Thursday, October 24, 2013

Leaving St Albans

Tomorrow will be our final day as residents of St Albans.

Four years isn't a long time to know this former Roman town, and we are still discovering new things to like about this city. But we thought it was time to move on. We have outgrown our one bedroom flat and we wanted a 'forever' home. As house prices in St Albans are notoriously high, getting a house here would mean compromising on location. It would not satisfy our needs as a 21st century inhabitant - the need to be close to a railway station. Don't get us wrong, St Albans is a beautiful dormitory town, which only downside is it is served by First Capital Connect, the mother of all ghastly railway companies. But it doesn't help that we were always city kids, so life in the suburbs isn't quite for us, yet.

We have grown to love the many South Asian restaurants such as Mumtaj, Bengal Club, Koh-i-Noor and Veer Dhara, the fantastic new restaurant Number 23, Soko Coffee who operates outside the railway station in her coffee scooter, the mobile Pudding Stop (whose owner appeared on BBC's GB Bake Off), Dixie's Cupcakery (who appeared on BBC's The Apprentice - much to the chagrined of local people here, but whatever), our two favourite Thai restaurants north of London, Pin Petch and Bua Thai, and numerous Italian eateries here (bar Jamie Oliver).

Verulamium Park, once the site of an ancient Roman city of the same name, is a favourite of ours. Not only does the park host one of the oldest pubs in Britain, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, it is also beautiful what with the number of Roman ruins dotted around and mix of fields and trees. We know London has an abundance parks, but Verulamium is quality. But we won't be missing walking up Holywell Hill!

However one thing is certain, we would not hesitate to moving back to St Albans if and when the time is right. We made many friends here, from good neighbours to amazing twitter chaps of all kinds. So you never know.

Right I better post this before our internet access is cut off. See you on the other side of the river!)

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

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