Tourism

This week is special for St Albans Abbey and Cathedral as an incredible 2,400 graduates from the University of Hertfordshire will be celebrating their acedemic success there.

The New Year is almost upon us! If you have eaten too much pud and want to get out and about experiencing St Albans life, consider these events;

Today Pope Benedict XVI has landed in Scotland for the first of a four day state visit to the UK. Although St Albans won't be graced by his presence, many local catholics are set to see him in London.

Alban is a two act community opera involving over 150 performers which has been commissioned by the St. Albans Cathedral Music Trust. It will be given five performances (including a matinee) in St. Albans Cathedral between May 20-24 2009, bringing together a wealth of local talent. Singers, actors, dancers and musicians of all ages drawn principally, though not exclusively, from parish and school choirs across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire will join a core of experienced professional performers.

It's official, the Christmas lights of St Albans are switched on! Entertainment and fun started yesterday at noon.By the afternoon, the town centre was filled with hundreds of happy little faces who were all set for the countdown with Santa, Elvis Schmelvis, Sarah-Jane Honeywell and The Little Mermaid Pantomine Stars.

Butterfly World, St Albans, will welcome David Bellamy this Sunday 10th October. David, the well-known conservationist, is patron to Butterfly World and will be there in person to meet visitors and speak about the decline in the butterfly species.

St Albans is covered in a pretty thick blanket of snow. It happens to be one of the busiest weekends of the year with people buying last minute gifts and preparing for parties. Yet the state of the roads make this extremely difficult.

Hertfordshire has played its part in papal affairs. In the 12th century, a young boy from Abbots Langley near St Albans, called Nicholas, lived on a farm like many of his peers. Little did he know that as a result of unforeseen disappointments and his own strength of character, he would be the only Englishman to become a pope. This September marks the 850th anniversary of Nicholas Breakspear’s death.

The recently proposed "Twenty Is Plenty" (speedlimit) for St Albans is something all drivers might benefit from! The Green Party and St Albans Cyclist Campaign members have asked the council to support this idea, but a county council cabinet member says that the decision would need the support of the full community.

St Albans city has had its share of ghosts and spooky tales of bygone days. This year, the St Albans Tour Guides have lined up an exciting week of Ghost Walks suited to all ages.