My experience of St Albans Residents First Weekend 2012

Many St Albans residents turned out today, Saturday 28th January 2012, to participate in a variety of events and attractions open as part of St Albans City and District Residents First Weekend 2012. And I was one of them, so here's an account of how I spent my time:

I popped in to the cathedral, where they reported that they had had a steady flow of visitors throughout the day. As well as formal tours of the Cathedral, there were fun family trails to take part in to solve the mystery of who's been ringing the bells in the middle of the night! "This is amazing!" said my three year-old son. He was fascinated by the stained glass windows and the candles. I was fascinated by how interested he was!

The St Albans Clock Tower was open this afternoon from 2pm until 4pm and self-guided tours to the top of the tour were full to capacity. A volunteer told me that around 200 people had climbed the steps to the top during the two-hour period it was open. Queues formed outside, and then guests waited on ground level and the first floor as groups made their way up and down the 93 steps to admire the fantastic views over St Albans. Volunteers at the Clock Tower, which dates between 1403 and 2012, served mulled wine and shortbread to waiting guests. The spiral staircase to the top of the curfew tower is very narrow, and is not for the faint hearted, but the views from the top of the tower are astounding, stretching over the city's rooftops and over to the open space of Gorhambury. Having lived in the district of St Albans for all my life, this was the first time I'd climbed the tower and I have to say it was well worth the effort and the wait, which was probably for about half an hour in total. My three-year old enjoyed it too and managed the steps unaided, much to my relief!

Tomorrow, there are further attractions and events taking place, including a pre-season open day at Butterfly World, albeit the butterflies won't be in residence quite yet! Local residents can enjoy a walking tour around Redbourn and learn more about the village's past, when it used to have 30+ inns. Or, they can call in and experience what it's like inside an old signal box, a watermill or a Roman theatre. It's all free, and like me you may uncover a new experience that offers you a new perspective on life locally!

For more information about St Albans City and District Residents First Weekend 2012, read this article with leaflet download information. And to see some pictures of my experiences, click here to look at the gallery, St Albans Residents First Weekend 2012.

If you enjoy an event or an attraction that is part of St Albans Residents Weekend, then please tell us what you thought. Thanks!