A PAIR who vowed to keep hold of the history of pubs in St Albans have complied a CD collecting photographs of 274 pubs and signs to raise money for an adults and children’s hospice.

Rosemary Wenzerul, who lives in Bricket Wood, decided to compile photographs of past and present pubs in St Albans after she noticed many pubs were closing down in the area.

The 346 pages on the CD contain more than 600 photographs including colourful public house signs.

Rosemary, of Ashridge Drive, said: "Funnily enough I do not drink, but I noticed a vast number of pubs closing in and around St Albans.

"Pubs are a huge part of our heritage and it is such a shame to see so many closing because when they do we are losing another piece of history."

Rosemary is a member of the Bricket Wood Society and had heard through the grapevine that Tony Stevens, secretary of the Park Street and Frogmore Society, had taken photographs of pub signs over the years.

She got in contact with Tony and together they compiled the CD of city and village pubs in St Albans over 18 months called "Before they all disappear".

Tony, of Ringway Road, Park Street, said: "I photographed pub signs for many years and it became a bit of an obsession.

"Anywhere I went, I would search for pubs.

"When Rosemary contacted me, I really wanted to be part of it because I think it is important to mark history.

"Most of the pubs recognised in our CD have closed down now, so it is very important to make a record of them."

The old photographs supplied by the history societies and museums in the area, show pubs in St Albans, Bricket Wood, Chiswell Green, Colney Heath, Colney Street, Frogmore, Harpenden, Jersey Farm, Kinsbourne Green, London Colney, Marshalswick, Park Street, Potters Crouch, Redbourn, Sandridge, Smallford, Tyttenhanger Green and Wheathampstead.

The Park Street and Frogmore Society and the Bricket Wood Society sponsored the project and the CD will be sold for £3 to raise money for Keech Hospice Care for adults and children.

The CD will be sold at the St Albans Beer Festival, on the CAMRA Membership Stand in the Alban Arena foyer between September 26 and 29 from 11am until 11pm.