MP says hospital will ‘succeed’ despite remaining in special measures

Watford MP Richard Harrington says he remains “committed” to Watford General Hospital after it emerged yesterday that it would remain in special measures. England’s chief hospital inspector Mike Richards said West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust, which runs the hospital along with St Albans and Hemel Hempstead, still required improvement despite it making progress since 2015.

Classic film director dies at the age of 85

Jeremy Summers, who was born in St Albans in 1931 to Dora, an actor, and Walter Summers, a film director and screenplay writer, died on December 14 at the age of 85. Summers began working as a runner at Elstree Studios, in Borehamwood, when he was 16 and became an assistant director on films such as The Dam Busters and Moby Dick . His son Julian Summers said: “Walter had come back from the second world war a physical and nervous wreck and had already acquired a reputation in the film industry for being difficult.