian Mansion while enjoying the sounds of a bygone era with vocalist Alison Carter.

£65, concs £60, ages 12-17 £50, under 12’s £22.50 Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB www.bletchleypark.org.uk

Mother’s Day Sunday Lunch

19th March 12.30pm

Enjoy a traditional Sunday Lunch in Knebworth Barns. Tickets include access to Knebworth Gardens and Dinosaur Trail. £39, child £29

Knebworth House Stevenage SG1 2AX www.knebworthhouse.com

Shuttleworth

Mother’s Day Market 19th March 10am

Explore the grand rooms and grounds of Shuttleworth House and meander around local food, craft and gift stalls. Market free, normal admission charges apply

Talk: The Swiss Garden: Restoration of a Regency Gem 22nd March 10.30am

Learn about the 200-year history of the Swiss Garden from its creation to the present day. £10

Spring Walk and Lunch with Head Gardener

24th March 10.30am

Learn more about the Regency garden’s intriguing story and how it is maintained today. In spring the garden is full of colour and scent, and the banks of Rhododendrons are in full flower, it’s a wonderful time to visit. £40

Shuttleworth, Biggleswade, Beds SG18 9DT www.shuttleworth.org

Rothschild Library Extinct Bird Tour

23rd March 10.30am, 11.30am

Visit the awe-inspiring Victorian Rothschild Library, once Walter Rothchild's personal book collection, usually closed to the public. It holds books from the 1600s that Walter used to write his 1907 work on extinct birds. Join Librarian Catherine O'Carroll as she explores the material he used to write the book, and interprets some of the original drawings produced to compliment it. £10

The Natural History Museum, Tring HP23 6AP www.nhm.ac.uk

IWM Duxford

IWM History Festival

25th & 26th March 9.30am - 6.30pm

Explore the human experiences of war and conflict at the first IWM History Festival. Bringing together rarely seen objects from IWM’s collections and book signings from leading historical authors. Immerse yourself in real stories from WW1, WW2 and contemporary conflict at the airfield that made history. Day tickets from £40

IWM Duxford, Cambridge CB22 4QR www.iwm.org.uk

Walks & More

City of St Albans Tour Guide Walks

Historic St Albans

5th, 12th, 19th & 26th March 11.15am

Ghosts and Ghouls

9th & 23rd March 7.30pm

Please book, all walks cost £6 Meet outside St Albans Museum + Gallery www.stalbanstourguides.co.uk

The Charismatic Water Vole

11th March 1pm

Learn about the water vole and discover how Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust are protecting the UK’s fasted declining mammal from local extinction. Refreshments from 11.30am, free

All Saints Church, Hertford SG13 8AY www.allsaintsherttford.org

Panshanger Study Day

25th March 10am - 4pm

Delve into the history of this much loved country park with talks on the House and estate and a guided walk around the park. Please book, £45 Hertford Museum SG14 1DT www.ticketsource.co.uk

Hertfordshire Health Walks

Highfield Park

YMCA Highfield Park Centre

59 Russett Drive, St Albans AL4 0DB

Mondays 9.30am - grade 3

Tuesdays 1.30pm - 1st steps, wheelchair / buggy friendly

Tuesdays 1.30pm - grade 3

Harpenden

Conference Centre car park, Rothamsted Research, West Common AL5 2JQ

Tuesdays 10.30am - grade 3

Wheathampstead

East Lane car park, behind The Bull AL4 8BL

Thursdays 10.30am - grade 4

Greenwood Park

Community Centre, St Albans AL2 3HW

Fridays 2pm - grade 3

Redbourn

Cricket Club Car Park, Redbourn AL3 7DB

Saturday 4th March 2pm - grade 4

Batchwood Hall

Batchwood Hall Car Park, St Albans AL3 5XA

Sunday 19th March 10.30am - grade 4 www.hertfordshire.gov.uk

NOW for some Entertainment

Abbey Theatre

The Incident Room

24th Feb - 4th March 8pm & 26th Feb 2.30pm

Between 1975 and 1981, West Yorkshire police investigated a series of brutal murders. The case was hampered by outdated methods, poor communication, mountains of paperwork, media pressure, false leads, personal prejudices and misogyny towards both the victims and female police officers. This tense detective drama, offers a fascinating insight into the life of the incident room during the investigation of the Yorkshire Ripper case. £13, concs £12

Sister Act 30th March - 1st April 7.30pm & 1st April 2.30pm

This uplifting, inspiring musical is a tribute to the power of friendship and sisterhood. Produced by St Albans Youth Music Theatre.

Abbey Theatre, St Albans AL1 2DL 01727 857861

www.abbeytheatre.org.uk

The Radlett Centre

Sounds of the 60's - The Zoots

1st March 7.30pm £25

Bop to the '60s beats with tracks by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Monkeys, Elvis and more.

Forbidden Nights 3rd March 7.30pm £26, £22.50

Watch as acrobats, live male vocalists, fire acts, aerial artists and circus performers flip and spin across the stage in this high-octane show. Age 18+

With a Song in my Heart - Paul Potts UK Tour

4th March 7.30pm £24

An intimate collection of songs, with just Paul’s voice and a piano for accompaniment.

Dreamcoat Stars 16th March 7.30pm £25.50

A colourful show with songs from shows such as Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar, Six, Wicked, Mamma Mia, We Will Rock You and more.

Bon Jovi Experience 17th March 7.30pm £25

This tribute band endorsed by Jon Bon Jovi himself perform hits including, Livin’ on a Prayer, It’s my Life, You give Love a Bad Name and many more.

Evening with Gary Mabbutt

21st March 7.30pm £30

Join Gary as he looks back on his football career with Spurs from 1982 to 1998.

James Ketchell - It's all Mental

23rd March 7.30pm £17.50

Having climbed Everest, cycled around the world and rowed an ocean, James will share the mentality needed to achieve what sometimes feel like unattainable goals.

An Evening with Ray Parlour & Perry Groves

30th March 8pm £150, £60, £30

The Arsenal legends tour returns with two more Gunners legends.

An Evening with Bryan Robson

31st March £90, £45, £35

Meet the legend and hear about his incredible life and career.

Aldenham Avenue, Radlett WD7 8HL www.radlettcentre.co.uk

The Alban Arena Grease

2nd & 3rd March 7.30pm & 4th March 2pm & 6.30pm

Welcome to the singing and dancing world of Grease the most successful movie musical of all time.

Madama Butterfly 7th March

Performed by the Dnipro Opera from Ukraine with an impressive cast and a live Orchestra of over 30 musicians.

Herts County Dance Festival

9th March 2pm & 7pm

A programme of dance by 21 schools from across the county.

Henning Wehn – It’ll All Come Out In the Wash

10th March 8pm

See Henning give everything a good rinse and witness him wring sense out of the nonsensical.

Petty Criminals – the greatest hits of Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks 11th March 7.30pm

A first of its kind and not to be missed by any fan of either Tom Petty or Stevie Nicks!

Chris McCausland: Speaky Blinder

17th March 8pm

One of the UK’s top stand-ups is back with his Sunday Times Best of the Edinburgh Fringe show.

A Country Night in Nashville 18th March 7.30pm

Recreating a buzzing Honky Tonk in downtown Nashville, capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of country music.

The Bootleg Beatles 20th March 7.30pm

From Love Me Do to Let It Be, from the Cavern to the Apple rooftop, the world’s Premier Beatle band will take you on a whistle stop journey through the Swinging Sixties.

The Sensational 60’s Experience

60th Anniversary Tour 1963 TO 2023!

23rd March 7.30pm

Step back in time to when pop music was at its very best!

Menopause the Musical 2

24th March 5.30pm & 8.30pm

Fast forward five years to catch up with the same four characters for tales of their lives, loves and losses.

The Talking Pictures TV and Renown Pictures

Festival of Film 25th & 26th March 11am - 7pm

Hosted by Mike Read and Caroline Munro with short films, vintage news reels, two Big Lost British Films and incredible lost TV episodes, plus, stalls with Film and TV memorabilia.

Come What May - A Tribute to Moulin Rouge

30th March 7.30pm

An all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza, featuring Strictly Come Dancing’s sensational Robin Windsor and a cast of top West End performers.

Civic Centre, St Albans AL1 3LD www.alban-arena.co.uk

The Eric Morecambe Centre

A Tribute To The Carpenters

4th March 7.30 pm

Starring the fantastic Sally Creedon as Karen Carpenter and an incredible cast made up of musicians straight from London’s West End.

100 and Counting with John McGuinness and James Whitham

10th March 7.30pm

A look back at 100 TT starts and 23 TT wins with John McGuinness, and a lap of the TT with on board commentary by John and James.

The Arts Society Harpenden Area

16th March 10.30am

An engaging and informative lecture from the Society president.

Thank ABBA For The Music

17th March 7.30pm

Capturing the magic of one of pop history’s most iconic bands.

Steve Hewlett Ventriloquist - “A Day in the Life of Arthur Ledger” 19th March 2.30 pm

A unique story of a Dummy who has lived life before the ventriloquist came along!

Follies

29th March - 1st April 7.30pm & 1st April 2.30pm

With Stephen Sondheim’s show music from the 20s, 30s and 40s, and time-travel trickery this is a glamorous and fascinating peek into a bygone era. Rothamsted Park, Harpenden AL5 2FR www.the-emc.co.uk

Live Cinema

Exhibition Live: Mary Cassatt: Painting the Modern Woman

8th March 8.30pm & 12th March 4pm

Mary made a career painting the lives of the women around her, as intellectual, feminine and real. This film introduces us to the Impressionist whose own career was as full of contradiction as the women she painted.

Filmed live at the Barbican: Anything Goes: The Musical 15th March 7.30pm & 19th March 2.30pm

A heart-warming romance with spectacular dance routines and some of theatre’s most memorable songs.

Royal Opera House Live: Turandot

22nd March 7.15pm & 26th March 2pm

Puccini’s final opera, a pageant of rich colour, dance and drama in Andrei Serban’s classic staging.

National Theatre Live: The Life of Pi

30th March 7pm & 2nd April 2.15pm

Filmed live in London’s West End and featuring state -of-the-art visuals, this epic journey of endurance and hope is bought to life in a breath-taking new way. Campus West, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6BX www.campuswest.co.uk

Barn Theatre

Comedy at the Barn

18th March 8pm

Featuring Mark Row, Andy Zapp, Emily Mcquade, Gareth Neale, Ben Harrington, Peter White and Alexis Coward. Contains strong language and adult themes. £5

Treasure Island

24th March to 1st April 8pm & 1st April 2.30pm

Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story of mutiny, murder and money! £14

Welwyn Garden City AL8 6ST www.barntheatre.co.uk

Go Back For Murder

by Agatha Christie

23rd & 24th March 8pm & 25th March 2.30pm

Presented by High Street Players. £10

Katherine Warington School, Harpenden AL5 5FH www.hsplayers.org.uk

We’re here for you

How much do you value your time?

Why do all the jobs you hate doing, like cleaning and gardening, instead of doing stuff you enjoy?

Free up your weekends and evenings and allow our friendly teams to maintain your garden on a regular basis. Our clients save at least 6 hours per month of their time so just think what you could do instead!

Our regular and reliable garden maintenance service has served thousands of clients over 30 years in North Herts and Beds and now we have landed in your area too! No more back breaking hours mowing your lawn and weeding those pesky borders and as for climbing up ladders to trim that hedge, just leave it to us and sit back and relax. One easy call for your free quotation and your work/life balance will change for the best.

From the start of March until the end of November, we will provide a regular weekly or fortnightly service to ensure a neat and tidy garden all year round.

Our service will include:

 Lawn mowing & edging

 Borders & beds weeded

 Shrubs trimmed, shaped & kept under control

 Hedges trimmed once per year

 Patios and driveways kept weed free

 Leaves and branches all picked up and finally, but very importantly, we remove the garden waste after each visit and take it a recycling centre to make "Ace of Herts" compost

 One-Off Tidy Ups Also Available

“If our clients need anything doing in their garden we contact Dave and his team as we know they will always do a great job.”

Mark, Shilcock Estate Agents Hitchin

“Excellent & reliable service - my garden is unrecognisable. Polite helpful and hardworking guys. Thank you. Would recommend for any out of control gardens.”

Maria, Ickleford

Call us today

01582 935100

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Lawn Mowing I Hedge Cutting Weeding I Garden Clearance

Fencing I Power Washing/Sealing

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DetailGardening www.detailgardening.co.uk

NOW at the Museums

St Albans Museum + Gallery

St Peters Street AL1 3DH

Invisible Threads until 12th March

The world is full of invisible threads linking places, people and time, themes include a well worn walking route and the fraying thread of memory. Free

Exhibition: Henry Moore: Drawing in the Dark until 16th April 11am - 5pm

Curious Crimes until Nov 11am - 5pm

Ex-offenders investigate historical Court Records and interpret the cases through art. Free Museum Mini’s: The Girl and the Dinosaur

13th March 1pm & 2pm

A story, craft activities and a museum hunt. £5, please book, ages 2 - 4

Pit Lasses: The History of Britain’s Mining

Women

16th March 7pm

A look at the life of female miners in the 19th century through to the outbreak of the Great War, In-person £10, online £6

Tots Tales: A Dress with Pockets

24th March 10.30am & 1.15pm

A story, craft activities and a museum hunt. £5, please book, ages 2 - 4

Exhibition: The Forgotten Battle of St Albans

24th March - 28th June

Celebrating the second War of the Roses battle, fought in St Albans on 17th February 1461, and one of the largest battles in the conflict. The story unfolds through a range of exhibits, detailed replicas revealing the nature of medieval warfare and real artefacts including the second oldest cannonball known in England, found on the battlefield site. Free

www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

Verulamium Museum

St Michael's St, St Albans AL3 4SW

Exhibition: All About Us until 19th March

Celebrating the creativity of the learning-disabled community locally. Presented by Trestle Theatre Company it showcases film, words and art in a sensory, immersive journey. Free www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

Shuttleworth

2nd March 10am

See the beautiful Swiss Garden and the extensive collection of vintage aircraft and motor vehicles housed in the adjacent hangars. Adult £10

Hatfield Park

18th March 11am - 4pm

The West Gardens will be open ahead of the official visitor season, where you can enjoy spring bulbs in the lime walk, the sundial garden and see the famous Old Palace garden, childhood home of Elizabeth I. The adjoining woodland garden is at it’s best in spring with masses of naturalised daffodils and bluebells. All monies will be split between the National Garden Scheme and a charity of Lady Salisbury’s choosing. £9, child £4.50

Walkern Hall

25th & 26th March 12 noon - 5pm

A woodland garden set in 8 acres, this medieval hunting park is known more for its established trees such as the tulip trees and a magnificent London plane tree which dominates the garden. In March and April you can enjoy a stunning display of daffodils and other spring bulbs. £5, child free Walkern, Stevenage SG2 7JA

Amwell Cottage

26th March 2pm - 5pm

An informal garden of approx 2½ acres around a 17th century cottage with a large orchard of mature apples, plums and pear, planted with daffodils and laid out with paths. Extensive lawns with borders, framed by tall yew hedges and old brick walls. With stone seats with views, woodland pond, greenhouse, vegetable garden with raised beds and fire-pit area. Home-made teas in aid of Hope & Homes for Children. £5, child free

Amwell Lane, Wheathampstead AL4 8EA

204 Hart Lane

26th March 2pm - 5pm

A small gem, with year-round seasonal plants, mature shrubs, a relaxing water feature and different seating areas to enjoy the garden with a cream tea. There are hidden animals for children to find, something for all the family. Home-made jams and preserves for sale.

Luton, Beds LU2 0JH

www.ngs.org.uk

Out & About

Luton Hoo Walled Garden

Estate Walks 1st & 15th March

Enjoy the long vistas and tranquillity of this ancient landscape, not otherwise open to the public but revealed here in a guided walk led by members of the Walled Garden Project’s research team. It will be approximately 6 miles and take at least 3 hours. £15, please book

Talk: 21 Years Reviving the Walled Garden

24th March 11am, £7.50, please book

Volunteer Day 29th March 11am - 1pm

Established for over 21 years, and now looking for new volunteers, find out what you can get involved with; gardening, conservation, children’s work and the research team which includes tour guides and Open Wednesday staff, then enjoy a tour around the garden. Please book or office@lutonhooestate.co.uk

Luton Hoo Estate, Luton LU1 4LF 01582 721443 www.lutonhooestate.co.uk

Sustainable St Albans

Borrow a Thermal Imaging Camera

Identifying draughts in your home will help reduce energy bills and focus your insulation efforts. Book a free information zoom session if you would like to borrow a camera.

St Albans: 7th & 16th March

Harpenden: 8th & 20th March

Harpenden Sustainability Market

Harpenden Common

19th March 10.30pm

From eco essentials and gifts to food and eco care products, everyone can be inspired to live more sustainably.

Our Planet Our Future: Curious

About Local Eco-businesses?

21st March 7.30pm free, please book

The Plough & Harrow, Southdown Road, Harpenden

www.sustainablestalbans.org

Fiona Curran: Static

9th March - 29th April

Mon – Fri 10am - 4pm & Sat 11am - 3pm

Exploring the impacts of screen-based technologies on the decline of our sensory engagement with the world, through intimate works and large-scale installations. Free UHArts, Art & Design Gallery, Hatfield AL10 9AB www.uharts.co.uk

Doggy Fun Day

18th March 11am - 4pm

Hosted by the Mayor of Harpenden, the day will include a scent display and workshop, a dog show and many other lively activities. The event is organised in aid of The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, which protects and rehabilitates serving and retired police dogs, and Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust. Entry is free, with a small charge for some activities. Rothamsted Park, Harpenden www.harpenden.gov.uk

Hatfield House

Dogs and Daffs Charity Walk

19th March 9.30am - 4pm

Visit the Stable Yard with your pooch, take part in the Fun Dog Show and stroll the grounds of Hatfield Park, all in aid of Riding for the Disabled Association Digswell Place Group. £6

The Luxury Wedding Fair

26th March 11am - 3pm

Held in the historic Old Palace with over 60 leading wedding professionals, plus masterclasses on wedding related topics. www.hatfield-house.co.uk

Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust

Both events are free, but donations appreciated Practical Conservation Taster Session

22nd March 10am - 1pm

Try your hand at meadow cutting and learn about the traditional method of scything. The event is weather dependent so may be cancelled at short notice. Please book

Cassiobury Park Watford, WD18 7LG

Great Oak Heritage Walk

25th March 10.30am

Join volunteer David for a short walk around the historical parts of Panshanger Park visiting the Dairy Garden to see the Orangery and finishing at the famous Panshanger Great Oak. Learning about the history of the Park and the Cowper family on the way. The walk will be under a mile, mostly on uneven paths. Please book

Panshanger Park, Hertford SG14 2NA www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk

Herts County Show

27th & 28th May

Celebrate Hertfordshire’s finest farming, food, entertainment and shopping. The Showground, Redbourn AL3 7PT www.hertsshow.com

Caring & Sharing

less clinical, by creating an illusion of being outside, so reducing anxiety for young patients. They are fundraising to help make this happen, can you help by making a donation.

Facebook: Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity Fundraising@ldh.nhs.uk 01582 718289

St Albans & Distric Foodbank

Hospice of St Francis

Berkhamsted Half Marathon & 5 Mile Run

5th March

Half Marathon - 10am / 5 Mile - 10.30am

Both events are routed through the beautiful Chiltern countryside. Your entry helps raise funds for the Hospice together with many other local charities. Starts at Berkhamsted Cricket Club

Skydive 11th March

Are you ready for a hair-raising, adrenaline-fuelled challenge? If so why not push the boundaries and take to the skies to support The Hospice. Registration £50, minimum sponsorship £350 North London Skydiving Centre, Cambridge www.stfrancis.org.uk

Charity Quiz Night

25th March doors open 7pm

Get quizzical at the Soroptimist Women's Group Quiz Night. All welcome £14 includes fish and chips.

United Reformed Church, Homewood Road, St Albans AL1 4BH email sistalbans@hotmail.com call 07834 345796 www.sigbi.org/st-albans/quiz23

London Bridges Walk 26th March

As part of coming together with Peace Hospice Care, Rennie Grove is inviting you to take part in the charity’s annual London Bridges Walk taking in some of the capital’s most iconic bridges and landmarks. With 2 different routes, both starting at the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park, the 5-mile route takes in 5 famous London bridges, ending at Parliament Square. The 10-mile route takes in 12 bridges, ending at Tower Bridge.

All money raised will be used to fund vital care and support for adults and children with life-limiting illnesses in Herts and Bucks. £18, child £10, under 5s free www.renniegrove.org/london-bridges-walk

Help Brighten a Child’s Day

If you have ever had a child needing emergency care, you know how scary it can be. The Luton & Dunstable Hospital are creating a new emergency department, which will be friendly and less frightening for children. They want to install optical sky panels in the children’s emergency department treatment rooms and some communal areas. This will make the space

As part of The Trussell Trust’s (TTT) network of 428 foodbanks, the St Albans & District Foodbank is working to tackle food poverty locally. In 2021/22, TTT Foodbank Network provided 2,173,158 three-day emergency food supplies and support to UK people in crisis. Of these, 832,109 went to children. Gifts of financial support, time, business partnership and food can make a real difference. Please visit the website for more information on how you can help. If you need help yourself, contact info@stalbansdistrict.foodbank.org.uk or call 01727 613019 or St Albans Citizens Advice 01727 811 118 www.trusselltrust.org

The Home of Volunteering

GoVolHerts is a one-stop-hub for all volunteering queries, opportunities and best practice advice across Hertfordshire. Just visit the website to get involved, whether you’re taking your first steps into volunteering or looking for your next opportunity. Or if you're a local organisation looking for volunteers to support your service, this free resource helps to make recruitment as easy as possible. www.govolherts.org.uk

NOW for some Music

The Horn

Desert Penguins 3rd March 10.30pm

Listen to an established pop gone rock covers band playing all those big pop classics from Britney Spears, Rihanna and Lady Gaga to the massive Kings of Leon, Green Day and Blink 182.

Faux Fighters UK 4th March 9pm

A Tribute to the Foo Fighters, Faux Fighters' live shows are explosive events and the band go to every effort to reproduce the raw power and dynamics of the original band.

Jacob Hawley 5th March 7pm

Comedian Jacob, fresh from a four star run at the Edinburgh Fringe, he covers mental health, social class, drugs, anti-pasti, and whether he is ready to be a father

Battle of the Bands 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th March

You’ll be given a voting slip to cast the audience vote the winning band will be announced on the night after all bands have performed.

Half Life 17th March 10.30pm

Half Life is a local rock covers band, formed in 2018 largely to give them an excuse to spend more time in the pub in the name of art.

Uptown Funk 24th March 10.30pm

The Ultimate Party Band Playing Soul, Funk and Disco.

Bon Jovi UK 25th March 9pm

Europe’s number 1 Bon Jovi tribute band capture the look, sound and electric atmosphere of the original Bon Jovi in a live, authentic tribute show

The 88 31st March 10.30pm

Local legends are back for another stonking night of Indie Rock Covers.

The Horn, Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3TE www.thehorn.co.uk

Concert Cabaret and Cake

11th March 2.30pm

Presented by The Harpenden Lions Club with music from Gilbert and Sullivan, musicals, comedy, sing-alongs and more! In aid of Herts Musical Memories and Music24. £20

St George's School, Harpenden

www.harpenden-lions.co.uk/cabaret

Orchestral Classics

11th March 7.30pm

St Albans Symphony Orchestra will play Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Overture, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, concluding with Beroliz’s Symphonie Fantastique.

£8 - £18, student £5, child £2 01525 862097 St Saviour’s Church, St Albans AL1 4DF www.saso.org.uk

St Albans Organ Theatre

Organ Theatre Concert 11th March 3pm With Michael Wooldridge who will be accompanying a short Silent Film.

Sunday Opening 12th March 3pm

Enjoy the playing of the mechanical organs and musical boxes. www.stalbansorgantheatre.org.uk

de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra

12th March 4pm

The theme of International Women’s Day this year is #Embraceequity - to create a fair and equal world. To mark this event the Orchestra will perform a concert by female composers including Dame Ethyl Smyth and Ruth Gipps, both marginalised and fought to be accepted as mainstream in a maledominated musical world.

• Ethyl Smyth – The Wreckers (Overture)

• Ruth Gipps – Horn Concerto

• Shostakovich – Symphony No.5

£15, concs £12, child £6

UHArts, The Weston Auditorium AL10 9EU 01707 281127 www.herts.ac.uk

Faure: Requiem

18th March 7.30pm

Harpenden Choral Society presents Vaughan

Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem

£17, child / students £7

from Creature Comforts, Harpenden AL5 4EF

High Street Methodist Church, Harpenden www.harpendenchoralsociety.org

Hardynge Choir Spring Concert

25th March 7.30pm

With music by French composers

Lili Boulanger - Hymne au Soleil (1912)

Francis Poulenc - Organ Concerto

Gabriel Fauré - Pavane

Maurice Duruflé - Requiem

£15, students £8

High St Methodist Church, Harpenden AL5 2RU www.hardyngechoir.org

NOW at the Cathedral

Abbey by Night

1st March 8pm

Be transported back in time to the medieval abbey as you encounter the fantastic stories of the past under candlelight. As darkness descends, huddle around and meet the characters, both monks and pilgrims, to whom this great abbey was once home. See, hear, feel and even smell the inspiring tales these men and women have to tell. £18

Talk: The Orthodox Church of Ukraine

2nd March 7.30pm

Explore the history and cultural context of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. £10

Visually Impaired Persons' Tour

3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st March 1.30pm

Discover over 1700 years of history on this new free audio-described tour. A dedicated group of Cathedral Guides have been trained by VocalEyes to deliver these tours so this magnificent building can be more accessible. If you would like to attend as part of a bigger group, please see the information about VIP Group Tours.

St Albans Chamber Choir

4th March 7.30pm

Rachmaninoff - Vespers (All-Night Vigil)

Allegri - Miserere

Mendelssohn - Warum toben die Heiden

Mahler / Gottwald - Ich bin der Welt

£26, £16, concs £6

Talk: An Archbishop, the Vikings and Fears of the Year 1000: the life of Wulfstan II, Archbishop of York (1002-23)

9th March 7.30pm

Explore the life of Archbishop Wulfstan of York and his response to the Vikings. £10

Talk: Breakspear: the Pope from St Albans

11th March 1.30pm

Discover the history behind England's only Pope, Nicholas Breakspear. £10

More to Explore: The North Transept - in full!

12th March 1.30pm

In this transept there is a fascinating collection of disparate items: the oldest walls in the cathedral, a mensa (what’s that?) a Victorian map, memorials, a black Jesus and much more. Hear all about them and the history of this amazing space.

Joint Schools' Choral Society & Orchestra Concert

15th March

St Albans School and St Albans High School for Girls are delighted to present this annual concert, a coming together of pupils, staff, family and friends of both schools accompanied by a semi-professional orchestra.

Choral Discoveries: Jesu, Meine Freude

18th March 8pm £20, child £8

With the Lea Singers

Bach - Jesu meine Freude

Bortniansky - Lord let me know mine end

Nystedt - Prayers of Kierkegaard

Tavener - Mother and Child to take you £20, child £8

Organ Concert: Oliver Morrell

22nd March 12.30pm

Oliver Morrell, Organ Scholar, St Albans Cathedral. Free

St Albans Bach Choir - Antonin Dvorak Requiem Op 89

25th March 7.30pm

Performance of Dvorak’s Requiem with the Sinfonia Verdi Orchestra, soloists and St Albans

Bach Choir conducted by Andrew Lucas. £12 - £30

Light and Movement: Debussy, Music, and the Book of Nature

30th March 7.30pm

An evening of Debussy's music with talks exploring his artistic context and motivation £12.50

St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard AL1 1BY www.stalbanscathedral.org

Index of Businesses

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