A visitors’ information cabin, showing plans, layouts, materials and models of the new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, is now open. The new leisure centre is being built off Holywell Hill in St Albans to replace the current leisure facility. The visitors’ information cabin, which is open seven days a week 7am – 10pm, is located right next to the entrance of the current leisure centre, alongside the building site. Visitors can also see the building works in progress on the construction site from the cabin, which was previously the site of a car park serving the existing Westminster Lodge and Abbey Theatre.
The visitor cabin gives detailed information about the facilities in the new centre. The first floor gym and exercise studios, accommodating up to 180 pieces of equipment including cardio vascular and resistance apparatus, will have spectacular views of the Abbey and Verulamium Park. There will also be a youth gym and chill out space. There are to be two exercise studios with sprung floors for dance, aerobics or for community based activities. The studios have a central folding partition and can be opened up into a single large space for functions and special events. There will also be a small spinning studio for around 20 spinning bikes. For younger residents the new centre will have a crèche and soft play area which can also be used for children’s parties, Yoga, Pilates, and community use.
In the split level spa there will be a walk in hydro spa pool, an aroma steam room, Kelo (scented) sauna, hot rooms and monsoon and bucket showers. The spa will have under floor heating and will be fully accessible for people with disabilities. Also featured are pedicure and nail bars, treatment rooms and a relaxation lounge opening onto an external sun terrace with views of the Abbey and Verulamium Park to the west. The new 4-court sports hall with a semi-sprung floor will accommodate a range of sports including badminton, basketball, volleyball, 5-a-side football, netball, gymnastics, trampolining, short tennis, handball, table tennis, martial arts, community events and much more. A 12m high climbing wall and standalone pinnacle will offer a variety of climbing routes from beginner to expert levels.
There are three pools in the new Westminster Lodge; a 25m x 21m ten lane main pool with 50% moveable floor, a 17m x 10m teaching pool with a 100% moveable floor, and a confidence water area for young children providing shallow water and fun play elements including water spouts, slides, showers and interactive wet play equipment. A spectator balcony for 250 people is being built above the main pool. The swimming pool flexibility will allow the Council to provide a diverse range of water sports for all the community from recreational, training and short course competition swimming, to water polo, synchronised swimming, sub-aqua, canoe training and under water hockey. The main pool includes a platform lift for people with disabilities. The new Westminster lodge Leisure Centre Café / Bistro will also be accessible directly from Verulamium Park for use by park visitors and theatre goers. It will have an external terrace overlooking the Park’s Meadow Area and with views to the Abbey in the distance.
Cllr Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports Leisure and Heritage a St Albans City & District Council commented: "We are inviting residents to view and comment on the finishes that have been chosen. You can let us know what you think by emailing leisure@stalbans.gov.uk. Having listened to the suggestions of the Willmott Dixon construction team, in my view it could be argued that the finishes are better than before we undertook the value engineering exercise in order to deliver the improved 10 lane pool. This decisive and effective exercise was taken by the Council's new leadership team and will result in a main pool that is 25% bigger within the original budget." The new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre is due to open in Autumn 2012.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Council hears from Network Rail and FCC following November rail disruptions
Network Rail and First Capital Connect responded to District Councillors’ questions following major disruption to the Thameslink service in early November. Martin Frobisher, Route Managing Director from Network Rail and Jerome Pacatte, Area Business Manager from First Capital Connect were speaking at St Albans City & District Council’s Full Council meeting on Wednesday 23 November.
The Council had invited the two companies to answer questions about how they are proposing to deal with the issues highlighted by the recent disruptions and how they intend to minimise any further disruption to commuters. In particular, unreliability and consequent diminishing confidence in service and a lack of communication from FCC were high on the councillors’ list of concerns.
The companies’ representatives apologised for the delays, described what had led to the latest disruptions and what they were doing to improve the service. They also invited councillors to see for themselves various upgrades that they said had been put in place as part of a major improvement programme. A webcast of the Council meeting is available online. Both FCC and Network rail are also due to attend the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee on 26 January 2012. This meeting is open to the public to observe and can be also be viewed via webcast, both live and after the event.
Councillor Julian Daly, Executive Leader of the Council said: “I am glad that FCC and Network Rail both agreed to come and hear our concerns. It is a credit to both organisations that they were willing to engage with us in this way. Sadly this is not the first time we have felt the need to invite them to account for the poor service experienced by local commuters. As a regular commuter myself, I know the impact of long delays and the negative effect they can have on business and the lives of local people.”
The Council had invited the two companies to answer questions about how they are proposing to deal with the issues highlighted by the recent disruptions and how they intend to minimise any further disruption to commuters. In particular, unreliability and consequent diminishing confidence in service and a lack of communication from FCC were high on the councillors’ list of concerns.
The companies’ representatives apologised for the delays, described what had led to the latest disruptions and what they were doing to improve the service. They also invited councillors to see for themselves various upgrades that they said had been put in place as part of a major improvement programme. A webcast of the Council meeting is available online. Both FCC and Network rail are also due to attend the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee on 26 January 2012. This meeting is open to the public to observe and can be also be viewed via webcast, both live and after the event.
Councillor Julian Daly, Executive Leader of the Council said: “I am glad that FCC and Network Rail both agreed to come and hear our concerns. It is a credit to both organisations that they were willing to engage with us in this way. Sadly this is not the first time we have felt the need to invite them to account for the poor service experienced by local commuters. As a regular commuter myself, I know the impact of long delays and the negative effect they can have on business and the lives of local people.”
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Applications open for primary, junior and middle schools in 2012
The under-11s application process in Hertfordshire opens on 14 November 2011 so if your child is due to start school in 2012, or move on to junior or middle school next September, Hertfordshire County Council needs to hear from you. During November, leaflets explaining the process will be posted to families of reception age children and distributed to families of junior and middle applicants through their child’s current infant or first school.
Information about the application process and timescales is also available in the interactive version of the 'Applying for a School Place' booklet. The online directory of schools contains details of every infant, first, primary, junior and middle school in Hertfordshire. Alternatively, copies of the booklet, local school directories and paper application forms can be obtained from the Customer Service Centre by calling 0300 123 4043.
The easiest way to make an application is via HCC's website. You will be able to amend your application at any time up to the closing date and receive immediate confirmation that your application has been received. Online applicants can access their school offer before allocation letters are received and parents are also able to accept the school allocated online. Last year 97 per cent of parents applied this way and found the system quick, easy and secure. Parents that do not wish to apply online can request a paper application form that must be returned direct to the admission and transport team. Application forms cannot be returned to schools.
The closing date for applications is 15 January 2012. Before making an application, parents and carers are strongly advised to visit schools to help them make their preferences. Parents should contact schools directly to find out more about visiting a school.
Frances Button, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “Understandably, parents and carers want their children to attend the school they most prefer. Hertfordshire has a good track record and last year over 94 per cent of families were allocated places at one of their three ranked primary schools. I urge parents to consider carefully the preferences they make and to visit local schools before applying. It is also vitally important that parents and carers get their applications in on time as late applications are much less likely to secure one of the parents' or carers' preferred schools."
Parents are advised to check the county council's website for any updates to the application process or timescales. Details about new schools and additional places will also be published on the website. To apply online and for more info on school admissions log on to www.hertsdirect.org/admissions. Parents with younger children will be able to apply for nursery schools and classes in mid February 2012 when a leaflet about the nursery admissions will be sent directly to parents. If your child is due to start secondary or upper school next year and you haven’t yet made an application you need to make a late application for a secondary school place. This can still be done online or on a paper application form.
Information about the application process and timescales is also available in the interactive version of the 'Applying for a School Place' booklet. The online directory of schools contains details of every infant, first, primary, junior and middle school in Hertfordshire. Alternatively, copies of the booklet, local school directories and paper application forms can be obtained from the Customer Service Centre by calling 0300 123 4043.
The easiest way to make an application is via HCC's website. You will be able to amend your application at any time up to the closing date and receive immediate confirmation that your application has been received. Online applicants can access their school offer before allocation letters are received and parents are also able to accept the school allocated online. Last year 97 per cent of parents applied this way and found the system quick, easy and secure. Parents that do not wish to apply online can request a paper application form that must be returned direct to the admission and transport team. Application forms cannot be returned to schools.
The closing date for applications is 15 January 2012. Before making an application, parents and carers are strongly advised to visit schools to help them make their preferences. Parents should contact schools directly to find out more about visiting a school.
Frances Button, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “Understandably, parents and carers want their children to attend the school they most prefer. Hertfordshire has a good track record and last year over 94 per cent of families were allocated places at one of their three ranked primary schools. I urge parents to consider carefully the preferences they make and to visit local schools before applying. It is also vitally important that parents and carers get their applications in on time as late applications are much less likely to secure one of the parents' or carers' preferred schools."
Parents are advised to check the county council's website for any updates to the application process or timescales. Details about new schools and additional places will also be published on the website. To apply online and for more info on school admissions log on to www.hertsdirect.org/admissions. Parents with younger children will be able to apply for nursery schools and classes in mid February 2012 when a leaflet about the nursery admissions will be sent directly to parents. If your child is due to start secondary or upper school next year and you haven’t yet made an application you need to make a late application for a secondary school place. This can still be done online or on a paper application form.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Alban City School Announces Open Days for Prospective Parents
Plans for a new Free School in St Albans city centre received government approval on 10 October 2011. The Department for Education has approved the opening of a free school in St Albans in September 2012, providing 60 reception places only in 2012, and then 60 reception places each year thereafter.
The proposals were put forward by the free school group which is made up of a number of educationalists and local parents and fully supported by Hertfordshire County Council, who purchased the former School of Law site on Hatfield Road to accommodate this new school at a city centre location. The free school group has announced a number of open days as they are keen to encourage prospective parents and their children to visit the site and meet the free school group.
Tuesday 1st November - 9.30am, 11.30am, 2pm
Monday 7th November - 8pm
Sunday 20th November - 10am, 12pm, 3pm
Monday 28th November - 11am, 1.30pm
Thursday 8th December - 8pm
The school will welcome children of all abilities, faiths, social and cultural backgrounds. Any parent can apply for a place at the school and admissions will be managed by Hertfordshire County Council following the same admissions rules as all other community primary schools in St. Albans. The application process for reception places for September 2012 will open on 14 November 2011 and close on 15 January 2012 and can be made through the county council web site at www.hertsdirect.org (paper application forms can be obtained by contacting the customer service centre).
Frances Button, Executive Member for Education at Hertfordshire County Council, said “This is excellent news for many young children and their families in St Albans. This school will provide 60 additional primary school places for 2012 in the city centre, an area where we have been working with local parents to address the consistent pressure for additional places. We recognise that there have been concerns locally particularly regarding traffic and parking and I know that these are being considered in the plans. We fully support this group of professionals who are giving their time for free to support the development of this new school.”
The free school group is being lead by Linda Crawley, the former head teacher of Aboyne Lodge, an outstanding and oversubscribed community primary school in central St. Albans. She said, “We are delighted that this project has been given the go-ahead by the Department for Education. We are truly committed to establishing a wonderful new school which will provide a supportive environment within which our children can learn and thrive. I would urge all parents of young children living in St Albans to come along to one of our prospective parent open evenings.”
For further information about the open days visit the school’s website
NOTES
Free Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to what local people say they want and need in order to improve education for children in their community. For further information please visit the Department for Education’s Website.
The post of head teacher will be advertised through Hertfordshire County Council’s website www.hertsdirect.org and the Times Educational Supplement website. Prospective applicants can also contact Alban City School directly for further information.
allaboutstalbans.com
The proposals were put forward by the free school group which is made up of a number of educationalists and local parents and fully supported by Hertfordshire County Council, who purchased the former School of Law site on Hatfield Road to accommodate this new school at a city centre location. The free school group has announced a number of open days as they are keen to encourage prospective parents and their children to visit the site and meet the free school group.
Tuesday 1st November - 9.30am, 11.30am, 2pm
Monday 7th November - 8pm
Sunday 20th November - 10am, 12pm, 3pm
Monday 28th November - 11am, 1.30pm
Thursday 8th December - 8pm
The school will welcome children of all abilities, faiths, social and cultural backgrounds. Any parent can apply for a place at the school and admissions will be managed by Hertfordshire County Council following the same admissions rules as all other community primary schools in St. Albans. The application process for reception places for September 2012 will open on 14 November 2011 and close on 15 January 2012 and can be made through the county council web site at www.hertsdirect.org (paper application forms can be obtained by contacting the customer service centre).
Frances Button, Executive Member for Education at Hertfordshire County Council, said “This is excellent news for many young children and their families in St Albans. This school will provide 60 additional primary school places for 2012 in the city centre, an area where we have been working with local parents to address the consistent pressure for additional places. We recognise that there have been concerns locally particularly regarding traffic and parking and I know that these are being considered in the plans. We fully support this group of professionals who are giving their time for free to support the development of this new school.”
The free school group is being lead by Linda Crawley, the former head teacher of Aboyne Lodge, an outstanding and oversubscribed community primary school in central St. Albans. She said, “We are delighted that this project has been given the go-ahead by the Department for Education. We are truly committed to establishing a wonderful new school which will provide a supportive environment within which our children can learn and thrive. I would urge all parents of young children living in St Albans to come along to one of our prospective parent open evenings.”
For further information about the open days visit the school’s website
NOTES
Free Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to what local people say they want and need in order to improve education for children in their community. For further information please visit the Department for Education’s Website.
The post of head teacher will be advertised through Hertfordshire County Council’s website www.hertsdirect.org and the Times Educational Supplement website. Prospective applicants can also contact Alban City School directly for further information.
allaboutstalbans.com
Monday, 26 September 2011
2011/12 Community Grants Fund launched
The Community Grants Fund aims to provide voluntary and community groups with a chance to apply for flexible funding of £500 - £5,000 to support projects and activities within local communities which can be delivered between November 2011 and June 2012.
Similar projects funded through the Targeting Change Fund in 2010 included activities promoting community action, empowering young people with learning disabilities, engaging older people in devising a piece of theatre and involving neighbourhoods in transforming their local environment.
Applicants for Community Grants will be asked to demonstrate how their project meets at least 3 of the following criteria:-
• Benefit the local community.
• Increase local peoples’ interest in local democracy.
• Promote involvement in community life.
• Bring together people form different backgrounds.
• Reduce inequality.
• Support individuals with disabilities.
• Engage young people in positive activities.
• Support the needs of older people
Projects and activities will also need to have clear links to the priorities detailed in the 2011-15 St Albans City and District Inclusion Strategy. www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-and-living/.
Application forms and further guidance notes for the Community Grants Fund are available from the Centre for Voluntary Service who are administering the fund on the Council’s behalf:-
CVS St Albans District, 31 Catherine Street, St Albans, Herts. AL3 5BJ. Tel: 01727 852657. E-mail: kate@cvsstalbans.org.uk
Website: www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-and-living/community-grants/.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on Monday 31 October 2011. Successful applicants will be notified in early November 2011.
Similar projects funded through the Targeting Change Fund in 2010 included activities promoting community action, empowering young people with learning disabilities, engaging older people in devising a piece of theatre and involving neighbourhoods in transforming their local environment.
Applicants for Community Grants will be asked to demonstrate how their project meets at least 3 of the following criteria:-
• Benefit the local community.
• Increase local peoples’ interest in local democracy.
• Promote involvement in community life.
• Bring together people form different backgrounds.
• Reduce inequality.
• Support individuals with disabilities.
• Engage young people in positive activities.
• Support the needs of older people
Projects and activities will also need to have clear links to the priorities detailed in the 2011-15 St Albans City and District Inclusion Strategy. www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-and-living/.
Application forms and further guidance notes for the Community Grants Fund are available from the Centre for Voluntary Service who are administering the fund on the Council’s behalf:-
CVS St Albans District, 31 Catherine Street, St Albans, Herts. AL3 5BJ. Tel: 01727 852657. E-mail: kate@cvsstalbans.org.uk
Website: www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-and-living/community-grants/.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on Monday 31 October 2011. Successful applicants will be notified in early November 2011.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
A New Future for Trestle Arts Base
For over thirty years, Trestle has developed masked storytelling theatre, unmasked physical theatre, education and training programmes and community arts projects and in the last year alone, engaged over 30,000 people in the Arts.
Earlier this year, when the government made its cuts in culture, Trestle lost its future funding, had to hone to its strengths and decide how to cut back public output for the time being. One of the major downsides to the funding cut by the Arts Council is that sadly Trestle will be unable to run Trestle Arts Base in St Albans at its current capacity, which over the past decade has inspired all ages at local and international levels.
From September 2011 Trestle Arts Base will be open to the public on the following days;
Mondays 4pm – 9pm
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9.30am – 5.30pm
Saturdays 10am – 3.30pm
The Gallery Café will be open, but scaled down to a minimal service of hot and cold drinks and cold snacks. We are looking forward to welcoming back many of our community classes on the days that we are open.
StoryTent and Youth Theatre programmes
Determined to not let down our 70 strong dedicated StoryTent and Youth Theatre members and to keep supporting young people’s creativity across the District, we have joined forces with our professional storyteller Kathryn Holt and local professional theatre company Tip of the Iceberg. Through these partnerships, Trestle will re-launch StoryTent and the Youth Theatre to provide sessions that bring together theatre and performance skills in a fun and nurturing environment, available to all children and young people of any ability.
StoryTent will re-launch on Wednesday 14 September
The youth theatre will re-launch on Monday 12 September with a free taster session for each age group.
4-5pm 5-7yrs
5-6.30pm 8-12yrs
6.30-9pm 13-18yrs
Tip of the Iceberg has a wealth of experience delivering creative performance, workshops and training. Their work has taken them from performing in local schools to thousands of students, including Verulam, Beaumont, St Albans Boys and the High school, to Prince Charles’ Garden at Clarence House with High Speed Theatre for Eurostar. Tip of the Iceberg and Trestle share the ethos to Involve, Inform and Inspire. We will continue to develop new ways of working with professionals and emerging artists to produce and show performance work. We are delighted to be working in partnership with the St Albans City and District Council to develop an exciting programme of professional work at Trestle Arts Base.
Emily Gray, Artistic Director said, “We are determined to keep Trestle Arts Base alive as it is such a well loved venue. We need people in the District to come and take part in our activities and see the performances and in return we will give all we can to make this a culturally alive and exciting place to live.”
We ask you to visit Trestle’s website and social networking pages and use them as a place to explore ideas, experiences, new ways of making and watching work.
- Trestle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrestleTheatre
- Trestle Twitter: www.twitter.com/trestletheatre
The Company’s new touring show, The Man with the Luggage, previews at Trestle Arts Base on the 21 and 22 of September before it heads out on National Tour; beyond that, we will not have the resources to make and tour two new productions a year, but will instead concentrate on collaborations across cultures and art forms. Forth coming projects include Unicorn’s Indian Snow Queen, www.unicorntheatre.com/snowqueen (winter 2011) and Increpación Danza’s www.increpacion.com version of The Birthday of the Infanta (in Spain, spring 2012) – of course our efforts to make new work will never disappear.
Earlier this year, when the government made its cuts in culture, Trestle lost its future funding, had to hone to its strengths and decide how to cut back public output for the time being. One of the major downsides to the funding cut by the Arts Council is that sadly Trestle will be unable to run Trestle Arts Base in St Albans at its current capacity, which over the past decade has inspired all ages at local and international levels.
From September 2011 Trestle Arts Base will be open to the public on the following days;
Mondays 4pm – 9pm
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9.30am – 5.30pm
Saturdays 10am – 3.30pm
The Gallery Café will be open, but scaled down to a minimal service of hot and cold drinks and cold snacks. We are looking forward to welcoming back many of our community classes on the days that we are open.
StoryTent and Youth Theatre programmes
Determined to not let down our 70 strong dedicated StoryTent and Youth Theatre members and to keep supporting young people’s creativity across the District, we have joined forces with our professional storyteller Kathryn Holt and local professional theatre company Tip of the Iceberg. Through these partnerships, Trestle will re-launch StoryTent and the Youth Theatre to provide sessions that bring together theatre and performance skills in a fun and nurturing environment, available to all children and young people of any ability.
StoryTent will re-launch on Wednesday 14 September
The youth theatre will re-launch on Monday 12 September with a free taster session for each age group.
4-5pm 5-7yrs
5-6.30pm 8-12yrs
6.30-9pm 13-18yrs
Tip of the Iceberg has a wealth of experience delivering creative performance, workshops and training. Their work has taken them from performing in local schools to thousands of students, including Verulam, Beaumont, St Albans Boys and the High school, to Prince Charles’ Garden at Clarence House with High Speed Theatre for Eurostar. Tip of the Iceberg and Trestle share the ethos to Involve, Inform and Inspire. We will continue to develop new ways of working with professionals and emerging artists to produce and show performance work. We are delighted to be working in partnership with the St Albans City and District Council to develop an exciting programme of professional work at Trestle Arts Base.
Emily Gray, Artistic Director said, “We are determined to keep Trestle Arts Base alive as it is such a well loved venue. We need people in the District to come and take part in our activities and see the performances and in return we will give all we can to make this a culturally alive and exciting place to live.”
We ask you to visit Trestle’s website and social networking pages and use them as a place to explore ideas, experiences, new ways of making and watching work.
- Trestle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrestleTheatre
- Trestle Twitter: www.twitter.com/trestletheatre
The Company’s new touring show, The Man with the Luggage, previews at Trestle Arts Base on the 21 and 22 of September before it heads out on National Tour; beyond that, we will not have the resources to make and tour two new productions a year, but will instead concentrate on collaborations across cultures and art forms. Forth coming projects include Unicorn’s Indian Snow Queen, www.unicorntheatre.com/snowqueen (winter 2011) and Increpación Danza’s www.increpacion.com version of The Birthday of the Infanta (in Spain, spring 2012) – of course our efforts to make new work will never disappear.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
A new Heritage Lottery funded Odeon Journey project
Do you remember your first cinema kiss? Or the first film your child ever saw on the big screen? A new Heritage Lottery funded project will soon be bringing these magical moments to life and everyone in St Albans will have the chance to contribute to this fantastic community project, awarded £32,200.
Recreating our most precious cinematic memories from the Art Deco splendour of St Albans Odeon cinema, Odeon Journey will begin this September by inviting contributions from across the area. The project will celebrate the building’s history by collecting stories from cinema-goers of all ages, culminating in a multimedia exhibition at St Albans Museum and the Odyssey cinema (building works permitting) in 2012.
“Our partners the St Albans Museum and the Odyssey are brilliant venues for Odeon Journey,” said Project Manager Anna Reynolds. “Thanks to them and to our other partners – St Albans Arts Sports and Health, and the two local primary schools, Camp and Mandeville – we know this project will be able to engage with the whole community.”
There has been a cinema on the site since 1908 until the Odeon closed in 1995. After a long campaign by the St Albans Civic Society, the Odeon has been bought and is about to be restored as the Odyssey, by entrepreneur James Hannaway. After renovating the Rex in Berkhamsted, Mr Hannaway can be credited with creating England’s most beautiful cinema to date.
Odeon Journey will begin in September 2011 by inviting people to share their own – and their parents’ and grandparents’ – memories of the cinema. And by visiting St Albans Market on the 10th September, you can make sure your own memories are part of the exhibition. The Odeon Journey stall will be open throughout the day, gathering and sharing recollections.
Up to 60 schoolchildren from local schools will also take part in the project by recreating famous film footage in a performance installation during 2012, bringing this cinematic heritage to life. Among other opportunities created by the project, there will be the chance for up to 15 volunteers to receive oral history training too.
“Cinema gives us some of our most magical experiences”, says Anna Reynolds. “We’re thrilled to get the grant, and the opportunity to celebrate this building’s heritage.” Marion Hammant of St Albans Civic Society adds, “We're delighted. The Civic Society campaigned long and hard to save the Odeon from demolition, and we're glad people's memories of this iconic St Albans building can now have the permanence they deserve.” Roy Swanston, Heritage Lottery Fund East of England Committee member, says, “Most people of my generation will remember going to the cinema every Saturday morning for the Children’s Cinema Club; it was wonderful to watch Roy Rogers and Laurel and Hardy on the big screen and thrill to the adventures in which they were involved. So it is great that the Odeon Journey being created in the old Odeon Cinema at St Albans will begin to usher in a new host of memories of the cinema as it was and lead people to see how cinema has developed over the years since then.”
So come along to the Odeon Journey stall at St Albans Market on September 10th to share your cinema memories, find out more, or even become a project volunteer.
More information about the project is available at www.odeonjourney.org.uk, or contact Anna Reynolds, Project Manager, St Albans Civic Society, on 07789 078348, or info@odeonjourney.org.uk
Recreating our most precious cinematic memories from the Art Deco splendour of St Albans Odeon cinema, Odeon Journey will begin this September by inviting contributions from across the area. The project will celebrate the building’s history by collecting stories from cinema-goers of all ages, culminating in a multimedia exhibition at St Albans Museum and the Odyssey cinema (building works permitting) in 2012.
“Our partners the St Albans Museum and the Odyssey are brilliant venues for Odeon Journey,” said Project Manager Anna Reynolds. “Thanks to them and to our other partners – St Albans Arts Sports and Health, and the two local primary schools, Camp and Mandeville – we know this project will be able to engage with the whole community.”
There has been a cinema on the site since 1908 until the Odeon closed in 1995. After a long campaign by the St Albans Civic Society, the Odeon has been bought and is about to be restored as the Odyssey, by entrepreneur James Hannaway. After renovating the Rex in Berkhamsted, Mr Hannaway can be credited with creating England’s most beautiful cinema to date.
Odeon Journey will begin in September 2011 by inviting people to share their own – and their parents’ and grandparents’ – memories of the cinema. And by visiting St Albans Market on the 10th September, you can make sure your own memories are part of the exhibition. The Odeon Journey stall will be open throughout the day, gathering and sharing recollections.
Up to 60 schoolchildren from local schools will also take part in the project by recreating famous film footage in a performance installation during 2012, bringing this cinematic heritage to life. Among other opportunities created by the project, there will be the chance for up to 15 volunteers to receive oral history training too.
“Cinema gives us some of our most magical experiences”, says Anna Reynolds. “We’re thrilled to get the grant, and the opportunity to celebrate this building’s heritage.” Marion Hammant of St Albans Civic Society adds, “We're delighted. The Civic Society campaigned long and hard to save the Odeon from demolition, and we're glad people's memories of this iconic St Albans building can now have the permanence they deserve.” Roy Swanston, Heritage Lottery Fund East of England Committee member, says, “Most people of my generation will remember going to the cinema every Saturday morning for the Children’s Cinema Club; it was wonderful to watch Roy Rogers and Laurel and Hardy on the big screen and thrill to the adventures in which they were involved. So it is great that the Odeon Journey being created in the old Odeon Cinema at St Albans will begin to usher in a new host of memories of the cinema as it was and lead people to see how cinema has developed over the years since then.”
So come along to the Odeon Journey stall at St Albans Market on September 10th to share your cinema memories, find out more, or even become a project volunteer.
More information about the project is available at www.odeonjourney.org.uk, or contact Anna Reynolds, Project Manager, St Albans Civic Society, on 07789 078348, or info@odeonjourney.org.uk
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