Meet Asli Akkoyunoglu - one of the Charter Market traders who is hoping for a bumper Christmas.
Her festive range of unique handmade knitted products is now for sale at her 'Creartive Design' stall.
This includes hats, gloves, bags, ornaments, decorations, keyrings, earrings and even clothes for dogs.
Asli, who has been trading at the Market for four years, said: "This is a great place to do Christmas shopping as there are so many wonderful traders selling amazing stuff.
"All my products are handmade by myself, my two sisters and two friends and our Christmas range is going down well."
The Market is now taking place every Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 9am to 3pm in the run up to Christmas Day. This is in addition to the usual Wednesdays and Saturdays.
There will also be an extra day's trading on Tuesday 23 December - the perfect time to pick up a last-minute gift.
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 Please note: there are no garden waste collections from Thursday 25 December until the service is resumed on Friday 9 January.
Our waste and recycling crews can only collect trees from garden waste subscribers.
Decorations need to be removed, the trees cut up and put into garden waste bins with the lid closed or, alternatively, left beside the bin with those over 7ft cut in half. They will be collected on scheduled garden waste collection days from Friday 9 January.
If you don't subscribe to this service, you can take trees to your local household waste recycling centre.
If you live in St Albans or Harpenden, you can register for a charity collection service.This is run by the Hospice of St Francis on a first come, first served basis.
You can use it if you are within the AL 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 postcodes by registering on their website.
* Our garden waste collection service will take a two week break, as per terms and conditions, from Thursday 25 December, restarting on Friday 9 January. Please do not put Christmas Trees out for collection before the 9th of January. The break allows our collection crews to focus on dealing with high volumes of other seasonal waste. Additional garden waste can be put out for collection on the day your service restarts..
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 More than 4,400 new trees are being planted at Verulamium Park in St Albans and new wildflower meadows created.
Work on the major project, at the former nine-hole golf course adjacent to Abbey View Athletics Track, is well underway.
The aim is to enhance the park’s biodiversity and provide a natural habitat for a wide variety of wildlife including birds, bees and other insects.
The project is being run by us in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council’s Countryside Management Service and volunteers from Friends of Verulamium Park.
We also gave away 12,000 free trees to residents this month under the Your Tree, Our Future scheme, run in partnership with the County Council.
Photo: District Councillors Jacqui Taylor and Helen Campbell and County Councillor Sandy Walkington in the foreground with Friends of Verulamium Park volunteers.
 A development of new social rent homes in St Albans has been completed in time for the tenants to move in before Christmas.
The Council developed the 14 properties in the Cottonmill area of the City including a two-bedroom, wheelchair-adapted bungalow; two four-bedroom homes; and 11 three-bedroom homes.
Each property has its own garden and car parking space with infrastructure installed for electric vehicle charging points. All the properties were allocated at social rent to families from the St Albans District housing register.
The homes are on the site of what was formerly temporary accommodation in Norman Close and the now demolished King Offa pub.
In keeping with the Council’s commitment to tackling climate change and reducing harmful emissions, the properties were fitted with energy efficient features including air source heat pumps.
Photo: left to right, Cllr Simon Johns, Lead Councillor for Housing; Mark Doyle, of builders Neilcott Construction; Cllr Paul de Kort, the Council Leader; and Cllr Jacqui Taylor, Lead Councillor for Sustainability and Climate.
 People sleeping rough in St Albans District will all be offered a bed for the night during the winter.
We've worked with partners including the Open Door charity to ensure there will be enough beds for every rough sleeper who wants one.
Five extra beds are being provided in addition to the 12 that are available throughout the year at the Open Door Homeless Hub.
Open Door has launched an appeal for volunteers to help out. They will greet guests, prepare breakfasts and carry out other tasks.
Residents are urged to give their views on proposals to change some parish and town council arrangements in St Albans District.
Among the measures being put forward is the creation of a new parish council in the unparished area of St Albans which has a voting population of around 28,000.
A separate parish council for the Highfield area is also being considered.
Another proposal is the abolition of Harpenden Rural Parish Council with its area becoming part of Harpenden Town Council.
 A Tree Warden scheme has been launched to give residents an opportunity to care for their local environment.
We have started a pilot project in the Cunningham area of the City which will be rolled out to other parts of the District where there is interest from residents.
Volunteer Tree Wardens from the Cunningham scheme have been trained to protect and nurture trees.
They will also check on trees on public land such as communal green spaces, play areas and footpaths. You can enquire about becoming a warden by emailing treewardens@stalbans.gov.uk.
Photo: Cllr Jacqui Taylor, with spade, and the Tree Council's Sam Village, with fork, launch the scheme accompanied by Cunningham Tree Wardens.
Thousands of people flocked to St Albans City Centre for one of the most thrilling events of the year - our Christmas Cracker.
The annual street festival took place from noon until 6pm on Sunday 16 November with St Peter’s Street closed to traffic to create a vibrant atmosphere.
Among the attractions were live music, fairground rides, Santa’s grotto, street entertainers and around 100 market stalls selling hot food, drinks and seasonal gifts.
Much of the family-friendly entertainment was free with something to suit people of all ages and abilities. The event was part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
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St Albans Mayor, Councillor Teresa Heritage, helped launch this year's postbox toppers.
One hundred toppers have been knitted and put up at locations across the District with each one sponsored by a local business.
Two charities have been chosen this year to benefit from the campaign: Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline and Comfort Cases UK.
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 Our leisure contractor Everyone Active is organising a Christmas Present Appeal to help children in need.
They are working in partnership with the charity LeeAnna's Wish to help local families who are struggling this Christmas.
Simply drop off a donated present at the Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre by Friday 19 December, indicating the age range and whether it is suitable for a boy or girl. The gift will then be delivered to a deserving child.
 A new external defibrillator has been installed at our Batchwood Golf and Sports Centre to provide vital lifesaving equipment for golfers, visitors and the wider community.
The project was jointly funded by Everyone Active, which manages the centre on the Council's behalf, Batchwood Hall's Golf and its Bowls Clubs.
The initiative was prompted by a tragic incident last year in which a golf club member passed away despite the efforts of staff.
Photo: from the left, John Turkentine, Vice-President of the Bowls Club; Councillor Helen Campbell, Lead for Leisure; James McNulty, Everyone Active’s Contract Manager; and Richard Sullivan, Club Captain of the Golf Club.
Following a change to the law, voters can now hold a postal vote for a maximum period of three years. After three years, voters must reapply if they wish to continue voting by post.
We have contacted all postal voters affected by this change by email and/or letter.
If you haven’t yet reapplied for your postal vote, or if we’ve contacted you to ask for additional information, please respond as soon as possible.
Those postal voters who do not reapply will have their postal vote cancelled on 31 January 2026.
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 Congratulations to St Albans cyclist William Watts who has won a major national competition.
William trains on a pump track at the Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre which was opened by the Council two years ago.
He recently became the overall winner (senior category) of the British Pump Track Series, securing the coveted title at the Brighton finals.
Two other Cottonmill cyclists also achieved podium finishes: Edward Mills, 2nd overall in the under-16 category; and Mathew Daniels, 3rd in the masters category.
* St Albans Cycle Hub is now taking bookings for its training courses which start in January. These include sessions on bike maintenance as well as lessons on how to ride a bike or improve cycling skills. Click on the button below for further details.
 The Pioneer Skate Club in St Albans will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year by reaching out to a new audience.
The Club has extended its opening hours on Thursdays and Fridays and launched new daytime sessions.
These include Little Wheels Club, providing morning fun for children aged five and under, as well as an after-school club for older youngsters.
We have one of the top five recycling rates in the country - but are looking to make even further improvements.
We are asking for your help by completing two short surveys on our recycling and food waste services.
This will help us identify issues and develop solutions to make recycling more convenient and accessible.
Please click on the buttons below to complete the surveys. If you would prefer a paper copy or have any questions, email: wastemanagementofficers@stalbans.gov.uk.
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 Helios, Saturday 27 December to Sunday 25 January 2026, Assembly Room, St Albans Museum + Gallery, free but booking is essential
This winter, experience the solar spectacle that is Helios, a stunning six-metre tall sculpture of the sun by renowned UK artist Luke Jerram.
Alongside the installation, enjoy a lively programme of events perfect for everyone seeking warmth, light and connection.
Space is limited, so please book a free timed ticket through our website.
To help us bring more inspiring exhibitions and events, we welcome donations.
 Worlds Connected, until Sunday 22 February 2026, Weston Gallery, St Albans Museum + Gallery, free entry
A multi-sensory exhibition exploring the many connections between St Albans and the Islamic World - from scientific discoveries to a fondness for coffee.
 Inns and Alehouses in Victorian St Albans, until Sunday 15 March, Keeper’s Galleries, St Albans Museum + Gallery, free entry
Towards the end of the 19th century, St Albans boasted just under 100 commercial drinking establishments.
This exhibition looks at the differing types of venue that served the City’s population from beerhouses to taverns and the reasons that they flourished or failed as St Albans moved into the 20th century.
 Please note that the Museums are closed on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December as well as 1 January. They are open throughout the rest of the festive season:
St Albans Museum + Gallery: open Monday – Sunday, 10am - 4pm daily, free entry, donations welcome.
Verulamium Museum: open Monday – Sunday, 10am - 4pm (last admission at 3.30pm).
 We are supporting the Local Government Association’s upcoming national recruitment campaign – highlighting the vital role councils play in improving lives and building stronger communities.
We’re seeking passionate, dedicated individuals to deliver essential services and make a real difference in our community.
Whether you’re starting your career or looking for a new challenge, joining us means contributing to a thriving District and improving the lives of local residents.
We have a range of exciting opportunities coming up across housing, leisure, planning and more. Click on the button below for more information including our current vacancies page.
 St Albans Healthy Hub is your local centre for health and wellbeing information, advice and support.
You can get help with 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.
 Come along to our free money advice event to speak to experts from various organisations about a wide range of issues.
You will be able to get friendly and confidential advice on debt, benefits, managing household finances and much more.
The drop-in event takes place at the Civic Centre on Wednesday 28 January, 10am to 2pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
You can get more information by emailing healthy.hub@stalbans.gov.uk.
HAPpy Camps are back for the festive school holiday with bookings now open.
The camps provide eligible children and young people with the chance to meet friends, learn new skills and enjoy nutritious food.
Children and teens living in Hertfordshire who get benefits-related free school meals can attend a free activity by getting a booking code from their school.
Every camp is inclusive and able to meet the needs of most children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities
The camps run from Monday 22 to Wednesday 31 December with activities including various sports, science and dance as well as arts and crafts.
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