The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in St Albans, Hertfordshire*

St Albans, Hertfordshire Famous Residents

Cringing Cult of Celebrity (Famous residents and ex-residents.)

• Again Donovan (not Jason) was at Art school here. Dreaming up songs about hippy sex
• Jack and Kim Ryder live here no one special basically to live here you have to be rich, so we have a few but cant remember their names so they are not that great
• i think les ferdinand lives here 2 gr8 huh
• I miss that elusive man know as Adam Chady. I wonder what he's up to now?
• keyboard player from The Divine Comedy lives here (pinkie)
• Jack & Kym Marsh actually live in Park Street (not London Colney). The bloke from Blue, Duncan somebody, lives next door.
• Does anybody know what happened to Ginger Mills? He appeared in a jeans advert in the 70s, he was a local face in St Albans.
• Kim and Jack Marsh live in London Colney if you can call them celebs. Antony from Blue's mum also lives around and about. Wow, get your autograph books out peeps, you might miss one of them.
• I hear that Mark Lee Riley of the pocket gods once lived in Marshallswick is this true?
• Rodney clark and Toerab Hussian all famously had sex here
• Kym Marsh and Jack Ryder ('who?' i here u askin...)
• Kim + Jack Ryder, have they split up? what a shame, losers!
• Chris Clark! St. Albans! Coral Press! Roger Clarke!
• Chris Clark, who now is on Warp Records, used to work at Coral Press Skateboards. He got signed by Peter Dewing, a Warp Executive who used to come in. These days Chris hangs out with Aphex Twin and Squarepusher but he hasn't forgotten his roots. He still feels a pang of nostalgia every time he considers the lush green air conditioned world of Coral Press.
• did the sinceros (1979) come from st albans? did john sessions (marshall) go to verulam school?
• Kim Marsh, used to be in Hearsay lives in St. Albands
• i saw Paul Daniels in town, i didnt have a gun had to use my bear hands.
• Kym and Jack! (Yes the old one from the popstars ban and yes the young dead one in eastenders) Oh and Duncan from Blue, yes please!
• Lots of good-looking intelligent Irish people like myself, and Samuel Ryder, who invented the Ryder Cup, a cup for which, the rest of Europe depends on good-looking intelligent Irish people like myself to win.
• kym marsh and jack ryder live here as do paul and hannah from sClub7.
• John Willham, you know, the lottery drawmaster!
• nightshade in boots! the best time of my life make no mistake. WHY OH WHY DID SHE HAVE TO LEAVE??? oh yeah and the pixies do live on clarence road (with the exception of kim deal she now lives on oakwood drive). i often see big frank black on the way to get my morning paper. we exchange glances.
• dennis bergcamp lives in my shed
• Paul Cattermole from S Club 7 went to Marlborough school. His Aunt works in Sainsburys and his dad's been up to no good!
• Sasha Barron Cohen (Ali G), went to St Columbus until he was expelled for toking the reefer, he then went to habs.
• Not exactly famous bloke from the lottery Drawmaster John Willan lives in St Albans, across from the agricultural college, accompanied by his wife, dog and big money balls.
• Baby Spice i think somewhere, Alan Smith, the FA cup final people always USED to stay in that hotel in st. albans until the final moved to frickin' WALES.
• PIXIES PIXIES PIXIES!! They all grew up here and went to Verulam School! Oh, how we loved to chase Black Francis down the coridoors! Mr Crawley once put him in a headlock.
• The late Jerry Allen (and his Lowry Organ) lived in Stanley Avenue. I used to sit next to his daughter Mandy at Townsend Girls in the 60s, his son Gene was a pupil at Francis Bacon Grammar School. I last saw Jerry on TV playing on "The Sooty Show" !!
• I beg to differ with the person who claims that the surf-rock pioneers, The Pixies, don't come from St. Albans. Frank Black, Kim Deal, Joseph Alberto Santiago and the Kid Who Plays Drums all came from St. Albans.. the whole "We're from Boston" thing is a big fraud. The song "U-Mass (It's Educational)" refers to the band's years at Verulam School .. U-Mass is short for You-Massimo, Massimo being a fellow student of the large surf-obsessed Black Francis. The song Nimrod's Son also refers to St. Albans, "the Joke has cum upon you" referring to many local residents coming upon the members of the Pixies. They all used to live in a big house in Jennings Road, and this house gradually became filled with guitars, and then Frank Black, as he became bigger. The song "Hey" also refers to St. Albans, with the line "and the gimps like a choir go Uhh! all night".. a direct reference to the loud and vibrant gimp population of St. Albans, of whish all the Pixies liked to indulge. Photek, of Drum and Bass fame, actually grew up in a dirty trailer in Texas, and his rise to fame is one of the greatest tales of endurance in the known world. The tale becomes more amazing when you remember that he has no arms!
• Dame Anna Neagle went to School here (High School I think) Actress Cheryl Campbell was a pupil at Francis Bacon School Singer Colin Blunstone (ex-Zombies) was a pupil - and prefect - at St. Albans Boys'Grammar School (now Verulam School) Rod Argent (ex-Zombie) lived in Flint Way on New Greens Estate. My friends and I used to congregate outside his house on our way to/from Townsend, hoping to get a glimpse of the band Tim Hart (bass-player of Steeleye Span) started his career singing in "The Goat" with his siter Kathy. Their father, Rev Dennis Hart, was vicar of St. Saviours. Maddy Prior was a St. Albans girl. Her father, playwright Alan Prior wrote episodes of Z Cars, etc.,
• Ginger Mills, the bare-knuckled prize-fighting potman in the Fighting Cocks.
• I hope whoever said the Pixies wasn't talking about the indy-rock progenitor band of that name. They're from Boston, MA, USA, which is the last time I checked no where near St. Albans. Frank Black went to UMass Amherst, where I currently am. Hence the song "UMass (It's Educational)". I rather suspect that you're referring to someone else, so I'll digress. Just keeping the record straight. However, I heard Photek of drum'n'bass fame is from St. Albans. So there you go.
• I've served Lee Dixon, Norris from Coranation Street, Richard Orford (ex-Big Breakfast), Phil Mitchell (Eastenders), and Anne Robinson (Evil woman from The weakest Link) in Waitrose Wine Section.
• That Carnegie bloke who founded the original library, St.Alban the first Christian martyr in Britain and Tim Sherwood of Tottenham fame. And Lowgold but they arent really famous yet.
• The Chuckle Brothers can often be found in and around St. Albans, and they feature at many society parties, where they often perform their famous "Jack Show". Tales of this are legendary.
• David Essex lives here, and he always wanders the streets clad only in a Batman Cloak, and very tight swimming trunks. This old man called Stephen Moore once slid his hands into the swimming trunks to see what he could find, but he has not revealed the grotesque secret that David presented to him. All he does is sits in the corner, muttering, and taking Warren to Chessington World of Adventures. When this happens, Maggie cannot be met at the station by Warren, and so Ky must go, and the two of them have porno-style sex in the bushes, whilst Shaihan looks on, playing pocket snooker constantly.
• All of the Pixies came from St. Albans. They used to live together in a big house in Jennings road.
• Someone once told me that Ginger Rogers lives here, in somewhere called Fighting Cocks? Does anyone know if this is true?
• There are thousands of people who live in St. Albans who used to star in Neighbours, hit Australian soap. Mrs Mangel still lives here, and so does Paul McLain, and Joel Samuels, and Harold Bishop. My friend Ky also once saw Drew, Libby and Toadie, and he drew them for us. St. Albans seems to be the 'Neighbours' haven of the United Kingdom. Dr Karl and Joe Skully are rumoured to be coming here next summer.
• Adam chady. but he appears to be in hiding.
• me. obviously. I live with tom in harpenden. its a nice place y'know.
• The Brink will hopefully soon be a famous rock band. Fingers crossed for them, they deserve to do really well. They've been written about in music papers when they were spotted at a gig, so keep an eye out for them - and catch them before they hit the big time!!!
• I live there, also my mate Harold Bishop from neighbours.
• Ginger Mills down the Fighting Cocks! Who else do you need? We love his tattoos! We love his hat! We love his distinctive cologne! Andy the glass person.
• Mike Oldfield lived here for many years, and apparently the "growly" bit in Tubular Bells is influenced by walking down George Street at midnight. Strange guy, that..
• Jimmy Hill used to live here, but he now lives in Harpenden. And he has a massive chin.
• David Essex once swum in the pools in Rowlatt Drive, looked on by Sarah Evans and Robbie Ennis. Robbie likes to let himself into Sarah Evans's house at night, and then let himself into Sarah Evans.
• Madonna and Guy Ritchie are thought to be buying a house there!
• Zack De La Rocha and Tom Morello both came here once, because Steve Howard saw them. They both have really odd shaped heads tho...
• Robbie Ennis who is now on the BBC Docu-Soap: Family Values
• Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman live in nearby Harpenden Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith lives in St. Albans John Motson has only recently moved out of St. Albans Former C4 American Footballer and US football presenter Mick Luckhurst went to school at St. Columba's College Tim Sherwood went to school in St. Albans before going on to play for St. Albans, Watford, Blackburn, and Spurs You can watch the Spurs reserves play at St. Albans City FC's Clarence Park ground
• Well i just found out that the Zombies went to Verulam. John Motson used to live near by but hes no become rich enough to move off to West Common.
• Siobhan Fahey, ex-Bananarama and Shakespear's sister went to Loretto College and was told she would make nothing of her life
• Stanley Kubrick, the director of "2001:A Space Odessey", plus a whole lot of other films of varied subjects lives in a place called Chilockberry (spelling me be incorrect), half way between Harpenden and St. Albans.
• Lord Robert Runcie, former Archbishop of Canterbury lives in St. Albans. A geriatric wing of St. Albans City Hospital was nemed after him.
• AND there's quite a few Arsenal players living in the area (their training ground is also near London Colney).
• Many moons ago I was served in the White Hart Tap by Melvyn Hayes, Oh lucky me!
• EastEnders cast members, usually Pat Butcher or 'Big Ron', are frequently found shopping at Savacentre - BETTER than Waitrose (located in London Colney - 'small' village just outside the city).
• Another interesting fact about St.Albans; Jeff (or Geoff) from EastEnders (Michelle's bit) lives there and shops quite regularly in Waitrose - the BEST supermarket in the area. Also a fair few footballers live around here (unfortunately from Watford!).
• Stephen Hawking, author of the best-seller "A Brief History of Time", was born and brought up in St. Albans. He went to St. Albans School where, it seems, he did only moderately well.
• While I was in St Albans I met a guy called Jim Rodford, a local celebrity, who is bass player with The Kinks; a band from my distant past who are still doing well.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• There's a good one in Liverpool. He plays a tennis racket and wears a santa hat. Oh yeah, and I once saw a London tramp playing a traffic cone outside Liberty's
• There is this gimp man called Nico, and ever week he will congregate by the clock tower and perform a sick dance. Tickets cost you about £200. He also does scene from Pulp Fiction!!
• The funny bloke by Argos on Saturdays who will play you ANYTHING on an accordion. And I mean ANYTHING. This guy knows nirvana.
• The Dude with the guitar by the clock tower is shit. Avoid him.
• The Church of Choad has delightful demonstrations in St. Albans, in the square near the clock tower. They open the doors of the Church of Choad, and out cums the Choadmaster, who looks like Choadie from Neighbours. He does the dance of Choad, surrounded by a choreographed army of Gimps, borrowed from Chime Square for the occasion.. the dance goes on, with a massive swollen dragon, and the chant of "PUTTY" fills the air. Some kids chant "PATE" instead, but what do they know? As the gimps form a human pyramid, the Choad belonging to the Choadmaster shakes and rolls, and he fires hot grey putty all over the dancing gimps and any passers by. This is the eternal ceremony of the Choad. Then he has his Choad in the hole.
• There is a guy in George Street called George, and he has cymbals on his knees. Apparently he once dropped a massive cymbal, and sliced some of his toes off..
• This guy called Arthur does a gimp dance every Thursday at 7.30.. he has a young gimp chained to him, and whilst Arthur dances, the gimp merely watches. Arthur has promised the gimp his freedom in return for a dance, but still the gimp will not dance. When the crowds who gather have paid £200 pounds, then will the gimp do his dance. It is a sick dance, and lasts three hours. The gimp has floppy hair, and is called Nick.
• If you wander round the back of bhs Timmy Mallett will hit you over your head with a mallett. he says "give me your money". unless you say something simillar (which you cant cos your unconcious) he takes your wallett. Malletts mallett was such a cool game
• If you lie in wait by St Katherine's tower for about another year, youmay see the mummers with their deranged drummer and NINE FOOT DRAGON. I think it escaped from the magic crystal shop. Also, I paid attention to the wizened accordionist the other day and heard him play some fine and mellow chords, as if in secret. There was this five year old gazing up at him and I thought, "Wagner, Wagner!"
• The man also says "Oh, I know more words than Suck, it's just that Suck is the most appropriate word to describe the brink." We like his dance routine.
• Someone tries to entertain people with his/her amazing vocabulary, but the only word they know is "suck".
• You can often see The Brink playing their terrible music on the street, but they don't want any money, because they suck.
• adam chady and his endless sticker collection. look out for him at a lamp post near you
• There are usually some bums rattling some money in a cup sitting on the streets, they make some quite good tunes.
• OOoooooo
• quite a few but not all the time
• I want to sample the accordian dude by WHsmiths. I think he hibernates in the winter tho'.
• There's a man who likes to dance in big shoes, and invite people to make fun of his mildly deformed head, for money. He's great!
• There is a guy who lies in the road outside Christopher Place, with a hat that you put money in, but he spoils the illusion when actually given money, as he thanks you. He may actually just be drunk. I'm not sure.
• The Annual Fat Man March is always a sight to see... Led by Andre, lots of Fat People strip down to their thermal underwear and run up and down St. Peter's Street, whooping, until they are stopped. The origins of this date back to medaeval times, but it's always fun to watch.
• OH no. I went to see the big fat man the other day but hes been shot by big bob. Serves him right for not following the herd and moving to Bury St Edmonds like his pals. All thats left now is a poster put up by boots saying. "there once was a big fat man who did a cool dancing routine. Alas he is not with us now. We shall soon be getting a replacement for andre. but in the meantime why not come in side and try our new range of laxatives on demonstration by our new drugs expert. Mr Logan".
• There is a guy who sits near the Clock Tower and recites Shakespeare scenes.
• There is a big fat man who has begun to do a regular Russian Dance act outside Boots every weekday. He rocks!
• There is a big fat man who dances outside Boots every Sunday, slapping his thighs and shouting "Hey!" in a russian fashion, but he refuses to accept any payment for this entertainment. I think his name is Andre.
• There's a guy who goes about showing people his laminated leaf. True.
• They used to be great untill big bobs mob took control of the streets and now they only get a 10% cut. Most have moved to Burry St Edmonds or milton keynes in hope of salvation from bobs satanic cult of devil worshiping cattle.
• That guy on Staturday mornings who plays really fast folk music opposite sunshine hair dressers. He has these CDs for sale but I dont think he ever sells them so next week we should all go and buy one and he will run out of stock. Then we can all laugh.
• that guy who plays the accordian outside Smiths is good. I havn't seen him for a while, i hope he's nto dead.

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Last updated: 2008-02-20