Out & About

Aylett Nurseries

Big Butterfly Count until 6th Aug

This nationwide survey is aimed at helping assess the health of our environment by counting the amount and type of butterflies we see. Launched in 2010 it has become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies. Over 107,000 people took part in 2021, submitting 152,039 counts of butterflies across the UK. Counting butterflies is useful as they react quickly to changes in their environment making them excellent biodiversity indicators. A decline in butterflies is an early warning for other wildlife losses

Autumn Festival 26th Aug-10th Sept 10am - 4pm

Enjoy the Celebration Garden and Dahlia Field ablaze with colour, and the wildflower border complete with insect hotel. The Celebration Garden is part of the National Garden Scheme, a charity that raises funds for nursing and health charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute. Admission by donation.

Aylett Nurseries, North Orbital Road AL2 1DH www.aylettnurseries.co.uk www.ngs.org.uk

Dunstable Downs

Summer of Play until 3rd Sept 10am - 4pm

Drop-in for free family daily activities and games including, football, hockey, tennis, athletics, volleyball and more.

Gentle Stroll: Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

16th Aug 10.30am

Join volunteers for a stroll across the Downs, taking you along the multi-user path to the 5 knolls. £3, no need to book, meet at the Tree Cathedral car park

Dunstable Downs, Whipsnade Road LU6 2GY www.nationaltrust.org.uk

St Albans Museum + Gallery

Exhibition: Time for Tea until 5th Nov

Exploring the fascinating journey of tea from leaf to cup. Taking you through what tea is, how it comes to the UK, is packaged, stored, made, and then drunk from different vessels. There will be lots of activities including talks and creative workshops.

Paint Your Own Mug

2nd Aug 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm & 3.30pm

As part of the Time for Tea exhibition, learn how to create beautiful designs using simple shapes, and personalise a mug. £7.50, age 10+

Georgian Costume Ball 26th Aug 7.30pm

Bring your Pride and Prejudice fantasies to life at this costume ball in the Georgian assembly room. Enjoy an evening of live music, dancing (instructions provided by a historical dance caller). Dressing up is integral to the experience, so let your imagination run wild when choosing your 18th century outfits. £45 St Peter’s Street AL1 3DH www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

Herts Wildlife Trust

Workshop: Discover Hedgehogs

1st & 29th August 2pm

Learn about the fascinating lives of hedgehogs, aimed at families with children aged 6+ Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog Sanctuary, Harpenden

Dragonfly Walk 19th Aug 2pm

Guided walk to discover Panshanger Park's dragonflies. For families with children age 8+

Panshanger Park, Hertford SG14 2NA

Guided Bat Walk 27th Aug 8pm

Discover the bats of Verulamium Park. For families with children age 8+

The Parish Centre, St Albans AL3 4SL www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk

St Albans Guided Walks

Local walks run by City and District of St Albans

Tour Guides. £6, please book online

Historic St Albans

2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th Aug 2.30pm

6th, 13th, 20th, 27th 28th Aug 11.15am

Crime and Punishment 5th Aug 2.30pm

Tudor St Albans Revealed 6th Aug 2.30pm

A Roman City Revealed 12th Aug 11am

A Monastery Revealed 13th Aug 2.30pm

St Michaels & Fishpool Street 19th Aug 2.30pm

The Pubs of St Albans 20th Aug 2.30pm

Explore St Peters 26th Aug 2.30pm

Medieval Life in St Albans 27th Aug 2.30pm

Tudor St Albans Revealed 28th Aug 2.30pm www.stalbanstourguides.co.uk

Verulamium Museum

Meet Tessa Wheeler 5th Aug 11.30am & 2pm

‘Meet’ 1930s archaeologist Tessa Wheeler, hear about her archaeological achievements and see her incredible experiences brought to life.

Free with admission

Tots Tales 25th Aug 10.30am & 1.15pm

A story, craft activities and a museum hunt, inspired by the popular story ‘All Are Welcome’ by Alexandra Penfold. £5, ages 2 - 4, accompanied by an adult

Sceptical Cinema - Ruining Period Drama with Historical Commentary 29th Aug 7pm

A novel cinematic experience, where the historical inaccuracies of a film are discussed before watching it. The film will be the epic historical action film ‘300’, where King Leonidas of Sparta leads 300 men into battle against the Persian "God-King" Xerxes and his invading army of more than 300,000 at the Battle of Thermopylae in the Greco-Persian Wars.

£10, child/student £7.50

St Michael’s Street AL3 4SW www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

Entertainment & Fun For Everyone

Roman Theatre Festival until 6th Sept

Here’s a little bit about what's planned for August

Little Women 2nd - 5th Aug

A fresh approach to this classic story, guaranteeing laughter, tears and a lifting of the spirit.

Private Lives

7th, 8th, 12th, 13th & 17th - 19th Aug

Noel Coward’s brutal comedy.

The Railway Children

10th - 12th, 14th, 15th, 19th & 20th Aug

An imaginative and humorous adaptation of this children's classic.

The Threepenny Opera 31st Aug - 6th Sept

A bold and imaginative production of Kurt Weill's riotous musical comedy. Age 10+

The Essence of Greek Tragedy 16th Aug

An entertaining and enthralling introduction to classical theatre.

The Count of Monte Cristo 23rd - 26th Aug

All 1200 pages of this French epic are stuffed onto stage in this brand-new comedy adaptation.

Wind in the Willows 27th Aug

Join Toad and his friends on the riverbank for some rip roaring fun, but watch out for any weasels lurking on the way.

The Comedy of Errors 28th Aug

Cartoonish capers in Shakespeare’s funniest farce!

Roman Theatre of Verulamium, St Albans AL3 6AE www.ovo.org.uk

Radlett Centre

Bridesmaids of Britain

1st Aug 7.30pm

A hilarious show that promises to be a girl’s night out to remember. Prepare for dance-offs/sing-offs and eventually shout-offs at the “Hen do of the year”… held in a caravan! £31.50

Milkshake Live!

2nd Aug 11am & 2.30pm

A brand-new show with plenty of laughter, audience interaction and great fun. £18, child £16.50

Magic of Science 4th Aug 2pm £15, child £13

A colourful, magical science show, packed with mystery, suspense and heaps of mess! Promising to be fun, entertaining and inspiring for all young budding magicians and scientists.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

7th Aug 2pm 8th & 9th Aug 11am & 2pm

The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger! £15

Sarah & Duck

23rd Aug 1.30pm & 4pm

Bursting with charm Sarah and Duck’s enchanting world is brought to life with puppetry, storytelling and music. £16, child £14

Pop Princessess

25th Aug 2pm

A children’s pop concert with a big difference. A musical spectacular starring four fabulous Fairy tale Princesses who just love to sing! With hits from artists such as Little Mix, Ariana Grande, Taylor swift. Meghan Trainor and Miley Cyrus, plus songs from all your favourite Films and Musicals. £19.50

Captain Calamity Summer Spectacular

30th Aug 2.30pm £14

A crazy mix of magic and mayhem like no other. Expect jaw dropping science stunts, enormous balloons, beautiful bubbles, one or two custard pies and enough craziness to send you into fits of giggles. The Radlett Centre WD7 8HL www.radlettcentre.co.uk

The Old Town Hall

The Tortoise & the Hare

2nd Aug 11.30am & 2pm

An interactive story with live music, puppetry and a tale you thought you knew. £12, £10, ages 2 - 6

Screaming Blue Murder Comedy: Noel James & Andrew Bird 21st Aug 8pm

Old Town Hall’s resident monthly comedy club, why not treat yourself to an uplifting start to the week! Please book, £10, 18+

The Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead HP1 3AE www.oldtownhall.co.uk

Hatfield House

Twelfth Night 3rd Aug 6.30pm

Shakespeare as it’s meant to be: interactive, fun, and highly accessible! A wild, whirlwind comedy of love triangles, mistaken identities, and the mayhem of love! £16, child £10

Teddy Bear’s Picnic

9th & 23rd Aug 10.30am

Make your very own bear and then take a scavenger hunt around the Stable Yard. £21.50, includes child's entry to Hatfield Park and picnic

Classic Ibiza 19th Aug 5pm

A magical rollercoaster of dance with music’s most iconic tracks reinvented by the Urban Soul Orchestra. From £24

Hatfield House AL9 5HX www.hatfield-house.co.uk

Sundown Open Air Cinema

Stockwood Discovery Centre Luton LU1 4LX

Matilda the Musical 4th Aug 3pm *

Tom Gun: Maverick 4th Aug 9pm **

Encanto 5th Aug 3pm *

Grease 5th Aug 9pm **

Sing 2 6th Aug 3pm *

The Greatest Showman 6th Aug 9pm **

Hitchin Lavender Cadwell Farm SG5 3UA

Alien 10th Aug 8.45pm £15

Top Gun: Maverick 11th Aug 8.45pm **

Encanto 12th Aug 2pm *

The Bodyguard 12th Aug 8.45pm £15

The Super Mario Bros. Movie 13th Aug 2pm *

Romeo and Juliet 13th Aug **

Mamma Mia! 17th Aug 8.45pm **

Elvis 18th Aug 8.45pm **

Matilda the Musical 19th Aug 2pm *

Ghost 19th Aug 8.45pm **

The Greatest Showman 20th Aug 2pm *

Zoolander 20th Aug 8.45pm **

*£11, child £5.50 / **£15, child £9 www.ticketsource.co.uk/sundowncinema

Alice In Wonderland

6th Aug 5pm

Join Alice as she explores Wonderland and meets the Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter and even

The Queen of Hearts. This outdoor production is full of fun and laughter and bound to make even the smallest member of your family want to stay in Wonderland! £15, child £10

Shaw’s Corner, Ayot St Lawrence AL6 9BX www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Hertford Castle

Rock at the Castle 6th Aug 12noon - 7pm

Music festival with performances by local musicians, featuring acoustic, folk, indie, rock, soul and pop. Plus food and children’s activities. Free

Open Air Cinema 18th Aug

Sing 2 2pm £8

Top Gun: Maverick 7pm £8

Brings chairs and a picnic

Hertford Castle, Castle Street SG14 1HR www.hertford.gov.uk

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Great Train Robbery 6th Aug 10.30am - 4pm

The Traveling Post Office will be holding special activities to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Great Train Robbery. £12.50, child £8.50

Peppa Pig is Coming! 13th Aug

Peppa will be appearing at intervals throughout the day. Tickets includes full entry to the steam railway, with unlimited train rides.

£14.50, child £10.50

Pre-1988 Classic Vehicle Rally 28th Aug

See dozens of classic vehicles on display, and enjoy all the sights and sounds of the heritage railway. £14.50, child £10.50

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Aylesbury, Bucks HP22 4BY

The Alban Arena

Peter Pan A Musical Adventure

12th & 13th Aug 1.30pm & 7.30pm

JM Barrie’s timeless tale of the boy who refused to grow up is reborn as a spectacular musical, it will have you hooked as Peter Pan whisks the Darling children just beyond the stars for one big adventure after another. £20.50, child £14.50

Friendly Fires 24th Aug

A special homecoming show from the St Albans-3 piece, Ed McFarlane, Edd Gibson and Jack Savidge celebrating the bands 15th anniversary of their debut album ‘Friendly Fires’, which launched the band to huge success. 14+, under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult. £24 Civic Centre, St Albans AL1 3LD www.alban-arena.co.uk

Flamstead Scarecrow Festival

18th - 20th Aug

The Festival is held throughout the village with residents displaying scarecrows on their property or around the village. Voting forms are in the festival programme, just fill one out and post it in one of the voting boxes.

Suggested donations of £4, child £2 www.flamsteadscarecrowfestival.co.uk

Summer Circus

19th - 28th Aug 11am, 1pm & 3pm

Roll up, Roll up to see John Lawson's award-winning circus, with an entirely human cast, featuring amazing new acts and routines. £8

Van Hage Harden Centre, Great Amwell SG12 9RP www.vanhage.co.uk