-
“I am just a cog in the wheel of a very big machine” – Allan Beaver on the Radlett Festival
Allan Beaver, now 77, is widely acknowledged to be the moving force behind the Radlett Festival, responsible for its revival in 2004 and for much of its success – as a fun day out and as an impressive source of charitable funding for local projects – over £40,000 has been raised and dispersed to charity…
-
Can you do me yet? Rory Bremner at the Radlett Centre
In the week the Jerry Seinfeld played the 02, I went to see Rory Bremner. As Russell Howard warms up at the Harrow Arts for his 02 gigs, Rory Bremner was at the Radlett Centre. Despite this injustice, there’s no doubt that Bremner remains one of this country’s top impressionists and one of our finest…
-
The farmers’ market has landed
I nipped down to Newberries car park – the one behind Budgen’s – this morning to experience the first day of operation of Radlett’s experimental farmers’ market. About a dozen stalls with a good range of produce – meat, bread, cheese, plants and honey plus a couple of slightly more offbeat products – were all…
-
Loud and exciting – science at Fair Field
A remarkable morning of science at Fair Field Juniors last week. It was National Science and Engineering Week so parents (and scientists) Susan Branigan, Anita Kelly and Lisa Illingworth-Law came into the school (on Red Nose Day) and set up dozens of science demonstrations in the hall. During the morning, every child at the school…
-
Standing room-only for anti-incinerator meeting
UPDATE: I’ve added details of the campaign’s Twitter account. The Radlett Centre was full to the doors for last night’s public meeting. And the WING anti-incinerator group‘s formidable package of information and political organisation went down well with the assembled crowd. The campaign has evident clout – what other campaign could attract two local MPs…
-
Daniel Renak from the Joely Bear Appeal at Fair Field school
Fair Field Junior School on Watford Road was buzzing today. Daniel Renak, one of the organisers of the Joely Bear Appeal‘s regular blood donor sessions, was expecting 150 people to come through the school to give blood during the session. There was a bouncy castle for donors’ children and the kitchen was turned over to…
-
A new convenience store on Watling Street
We’ve been dropping into the new shop in the Oakway parade on Watling Street since before Christmas so this is a belated welcome to owner Ali Sumbul (pictured) and his family who run the shop. Staff are terrifically friendly and have the entirely charming habit of noting down the things you’re after that they don’t…
-
Radlett’s number one illustrator
I ran into Paul Ellis, Radlett resident and genius illustrator, outside Tesco yesterday. He told me he’s got a new web site. Paul’s a modest man but clearly immensely accomplished in practically any medium – from the most delicate pen and ink drawing up to a thirty foot wall-filling mural (nip out onto the smokers’…