Bath Voice February 2023

bath voice

February 2023 No. 36

FREE EVERY MONTH in Bear Flat, Combe Down, Oldfield Park and Widcombe

INSIDE

News In Brief

Page 4-5

Museum’s Friends

Page 6

What’s On Pages 12-14, 23

Sports News’

Pages 16-17

Local History on the mayors of Bath

Page18

Bath Childrens’ Choir moves into its second year of song

Bath Children’s Choir was formed by Voices for Life in 2022 and is attended by children from 12 Bath schools. The choir is open to children aged 7-11 from across Bath. Last November they gave a concert to the city’s VIPs at the Holburne Museum. Details at voicesforlife.org.uk/childrens-choirs/ More on the choir on page 8.

Opposition turn up the heat

By Harry

With the county elections approaching in May the Liberal Democrat controlled Bath and North East Somerset Council has come under sustained fire from opposition councillors over Residents’ Parking Zones (RPZs).

Lambridge’s representative Cllr

Joanna Wright of the Green Party has criticised the scheme in the east part of the city.

She accused the Council of having wasted tens of thousands of pounds, with ‘years of planning, and endless consultations only to impose seven badly thought-out RPZs.’

Her point was that RPZs were put in place as part of the Council’s policy but had disrupted ‘thousands of residents and workers without giving them alternatives to driving to work, shops, or schools.’

She said the Residents Parking

Continued on page 3

Mottram.

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My MP?

Wera Hobhouse MP 26 Charles Street, Bath, BA1 1HU 01225 307024 office@werahobhouse.co.uk

Jacob Rees-Mogg House of Commons Westminster London SW1A 0AA jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk

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COMPLAINTS

Combe Down: Gerry Curan 01225 330349 / 07900684562

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Bharat Ramji Nathoo Pankhania Bharat_pankhania@bathnes.gov.uk

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Steve Hedges 07971270879

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Twerton: Sarah Moore 07807013635

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Tim Ball 01225 400834 / 07970461674

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Westmoreland:

June Player 07967 920064

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Colin Blackburn 07796 807157

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n NEWS Lib Dems: many motorists using streets as ‘park and stride’

Continued from page 1

Zone proposals for Walcot, Snow Hill, and Claremont Road ‘will affect over 11,000 people in Walcot and Lambridge, yet nearby areas will not be covered, making the logic of the new zones questionable.’

As with RPZs in other parts of Bath the main issue is the removal of free on-street parking meaning those looking for somewhere to park use neighbouring streets.

This creates difficulties for residents there who find commuters and others have taken all the spaces. And for those who cannot afford a residents permit to park then they have to park further away from their home.

The Conservatives are also critical of RPZs. Their transport spokesman, Graham Pristo, said: “This LibDem Council has a blinkered anti-motorist agenda, and is imposing its dogmatic view on the city, even when local residents say they don’t agree.

“Resident-only parking is a blunt instrument to use to try to control traffic. It can cause serious unintended consequences. Local residents’ wishes need to be

respected: if people in a street want such controls, then they should be supported. But if they don’t, that view should be supported too.”

He said they had spoken to residents and businesses across the city, including in Chelsea Road in Newbridge and Moorland Road in Oldfield Park who fear that the impact of RPZs would be negative.

Pam Richards of the Labour Party in Bath said: “Bath Labour Party is committed to reducing congestion and improving air quality in Bath as part of a wider strategy to move to net zero climate targets. Surveys show that this is broadly supported by the public but there are no easy solutions.

“We’re concerned, like many, that the Lib Dem administration isn’t consulting with adequate transparency. This is yet another example of the Lib Dems’ failing to deliver for local communities.”

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrat run council have defended the introduction of RPZs on the basis that a majority of residents approve of them.

They point out that when consulted that 82% of Entry Hill residents were in favour there, people

in Sion Hill and Summerhill Road showed 72.5% support and in Lyme Gardens and Charmouth Road the consultation showed 64% of residents were in favour.

However consultations in St John’s Road, St Michael’s Road and Hungerford Road area, Chelsea Road and Foxcombe Road Area and Oldfield Park and Westmoreland area were split suggesting there was not overwhelming support.

And in Walcot, Snow Hill and Claremont Road area a majority were against the scheme.

This year the Council will see RPZs introduced at St John’s Road, St Michael’s Road and Hungerford Road area; Chelsea Road and Foxcombe Road area Sion Hill and Summerhill Road area Entry Hill area; Lyme Gardens and Charmouth Road area; Walcot, Snow Hill and Claremont Road area; and the Oldfield Park and Westmoreland area.

Few would disagree with the overall objectives of RPZs which aim to tackle anti-social driving and commuter parking in residential streets.

The Council said the zones also support wider council policies that

aim to reduce vehicle emissions and congestion and ensure fair consideration and equitable street space is given to those that would prefer to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle short trips.

This includes the council’s response to the climate and ecological emergencies in its Journey to Net Zero plan.

So the main issue of where the RPZs should go and the knock-on effects of their implementation to residents in particular.

Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport, said: “As part of making this decision we have listened to residents, many of whom find it challenging to park near their homes because of commuter parking.

“Currently, too many motorists use these areas to ‘park and stride’, circling often narrow, residential streets to find free parking before heading into the city for the day.

“This is not something we can encourage if we are serious about tackling congestion, air pollution and our climate emergency. Instead, we want to encourage people to use our local buses, the park and ride sites, or to walk, scoot or cycle short journeys.”

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Despite our best efforts, we sometimes get things wrong. We always try to resolve issues informally at first but we also have a formal complaints procedure. If you have a complaint about anything in the Bath Voice, contact the News Editor using the details below. We aspire to follow the the Code of Conduct of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists), nuj.org.uk/about/ nuj-code.

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Wellness News: Former Winter Olympic Champion Amy Williams is to speak at the launch of a Wellness Festival on Tuesday, February 7, at Walcot House in Bath in the evening.

It is the start of ReBalance Bath, a three week long festival that features, talks, workshops and therapy sessions.

Amy attended Hayesfield School Technology College, Beechen Cliff School and the University of Bath which is where she trained for the skeleton before triumphing at the 2010 Canadian Olympics.

These days Amy is a TV presenter best known on Ski Sunday and The Gadget Show - and is also a motivational speaker and now an author.

She will be hosting several of her own events during the festival including a talk at Toppings book shop on her new book Talent to Triumph

Behind the festival is Bath BID the business organisation that promotes the city centre and its events.

ReBalance runs from February 7th to the 25th and features the seven pillars of wellness: physical,

mental, social, financial, spiritual, vocational and environmental.

There are events that include Laughter yoga with The Vitality Studio; Guided meditation and Sound Baths at The Soul Spa; Motivational talks with Bath Rugby Foundation; Cold water therapy at

Cleveland Pools; Teen Yoga; Ocean film showings at Komedia; Kintsugi workshop and a Chado Tea Ceremony with Japanese restaurant Robun.

n NEWS IN BRIEF

For full details of the events visit https://www.welcometobath.co.uk/ rebalance-bath-wellbeing-festival/

Mount Road: A consultation on a range of improvements to revitalise Mount Road in Bath opened last month. The Council said Mount Road is among four high streets in the city to have been awarded a share of a £488,000 funding boost announced last June by Bath & North East Somerset Council. Concept designs including street furniture, art installations and planting have been drawn up and the council is now consulting on the suggested improvements.

Residents and businesses were originally asked for their views on both the Mount Road and Twerton High Street improvement schemes in a consultation launched in September 2022, but responses for Mount Road were not recorded due to a technical error with the online form. All Twerton responses were recorded. The consultation runs until February 3.

election in 2019, there was one conviction of voter fraud out of over 47.5 million voters. Apart from the £5 million pounds spent on making people aware of voter ID the main criticism by opposition parties is thousands of people may be turned away at the polling station as they may not have photo ID on them or not have any form of photo ID at all. A full list of forms of photo ID that can be produced at the polling station can be found at https://www. electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/ voter/voter-id/accepted-formsphoto-id

time tending the woods, copses and meadows. These folk are from WSP Engineering, Bristol who did some of the hardest work digging up those hard to shift bramble roots last September. Not to be discouraged they came back for more preparing the soil and planting saplings and anemones in a quiet corner of the Inner field near the Copse.

Voter ID: From 4 May 2023, voters in England will need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in elections. The plan has been criticised by Bath MP Wera Hobhouse. She said there was little evidence of electoral fraud at polling stations. At the last general

Cost of Living Crisis: The housing association Curo has a scheme: Temporary Accommodation for homeless families. They have 23 units of accommodation in B&NES. 17 of these are in one property, with individual units. These are generally used to house families plus six self-contained flats for larger families. The scheme has over 40 households on a waiting list so if anyone has spare accommodation they should contact Curo at www.curo-group.co.uk/ contactus

Sirona Care and health are recruiting new staff for at their

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February brings snow, sleet and freezing frost

February brings snow, sleet and freezing frost

The Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields have published this photo earlier this winter by Jackie Terrett of the entrance to the green - sorry - white space near Bear Flat. The first fall of snow turned the hill into a winter wonderland.

Sub-Acute Strome Rehab Unit (SSARU) at a job fair at South Bristol Community Hospital in Hengrove on Thursday 2 February.

They have a number of full and part-time jobs at the (SSARU) in South Bristol Community Hospital that will be opening soon. This includes work to improve the prevention of strokes, as well as to provide the best possible stroke emergency care, rehabilitation and

care at home once individuals are discharged from hospital. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the UK, and one of the largest causes of disability. Working with other healthcare partners, the aim is to ensure local people have the best opportunity to survive and thrive after a stroke. For more details visit www. sirona-cic.org.uk/ or email via sirona.recruitment@nhs.net.

Amy Williams is speaking at the launch of ReBalance Bath this month

The work of the Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields is helped by volunteer groups spending

with the trend in the heritage industry as it was seen as more efficient.

Now the chairman of the committee Jonathan has been a key organiser of events that raise thousands of pounds every yearcash that is sorely needed when you consider the heating bills for the Georgian stately building.

Peasedown St John dramatist is still waiting for Godot

By Harry Mottram:

In an age of sexual equality it may come as a surprise to learn that Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting For Godot is off limits for women.

By Harry Mottram:

It was 1978 and there was an exhibition of surrealism at the Hayward Gallery in London and a school boy in Derbyshire studying A-level History of Art bought a train ticket and headed south.

“It was unmissable,” said Jonathan Davis of Bath, “It was so exciting , new and fresh and was really interested in DaDa and the surrealists.”

Retired graphic designer Jonathan Davis (pictured) is the chairman of the Friends of the Holburne Museum, an organisation that plays a supporting roll in championing the exhibitions, the various engagement programmes and events as well as organising fund raising events such as concerts.

The Grade 1 listed building dates to 1794, when it was initially a hotel, then a boarding house a home and finally a museum and an art gallery. The heart of the present-day collection was formed by Sir Thomas William Holburne (1793–1874) but as Jonathan says today the gallery ‘punches above its weight.’

“I was lucky to be able to retire and move to Bath ten years ago from London as Bath was a no brainer,” he said, “In London I supported the Tate, The National

Gallery, The Dulwich and all the museums and so when we moved to Bath we supported the Museum of East Asian Art and the Holburne as it seemed a good thing to do. In 2015 I joined the Friends of the Holburne committee as they sent out a questionnaire seeking new members. I got the job of writing the newsletter.”

The Friends at the time was a separate charity but since then the Friends have merged with the Holburne as a single charity in line

“In the last three or so years the number of friends has grown, especially since we introduced charging for entry,” he said, “people think if they visit several times a year they might as well join so they don’t have to pay the entrance fee.”

He said the quality of the exhibitions which were ‘world class’ had also attracted new members citing the Tudors and the Rodin –Degas: Impressionist Sculpture exhibitions as recent examples.

Members get free entry to the Museum and exhibitions for an annual fee of £40 or £60 for a joint fee and they have access to events, activities and trips to other museums - and there’s an undeniable social side which attracts many people. Plus there is the annual plant sale in May, and a concert on the of 2023. Details on the website.

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The Beckett Estate forbids the inclusion of women in the cast which centres around two tramps Vladimir and Estragon who spend the drama discussing life in general as they wait for the titular character who never appears.

At least three other characters come and go - but all must be male decreed by the late author - on pain of legal action - which in the past has occurred.

For Darian Nelson of Bath’s Playing Up Theatre Company though, the main attraction of the play is its simplicity of staging as there are no scene changes and it features a small cast.

“I saw the Sean Mathias production with Sir Ian McKellen as Estragon and Sir Patrick Stewart as Vladimir, and was blown away,” said Darian, “It’s a play that works best as a double act as the two play off each other and those two had such good chemistry.

Darian Nelson of Bath’s Playing Up Theatre Company been gender flipped in the past to great acclaim.

“Waiting for Godot is our next production in May at the Mission Theatre but when you do any Beckett play there is a thing called the Beckett clause which is very strict - it forbids women from appearing in Waiting For Godot “I know of some females who have gone their own way and staged it but did it at their own risk.” Recently there was a production in Somerset called Godot Was A Woman that lampooned the playwright’s decision to exclude women. It seems absurd as plays from Julius Caesar to Peter Pan have

This year is the 20th anniversary of the theatre group Playing Up - it was formed by a small troupe of friends after a production they had been part of at the Rondo Theatre.

Over a bottle of wine Darian Nelson, Anne Hipperson, Sophie Brooks and JP Christian decided to create their own company. Since then the group have staged many classics of the theatre - often with an eye on the school curriculum as staging a play that students are studying puts ‘bums on seats.’

It’s fitting for Darian as a former marketing man and later a teacher as like all non-professional companies there’s a balance to be hit in producing favourite plays and being commercial.

“We produce two or three plays a year of quality and because we’ve worked locally we have a lot of contacts,” he said.

“The auditions are open and new people often approach us and will approach people we know if we have a particular play in mind.

“We’ve worked with outside directors, the company is not a club, and there are no subs - all we expect is for the cast to buy a script and turn up.”

It’s a formula that’s worked well over the years with shows including The Government Inspector by Gogol last year and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata previously and their inaugural production back in 2003 of Waiting for Godot in 2003.

Waiting for Godot runs at the Mission Theatre from Tuesday 9th – Saturday 13th May 7:30pm nightly.

Many of the greats of the country’s artists on show

There’s a chance to view works by the New English Art Club in an exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath this month.

The exhibition will feature more than 40 works by current Club members, all of which will be for sale. Also on show will be paintings by former exhibitors of the New English Art Club including Gwen John, Winifred Nicholson, John Singer Sargent, Stanley Spencer, Walter Sickert, Augustus John, Dod Procter and Paul Nash.

The show opened last month and is entitled Capturing Life: A Century of the New English Art Club and will run until 11 April 2023.

The New English Art Club was founded in 1886 by a group of rebellious young artists protesting against their repeated rejection by the Royal Academy. Their aim was to exhibit “really good modern painting”. In 1937 the art historian and museum curator Mary Chamot described the Club

n NEWS IN BRIEF

as “unquestionably the most vital artistic movement in English painting of the last half century”.

The work on show includes Gwen John’s Bust of a girl with a

Stanley Spencer, Portrait of Patricia Preece, 1933, oil on canvas, 83.9 x 73.6 cm. Southampton City Art Gallery. © Estate of Stanley Spencer. All rights reserved 2022 Bridgeman Images

bow before a pink background, on loan from the Arts Council Collection. In 1900, two years after completing her studies at the Slade School of Art, Gwen exhibited her

work for the very first time.

John Singer Sargent’s At Torre Galli: Ladies in a Garden of 1910, on loan from the Royal Academy, exhibits all the Impressionist flair one would expect from a close friend of Claude Monet.

Sir Stanley Spencer was one of the most distinguished artists associated with the New English Art Club, having been elected a member in the 1920s. His important portrait of his second wife to be, the painter Patricia Preece, dates from 1933 and is on loan from Southampton Art Gallery.

Walter Sickert was one of the most consistent New English Art Club exhibitors, showing over 130 paintings between 1888 and 1939. His portrait of Celia, Lady Brunel dates from about 1906 and typically defies any expectations of the sitter that her attractive features would be emphasized. Instead, he remained committed to subdued lighting and spontaneity.

Voices for Life impress at the Holburne Museum

Join A Choir

The pictures below from Bath Abbey were taken on December 10th at a workshop and evening concert organised by Bath's Mr Music, Grenville Jones, to celebrate the JOY of singing in a Choir.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING for a Choir we rehearse from 7:45pm to 9:30pm at St Alphege Church in Oldfield Park, BA2 3NR. To join you'll find out more about Grenville's friendly Thursday evening mixed-voice WelcomeChorus Choir on

www.welcomechorus.org.uk

The celebrated City of Bath Male Choir recently returned from a memorable visit to Nashville, Tennessee. Come and meet us on a Tuesday evenings to discover the experience of singing in the UK’s leading Male Voice Choir. We rehearse on Tuesdays from 7:45pm to 9:30pm at Beechen Cliff Methodist with Laurie and Grenville.

www.bathmalechoir.org

Grenville has 25 Good Afternoon Choirs across the West of England with over 1,000 singers. Bath Good Afternoon Choir meets on a Thursday with Grenville at Widcombe Baptist Church from 2pm-4pm, singing for fun a Choir with over 60 happy members. Find all Choir details on

www.goodafternoonchoir.org

Voices for

By Tessa Armstrong: In November

Voices for Life’s children’s choir performed in front of some of Bath and Somerset VIPs including the Mayor of Bath, the Mayor of Glastonbury, the Lord Lieutenant and deputy Lieutenant of Somerset, the High Sheriff of Somerset and the Vice Chair of B&NES Council

The VIPs were guests at an evening drinks reception in the Holburne Museum. The reception was attended by supporters of the charity to celebrate this important milestone in the charity’s development, thanking supporters from Bath for all their help in developing the charity.

The children sang music composed for the charity, including We are every Child by Francis Faux and Jamila Gavin which was written in celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee and ‘Crabs’ from the musical journey Stardust by Bath’s Jools Scott and Sue Curtis. Stardust has been performed in Bath Abbey by hundreds of Bath children since the charity’s founding in 2021.

To date Voices for Life has reached more than 1,200 children from 28 schools from across Bath and Wiltshire. In 2023 the charity aims to continue its work with performances in Wells Cathedral and Bath Abbey.

A new work Extraordinary!

written by Jools and Sue will be premiered bringing even more children the confidence boost and joy of singing.

Tessa Armstrong, Voices for Life Founder and Executive Director, said: “It was wonderful to introduce our new children’s choir to the

To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485

charity’s fantastic supporters. We really couldn’t have reached so many children without their ongoing support, and I was delighted to be able to share this important milestone with them.”

The Voices for Life website is: www.voicesforlife.org.uk

Life’s Bath children’s choir performed at the Holburne Museum for the Mayors of Bath and Glastonbury, Lord Lieutenant and deputy of Somerset, the High Sheriff of Somerset and the Vice Chair of B&NES Council.

Photos by Anna Barc ay

BRIEF

Alexandra Park News: After a three-year break due to Covid, the Alexandra Park Friends, who organise the Park’s Summer Picnic, wanted it to return in July, but sadly have decided to not stage it this year.

The reason is the organisers are thin on the ground and more support is needed for such a major event.

However they will be holding their Seed Day on April 1 when parents and children can come along to the park at 10.30am to help plant out the very colourful flower bed near the entrance.

Anyone with time and enthusiasm to offer should contact the secretary on alexandraparkbath@gmail.com.

Ofsted News: The Combe Down Nursery on Combe Road, had an Ofsted inspection last November bringing good news for the kindergarten. And good is the operative word as it was found to be of a good standard.

Overall effectiveness, the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management were judged as being good.

The verdict was an improvement

The Rotary Club of Bath has celebrated raising a record amount for charity from its community fireworks display, held on the Recreation Ground on 5th November last year. The community event raised a total of £38,000 for Rotary charities. The amount will be shared between two charities supported by the event this year, Youth Connect South West and the Glasshouse Academy, and the Club’s own charitable Trust.

Rotary Club President, Roger Morris, said: “As a Club we were delighted to be able to put this popular event on again, after a three year break due to the pandemic. We had great support from our sponsors, Bath Recreation Trust, and from our partners, including the Students’ Union at the University of Bath, and Bath Rugby. “Most of all, we are very grateful to the people of Bath who came along in their thousands for what everyone seems to agree was a thrilling display.”

The event is organised with support from members of the University of Bath’s Student Union RAG committee, who help set up the safety fencing, and act as stewards alongside members of the Rotary Club.

on the last inspection so it’s no surprise there was a positive feeling amongst staff after the inspection.

Ofsted mark using four grades - grade 1: outstanding; grade 2: good; grade 3: requires

improvement; and grade 4: inadequate.

Audience generosity: Pantomime audiences at the Theatre Royal Bath have raised more than £13,800 over the festive season

n REVIEW

during twenty-one charity collections - from 20th December to 31st December - which took place after matinee and evening performances of Aladdin.

The charities that will benefit are: The Alzheimer’s Society; Bath Foodbank: Macmillan Cancer Suppor; Trauma Recovery Centre; Wonderfund.

Young Ones: Bath and North East Somerset is one of a handful of areas bucking a national trend and seeing its population get younger on average writes Local Democracy Reporter John Wimperis

The United Kingdom as a whole has, for a long time, had a population which is growing older on average. But in BANES and some other rural areas, the opposite of this is happening.

In BANES there has been a 1.3% increase in the proportion of the population ages between 18 and 30, the second-highest increase in England after West Lancashire where the proportion of people in this age group went up by 1.8%.

Bath and North East Somerset where a local authority with a population of just over 190,000 contains the University of Bath which has almost 20,000 students.

Review: Relatively Speaking, Theatre Royal Bath: Ten bob notes, bus conductors and posters of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Robin Herford’s sparkling production of Relatively Speaking takes us out of the Cost-of-Living Crisis into the decade of 60’s permissiveness and a time when life was er… not simpler… but rather more complicated.

It was Alan Ayckbourn’s first hit and with its plot twists and misunderstandings it still keeps the laughs coming as the characters all speak at cross purposes. Greg thinks Ginny is screwing around, Philip believes Greg is having an affair with his wife Sheila, Ginny wants to finish with Philip and marry Ginny – and as for Sheila –well she is simply confused – until a pair of tell-tale slippers turn up on her patio.

Refreshingly, it’s a narrative driven by a woman and turns the misogyny of the time on its head.

Alan Ayckbourn’s 1967 play Relatively Speaking is one of the 20th century’s great British farces. OK the first few minutes seemed a bit flat, but it was freezing outside, and it was the first night. A long wait for a taxi, a mystery pair of

slippers and Ginny’s unhurriedly getting dressed sequence moved the story to the next scene: Greg’s quest to meet Ginny’s parents.

With that very British attribute of not wanting to take offence or ask a direct question the story of Ginny and Philip’s relationship quickly unravels.

Marital infidelity real or imagined, young love – however blind, the cynical sexual imbalance in power relationships and that old

fashioned phrase: familiarity breeds contempt – Relatively Speaking has been a hit for decades with its complex plot, breezy dialogue and familiar domestic settings. And for the most part the near full house lapped it up as a brilliant Liza Goddard as Sheila finally clicked as to chaos taking place on her patio.

Steven Pacey as Philip brought the drama to life with his angry and manic obsession over a lost garden hoe – and of his horror that his

affair was about to be revealed. Naïve (and frankly dim) Greg played by Anthony Eden had a touch of the modern stand-up comic about him while delivering his lines as he repeatedly failed to see what was going on in plain sight.

Manipulative Ginny (Olivia Le Anderson) was the slick accustomed serial liar as she slipped on her stockings without a hitch, switched from lover to daughter and back to fiancée – all with a winsome half smile as the evil angel of deception.

The pristine home of Philip and Sheila was more 1980s Bradley Stoke rather than a wisteria covered detached home built after the war but no matter. Greg’s flat was recognisably set in the era of The Summer of Love and when Jimmie Rodger’s hit song English Country Garden was still played on The BBC Light Programme. Hugely enjoyable and excruciatingly funny this production of Relatively Speaking should be compulsory viewing for anyone from abroad planning to visit England on a mission to discover our national character.

Harry Mottram

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n BUS NEWS

By

Local Democracy Reporter Alex Seabrook: Bus passengers in the West of England face further cuts to the region’s struggling public transport network as about 42 bus services face the axe. Due to a funding row, from April these publicly subsidised services will no longer be funded and most likely withdrawn.

Also from April, passengers in many parts of the region will be able to catch new ‘demand responsive transport’ minibus services. The new dial-a-ride West Link minibus services will act almost like a shared Uber, running in Windmill Hill, Knowle, Brislington and St Annes, as well as large parts of North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

The service cuts were signed off by the West of England combined authority on Wednesday, January 18, after the region’s political leaders heard how many of the services were crucial in connecting isolated communities and persuading drivers to use public transport instead.

The axed bus routes form a huge 60% chunk of the region’s total 69 subsidised services. However it’s unclear exactly which bus routes are facing the axe in April, and a full and accurate list was not provided in reports to the combined authority meeting.

During the meeting, West of England

metro mayor Dan Norris blamed the three council leaders — in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset — for paying the combined authority too small a transport levy. Mr Norris said this year’s increase to the transport levy was less than inflation, so service cuts had to be made.

Mr Norris said: “It’s their [the three councils’] money effectively and they’re saying how it should be spent. That’s not satisfactory from my perspective. We have a real term cut in supported bus services because the levy has not increased. The levy is much lower than in other parts of the country. “In future would like to have precepting powers. I’ve basically been given lists by the unitary authorities of what bus services they’re going to support. With inflation and the same budget being frozen, that inevitably leads to cuts. That’s not acceptable to

me but that’s where we are.

“At the moment we have about £20 a head per year for our transport levy, and that compares to the ones at the top of the combined authorities in other parts of the country, that are £60 a head. There are huge reserves in some of our council areas that could perhaps be used in a way that deals with exactly these concerns, and that’s a political choice.”

The metro mayor also repeatedly denied that the new West Link minibus services were replacing the subsidised services — despite West Link kicking in at the same time the 27 existing routes are withdrawn. A quirk in government funding rules means that the West of England has tens of millions to spend on buses, but only in “new and innovative” ways.

Mr Norris added: “This is not a substitute for proper bus services, it’s a way of linking up people in more remote areas. I’ve asked the government if it’s possible to use the money I’ve received to maybe support bus services that are under threat, and it was very clear that the answer from them was ‘no, it has to be spent on ideas that are new and innovative’.”

Bath Liberal Democrat Cllr Winston Duguid, chair of the West of England scrutiny committee, warned against taking a “big bang approach” on April 2

with the new West Link minibus services. He added that the West of England should lobby the government for extra powers and funding, to be able to sort out the region’s struggling bus network in the long term.

He said: “There’s a huge education campaign to be done if this is going to be successful in very limited time. We’re playing with people’s lives here, how they get to work, how they get to school, how they get to hospital appointments. To introduce this without a sufficient transition period is getting near to reckless.”

Bath Green Cllr Joanna Wright said that to make transport work politicians need to think beyond being elected.

It’s currently unclear exactly which services are being cut in April, or even how many. Papers to the combined authority meeting gave a long list of services which could potentially be subsidised, and a shorter list of routes which will continue to receive subsidies. However, the long list also included services which already don’t exist at the moment, let alone after April.

WECA initially sent out a list of bus routes likely to be axed but this may change but at the time of going to press it included the 179 Bath to Midsomer Norton, the 22 Twerton to Bath Uni, 683 Keynsham to Wells and the 172 Bath to Paulton

Steven Pacey as Philip and Olivia Le Andersen as Ginny – Photo: Tristram Kenton

The 172 bus to Paulton is set to be cut

From a well being festival to half-term

Regular events in Bath

Mondays

Widcombe Choir. Widcombe Social Club. 7.15-9pm. For details see the Widcombe Association website.

Tuesdays

Central Library with Bath La Leche League. Meet the friendly breastfeeding support for mums. 10-11.30am. Details at Email: mara. rl.richards@gmail.com or call 01225 339023 (Mara) or 01225 317631 (Helen).

Old Theatre Royal Tours. Guided tours every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday of The Masonic Hall in Bath, also know as the Old Theatre Royal.

Wednesdays

Widcombe Wayfarers Walks. Meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, starting at 10am at the west end of Widcombe Parade. Walks last between 1-2 hours and are medium paced. Come dressed for the weather, with suitable footwear and be prepared for a few climbs. Walks are limited to 20 people and registration is now compulsory. The walks are free but if you would like to make a small donation to this event you can do so when you register. See the Widcombe Association website for details.

Widcombe. St Matt’s Widcombe. Coffee morning at 10.30am. Come down and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. Southdown Methodist Church. Warm Spaces. 1-4pm. Southdown Methodist Church Centre and Thursdays 10-4pm offering a warm space, refreshments and activities.

Thursdays

Story Time at Bath Library. 12noon to 12.30pm. Let’s share stories and books at the library! Perfect for families with children aged 0-5. No booking required.

Bath Good Afternoon Choir. They meet every Thursday at the Central United Reformed Church in Argyle Street Bath from 2pm to 4pm. The choir is led by Grenville Jones, where the accent is on social singing for people who have afternoons free.

Fridays

Bath Mosque – Al-Muzaffar. Friday prayers. Check website for various times. https://bathmosque.org.uk/

We Get It. Walcot House. Bath based charity offering support to anyone who has been diagnosed with any cancer or who is supporting someone with cancer. The friendly & informal Get Together at Walcot House, 90B Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5G between 10AM-11:30AM. You are very welcome to join us for a coffee and a chat .For more information see our website - wegetit.org.uk - or email us at together@wegetit.org.uk

of Henry Holland, who dreams of stealing the van full of gold bullion he drives across London each day. Many will recall the Ealing movie with Alec Guinness - expect bungling criminals and Eiffel Tower paperweights.

Thu-Fri 10-11 Feb. The Egg Theatre. Everything Has Changed. A joyful, kaleidoscopic new family show about change, why change happens – and how to deal with it.

Mon 13-Tue 14 Feb. Egg Theatre. Hermit. 11.30am & 3pm. An imaginative performance about a teeny tiny house. The owner isn’t home. But we can hear him… A show about being alone and coming home.

Tue 14-Sat 18 Feb. Theatre Royal Bath. Steel Magnolias. A heartwarming story of female friendship based on the uplifting and inspiring film starring Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts.

Saturdays

Bear Flat Community market and café. Third Saturday of every month, from 9:30am to 12:30 pm in the church hall on Bruton Avenue. To book a stall, email market@bearflat. org.uk Walcot Antique and Flea Market. The market is every Saturday from 7.30am to 4pm.

Bath Farmers’ Market. Green Park Station. Every Saturday at 9am1.30pm. You will find quality, fresh, seasonal produce at a fair price. The goods are sold directly by the people who produce them and everything usually comes from within a 40 mile radius of Bath.

Sundays

Magdalene Chapel, Holloway. Holy Eucharist – 10am at the Chapel Church of Our Lady & St Alphege Mass 11am, 6pm. Oldfield Lane. St Luke’s, Wellsway. 10am. Service of worship, prayer and teaching.

St Matthew’s, Widcombe. 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month 10:30am Contemporary Family service. Bath Abbey. Holy Communion 8am using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. This service includes a sermon, but no hymns, and lasts for 45 minutes.

Theatre Picks In Bath

Sat 7 Jan-Sun 5 Feb. Egg Theatre. Snow Mouse. An enchanting winter’s tale for the very young. Winter has arrived and the woods are covered in white. A child hurries to put on their winter clothes so they can run outside and play in a sparkly new world. Just when they are starting to feel a bit lonely, they find a sleeping mouse buried under the soft white flakes. Sliding, tumbling and laughing, they explore the winter wonderland together and keep each other safe

nWHAT’S ON

Continued from page 12

ages.

Sat 25 Feb. Rondo Theatre. Cycles. Inspired by the feature film written by Oscar Wenman-Hyde. Cycles is about identity, relationships and self-acceptance. Highlighting how generational trauma can not only cause lasting effects within us, but also can affect how we explore the world and how we form relationships as we grow through life, find our independence and build new family units. Cycles explores three pivotal relationships in Barney’s life, with his brother Jake, his long-term partner Sarah and himself. Examining cycles that exist within life, how they can dictate fate as a repeat of what’s come before or how we can break them to stride our own path.

and warm from the winter freeze. Come and join two new friends on their adventures in a magical forest full of play, puppetry and music. Performed by Egg favourite Emile Clarke.

Fri 13 Jan-Sat 11 Feb. Ustinov Studio. Bath. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee’s scintillating masterpiece takes place during the course of one brutal and hilarious night when George, a college professor, and his wife Martha invite a young couple back for late-night drinks after a faculty party.

Mon 30 Jan-Sat 4 Feb. Theatre Royal Bath. Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of). Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story.

Fri 3 Feb. Rondo Theatre. Impromptu Shakespeare. Sad that Shakespeare hasn’t written anything new for over 400 years? Well, hold onto your doublets, ruffs and trunk hose. The Bard is back!

Fri 3-Sat 4 Feb. Mission Theatre. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Mozart. Presented by Cardiff Opera. 7:30pm. After making their Bath debut in 2022 with Così fan tutte, Cardiff Opera return to The Mission Theatre with a new, exciting production of one of the most enduringly popular stage works ever created - Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).

Sun 5 Feb. Egg Theatre. Earnie’s Journey 11:30am & 3pm. Ernie’s Journey is a magical circus theatre adventure with seamless integration of circus, physical theatre, story-telling, stage magic, poetry and puppetry.

Fri 6-Wed 11 Feb. Theatre Royal Bath. The Lavendar Hill Mob. A fast-paced comedy tells the story

To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485

Wed 15-Fri 17. Egg Theatre. Club Origami. 11:30am & 3pm. Dive into the magical world of Club Origami, an immersive and interactive dance show inviting family audiences to create, imagine and explore whole new ways of thinking, playing and moving. Dance, fashion and live music meet the magic of origami to sweep us up on a spirited and inspiring adventure in a land made purely of paper and play.

Thu 16 Feb-Sat 18 Mar. Ustinov Studio. Charlotte & Theodore. Meet Lotty and Teddy. Two dreamers – colleagues, lovers and then man and wife – determined to make a difference in their worlds, and to keep the spark In their relationship and their family alive. But can they do this as academics on a university campus where every well-intentioned thought, each well-meaning gesture and idealistic good deed can have unexpected and long-lasting consequences?

Fri 17-Sat 18 Feb. Rondo Theatre. Peacock. With a heart-warming core, and a soundtrack of pop anthems, Peacock is an uplifting, hilarious and authentic look at the taboo surrounding men wearing makeup.

Fri 17-Sat 18 Feb. Mission Theatre. Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake. Presented by Folksy Theatre. 2pm and 6pm. Mister Magnolia has many things, such as an old trumpet that goes rooty-toot, some fat owls, who are learning to hoot, a big purple dinosaur, who’s a magnificent brute, two sisters who play on the flute, and even a swimming pool with a chute! But he still only has one boot!

Sat 18-Sun 19 Feb. The Egg Theatre. The Snow Beast. 2.30pm. This show is a captivating collision of storytelling, original music, puppetry and interactive science experiments, inspiring budding scientists of all

Continued on page 13

Sat 25-Sun 26 Feb. The Egg Theatre. The Dark. From the book by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen. Laszlo is afraid of the dark. The dark lives in the basement. It doesn’t visit Laszlo in his room. Until one night it does . Join Lazlo on his journey to meet the dark, and find out why it will never bother him again. The Dark is accessible for blind and visually impaired children through integrated audio-description and touch tours.

Tue 28 Feb-Sat 4 Mar. Theatre

Royal Bath. Noughts And Crosses. Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and

Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger. This gripping Romeo and Juliet story by acclaimed writer Malorie Blackman and adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz is a captivating drama of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world. Adapted from the story which inspired the hit BBC TV drama series.

Thu 2–Sat 4 Mar. Mission Theatre. The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Presented by Bath University Student Theatre. One of the world’s richest people, Claire Zachanassian makes a visit to her former debt-ridden home town of Güllen. She makes an offer to save the town from its dilapidated

Throw yourself into Judo. Bath Judokwai run classes suitable for ages 11- adults every Monday evening from 6.45pm to 8pm at Hayesfield Senior School Sports Hall, Upper Oldfield Park, BA2 3LA. We are a non-profit making club affiliated to the British Judo Association For more information regarding classes and joining contact www. facebook.com/bathjudowai/ or 01225 743727 Camerton

MIXED CASES AND BESPOKE ORDERS AVAILABLE

state by offering a sum of money that one could only dream of. However, it comes with one condition. Expelled from her town in disgrace as a teenager, Zachanassian seeks revenge over her ex-lover, Alfred Ill, and asks the Güllenites to kill him in return for one billion…

Theatre Picks Outside Bath

Wed 8-Sat 11 Feb. Tobacco Factory, Bristol. Big Boys Don’t Cry. In a riot of colour, dance, clowning and puppetry, Dik and Adam take you on a hysterical journey that is full of heart, but close to the bone.

Thu 19 Jan-Sat 11 Feb. Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead. In a small community on a remote mountainside near the CzechPolish border, men from the local hunting club are dying in mysterious circumstances.

Tue 14 – Sat 18 Feb. Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Mog The Forgetful Cat. Based on the bestselling Mog picture book series by Judith Kerr, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Tue 28 Feb - Wed 1 Mar. Alma Theatre, Bristol. The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness. A comedic and poignant one-woman play inspired by the true stories of Irish nurses during World War Two.

Pick of Diary Events in Bath

Thu 26 Jan & Sat 4 Feb Rondo Theatre. The Greatest Magician: an evening of wonders. 8pm. A dazzling new magic show, presented by the magician most famous for jamming the BBC switchboards after he correctly predicted the lottery. This astonishing, enigmatic, five star rated magic show will leave you aching from laughter and dizzy in disbelief.

Directed by the late Paul Daniels, the enigmatic show comes to the stage for the first time… you’ll be transported to a jaw-dropping world of light-hearted hilarity, wonderment, and mystery.

Thu 2 Feb. The Pavillion. U3A talk on Europe’s youngest county: Kosova. With Elizabeth Gower. Doors open 9.45am. Talk at 10am. £3 non members.

Monday 24th Feb at Walcot Methodist Chapel, Nelson Place, Walcot. Are you interested in an evening out with entertainment, coffee, cake, and chat? Then why not come along to “Coffee Plus” and learn about an audio visual of Britain by Mr Mc Nailage. We meet monthly, usually the 4th Monday of the month, 7:15 for a 7:30 start. A warm welcome awaits you.

Sat 4 Feb. St Mark’s Community Centre. Charity Bop With live music from Junction 18 in support of the Bath Foodbank. 7:30-10:30pm. £10 at the door. Email paulfisher95@ gmail.com and let them know you are coming. There will be a bar, snacks and a raffle so bring cash.

Mon 6 Feb. Laura Place Wellbeing Walk. During February, Bathscape will be running a Monday evening walk every week. Starting at 6pm for an hour, from Laura Place, BA2 4BL.

Tue 7 Feb. Bath Abbey. Spiritual meditation and movement. The Meaningful approach starts with where you are at. It then engages your body and mind giving you instant physical and therapeutic benefits whilst giving your soul the space to explore Christian spirituality enabling spiritual growth.

Fri 10 Feb. Komedia. Free music night. Komedia Bath, alongside Bath Spa University is proud to present a free night of the very best in live local music across two stages. 5:45pm –10pm and is open to all ages (with under 16’s to be accompanied by an adult). Artists include: Year Of The Dog, Nookee, Drop In The Ocean and More! Pay-What-You want in aid of Bath Cancer Unit Support Group.

Sat 11 Feb. No.1 Royal Crescent. Half-term activities. Includes: Conservator Challenge. Follow their investigation trail round the house to find museum pests and hazards, and stop them in their tracks! Trail free with museum entry, 10am to 4.30pm, Sat 11 – Sun 19 February. Chalk Marbling.

Continued on page 14

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activities for the family - this February there’s so much to enjoy

Noughts And Crosses at the Theatre Royal Bath with Effie Ansah as Sephy and James Arden as Callum. Photo: Robert-Day

n WHAT’S ON

Continued from page 13

Experiment with the effects of water in the drop-in chalk marbling to make your own beautiful prints. 10.30am4pm Tues 14 – Fri 17 February

Sat 11 Feb. Herschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath. Star Viewfinders. Come and make a star viewfinder and take part in the National Star Count. Find out how light pollution can affect our views of the constellations and see how many stars you can spot from your back garden! Drop in activity.

Free with museum entry. Activity will run daily in the gallery from Saturday 11th.

Sat 11 Feb. The Forum. Sara Pascoe: Success Story. The comedian, writer, and actor entertains.

Sun 12 Feb. Komedia Electric Bar. Free music with Phil Cooper. Best known as one third of Folk / Americana band The Lost Trades, Phil is an accomplished singer-songwriter in his own right.

Sun 12 Feb. Bath Brewhouse. Riffs and Roasts. An eclectic selection of local musical talent. 6pm.

Mon 13-Fri 17 Feb. BANES. Spring Half Term Holidays. Schools out for a week.

Tue 14 Feb. Holburne Museum. Valentine’s Day workshop. 10:30 am - 12:30 pm. Valentines Day Free Creative Drop-in Make your

own Love Locket.Tue 14 Feb. The Forum. Valentine’s Night Concert. With Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and Bath Philarmonia. Featuring Verdi’s Overture to The Force of Destiny (Stella Artois advert), Masacagni’s beautiful Intermezzo and the Prelude and Leibstod from Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde (Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet). Plus the Serenade by Elfrida Andree, and the Lyric by George Walker. Rachmaninov’s iconic 2nd Piano Concerto.

Tue 14 -Sat 18 Feb. Victoria Art Gallery. Half-term activities. Brighten up a February day with some beautiful butterfly pictures. The activity takes place at 10.30am-12.30pm. Free entry.

Thu 16 Feb. Holburne Museum. Family creative workshop. Pop up Animal Scenes.

Thu 16 Feb. Victoria Art Gallery. Art Tours. Join a curator and explore the wonderful paintings, drawings and sculpture in the permanent collection housed in our art stores. Tours take place at 12.00 – 12.45pm. Free, but booking in advance is advised, call 01225 477233. Tours take place on the following dates in 2023:

Mon 20 Feb. Victoria Art Gallery. Talk by Jessica Palmer on Wetland Spring. Free talk about the art on display for blind and visually impaired visitors. The talks take place on

selected Mondays from 10am11.30am. No need to book.

Sat 11 Mar. Burdall’s Yard. Viva Vocals. Female voices community choir from Corsham, directed by John Sandford and accompanied by Michelle Howarth on keyboards. Their strapline is ‘Sing Yourself Happy’ and that is what they strive to achieve at each practice and concert opportunity.

Thu 23 Mar. Holburne Museum. Gardeners Question Time. A panel of expert gardeners and landscape designers will field questions from the audience.

Thu 30 Mar. Holburne Museum. Galliarde Ensemble Concert. A programme of music by female composers from the 18th and 21st centuries.

Pick of Diary Events outside of Bath

Sat 4 Feb. Arnolfini Bristol. Elaine Radigue. 2-7pm. For this extended concert at Arnolfini, violinist Angharad Davies, harpist Rhodri Davies, and double bassist Dominic Lash will present works composed for them by Radigue, in various combinations. The concert will include the premier of Occam River XVIII for harp and double bass. Éliane Radigue (born 1932) is regarded as one of the most innovative and influential composers working today.

MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

Don’t fall for romance fraud this Valentine’s Day

WANT to start by thanking those who completed my precept survey last month. As ever, it was important that I heard from as many people as possible. understand how stretched finances are for many of us, so I need to carefully consider what the public has to say on any tax increases before I propose a finalised budget.

It is important to remind you it is also a difficult time for funding your police force; policing is not immune to the cost-of-living crisis, so the budget is being set against a challenging economic environment.

will continue to update you regarding my precept decision in the coming weeks.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, urge online

daters to stay alert to potential scammers and to not fall victim to romance fraud. Romance fraud is much more common than many of us realise, with fraudsters taking advantage of those trying to find a connection or relationship.

Romance fraud involves fraudsters masquerading as romantic partners and, after laying the groundwork for a ‘relationship’ with a victim, the scammer will ask for ‘favours’, like sending them money, providing personal and financial information, or purchasing items for them.

It isn’t hearts these fraudsters want to steal: it’s bank account balances.

This is an awful, heartbreaking crime; victims invest

Tue 7 Feb. The Pig, Hunstrete House Pensford. Free Garden Tours. The tours will take place every Tuesday and Thursday of February at 11am, lasting around 30-45 minutes. These tours will be subject to availability and are on 7th, 14th, 21st, 9th, 16th, 23rd of Feb. To book, please email events@ thepignearbath.com

Sun 19 Feb. Trowbridge. Civic Centre. CSF Pro Wrestling. An afternoon of high flying, gravity defying, body slamming, action packed family entertainment as twelve larger than life stars do battle in five Pro Bouts.

Exhibition Picks in Bath American Museum, Bath. Claverton. The Museum features collections from the United States where you can visit room sets that recreate periods of American history giving the feeling that someone has just stepped out, as well as our worldrenowned folk art, quilt and map collections. The Exhibition Gallery has a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions showcasing different links to American culture such as dinosaurs, photography, fashion, American music, history and travel.

Museum of Bath at Work. Julian Rd, Bath BA1 2RH. A Visual Record of a City at Work exhibition continues with photos and videos. Enter the Continued on page 23

time into someone and think they have a genuine personal connection. I know many victims feel ashamed when they realise romance fraudsters have scammed them.

Please know support is available from the police and the Action Fraud website.

If you think a family member or friend is a victim of this terrible crime, please make them aware of the signs and encourage them to report it to Action Fraud.

I would also like to bring to your attention our next Performance and Accountability Board (PAB), which will take place on Tuesday, February 7.

I was elected to be the voice of local people in policing. I will be questioning Chief Constable Sarah Crew to ensure she delivers

Shelford

an efficient, effective, and legitimate police service for our communities.

I will ask questions about police performance and priorities in Avon and Somerset.

If you have any concerns or questions you would like included in the live broadcast, you can contact me and the OPCC via our website.

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark

n SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF

Football: Bath City FC play in the Vanarama League South, the sixth tier of the English league system.

This month the team play at home in the league against Hampton and Richmond on the 7th, Ebbsfleet United on Saturday February 11th, Havant and Waterloovile on the 21st and Tonbridge Angels on the 25th.

The Romans go on the road to Chelmsford on February 4th and Dulwich Hamlet on the 18th.

Striker Alex Fletcher who suffered a head injury after colliding with concrete advertising boards during Bath City’s game with Dulwich Hamlet at Twerton Park in the autumn is making steady progress on the road to recovery.

Bear Flat FC: The Bears play in the third division of the Bath and District Sunday League.

More Football: Other local teams include Bath United FC who have a number of youth internationals in their squad, Larkhall Athletic; and Bath Arsenal Juniors. We would like to hear from these clubs and their junior and female sides - drop us a line with an email so we can keep up with your news.

Blue, Black and Whites: Bath Rugby play at The Rec in the

Gallagher Premiership. The Gallagher Premiership league awards 4 point for a win, 2 points for a draw, plus1 point will be awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or less and to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.

Home games this month are against on February 18th they play London Irish at 3pm KO while they entertain Bristol Bears on February 24th with an evening game.

The away game against Wasps has been cancelled since the former north London club now relocated to the Midlands having gone into administration and sold to new owners who have moved the team to Solihull Moors and have been relegated to the Championship.

The league remains unbalanced following the exit of two clubs due to financial problems despite an original promise in 2022 that the league would increase in size.

At the time of going to press former Bath rugby player Levi Davis was still missing in Spain. He was last seen in Barcelona on 29th October.

Bath Ladies Rugby: The 1st XV play Richmond at home on the 12th February.

Saracens Rugby: Bath Saracens are

Last month, Geoff Stevens from local charity Bath City FC Foundation received the Premier League‘s Community Captain award in recognition of his inspiring work for the community of Bath. The award of a pennant and armband was copresented by film director, Ken Loach, President of Bath City FC Foundation and Helen Donovan, Chair of Bath City FC Foundation during half time of the home match against Eastbourne Borough

an amateur rugby club competing in the Counties 3 Tribute Dorset & Wilts Central.

Bath Saracens play at home this month against Combe Down 2nds on the 12th and are away to Melksham 2nds on the 19th.

More Rugby: There are more clubs in Bath including Walcot RFC; Old Culverhaysians RFC; Old Sulians RFC;

Oldfield Old Boys RFC and Bath Old Edwardians RFC. Send you news to Bath Voice - email below.

American Football: for fans of the sport Bath has its own team in the Killer Bees based at the University.

The Killer Bees have been a University club for 25 years with many former players going on to play for senior American Football

Continued on page 17

Top Grade Logs

Continued from page 16

teams across the UK and even the GB American Football team. Home fixtures this season are against UWE Bullets 2 on Feb 5th; and another cruncher against Bath Spa Bulldogs on Feb 12 at Bath Spa. For details of how to join the team or simply to watch the games visit www.thesubath.com/

AmericanFootball

Hockey 1: City of Bath Hockey Club were formed from a merger between Bath & Phillipians Hockey Club’s at the turn on the millennium. The club field 4 Men’s & 2 Ladies’ teams and have a thriving junior section. The men’s 1st XI competes in the West Hockey League Championship North.

Hockey 2: Team Bath Buccaneers Hockey Club are based at The University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY. See www. teambathbuccaneers.co.uk

Netball: The Bath University based Blue & Golds start a new season in February when they play Loughborough Lightening on Sat 11th February at Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham at 11am.

Lacrosse: Bath Lacrosse Club (BLC) was founded in 1983 and is

affiliated to the England Lacrosse, the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport, and enters one Men’s squad at senior level into the South of England Men’s Lacrosse Association competitions and one Women’s squad into the South West Women’s Lacrosse Association Competitions.

The club has strong links with Bath University, allowing students from around the world to take up the stick at weekends and joining the various sides put out to do battle with clubs from around the UK. To join the club or for more information visit http:// bathlacrosse.com/wp/

Winter Sports: Bath is not known for its snow although when the white stuff accumulates the steep hills surrounding the spa city are ideal for skiing.

For dry slope skiing there is the Mendip Snoewport Centre at Churchill in North Somerset, the Gloucester ski and Snowborard Centre near Gloucester, and over the bridge in Wales there is the Cardiff Ski and Snowboard Centre.

Ice skating and ice hockey can be found in Bristol at Planet Ice at Cribbs Causeway and Ice Arena in Wales near Cardiff.

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The University of Bath has the UK’s only bobsleigh and skeleton push-start track opened in 2002 and athletes training at the University have won medals at all but one of the Winter Olympic Games staged since then. The bobsleigh squad at Sochi 2014 of John Jackson, Stuart Benson, Bruce Tasker and Joel Fearon won bronze after two Russian teams were disqualified for doping offences while Paula Walker and Rebekah Wilson, won the 2011 World Junior Championship.

In the skeleton, Alex Coomber won bronze at Salt Lake City in 2002 and Shelley Rudman took silver at Torino 2006 and Amy Williams took gold at Vancouver 2010.

Lizzy Yarnold (pictured inset) succeeded Amy as Olympic champion at Sochi 2014 and became the first skeleton athlete to defend her title at PyeongChang 2018, where team-mates Laura Deas and Dom Parsons also won bronze medals.

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LOCAL HISTORY

From John de Porta in 1230 to the 21st century mayors

Women urged to have ‘life saving’ cervical smear tests

By Matthew Smith.

Haematology and Oncology Centre.

By Harry Mottram:

When the first known mayor of Bath John de Porta took office in 1230 England was at war on two fronts.

Just over the border in Wales

Llywelyn the Great was on the war path battling the Marcher Lords and on occasion Henry III as he consolidated his power in Cymru.

And across the English Channel the king was at war with the French as the monarch battled over the spoils of the Angevin Empire.

Previously Bath had been a Saxon Burgh with a civic leader known as a Governor and later called a Maire appointed by the King to administer justice rather visit than to celebrate local charities as today.

Bath at the time was a small walled medieval city with a busy market a large cathedral and monastery and an increasingly important role in the politics of the Roman Catholic Church in England.

Appointing a Mayor consolidated Bath’s political and economic role

with the woollen industry powering the economy as Fuller’s Earth was used in the manufacturing process in the city where the waters of the River Avon helped to drive the mills involved.

The city’s Roman Baths had fallen into disrepair but in 1180 Bishop Fitzjocelyn had founded a hospital and built two baths for help in caring for lepers.

Following John de Porta Henry le Tayleur took the office seven years later and he was followed by a long list of Henrys, Johns, Richards and Williams with the office eventually becoming an annual award .

The current incumbent is Cllr Rob Appleyard whose powers are somewhat less than those in previous centuries when mayors could condemn those accused in court to prison and worse.

Some of the most notable mayors over the years include Ralph Allen in 1742 who became Bath Post Master and made a fortune

Then and now: Ralph Allen and today’s mayor Rob Appleyard

organising a national postal service. He is of course best known for the quarries he owned which used the stone to construct much of Georgian Bath.

Dr Henry Harrington was mayor in 1793 and was also a physician at the Mineral Water Hospital - and was known as an accomplished composer of sacred and secular music. Moving to the 19th century Charles Dickens was supposed to have been inspired by the landlord of the White Hart Inn in Stall Street whose name was Eleazar Pickwick. He was the mayor in 1826 and his name was to live on in the title of the novel

The Pickwick Papers

Mayor Aubrey Bateman wore the chain of office during part of the Second World War which was to see the city badly damaged by bombs and hundreds of residents killed.

Women only took the role of Mayor in the 20th century following changes in voting laws with Kathleen Harper, Ada Elsie May Hanna and Mary Rawlings among some of the first to take the office in Guildhall.

In this century it’s now the norm for women to hold the office - while Bath is a different place from 1230 and thankfully England is no longer at war with Wales or France.

A mum of three whose smear test identified she had cervical cancer is urging women to make sure they take up the offer of a cervical screening test.

Nyssa Edwards, 40, from Pilton in Somerset, had not had any symptoms of cervical cancer before she went for her screening.

“The test saved my life, it’s a simple as that,” she said. “I was 39 at the time, hadn’t had any symptoms and had no reason to expect that the screening would pick up anything, but it found I had abnormal cells.

“The cells were removed and further tests showed it was cancer.”

Nyssa underwent a radical hysterectomy after which it was found the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and womb.

She then began a programme of chemotherapy and radiotherapy at The Royal United Hospital in Bath (RUH) which was followed later by brachytherapy treatment – a type of internal radiation therapy - at the Bristol

In September last year, Nyssa’s oncologist gave her the fantastic news that the treatment had gone well and that the cancer had gone.

“It was incredible to hear that news – I was just completely stunned,” she said. “Throughout all the treatment you’re just hoping that it will work and that you get to hear that news at the end of it all.

“The treatment I received at the RUH was fantastic, particularly from the Radiotherapy team, which was so supportive and helpful all the way through.

“I’m just so relieved that I made sure I attended my smear test. If hadn’t, the cancer could have spread even further and it could have been a very different outcome for me. My message to women would be to please make sure you go for your test when you are invited. It really could save your life - without a doubt it saved mine.”

In the middle of her treatment, Nyssa even found the time to get married to her long-term partner, Tom.

“We’d had to postpone our original wedding date because of my hysterectomy and was determined we wouldn’t postpone it again. I actually had a radiotherapy session on the morning of my wedding!”

Nyssa will continue to have surveillance check-ups for the next three years and is also being supported by the RUH’s cancer rehab team.

“I’d be lying if said I don’t worry the cancer will come back,” said Nyssa. “But the local Macmillan Cancer Support group has been a great help and very supportive and the RUH team will be helping me with my ongoing physical and mental recovery.

“It’s been a long, tough journey but I’m staying positive and looking forward to the future.”

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week took place last month but you can find more information about cervical cancer on the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust website - https://www.jostrust. org.uk/

You can find more information about smear tests on the NHS website - https://www.nhs.uk/ conditions/cervical-screening Notes: The test itself should take less than 5 minutes. The whole appointment should take about 10 minutes. It’s usually done by a female nurse or doctor. Before starting, they should explain what will happen during the test and answer any questions you have.

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Nyssa Edwards

Health News: The Royal United Hospital (RUH) has a new machine (pictured) that will make radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients quicker.

A Truebeam Linear Accelerator (TLA) has been installed in the radiotherapy department which will also help clinical staff by giving clearer images of scans.

To prepare for the new equipment the RUH’s radiotherapy treatment rooms have been upgraded over 18 months with around 180 tonnes of steel installed in the walls to increase radiation protection for patients and staff and fit out the room for clinical use.

The TLA will be ready for use later this spring. The radiotherapy department see around 1,300 patients each year.

Pub News: The former bank and home to Loch Fyne Fish restaurant is to become a gastro pub.

The grade II listed building on the corner of Milsom Street and George Street is being converted by pub chain Green King who hope the hostelry will open next month. Planning permission was granted last October.

Greene King already runs three other pubs in Bath: the Westgate on Westgate Street, the Saracen’s Head on Broad Street, and the Bear Inn in Bear Flat.

Crime News: Police have appealed for witnesses after a firearm was discharged outside a Bath address.

Officers are investigating after a handgun was used outside a property in Snowhill at around 11pm on Friday 6 January.

A car was also damaged at the same location the following day. Police believe these incidents are linked.

Neighbourhood policing Chief Inspector Ronald Lungu said: “Thankfully, no one was injured during either incident, but we have increased high-visibility patrols in the area as a precaution and to provide reassurance to the community.

“We would like to speak to anyone who was in the area and may have seen or heard anything suspicious that evening.”

If you have any information or may have CCTV or doorbell footage from around the area, please

contact 101 and quote reference 5223004403.

Housing News: Local Democarcy Reporter John Wimperis reports that Bath’s first council homes for more than 20 years are ready — seven flats in a refurbished Victorian villa.

There were over 600 applicants for the seven flats, which were being advertised through the Bath and North East Somerset’s Homesearch platform. The council are now “whittling down” the shortlist, with priority given to people working in the NHS.

With the flats ready for the council’s first social tenants in 20 years to move in, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was invited to take a look around.

Located near the Royal United Hospital in Bath, 117 Newbridge Hill is owned by Bath and North Somerset Council and was being used as council offices before a decision was taken to renovate it and sell it off as flats.

But after the Lib Dems took power with plans to build council housing, the development was commandeered to become their first social housing project.

The villa now contains seven homes, two of which are twobedroom flats with their own front doors at the rear of the property, and five of which are one-bedroom flats coming off a central lobby and stairwell.

The flats will be rented at a social rent level, with the cheapest costing £91.50 a week and the most expensive £125.22.

The next plan in the pipeline is to build eight council homes on a storage yard by Argyle Works on the Lower Bristol Road. The scheme was granted planning permission at the end of September.

There are plans for 200 council homes at various stages in the pipeline.

Retail News: Local Democarcy Reporter John Wimperis reports that a womens wear brand Mint Velvet hopes to open a new shop in New Bond Street.

A planning application was submitted last month to take over two neighbouring vacant store fronts on the street and combine them into a large Mint Velvet store.

The shops were previously occupied by fellow women’s retailer Karen Millen, which closed its Bath branch down in 2019, and tea shop T2.

Bath and North East Somerset Council will aim to make a decision on whether to grant planning permission by March 2.

To advertise, contact Erica on erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call 07402 441485

For younger readers

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n BATH LIBRARY BOOK REVIEWS AND NEWS

Adult Fiction

Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid

This proved a real summer hit last year but the book is a great escape read and just right for cold, February days. It is set in 1983, on the coats of Malibu, at one of the glittering mansions that hug the coastline. It is August and Nina Riva is about to host her annual summer party. Nina Riva and her siblings are the talk of Malibu. Nina an accomplished surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a surfer and the other a photographer and their baby sister Kit. All the children of the very famous musician Mick Riva. To add to the gossip Nina has just been very publicly abandoned by her tennis pro husband, Brandon. This all adds to anticipation for the party.

By midnight the party is out of control and by the early hours Malibu is alight. The Riva mansion is consumed

by the flames. Long lost secrets will come bubbling to the surface and the privilege family will never be the same again but always remember from the ashes a phoenix can rise! A great escapist read.

Island in the East – Jenny Ashcroft

For fans of Victoria Hislop and Deborah Jeffries, this book is beautifully written and very evocative. It begins in Singapore in 1897 with the arrival of twins, Harriet and Mae Grafton. Their arrival causes great gossip among the British community as they appear to have quite a scandalous background.

For the twins it means being flung into a new world, with a wealthy benefactor and new friends including the mysterious Alex Blake.

The story then flips to London in 1941 and we meet Ivy Harcourt, recovering from injuries both mental and physical from the Blitz. She can speak Japanese

and therefore finds herself posted to Singapore. She feels a break from worn torn London may aid her recovery but her grandmother Mae, is much more cautious. Ivy arrives in Singapore just before the Japanese’s invasion and immediately meets strangers from her grandmother’s past which includes an unstoppable love affair and a shattering secret that has been waiting to be uncovered. thoroughly enjoyed this book. I particular liked the character of Ivy – quite a tough cookie. The author describes the Far East very well – you can feel the heat from the page and particularly the devastating Japanese invasion. A real emotional and absorbing read and I am definitely on the lookout for more books by this author.

Adult Non-Fiction Travel Books

As the winter chill of February continues there are many, enjoyable travel books here in Keynsham Library to tempt you to new places both in Great Britain and further afield, such as:

Pocket Rough Guide to Pembrokeshire

This beautiful part of the United Kingdom is only a few hours away across the bridge and could be a longer stay

destination or a day trip. There is the delight of Tenby – a real seaside town with a Dinosaur Park and castle; then slightly further afield the magnificent Cardigan Bay and Laugharne the home of the poet Dylan Thomas. Any rough guide to an area has great sections of food and drink, activities and handy local maps.

DK Family Guide: Rome

This guide is a perfect accompaniment for any families wishing to visit Rome. There are some great recommendations and practical information to get the best out of your visit to a very busy city. There is a useful guide to eating out, particularly on a budget, sections of the famous sights e.g. the

Pantheon and Colosseum and a very handy Kids Corner on each page with interesting facts and tips and of course very important and clear maps of the city.

Children’s Fiction

Watership DownRichard Adams Watership

Down is the emotive tale of a colony of rabbits forced to flee their warren. It follows the story of their journey, fraught with the impalpable air of danger.

However, more foreboding than the traumatic journey is the difficulty of finding and digging a new home, and the task of finding more rabbits to fill it.

An outstanding tale of determination, loyalty, friendship and territorial rivalry. Well worth the read, a classic everyone will enjoy.

Library News

Storytime: Thursday at 11am is Storytime at Keynsham Library – term time only and for 0-4 years. Come along, with a cushion and listen to some fantastic new stories.

As here’s always so much going on in all our libraries, and it’s all free, so drop in and see what’s on offer. For families with children, sing along at Baby Bounce and Rhyme, or get comfy whilst listening to stories at our ever-popular Storytime.

For adults, we’ve got book clubs, writing classes, and much more throughout the year. Joining the library costs nothing, so pop in or visit www.librarieswest.org.uk to also access thousands of eBooks, eMagazines, Audiobooks, and a wealth of other resources! Our ‘Virtual Library’ has loads going on, including the latest library news, competitions, book reviews and, all our digital offers. Search ‘Bath and North East Somerset Libraries’ on social media or visit bathneslibraries.wordpress.com

Moorland Road Community Library

Tues 10-4pm, Thurs & Fri 10-1pm and Sat 10-1pm. Email for more info at Moorlandroadcommunitylibrary@ gmail.com And visit https://www. moorlandroadcommunitylibrary. com/ to find out how to volunteer and much more.

world of working Bath through a series of authentically reconstructed workplaces, workshops and display galleries. Two thousand years of working life are on display from a Victorian ironmongers and engineering works, a soft drinks making factory and even a Bath Stone mine working, all on show in a former Real Tennis court, dating from 1777. Displays in two galleries: Landscapes and Livelihoods and Knowing Your Place.

Victoria Art Gallery. Capturing Life: A Century of the New English Art Club This exhibition will combine work by current New English Art Club members alongside a core of over 30 paintings by illustrious past members. You’ll have the chance to see major pieces by John Singer Sargent, Philip Wilson Steer, Gwen John, Walter Sickert, Stanley Spencer and Winifred Nicholson. Until 11 April.

Holburne Museum. Illustrating the World of Woodcuts in the Age of Durer. This is a rare opportunity to view the complete set of woodcuts known as The Great Passion, produced by the most famed artist of the German Renaissance, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). Until 23 April; Alberta Whittle: Dipping below a waxing moon, the dance claims us for release: newly commissioned sculptures. Until May 8 2023.

Herschel Museum of Astronomy. Commemorating 200 years since the death of William Herschel. Star Viewfinders. Come and make a star viewfinder and take part in the National Star Count. Find out how light pollution can affect our views of the constellations and see how many stars you can spot from your back garden. Drop in activity. Free with museum entry. Activity will run daily in the gallery from Saturday February 11th.

Museum of East Asian Art. Revolution, Propaganda, Art: Printmaking in Modern China. Continues to 3 June 2023. The exhibition showcases a series of prints selected from Muban Educational Trust’s collection of over 6,000 and tells the story of China’s twentieth-century wars, revolution and rejuvenation. The exhibition explores artistic trends, political movements and technical developments in modern Chinese printmaking. The works presented mark several significant anniversaries in China’s modern history, including the May Fourth Movement (1919), the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (1921), and Lu Xun’s seminal printmaking class, which symbolises the origin of the Modern Woodcut Movement (1931).

Exhibition Picks outside Bath Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Queens Road. The art of Japanese porcelain. The exhibition examines how Japan became the global leading makers of porcelain between 1640 and 1680. Until 30 July 2023. We Were Everywhere: World war experiences from pre-Partition India. This exhibition explores the experience of Indians and Pakistanis during the world wars and the partition of India. Until 5 March 2023. Sweet Patootee Arts: Turning Point. A series of four short films by Sweet Patootee Arts inspired by oral histories about the Black Caribbean experience after WWI. Until 5 March 2023.

Stonehenge Visitor Centre. Circles of Stone: Stonehenge and Prehistoric Japan is a new exhibition celebrating the rich culture of prehistoric Japan. Through a number of exquisite objects, some seen for the first time outside of Japan, the exhibition tells the story of Japanese settlements and stone circles of the middle and late Jomon periods, roughly the same time when Stonehenge was built and used. Until 20 August 2023.

Do you have an event you would like to be included in the next edition - email Erica at erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call her on 07402 441485.