Albans is known for its sense of cohesiveness and community spirit. This has manifested itself in the local monthly paper, the St Albans Neighbourhood News, which was first published by a group of local residents in 1993 and is still going to this day under the name of St Albans News. Distributed to 5,000 homes and businesses, the paper has recently been expanded to fill 16 pages. Over the years it has been central in numerous community-related issues including local planning, Packe Street Park, the Edgeware Road Tragedy, and the closure of Edgeware swimming pool (to which it was editorially opposed). After the community regained control of the pool site, it was announced that the pool would be rebuilt with a generous donation from a local resident. Notable residents Hugh Acland (1874–1956), prominent surgeon and later owner of Chippenham John Evans Brown (1827–1895), first MP for St Albans, after whom Browns Rd is named, and resident at Chippenham Richard Hadlee (born 1951), international cricketer Violet Targuse (1884–1937), playwright, lived on Bretts Road at time of death The Wizard of New Zealand (born 1932), lived in the suburb until his Cranford Street home was destroyed by fire in September 2003 References External links St Albans Community Centre Suburbs of Christchurch