Walks start outside the Old Town Hall in Market Place. Click here to see map
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Two childrens’ trails for St Albans
There are two printed trails based around
St Albans, for children to follow. They are on sale from the Tourist and Information Centre.
Both trails are priced at
50 pence each and have colourful illustrated covers drawn by Sophie aged seven, and Malachi aged thirteen.
Peter Fry will be signing copies of his book
“Samuel Ryder The Man Behind The Ryder Cup”
on Thursday 2 Sept 12pm – 2pm at the
Tourist and Information Centre
Peter Fry will be signing copies of his book “Samuel Ryder, The Man Behind The Ryder Cup” at the District Council’s Tourist and Information Centre in Market Place, St Albans, on Thursday 2 September between 12pm and 2pm.
If you would like to buy a copy of the book and have a chance to meet Peter Fry, do come along.
Many people have heard of the Ryder Cup golf championship which takes place biennially between professional golfers in Europe and the USA, but fewer know that Sam Ryder was a successful local St Albans businessman, who was elected as a local councillor from 1903 until 1916, and served as Mayor in 1905.
Also less well known is the fact that he is a hero for modern amateur gardeners, because in the 1890s he originated the novel idea of selling garden seeds in penny packets through the post, thus making them widely available and affordable to the masses. (Other seed merchants had much higher prices). He sought to dispatch all orders so that they would arrive in time for the weekend when many of his customers, who were working people, were able to enjoy planting their seeds. His seed business, Ryder and Sons, was located in St Albans, as was his office.
To find out more, try the Self Guided “Samuel Ryder Trail: An Introduction”. This A5 leaflet will take you around the city centre pointing out the buildings that he had a connection with. These include places where he lived, his workplaces and buildings which he built or helped finance, such as churches. There are 18 points of interest on the full trail, including his grave in the Hatfield Road Cemetery.
To obtain a leaflet and try out the walk for yourself, visit the District Council’s Tourist and Information Centre in Market Place, St Albans, or e-mail: tic@stalbans.gov.uk, or telephone: 01727 864511.
The St Albans Tour Guides also offer a Samuel Ryder Guided Trail: “A Round With Sam Ryder”. It is now a permanent feature of the St Albans Tour Guides Walk Programme and the next one is taking place on Sunday 26th September starting at 10am from the Town Hall in St Albans. Tickets can be pre-booked via the Tourist and Information Centre or purchased from the Tour Guides on the day.
Peter Fry commented: “The ingenious Samuel Ryder influenced the horticultural world and the golfing world with world-wide consequences. What is often understated is his hugely significant contribution to the St Albans community.”
Cllr Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage, and a keen golfer, commented: “Peter Fry has spent a large part of his life involved in golf. He is especially interested in the history of the Ryder Cup and its founder. His book, containing many copies of documents of the time, is a fascinating study of the history of the Cup and it's connections with St Albans. He began playing golf because his doctor advised him to take up more sport!”
Walks start outside the Old Town Hall in Market Place. Click here to see map
Web design by www.schema-design.com