st albans NOW April 21 by wendy robertson

Pick p u me m I’ E FRE

st albans April 2021

NOW

promoting local businesses, organisations and events since 2006 www.theNOWmagazines.com 07983 588291 jane@theNOWmagazines.com

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Welcome to April

Like you we’re looking forward to things getting back to normal and having theatres, museums, sports venues and other places re-opening soon, and when they do, we’ll make sure we include as many as we have room for! As always, we’ve included a selection of local businesses from Bathing Mobility to Windows & Doors. If you’re interested in advertising, we’d love to hear from you. The magazines are monthly and if you don’t have a copy handy, you can always find them on Twitter, Facebook or our website. In the meantime, stay safe and look after yourself and others.

Jane & Wendy

@theNOWmagazines

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Out & About & Online! Please check websites for any changes

Playing Out

Find out how to apply to close your road for a street party or for children’s play and community building. www.sustainablestalbans.org

Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust

Bird Song for Beginners 1st April 6pm - 7pm online Learn to identify some of the birds singing in the dawn chorus, as you look at ten of the most popular birds found in gardens. Please book It's a Small World - Macro Photography 20th April 8pm - 9.30pm online Presented by Andy Sands, an award-winning wildlife photographer who specialises in macro photography. You will be stunned by the quality of his results and ability to seek out subjects that we don’t even know are under our feet. Aimed at adults but all are welcome, please book www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk

Talk: Being a Cathedral Archaeologist 1st April 7pm online Presented by Jackie Hall, a consultant archaeologist, specialising in buildings archaeology and monastic and ecclesiastical complexes. She is the archaeologist for Peterborough Cathedral and Southwark Cathedral. www.eventbrite.co.uk

Hatfield House

Hatfield Park Opening Weekend 3rd & 4th April 10.30am - 5pm See the park, woodland walks and gardens blooming in Spring. Tudor Legacies - Meet Henry VIII, his Wives & Children 5th April free Interact with Henry VIII, his six wives and children. Find out what it was really like to be married to one of history’s most infamous kings. Bee Keeping Experience 25th April 9.30am - 3pm Discover the secrets of one of the most important and fascinating creatures on the planet. Learn about the lifecycle and roles of honeybees, the different tools and equipment used in beekeeping, and a selection of hive products. Wear protective equipment to meet these busy, buzzy friends up close, learn how to inspect a hive, and be given the chance to handle a frame of bees. After you’ve honed your hive-handling technique, relax with a honey-tasting session. £150, age 16+ 8

Jaguar Drivers Club - Area 16 & Area 17 25th April 11am - 4pm JDC will be displaying their wonderful collection of cars within the grounds of Hatfield Park. Please book www.hatfield-house.co.uk

Honey Bees

Please don’t spray weed killer until you see blackberries blooming, as weeds, flowers and fruit trees are the bees only source of food until mid-June. The honey bee pictured above has pollen on her legs is from dandelions, and has died from weed killer spread on what we see as weeds, but what nature sees as food. No bees, no food crops and we all starve. The honey bee is well-known as a hive bee: semi-domesticated to produce honey for us to eat and enjoy. It’s also an important pollinator of flowers and crops. A single beehive may contain as many as 50,000 bees. In winter, the hive goes into survival mode: the drones are expelled, the workers huddle together to keep warm, and the larvae are fed on stores of pollen and honey. Then in spring, a new generation of bees emerge and the cycle starts again.

Wilder St Albans

Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust, in partnership with St Albans District Council will be launching a pioneering project, Wilder St Albans. This is an example of how communities and organisations can come together to make a real difference and play their part in nature’s recovery. They plan to reintroduce water voles to the River Ver as well as the 'wilding' of some green spaces across the district, to increase wildlife habitats. They will encourage and support practical action and look for natural solutions to the climate and ecological crises, like changing mowing regimes and allowing trees to grow. To get involved email: heidi.carruthers@hmwt.org

Plant a Tree

Plant a tree today and help support the National Trusts aim to plant 20 million trees by 2030. 125 years ago the Trust set out to open up the natural world so everyone could explore vibrant green spaces like parks, woodlands and countryside walks. The coronavirus crisis has made us realise just how important this is and that we cannot take nature for granted. Trees breathe life into our world, and it's vital to plan for the future of woodlands to tackle climate change. When you plant a tree, this helps to reduce emissions, as these plants work hard to lock up carbon and open up new habitats for wildlife. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Working from home and need a space to call your own?

A member of the

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Talks, Workshops & More St Albans Museum + Gallery

Recycling Collage Workshop 1st April 11am via Zoom Join local artist, Sarah Moroney, for a workshop focusing on colour and shape. Inspired by the online exhibition Hertfordshire Open 2020, Age 4+ and their families, please book Talk: Over the Fence at Handley Page and Radlett Aerodrome 7th April 7.30pm via Zoom Join Chris Scivyer, chairman of the Handley Page Association, to explore the fascinating histories of Handley Page and Radlett Aerodrome. Chris grew up in Frogmore, spending many happy hours pressed up against the garden fence overlooking Radlett Aerodrome. The southern end of the runway was about 150yds from his fence. He had Victor bombers at the bottom of the garden! Chris still lives in the same house today, 50 years since the airfield closed. £5, please book Flight, Forces & Gravity with Mad Science 8th April 11am via Zoom Join a real live Mad Scientist for some interactive science fun and explore the forces that affect flight with a special focus on Gravity. Ages 4 - 11, please book Mosaic Workshop: Putting the Pieces Together 18th April 3pm via Zoom Join curator David Thorold and mosaicist Audrey Montet for a workshop inspired by Verulamium’s

historic mosaics. Create your own mosaic inspired by Verulamium’s iconic shell mosaic. £35, includes materials, please book www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

RAF Virtual Lectures

Both lectures will be followed by Q&A sessions Disarming the Luftwaffe, 1945-1948 8th April 6pm online In the closing months of WW2, anticipating the inevitable Allied victory, the RAF formed ten Air Disarmament Wings to dismantle the Luftwaffe’s aircraft, ordnance and equipment. Nearly 3,000 airmen travelled to Germany to accomplish this, embedding themselves in a country under occupation yet still fatally unsafe and carrying out their tasks in the face of passive and active resistance. Oral testimony, historical and personal images and official reports build a picture of the challenges facing the men. Please book www.crowdcast.io/e/disarming-luftwaffe/register Indian Air Force in the Second World War 22nd April online The Indian armed forces were, at over 2.6 million personnel the largest all-volunteer force in WW2. This lecture will run through the history of its growth, and the IAF’s accomplishments using second-line aircraft. It will tell a few representative stories of the small number of men and women and the challenges and constraints they had to overcome, including from their own side, before establishing this force and getting to grips with the enemy. www.rafmuseum.org.uk

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Home Visiting

Chiropody Practice

Corns * Hard Skin * Fungal Nails Thickened / Ingrowing Nails Nail Cutting * Verrucas Diabetic Feet

Julia Reading

BSC (Hons) MChS HCPC Registered Podiatrist 17 Years Experience

For an appointment please call

07746 472781

All healthcare appointments can go ahead during lockdown including podiatry

W lun e als ch o trip es & enjoy s to the get atre her

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Consultation, Measuring & Quotation

Spring Sale 25% off Shutters

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Get Active St Albans Easter 10K 2nd April 9am

This is a flat, fast and chip timed event organised by Active Training World on a single lap course starting and finishing in Highfield Park. The route is on tarmac and mostly traffic free. The races start in a time trial format, so those with the fastest predicted times will go off first. The start line will be similar to a Formula 1 starting grid with athletes kept socially distanced, starting in small waves. If this event can no longer go ahead, and another can’t be found, you will be offered a virtual run or a refund of your entry fee. (Booking fees are non-refundable). Highfield Park, St Albans Age 15+ entry £20 plus 6% booking fee. www.activetrainingworld.co.uk

Rennie Grove

Easter Activity Pack 4th April The Easter Bunny is nearly here and Rennie Grove is offering bumper Easter activity packs for everyone to enjoy which include: An Easter Egg Hunt, Create your own Easter Bunting, Chocolate Rice Krispies Cake Recipe and lots more. Visit the website to order your pack £5 Easter Virtual Balloon Race 4th - 11th April 12 noon A seven day computer simulation race where everything is real except the balloon. It’s 100% environmentally friendly with no litter or risk of harm to wildlife. Each balloon costs just £3 and you can buy as many as you like. You can personalise them with a name, colour, shape and pattern, choose the weight and the amount of helium to determine flight performance to increase your chances of winning. Setting off from Jerusalem Old City, your balloons, along with hundreds of others will be ‘released’ on Easter Sunday at 12 noon, and race for seven days, finishing on 11th April at 12 noon. The balloon that has reached the furthest point when the race finishes will win a prize Sign up at www.ecoracing.co www.renniegrove.org

Hertfordshire Half Marathon / 10K

6th June Half Marathon 9am / 10K 9.30am This popular ‘road closed’ run starts and finishes in front of Knebworth House, with the course taking you around the beautiful surrounding rural roads. Entry includes a themed medal, t-shirt, refreshments and much more. Half Marathon, £34, 10K £28 www.hertshalf.com

Mighty Hike - Thames Path 17th July Macmillan Cancer Support have a series of one-day hikes planned, taking you to some of the most beautiful and unspoiled parts of the UK. Hike a marathon along the Thames Path from Windsor Racecourse to Henley. Distance: 26 miles, registration fee £25, minimum fundraising £250 Windsor Racecourse SL4 5JJ www.mightyhikes.macmillan.org.uk 28

E-bikes are awesome, we're yet to meet anyone who disagrees!

However, they can be expensive. You can buy an amazing E-bike with an unlimited budget but as you’re buying a whole bike, only a fraction of the cost is actually spent on the "E" elements. This is where Matt Purssey of St Albans started his journey. When researching EBikes he noticed that most feature traditional components but have a motor and battery fitted. A top of the range E-Bike with a middle motor and long-range battery does however represent a significantly higher cost. After researching this for himself and his wife, Matt discovered that conversion kits are available that rival the performance and range of the expensive E-Bikes in the shops. Although an extensive knowledge of bike mechanics and the right tools are required (with no promise of an easy fit). Matt was armed to accept the challenge. After E-upgrading both their bikes to high performance Middle Motor E-Bikes, the results were absolutely jaw dropping. Most bike owners are not comfortable with stripping down and then re-building their bike to this extent, especially with no support or warranty. This was an option only previously available to enthusiasts. After being asked many times from other cyclists where they purchased their bikes. Matt set up a business E MY BIKE Ltd offering a UK E-Bike conversion service upgrading standard bikes to high spec and safe E-Bikes. This concept has been very successful and Matt is now inundated with new orders. With workshops in St Albans, Stevenage and Cambridge, they are fast becoming a popular alternative to the typical E-Bike. E MY BIKE is a service led Installation, Repair and Maintenance provider for high quality, safe, reliable and powerful Middle Motor E-bike Systems. Available for the bike that you already own. See advert on page 4.

Effective Low Cost Advertising that Really Works! 1/4 page 1/3 page 1/2 page Full page

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Please get in touch

Call Jane or Wendy 07893 588291 07983 588313 jane@theNOWmagazines.com

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Laminate Engineered Solid Wood Carpet Vinyl Safety Flooring We only deal with the highest quality brands such as Kahrs, Quickstep, Elka, and Polyflor. Our Fitters are Professionally Qualified, and we offer a Free Sample Service, Free Brochures, Free Quotes, and In-House Appointments.

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Index of Businesses Bathing Mobility AHM Installations Ltd Bathing Mobility Advisory Service

6 5

Dance & Drama Penny Waterman School of Dance Stagecoach

Building Complete Refurbishment & Roofing 9 Kingsholme Back Cover Open Plan Solutions 24

Education Kumon

Car Servicing / Repairs M Chapman Auto Services

Children’s Art Camps ArtShed!

Flooring Dunstable Flooring & Kitchens Ltd KC Flooring Specialists Ltd

Chiropodists Julia Reading Kathy Witchard

16 17

Cleaning A&R Exterior Cleaning Services Ltd Domestique WeCleanAnyProperty.com College Oaklands College

14 14 14 21

Conservatory Roof Solutions Nu-Look 7 Cycling E-My-Bike.co.uk

Electricians Alban Electrical Services

10 10 3

Painters & Decorators CB Decorators JR Professional Painting, Decorating & Maintenance M & M Decorators

30 31

Plasterer Jason Moffat

Plumber DJ&M Plumbing Services Ltd Front Cover & 31

Portrait Artist Steve Ellis

Garage Doors Garolla

Garden Centre Vanstone Park

Health Intelligent Pilates

Healthcare Spire Harpenden Hospital

Hearing Services Hearing Healthcare Practice

Locksmiths Lock Around the Clock Locksmith Services

25 25

Loft Ladders Home Counties Loft Ladders

Property Development Osprey Homes: The Beeches

Roofing GJ Smith Roofing

Shutters The Harpenden Shutter Company

Singing Club Clover Singing Club

Slimming Vision Weight Consultancy

Tree Surgeons Fircroft Tree Surgery Ltd

Windows & Doors Cloud 9 Kings Windows

27 26

JR Professional Painting, Decorating and Maintenance Interior and Exterior Fabric Lining Wallpapering and Lining Flat Packs Sockets, Switches and Bathroom Fans Handyman Services Respectful to Your Home

07415 890131 mrjohn69@hotmail.co.uk We have made every effort to ensure that any material published in st albans NOW is correct and can accept no liability for any errors or delays in publication or distribution, st albans NOW accepts no responsibility for its advertisers .

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Local St Albans Plasterer M&M Decorators Fully qualified City and Guilds Over 20 years experience All interior and exterior work undertaken Specialist in all types of wallpaper All work finished to a high professional standard Free quotations at competitive prices Matthew Hayden 01582 270715 01727 867660 07970 720911 mandmdecs@gmail.com mandm_decorators

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