Leisure

'You are not winding down, the secular world thinks that, you are coming to a culmination of fruitfulness.'

Kenneth Grahame’s enduring tale of Mole, Ratty, Badger, Mr Toad, and their many friends, comes to the Abbey Theatre this Christmas. This stage version of The Wind in the Willows, by Alan Bennett, with additional lyrics and music by Jeremy Sams, caused a popular sensation when it first appeared at The National Theatre in 1990. It has since become a classic in its own right.

The Alban Arena is a venue with a rich history of welcoming touring acts, some of which have gone on to world-wide fame - such as Dire Straits, who played there in 1978. I saw the legendary Rory Gallagher there in 1988, more recently The Waterboys and The Gorillaz have graced the stage. It is maybe a sign of the times that more tribute bands than original artists perform there these days. So when two of the UKs most respected musical artists were coming to the Alban Arena it was likely to be an evening not to be missed!

I am old enough to remember the original TV versions of the Talking Heads monologues by Alan Bennett. They were gentle and bittersweet, often with a few surprising twists. The Play's The Thing theatre company brought their production, featuring 2 of the most iconic monologues - A lady of Letters & Soldiering On - to the Maltings theatre as part of their regional tour.

More on events to be enjoyed in St Albans (May 2011)

St Albans Cycle Campaign is holding a free meeting – Get ready for winter – on Wednesday 22 November 2017. You can keep cycling throughout the winter if you are prepared for the weather and riding conditions, and make sure your cycle is properly maintained. The main speaker will be Neil Watts of Addiktion Cycles who will demonstrate the basic skills in looking after cycles and preparing them for bad weather.

St Albans Operatic Society is proud to present Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Alban Arena, St Albans from Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th October 2009. For those of you who don't know the show, or haven't seen the Jonny Depp film, it is a dark tale of love and revenge that is thrilling, chilling and, in places, extremely funny. The show won many awards on its debut 30 years ago and has starred a number of musical legends from Angela Lansbury, Sheila Hancock, Julia Mackenzie in the Mrs Lovett role to George Hearns, Dennis Quilley, Alun Armstrong, Johnny Depp and Bryn Terfel in the Todd role.

I was lucky enough to be invited to sample Champneys new product lines at their Spa in St. Albans. They were launching a new range - Mediterranean Bliss Treatments, which are also available in Boots apparently.

Passing our Fire Station on London Rd, St Albans last week, I noticed three large signs enticing me to get ready for upcoming active events in the area. Although, I am proudly partaking in the easiest one (see last post!),

Britain’s newest Circus Company, Chaplin’s Circus is the brainchild of three entertainers with decades of experience in the world of performance. Their aim is simple – to provide their audience with a brand new, unique circus show as well as a host of other, community based offers to create a rounded, family friendly experience. In addition to their spellbinding circus show, Chaplin’s Circus also offers not-for-profit circus skills workshops for local children as well as partnerships with animal welfare charities thanks to their strict ‘No Circus Animals’ policy.