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Leisure Centre wins Merit Award

A Harpenden Society ‘Certificate of Merit’ Award for noteworthy local developments completed in 2020 was presented last week ( Dec 3) to St Albans District Council for the Harpenden Leisure Centre in Rothamsted Park, which has greatly increased the range and extent of sports facilities available to people in the town. Anthony Rowlands, SADC’s lead councillor for the public realm received the Award from Society chairman Phil Waters.

Cllrs Anthony Rowlands and Robert Donald thanked the project team of council officers, contractor Willmott Dixon and operator 1Life for successfully delivering this challenging project and thanked too the previous administration for initiating the project and their current colleagues for supporting the project to its conclusion.

Phil Waters said 'The Society is delighted to make an Award to recognise the significant contribution that the completely rebuilt and updated Leisure Centre will make to the Harpenden community. The improved facilities are excellent and will be central to helping ensure the well-being of our community long into the future'.

Seen, front row, left to right, are: Peter Simpson, director of Space & Place, the architects responsible for the Leisure Centre design; Cllr Robert Donald, SADC commercial and development portfolio holder; Cllr Anthony Rowlands; Phil Waters; Society Awards secretary Penny Ayres; and Tony Marmo, SADC’s head commercial & development officer.

Michael Weaver hits his target of over £1,000 for Keech Hospice Care thanks to sales of his memoirs “It’s not over until it’s over’.

His book went on sale locally and nationally in December 2020 and has achieved significant sales which helps this local charity that supports terminally ill children.

Many of you will know of Mike’s involvement in local politics and his successful business life as a Harpenden retailer with the C&A Store.

Keech chief fundraiser Steve Albon said ‘Michael is a really great advocate for Keech Hospice Care, inspiring others to support their local hospice. The donations raised from his book sales helps us to ensure we can continue to provide our vital service to so many.

Caption. Mike presents his cheque for £1,100 to Steve Albon.

All meetings are held in the Dining Hall of Roundwood Park School at 7.45pm followed by tea and coffee. Non members are most welcome at an entrance fee of £4.00.

13 September‘Towards sustainable gardens’

Chris Thorn, Aylett Nurseries

11 October‘Knots & Bowers, the Tudor Garden’

Michael Brown, Garden historian.

8 NovemberBreeding better plants’

David Coop, Elsoms the seed specialists.

6 DecemberQuestion Time  with our OWN experts

It is hoped to offer day trips in May to Anglesea Abbey and the Cambridge Botanical Garden and in July to Lamport Hall Gardens and The Old Rectory in Haselbech. These had to be postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions.  Confirmation and dates to be announced soon.

Live Baby Rhyme times and Storytimes running again at Harpenden Library! 

Of course you can come in anytime to spend time in our Children's area. Tuesday Storytime starts at 2.15pm every week and Saturday Storytime will start on 26 February 10am and continue on the 2nd and 4th Saturday's of each month. 

For Baby Rhyme Time (Thursdays) you need to book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../united.../baby-rhyme-time/

Come along...enjoy good company and learn more about wonderful art.

18th May:  Harry Venning:  THE ART OF THE CARTOONIST 

15th June:  Sarah Buries:  KETTLES YARD: A masterpiece of curatorship

20th July:  Tessa Boase:  THE HOUSEKEEPER’S TALE:  The women who really ran the English country house

These monthly lectures feature a huge range of art-related topics,

We also offer organised  visits, tours, study days and breaks.

All lectures Wednesday evenings in Rothamsted Conference Centre,

7.30 for 8pm, approx. 1 hour. 

Ample free parking.

Interested?  Visit tashe.org.uk

                       Or contact Membership Officer Liz Flawn:

                                                theartshe@gmail.com

Presented to you by Harpenden Round Table and Harpenden Town Council.

After a two-year break, we're pround to announce the return of the 55th Harpenden Summer Carnival. This free-to-enter event held on 18th June at Harpenden Common presents an action-packed programme of acts and activities to entertain, with fantastic bands providing music throughout the day and wide range of stalls and food and drink options available.

This year’s theme is “Harpenden Superheroes”, a chance for those of all ages to have fun, dress up and join in throughout the day. To embrace this there will be best dressed prizes, face painting for children, main arena acts, and dance and fitness groups with the opportunity to all join in! All on top of popular regulars including racing ferrets, the Savills Dog Show, and a host of acts on stage. Tring Brewery and a variety of food stalls and bars will keep you fed and refreshed throughout the day.

Carnival starts with a POW! at midday with the Procession working its way from Lydekker Car Park, passing through the town centre of Harpenden and onto the Common. This is open to all, we encourage superhero themed floats and fancy dress which is annually embraced by many local groups including Cadets, Scouts and Guides.

Whilst the objective of Carnival is an enjoyable and inclusive event for the whole family, it is a charity event and thanks to kind donations of visitors on the day and commitment of sponsors, we typically raise between £10,000 and £20,000 for distribution to our chosen charities.

This is an event put on by the people of Harpenden, with acts from the people of Harpenden, for the people of Harpenden and surrounds. If you have any ideas or would like to sponsor, have a stall or participate in any part of the day please contact us. There is a superhero in all of us, we just need the courage to put on the cape.

May 26,27 & 29th

at the EMC

Thurs May 19th. Grove Theatre. Dunstable.

All profits from the event will go to the AUGB, and they may distribute the money as they decide. Acts appearing include: Martin Turner founder of Wishbone Ash; The Korgis "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime"; The Eyes of Albion, a local rock group; Anna Kravchuk, a UK based Ukrainian operatic soprano who has performed throughout Europe; Ukrainian/Irish accordionist Stepan Pasicznyk who toured with "The Ukrainians" throughout Europe and North America; The Ukrainian Cathedral Choir; and Dunstable rock legends, reformed just for this event, for the first time in 40 years, Toad The Wet Sprocket. The host for this show is the singer Joe Corrigan from Signature Swing.

This event is being organised by Sylvia Fountain, a regional Radio Presenter and Producer; John "Muzzy" Musto, a Dunstable musician and independent teacher of music; Iryna Silsarenko, the Secretary of the AUGB Luton branch; and Dunstable Town Councillor, John Gurney.

We would like to thank Dunstable Town Council for supporting this event by providing one of their two annual uses of the Grove Theatre. We also especially wish thank the Grove Theatre and management for waiving all their fees for all their staff and costs for this event, including front of house, stage and theatre management, lighting and sound, and a more than 12 hours of support throughout the day of this show.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, acts performing in this benefit concert may change up until the event, although a suitable replacement of equal or higher rating will always be sought.

BOX OFFICE> 01582 60 20 80

£18.50*      Wheelchair Users cannot be booked online; please call Box Office

How to plan your Jubilee Day (Thursday June 2nd) in Harpenden.

Check out the activities as shown below...something for all the family to celebrate.

May 25th at the EMC Sworders Fine Arts Auctioneers are holding free valuations

Noon - 4pm

May 24th at the EMC