We are holding a Veterans' Tea to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on Thursday 8 May.
People across the District who have served in the armed forces are invited to the event at the Civic Centre.
St Albans Mayor, Councillor Jamie Day, will host the occasion and representatives of the Royal British Legion will be in attendance.
The Mayor will also lay a wreath at the City's War Memorial beside St Peter's Church while the Union Jack flag will be flown from St Albans Museum + Gallery.
Any veteran wishing to attend the tea party should email mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk. Family and friends are welcome to email on their behalf.
If you are holding a street party on VE Day or during the preceding Bank Holiday weekend, please also email to let us know. You can request a visit from the Mayor or, if he is not available, an Honorary Alderman.
The Charter Market on Saturday 3 and Wednesday 7 May will be VE Day-themed with traders encouraged to put up red, white and blue bunting as well as other appropriate decorations.
On the evening of 8 May, as part of a national commemoration, beacons will be lit at Highfield Park, from 7pm, and Harpenden Common, from 9.30pm. These events are organised by Highfield Park Trust and Harpenden Town Council.
A display about the experiences of District residents during the Second World War opens at St Albans Museum + Gallery on VE Day.
A series of eye-catching photographs, capturing the wartime mood, will be on show at the Assembly Room and admission is free.
There will also be a performance of wartime songs by a local choir on Saturday 10 May at the same venue.
There will be two sessions, at noon and 2pm, when the community choir will sing the hits of Vera Lynn and other 1940s favourites. Again, admission is free.
Photo: VE Day party in St Albans in 1945.
Don’t forget to have your say in the Hertfordshire County Council elections on Thursday 1 May.
All the County Council’s 78 seats, including 10 in St Albans District, are up for election.
In addition, there are by-elections for one seat in the Redbourn ward of the District Council and in three wards of Harpenden Town Council: North (one seat), South (two seats) and West (one seat).
Voters are reminded that they will need approved photo ID to be able to vote at their polling station.
You can find more information about this, as well as key dates and candidate lists, by clicking on the button below.
The County Council provides important public services such as education, social care, highways, libraries and the fire and rescue service.
An elevated footpath has been installed in a Verulamium Park flood plain to allow for the reopening of its St Michael Street entrance.
The entrance was closed last year after persistent flooding at Bell Meadow, which is beside the River Ver, damaged its tarmac path with some sections becoming a safety hazard.
A bespoke metal footpath, raised high enough to avoid being covered with flood water, has now been installed.
It is suitable for wheelchair users or baby buggies and includes passing places to allow movement in both directions.
In the longer term, the Council plans to build a new footpath and boardwalk as part of a multi-million-pound project to improve the environment of the park around its two artificial lakes.
Artist Hannah Sessions is one of the best known faces at St Albans Charter Market.
She has been trading at the market for eight years, selling her own paintings, tea towels, tote bags, coasters and other gifts which she designs herself.
Hannah takes her inspiration from St Albans' many attractions and features landmarks such as the Cathedral, Verulamium Park and the City's pubs.
She also takes commissions, often for drawings of homes and other buildings, and can be contacted through her website.
Hannah said: "I love the market - the people and its breathtaking diversity. You can buy everything here - flowers, vegetables, hand-made clothes. If you don't shop here, you are missing out on a wonderful experience."
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A £4.3 million development of new social rent homes in St Albans has been completed with tenants due to move in this spring.
We developed the 12 properties on a site called The Hedges, off Woollam Crescent, Batchwood.
There are six family-sized, semi-detached houses, each with three bedrooms and a back garden, and an apartment building with six two-bedroom flats.
The site previously had ten single-storey prefabricated units that were used for temporary accommodation and were no longer fit for purpose.
All the new homes are being allocated to people on the Council’s housing register who are waiting for a permanent home of their own.
A £2.45 million grant has been obtained to enhance the energy efficiency of more of our social housing properties.
The money has come from our third successful application to the Government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing fund.
It will provide upgrades to 350 Council homes which may include insulation, windows, ventilation and solar panels.
Low carbon heating systems will be installed in some properties and blocks of flats will be included in the programme for the first time.
The effect will be to reduce harmful carbon emissions while tenants will save money on their energy bills.
The Council’s rolling programme to decarbonise its 4,800 homes began four years ago.
Photo: Council properties in Nicholas Close, St Albans, before and after energy efficient improvements including external wall insulation.
A fly-tipper has been ordered to pay £1,500 after allowing a large amount of waste to be dumped on a rural road.
Our Environmental Enforcement team launched an investigation after being alerted to the fly-tip in Barley Mow Lane and traced it to a restaurant in Central London.
Enquiries revealed that Taoufik Kouki had been hired by the business to dispose of the waste. He claimed to have paid two other men to do the work for him.
Kouki, of Hanover Road, London, denied failing to check that his waste carriers had the necessary licence, but was found guilty of the offence after a trial at St Albans Magistrates Court.
He was fined £300 and told to pay a victim surcharge of £120 along with a contribution to the Council’s legal costs of £1,080.
St Albans Greener Together invites you to take part in The Week - a group experience that deepens understanding of climate change and what we can all do about it.
The Week is a national nonprofit project that aims to promote discussions about the climate emergency.
Greener Together is organising three online meetings to watch three different films which look at the key issues in detail.
The screenings will be followed by conversation managed by facilitator Alison Maitland.
The events will run from 7.30pm to 9.30 pm on Wednesday 23, Monday 28 and Wednesday 30 April.
All are free to attend although The Week welcomes donations to sustain its work.
Congratulations to Nicola Atkinson who overcame her fear of water at the age of 40 to go from a non-swimmer to swimathon athlete in just six months.
Nicola (pictured left) learned to swim at Westminster Lodge which is managed by her employer Everyone Active on behalf of the Council.
She was taught by one of her colleagues, the leisure centre’s manager Hollie Burke (right), and took part in a charity swimathon last month.
Marketing assistant Nicola completed 1.5 kilometres at the centre’s pool and raised an impressive £565 for Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie and the Swimathon Foundation.
She said: "I never knew I would enjoy it as much as I do. It's been a massive personal challenge to overcome my fear of the deep end.”
Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care has expanded its Compassionate Café offering in St Albans with a new Compassionate Café and its first CompassionART Café.
Compassionate Cafés provide a safe space for people who have experienced bereavement, or are lonely due to illness, to connect with other people over a cup of tea.
Each session is supported by trained volunteers who provide emotional support and a listening ear.
The CompassionART Café is at Café on the Corner on Catherine Street and gives people an opportunity to express themselves through art and crafts. It takes place on the first Thursday of every month from 2pm to 3.30pm.
The new Compassionate Café is being run in partnership with Abbots Kitchen and St Albans Cathedral. It takes place at the Cathedral on the first Monday of every month from 2pm to 3.30pm including the Bank Holiday of Monday 5 May.
Everyone is welcome to drop in at either venue.
The deadline to register an interest in Solar Together 2025 has been extended by popular demand to Friday 25 April.
This is an opportunity to take part in a county-wide bulk buying scheme for solar panels, EV charge points and battery storage.
You can register your interest, obtain a quote from a vetted installer and then decide whether you would like to proceed to the survey stage.
Solar panels generate energy from daylight and don't require direct sunlight. They can reduce your environmental impact and save money on energy bills.
Click the button below for more information and to register.
St Albans District has a new 'Library of Things' that allows you to borrow products that you might not use very often instead of buying them.
Share St Albans has a wide variety of items, ranging from cooler bags to DIY tools, and is expanding its stock.
The project is based at 46 London Road and annual membership is only £10 with a small fee charged for each borrowed article.
By using the service you can save money, save on storage and help ensure precious resources are used efficiently.
There is still time to register for our Landlord Forum on Tuesday 6 May.
This is a a chance for private landlords and letting agents to network, learn about new legislation and discuss housing issues.
Included in the programme is a questions and answers session on the Renters’ Rights Bill which could come into effect as early as this summer.
Our private sector housing team and Mosaic Lettings agency will be among the experts at the event.
The Forum takes place from 6.30pm at the Civic Centre and you can book your place by emailing landlordforum@stalbans.gov.uk or calling 01727 814674.
A career at your local Council is a rewarding and challenging experience.
You can make a difference by helping to provide essential local services that have an impact on your community.
We also offer an exciting package including support for developing your career and improving your qualifications.
You can keep in touch with vacancies as they arise by checking the website below or keeping an eye on our LinkedIn account.
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Firm Foundations: St Albans School of Art, from Friday 23 May, Museum + Gallery, Free
This is a major group exhibition to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the foundation of St Albans School of Art which became part of the University of Hertfordshire.
Reflecting on the school’s profound influence on its students and staff, the exhibition showcases the contributions of generations of artists, designers and individuals in a myriad of ways. It is being curated by UH Arts + Culture.
Hertfordshire High Sheriff Award
Hertfordshire High Sheriff Annie Brewster presented a double award at St Albans Museum + Gallery to celebrate St Albans Museums’ work with Hertfordshire ME/CFS Support Group.
The group were the Museum + Gallery’s Community in Residence last year and worked with the Museums' team to create an exhibition and an ME Awareness Day including poetry readings, live music and crafts.
Awards were given to both Hertfordshire ME/CFS Support Group and St Albans Museum + Gallery.
Photo: the High Sheriff Annie Brewster, far right, with the award winners. Photographer: Ellie McCormick for St Albans Museums
Herts Card
Did you know there is a Herts Card available for those who receive free school meals?
The Herts Card gives discounts to children for activities and days out with Verulamium Museum (pictured) now included. Click on the photo for more details.
 St Albans Healthy Hub is your free centre for health and wellbeing information, advice and support.
You can get help on many issues including how to lose weight, quit smoking, cut down on alcohol, become more active and manage money.
The organisations involved include Citizens Advice, Communities 1st, Mind in Mid Herts and many more. You can find more information on the Healthy Hub webpages.
The Hertfordshire Directory will help you find a wealth of important services and activities across the county.
Discover a wide range of organisations, services, groups, and activities with information on childcare, adult care, community activities and support services.
For more information on this useful resource, click on the button below.
 Our partners at Hertfordshire County Council have launched a campaign to help anyone affected by gambling.
They are offering free and confidential advice so people affected can regain control of their future.
In addition, they can put you in touch with a host of support services and organisations.
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