stalbanslife

Yes the circus is in town! My kids may be teenagers, but I knew they would still enjoy a trip away from their PlayStations and laptops – and so it proved! We went on the first night and although the crowd was a little sparse, the performers did not let it affect their enthusiasm and energy. The days of animals at circuses are long gone, so the show had to rely on human performance, in particular clowns, acrobats and trapeze artists, and they did not disappoint.

The level of professionalism and athleticism was exceptional. The trapeze artists used every inch of the big top in their routine and the acrobats were slick and faultless. But best of all was the clown. He had a real gift of engaging with the audience and keeping the show moving during set and prop changes. If we are to keep live shows coming to St. Albans it is important to give those that do our support. Definitely better than watching the X-Factor!

St Albans families are in for a huge treat when one of Europe’s biggest circuses comes to town.

The Netherlands National Circus will set up its Big Top at WESTMINSTER LODGE, HOLYWELL HILL for performances from TUESDAY 24th to SUNDAY 29th APRIL.

The huge all-human circus will be in Hertfordshire as part of a major British Tour. The Dutch believe their national Circus company is simply the best – so much so that it’s claimed to be every Dutch child’s dream to star under its magnificent Big Top! The Netherlands National Circus has been the pride of Holland since it was established in 1948. The Circus’s public facilities are more like a portable Theatre than a circus, and the performance standard maintains the high level you’d expect from a respected national institution.

A circus spokesman commented: “It’s marvellous to be on tour here with such a special show. This Circus is from Holland, but the idea of circus performance was a British invention, and the circus is close to people’s hearts everywhere”. He added: “We’re helping families fight back against the cost of living — seat prices are competitive, and travel costs are low because WE come to YOU!

There are no animals, and innovation and quality are at the top of the agenda for the international company of human performers.

The NETHERLANDS NATIONAL CIRCUS 2012 features:

Nice and funny – Clown ANGELO
Princess of Balance DESIRÉE
The FLYING ACES triple-level aerial daredevils
Springboard acrobats the CRETZU TROUPE
Stylish elegance: CAROLINE on the swinging trapeze
DAVID ROBERT defying gravity on the rola-rola
Unique unicyclists THE JACKSON FAMILY

and a full International supporting company in a dazzling show for all the family.

FOR INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS, contact CHRIS BARLTROP on 07836 573600 / press.here@barltrop.com

The NETHERLANDS NATIONAL CIRCUS performs under the Luxury Theatre Big Top at SAINT ALBANS, WESTMINSTER LODGE (by the Leisure Centre), HOLYWELL HILL AL1 2DL

FromTUESDAY 24th to SUNDAY 29th APRIL
BOX OFFICE on site daily 10am to 8pm, or ring 0844 415 5228
Early bookers’ DISCOUNT at www.netherlandscircus.eu

Elspeth Jackman is a well-known Radio Verulam Presenter, as well as a local Artist. This month Elspeth is releasing her book ‘Enjoying Later Life’which is a positive celebration of life for

Future Gardens

over 60′s.

Filled with practical advice, humour and spirituality, is has already been described by Pam Rhodes as, ‘A beguiling mixture of practical advice and spiritual celebration.’

Elspeth adds ‘You are not winding down –  the secular world thinks that! You are coming to a culmination of fruitfulness.’

‘Enjoying Later Life’ will be launched on April 19th and available online from  www.amazon.co.uk  for £7.99. To follow the Elspeth’s blog, click on elspethjackman.blogspot.com 

Vocal harmony quartet BLAKE present their stunning new UK tour ‘Love Lifts Us Up’ for 2012. Join these four incredible young male singers, famous worldwide for their unique renditions of pop, classical and West-End anthems, for a wonderful evening of musical entertainment. With a rich harmony sound that brings spectacular colour to much-loved songs their live shows delight and entertain audiences.

The ‘Love Lifts Us Up’ tour will see Blake – Humphrey Berney, Ollie Baines, Jules Knight and Stephen Bowman – perform the most uplifting and romantic love songs of all time including ‘She’, ‘Up Where We Belong’ and ‘With Or Without You’.

2011 was yet another fantastic year for Blake. In the Spring the quartet’s TV schedule was busy with performances and interviews on Daybreak, BBC Breakfast, Loose Women, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Sky News. They also made their debut appearance on US television with a performance in Trafalgar Square for NBC’s Today show as part of the programme’s royal wedding coverage.

Having performed over 150 concerts around the world in the last 12 months Blake are one of the most successful live touring groups of the past few years. As well as completing over 50 shows as part of their ‘An Evening With Blake’ tour, Blake have continued to perform their magnificent repertoire at prestigious venues around the country – Blake were honoured to perform at both Lincoln Cathedral and Norwich Cathedral as part of the celebrations of the Royal British Legion’s 90^th Anniversary, whilst the summer saw them headline an evening concert at the elegant Henley Festival on the banks of the River Thames.

Switching from a steady 9-5 in an urban office to a flexible, relaxed, home office has numerous benefits. From the absence of a lengthy, stressful commute to choosing your own hours, home working is like a dream come true for many. However, to make home working successful, you really need to set up a dedicated office from which you can work and keep your home and work lives separate. Whether you convert a shed in the garden or take over an entire room of the house is up to you, but there are some things that are necessary to make a home office work no matter where you set up shop.

One of the most important items of furniture in a home office is a desk. There are a whole variety of desks to choose from depending on your requirements and space limitations. Here are our top picks of home office desks from Ryman.

Limited Space

If you are using a corner of a room or you are limited in terms of space, a corner desk is your best bet. These desks neatly fit into otherwise unused spaces and make the most of all the available space. The more sophisticated corner desks have slide out tables for your keyboard and concealed shelving.

Part-time

If you are only going to be working part time, you could get a desk that looks less conspicuous. Ryman’s New England Shaker Style desk is ideal. This desk is an attractive piece of furniture and wouldn’t look out of place in pretty much any room of the house, yet it still works as a desk thanks to its side draws and seating space.

Computer focused

If you need to spend most of your time on the computer you need a desk that is ergonomically designed to help minimise back pain and eyestrain. It’s important to get a desk where the screen can be raised to eye level and the keyboard can be lowered to minimise repetitive strain injuries. Computer workstations are the most versatile and are your best bet. They come with draws, slide out keyboard rests, raised screen plinths and can be curved in shape so you don’t have to stretch to use the mouse. If you buy your office chair at the same time you can achieve the best set up for your body and one that makes work life a lot easier. Read this guide from the NHS on how to sit correctly to avoid back problems, sight issues and RSI.