St. Albans Blog

Map: Free Wifi Internet in St. Albans (updated)

I've been updating the St. Albans Free Wifi Map but need your help filling in the blanks, so let me know if I've missed anywhere:

View Free WiFi in St. Albans in a larger map

St. Albans Blog January Stats

The visitor figures for January 2010 are in, with numbers boosted significantly by people looking for information and photos following the heavy snowfall at the start of the month. The result was 8,648 unique visitors and 13,286 page views. Thanks to everyone who visited and, in particular, to those who have taken the time to comment:

There are also quite a few people who subscribe to St. Albans Blog via RSS - 472 subscribers and an average reach over the past month of 46 (eg. about 10% of RSS subscribers read the blog each day):

View From the Top of St. Albans Cathedral (Residents First Weekend)

I took the opportunity, as part of St. Albans Residents First Weekend, to go on a tour to the top of the Cathedral today. I've posted a full review, which includes some nice pieces of local history I learned on the tour, on St. Albans People. The tour itself was informative, interesting and fun but the real gem, and the point of our going, was the view which, given the beautiful clear day, was nothing short of breathtaking:

You can read more about my visit to the top of St. Albans Cathedral on St. Albans People.

The Courtyard Cafe on Hatfield Road

Today I dropped in to the Courtyard Cafe, located next door to the Museum of St. Albans on Hatfield Road, for breakfast and coffee on my way to a meeting at work. Although I'd passed the building, a former Synagogue that, in addition to the Courtyard Cafe, also houses a Yoga hall, I'd never had the chance to stop in. And I'm glad I did.

You'll find my full review of the Courtyard Cafe on St. Albans People - but I've posted a few photos below to wet your appetite:

 

Here's the review...

EastEnders Returns and New Primary to be Built

The cast of EastEnders is back in St. Albans, filming at St. Peter's Church, today. It's not the first time the BBC has chosen to film EastEnders in St. Albans, a city that played an important part in the early days of cinema.

In other St. Albans news, the County Council has confirmed that it plans to build a new primary school in St. Albans. Nothing to do with EastEnders, of course.

St. Albans Residents First Weekend 2010 - 30/31 January

Residents' First Weekend gives people the opportunity to try out many of their local attractions free of the usual entry charge, or with a special offer, or to gain entry to places which are not normally open to the public. According to figures released by the Council, on average five / six thousand people participate in this two-day event, with leisure centres, the cathedral and the museums amongst the favourite venues.

To take advantage of some of the more popular special offers available you'll need to obtain a voucher, available at the Tourist Information Centre, located at the back of the old Town Hall. I've posted further information on the special offers available during St. Albans Residents First Weekend over on St. Albans People.

Review: Lussmanns Fish and Grill Restaurant in St. Albans

We first visited Lussmanns in St. Albans right after it opened, which I guess is a couple of years ago now. I'm glad we went back yesterday for another visit because things have really moved on - the menu is full of interesting and inventive dishes, using the freshest ingredients, lovingly prepared and beautifully presented.

Have a look at this hand made burger, for example - not only was it pretty, but also succulent and tasty according to our friend how ordered it:

 

As always, I went for a vegetarian option - in this instance, the vegetable casserole recommended by the waiter - which was also delightful:

The fish, too, was excellent according to the two members of our party who chose the Pollock:

 

For a party of eight, which included four adults and four children, the bill came to just shy of £100, which we felt was appropriate for the meal we'd ordered and enjoyed. If you're going with kids, we'd recommend going outside peak hours as the restaurant gets very busy at lunch and dinner. We also reserved a table in advance, which proved essential on the Saturday we visited.

Somewhat unexpectedly, as I was telling the friends who accompanied us about this blog and some of the other stuff I do, I was overheard by someone at another table who is a regular reader. He popped over and said hello, which was nice of him!

You'll find Lussmanns at Waxhouse Gate (off the High Street, just across from the Clock Tower), St. Albans, AL3 4EW.

I've written up a full review of Lussmanns, which we'd happily recommend, particularly for having dinner with friends or a business lunch, on the St. Albans People website.

From St. Albans to Continental Europe in about 3 Hours

 

I pass through, or more correctly under, St. Pancras most days on my commute from St. Albans to London Bridge for work. Earlier this week, however, I had to go to Brussels on business so took the Eurostar, as I've done several times in the past. If you've not yet been, it's a great service that gets you, First Capital Connect willing, from St. Albans to Brussels in just over three hours - for about £100 if you buy your tickets early and don't need flexibility.

You can read more about traveling from St. Albans to Brussels, Lille and Paris on the Eurostar over on St. Albans People, where I've also listed the travel times between St. Albans and Luton Airport and St. Albans and Gatwick. Going abroad from St. Albans is a lot easier than many people would think!

Review: Breakfast Club St. Albans

Stranded with a colleague from work, yet again, by the cancellation of our First Capital Connect service, this morning turned out just fine because we managed to fill the time with a cooked breakfast at the Breakfast Club St. Albans.

Their recipes, and presentation, are great, and the location convenient for the station, but we waited rather a long time for our breakfasts and, to be honest with you, it's a bit pricey for the amount of food you get.

I've posted a full review, as well as some more photos, on St. Albans People.

Day out in Hertford

We had a nice day out today in Hertford, which is, considering it's the county seat, quite a bit smaller than St. Albans. It is, despite its small size, certainly worthy of a visit.

The thing that, for us at least, most sets it apart from other towns of a similar size is that it seems to have held on to it's individuality.

The town's layout seems to be medieval, rather than marred by the type of development St. Albans saw in the latter half of the 20th century, and rather than national chain stores you'll find many small, independent shops.

Let's just hope they can hang on - it was our first visit in about a year and in that time Hertford has lost at least two shops, Wiggingtons (furniture) and an antique store, we used to stop at.

I've posted some photos of Hertford, as well as an article, including a review of our lunch in the All Day Cafe and some ideas of what you can see and do in Hertford on St. Albans People....

parliamentary questions and petition highlight commuter misery

I've never really understood why First Capital Connect seems unable to run a reliable service. Using over-time staff seems like a risky, not to mention costly, way to run a business. Afterall, unlike other businesses that have to plan for cyclical changes in demand and output, First Capital Connect has the luxury of having a known demand for a schedule of services which are planned and published well in advance. Surely they should know they will need a sufficient amount of drivers well in advance, and could either recruit or train drivers to cover that schedule.

Commuters, including myself, who have been subjected to the misery of delays and cancellations on First Capital Connect services, are likely to be pleased to learn that the issue has been the subject of several debates in Parliament. There's also a petition, on the Number 10 Petitions Site, gathering signatures from those who want the Government to take action. See my post on St. Albans People for details and links.

Navigating the Primary School Application Process and Place Shortage in St. Albans

We're currently in the process of looking at primary schools in anticipation of applying for a reception place four our child, soon to turn four, at the end of January. Like many people, we've always been told that there are lots of great schools in St. Albans and, based on the Ofsted reports for many local schools, this is absolutely true. But we've also learned, during our school tours and through speaking with neighbours, that actually securing a school place for our child at our top choice, which is located just over 1km (6/10ths of a mile) from our home - making it easy walking distance - is far from certain. In fact, it would seem unlikely as there is a school place shortage in central St. Albans.

If you, like us, are in the process of deciding what schools to list as your top three choices, you might be interested in the article I posted yesterday about our experience, which outlines the process and provides links to official information, useful. Have a look: http://www.stalbanspeople.co.uk/news/School-Place-Shortage-Applying-Schools-St-Albans/article-1700395-detail/article.html

Interview with local journalist, blogger and homeworking expert Alex Johnson

Last week, many St. Albans commuters, myself included, found it difficult if not impossible to get to work as snow and freezing weather made First Capital Connect’s service to London even more unreliable than usual.

Working from home was the only solution and as I sat at my dining room chair, with the wife getting her hair done, my two toddlers running wild, window refurbishment taking place upstairs, and the children’s friend arriving with mum and older brother in tow, I found myself wishing I had a dedicated work space at home to get away it all.

Sadly, I don’t have such a luxury, but local freelance author and blogger Alex Johnson, who publishes the highly acclaimed blog shedworking simply stepped out his back door, trudged through the snow in his garden, and entered what must be every man’s dream - the garden shed he’s converted into a warm, fully functional home office...

I interviewed Alex, a home working expert, about productivity, staying visible to those in the office and more for St. Albans People, where you'll find the full interview and a Christmas photo of Alex’s shed.

Review: Kashu Restaurant in St. Albans

We went for a family meal at Kashu, on Hatfield Road, today and were pleasantly surprised - it was a truly delicious, beautifully presented meal, served in a tasteful, light filled, modern dining environment. Definitely recommended.

You'll find my full review of Kashu on St. Albans People, a new website I've been contributing to the past couple of weeks. But to wet your appetite, have a look at these photos of our meal at Kashu:

 

Stylish Modern Dining at Kashu

 

Kashu busy with Sunday diners

 

Beautifully Prepared Beef Roast at Kashu

 

Lovely Presented Pork Roast at Kashu

 

Vegetarian Option at Kashu: Roast Vegetable and Goat's Cheese Tart

 

Not Bad: All that for just shy of £50

Read my full review of Kashu , which also includes opening hours and details for booking a table (recommended), here...

Thursday Update: St. Albans Train Services Severely Disrupted

St. Albans City Station was closed at 08.45 this morning after all services, both northbound and southbound, were canceled following a power failure in Central London.

I've posted further information and photos here.

Roads and pavements also continue to be treacherous, as you can see in the photos below:

 

St. Peter's Church certainly looked picture postcard perfect though:

St. Albans People has several galleries containing photos of yesterday's snow by myself and others.

Update! All Trains to London CANCELLED (08.45)

Commuters Return

Thurs: Lattimore Rd

Snow + Real Ale + Real Fire + Free Wifi = Good Wednesday

More snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow in St. Albans, where is snowed nearly all day Wednesday. I was out in it for part of the morning, taking photos, working from Starbucks across from the Clock Tower, then having lunch and working from the White Hart Tap in the afternoon (btw: the White Hart Tap has free wifi should you find yourself needing some connectivity).

The White Hart Tap, always a cozy sort of place with nice bay windows that provide a good view of whatever is happening outside, had the fire going all afternoon. Groups of office workers who hadn't made it in, or had been sent home early, sat watching as delivery vans, cars, and Chelsea tractors failed to get up the small incline of Keyfield Terrace.

I suspect I'll spend Thursday in pretty much the same way if it snows again tonight. Here's the last batch of snow photos from me for today:

 

Hazardous Driving Conditions - Leave the Car Parked