THE curtain fell on ambitious plans for a new multiplex cinema in St Albans at the start of March, with the blame resting on the dwindling property market, itself linked to the economic slump.
Unsurprisingly the controversial plan received a mixed reponse, highlighted by the Review.
It delighted heritage campaigners outraged at the prospect of a huge nine-storey tower block ruining the historic city, but dismayed those who had been calling for a cinema in the city ever since the Odeon closed in London Road closed in 1995.
On March 4, the Review reported that pupils had returned to Verulam School after it was forced to close following a blaze.
Tragedy hit a St Albans family in the same month when 29-year-old tycoon Robbie Williams was killed on a business trip in the Swiss Alps.
The former Sandringham School pupil died after he and best friend Jason Tavaria, with whom he built a multi-million pound music firm, became separated from fellow snowboarders in an Alpine forest during a blizzard.
Mourners gathered to pay their respects at St Albans Abbey.
The month ended on a happier note with a celebrity guest visit to Heartwood Forest in St Albans. Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse unveiled a section of the 600-acre wood, sponsored by the multi-million pound firm.
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