The sun shone when it mattered in June and I was pleased to be able to welcome to my Garden Party some of the many people who give so much to making Hertfordshire a better place for us all. Guests represented a variety of different groups, organisations and agencies that all strive to give each resident of our county community the best possible experience – whether through the administration of justice, through keeping us safe and tackling crime, through providing a good env

This year, the Alban Pilgrimage took place on St Albans Day itself, Saturday 22 June. Each year, 12ft tall carnival puppets, representing figures from the story of St Alban, take to the streets to re-enact the historic events which led to St Alban's execution at the hands of the Romans. The puppets of Alban and Amphibalus are accompanied in a procession from St Peters’s Church to St Albans Cathedral by people of all ages dressed as lions, Roman soldiers, angels, chariots and

On Sunday 16 June we had a wonderful afternoon in the sunshine combining a celebration of locally grown and produced food and drink with raising money for small local community-based charities in Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire Life kindly sponsored the event and provided goodie bags, to which stall holders and others kindly contributed. Local brewers McMullen’s brewed my very own Shriev’Ale and everyone had a bottle of this in their bag, as well as mini chocolate pots donated