Ian McEwan
Britain’s master storyteller on his latest novel and the enduring power of the narrative
Every Picture Tells a Story
Meet the illustrators appearing at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival
Bath’s new British Brasserie Emberwood ignites the city’s dining scene
All things Austen... plus our guides on things to see, things to do and things to love about Bath in September
Ali Vowles meets Adrian Lukis - Pride & Prejudice’s most roguish gentleman ahead of his one-man show Being Mr Wickham
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46 SCHRODER COMES TO THE CITY
Discover the Holburne’s new £2-million exhibition space
Meet fashionista Lizzie
and learn about her love of
Browse
Our
From Bath waiter to Jane Austen’s most charming cad, actor Adrian Lukis shares the highs and lows of his career
50 BATH’S NEW BRITISH BRASSERIE
We head to the city’s much-buzzed about newcomer
The latest fragrances heading to Bath’s top beauty stores 62
Miss Bath shares her alopecia story and how she hopes to shine a spotlight on the condition
Read our exclusive interview with Ian McEwan one of Britain’s most
A year-long programme is set to explore the joys, revelations, and cultural legacy of the
Meet some of the artists who bring stories alive and will be appearing at Bath Children’s Literature Festival
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An extensive directory of schools and colleges in Bath
Andrew Swift takes us on a delightful coastal walk
Set the stage for autumn with our handpicked products
Immerse yourself in all things gardening at the Yeo Valley Organic Garden festival
Being
Stepping into a new role always brings a mixture of excitement and trepidation, and as I introduce this September issue, my very first as editor of The Bath Magazine, I’m delighted to share a collection of stories to inspire the season ahead. September, while not the start of the calendar year, has always felt like a time of new beginnings. The air shifts, colours start to deepen, children shoulder their schoolbags once again as they embark on a new academic year, and we find ourselves ready for new challenges. It feels especially fitting, then, to embark on my own new chapter.
This month, Bath celebrates the 250th year of Jane Austen’s birth. In this issue, we speak with the famed actor Adrian Lukis, forever remembered for playing Pride and Prejudice’s most charming cad, George Wickham. He reflects on his career, from waiting tables on Milsom Street to acclaimed roles on stage and screen, and on his new one-man show, Being Mr Wickham, at the Old Theatre Royal.
We also have the pleasure of meeting master storyteller Ian McEwan, whose words have shaped generations of readers. He will be in Bath this month to discuss his new book, What We Can Know. Despite being widely acknowledged as one of the greatest British writers of all time, we find him an ineffably charming man.
For families with younger children, the Bath Children’s Literature Festival brings magic and imagination to life. We highlight the best of the programme and chat with the illustrators whose artistry helps bring stories to life.
On the culinary front, we introduce you to Emberwood, the city’s elegant new British Brasserie. And, for those inspired by autumn’s rich palette, we showcase plum-toned treasures to refresh your interiors.
And, last but by no means least, in this issue you will find our Schools Guide, an extensive directory of schools and colleges in Bath.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it, and I look forward to the seasons, and stories, that lie ahead. Happy reading!
There’s nothing quite like welcoming the outside in with luscious houseplants, creating a peaceful sanctuary at home despite the bustling cityscape just the other side of the window.
Turn to page 94, for some fuss-free flora recommendations, whether you have some space on a windowsill or plenty of places to pop some plants around.
Our curated collection of, mostly pet-friendly, plants will perk up your home nicely.
The Bath Magazine 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED; 01225 424499 www.thebathmag.co.uk
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A consultant from the Royal United Hospitals Bath, who sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury after a catastrophic fall from a bike in New Zealand, is taking on a new challenge for one of the charities that helped turn his life around.
Adam Malin was left paralysed from the chest down after the accident, which happened just weeks before the 2020 pandemic. He has been helped by several charities, including The Back Up Trust, which provides mentoring for newly injured people. Every two hours, someone in the UK sustains a spinal cord injury. Back Up recognises how devastating this can be, but they also believe it shouldn't stop anyone from living a whole and adventurous life.
In addition to mentoring, the charity offers multi-sport activity courses and opportunities to learn everything from travel tips to navigating daily challenges.
Adam has now become a mentor for the charity, and on 26 September, he will be riding the Back Up Trusts’ London to Paris Cycle Ride, a distance of approximately 450-kms, or around 100miles per day.
“I want to help more people with spinal cord injuries rediscover what is possible,” says Adam.
You can support Adam at backuplondontoparis2025.enthuse.com/pf/adam-malin
Tim Blanks, editor-at-large for The Business of Fashion, will select the Dress of the Year 2024, which will be added to the Fashion Museum Bath’s exceptional Collection. Each year, the museum invites a leading figure from the fashion industry to choose an outfit that captures the spirit and style of the past year.
Established in 1963 by the museum’s founder, Doris Langley Moore, the Dress of the Year initiative has become a cornerstone of the Fashion Museum Bath Collection, featuring pieces by designers such as Jean Muir, Ossie Clark, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Donatella Versace, Vivienne Westwood, and Simone Rocha.
Tim has been a leading voice in fashion journalism since 1985. He began his career as host of CBC’s globally syndicated Fashion File. He later served as editor-at-large for Style.com and has contributed to publications including Another, Interview, The New York Times, Fantastic Man, and System
His books include Dries Van Noten 1-50 (2017), The World of Anna Sui (2018), Versace Catwalk (2021), and Dior by Raf Simons (2023). In 2013, he received the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Media Award, the industry’s highest honour for fashion journalism.
“There’s nothing quite like a Hall of Fame to set my pulse racing, so to be offered the opportunity to select something as significant as the Dress of the Year for the Fashion Museum is a glorious challenge, especially given the nature of the year in question.”
He adds: “2024 was tumultuous for all the right and wrong reasons, and, given fashion’s innate ability – and responsibility – to reflect its time, anything I choose to embody the year will inevitably have a fascinating tale to tell. Well, here’s hoping, at least.”
Film director and King Edward’s School alumni, Jethro Massey, recently scooped the Venice Film Festival Critics’ Week Audience Award, for his debut film, Paul and Paulette Take a Bath
The film is an unconventional romantic comedy about a young American photographer and a French woman with a taste for the macabre. Paul and Paulette’s chance encounter on a Parisian boulevard sparks an unusual relationship that grows around a dark game; reenacting scenes of notorious crimes from bygone eras at the sites they occurred. For Paul, the game is a way of getting closer to Paulette. For Paulette, it’s a way of escaping a painful break-up.
Jethro will be in Bath on 5 September, where he will host a special in-person Q&A screening at The Little Theatre, offering a superb opportunity to hear more about his creative journey and the making of the film. From the 5 September, the film will also be on general release across the UK and Ireland. Visit picturehouses.com for more details and to book.
It’s game, set, and match on Sunday, 14 September, as the Bath Tennis Club opens its doors to the local community for its fun-filled Autumn Tennis Festival. The ‘FEST’ kicks off in the morning for members and their families. Then, from noon, the event is open to all visitors to explore the club, meet members, and take part in a range of activities. Expect an active afternoon with tennis drills, cardio, a fun tournament, junior and family zones, and pickleball for all. There will also be a mixed doubles tournament, a raffle, and a BBQ from 1pm. The event promises plenty of aces, so dust off your rackets and polish your backhand. Everyone is welcome, whether you’re an experienced player or a novice. Visit tinyurl.com/Bathtennisfest
Discover a fantastical forest at the old Entry Hill Golf Course as part of the muchloved Forest of Imagination, from 23 September to 5 October. Entry Hill will be transformed into a magical landscape of interactive installations, trails, outdoor performances, and hands-on workshops for all ages. This year’s theme is Imagining the Future of the Forgotten Land, responding to the climate emergency by reimagining Entry Hill as a vibrant, temporary art and nature park. Each of the old golf course’s ‘greens’ will host a creative installation, inviting curious minds to explore, reflect, and imagine the site’s future. The festival, now in its 12th year, is free to attend. Visit forestofimagination.org.uk
Antic Disposition’s award -winning production of Romeo and Juliet, at Bath Abbey in 2024
Join Corkage on Saturday, 17 September, for an exciting end-of-summer wine tasting with Kevin and Kimberly Judd of Marlborough wine label Greywacke. Icons of New Zealand winemaking, Kevin was the founding winemaker at Cloudy Bay, before setting up his own family wine company, named after the country’s prolific bedrock, in 2009. Enjoy six wonderful wines, from sauvignon blanc to pinot noir, alongside limited releases of chardonnay, riesling, and pinot gris. Plus, there’s the option of 10% off dinner after. Visit corkagebath.com
Enjoy free access to hidden gems, historic sites, and cultural treasures from 12-21 September as part of Bath and North East Somerset’s Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of history and culture. The festival offers a rare opportunity to explore the area’s most fascinating buildings, landscapes, and stories. The festival features more than 20 venues offering guided tours, exhibitions, talks, and family friendly activities. From ancient burial sites to Victorian chapels, and from art galleries to working mills, the programme invites everyone to discover the rich and often surprising heritage on their doorstep. Highlights include the Victoria Art Gallery, Bath Abbey Cemetery, American Museum & Gardens, and the Mayor’s Parlour, Guildhall. Visit heritageopendays.org.uk
On Sunday, 21 September, Julian House hosts its annual Circuit of Bath charity walk, part of the Bathscape Walking Festival, which features over 50 events throughout September. The route takes walkers on a 22-mile scenic route around Bath, starting from checkpoints that are open from 07:30am–6:30pm. While Julian House encourages people to tackle the full route, participants can choose their own distance and start point, thanks to the five checkpoints along the route and a free shuttle service between each, which allows for a shorter walk if preferred. Last year’s walk saw over 500 participants, raising more than £50,000. The entire route is family and dog-friendly, with part of it suitable for prams. Find more details at circuitofbathwalk.co.uk or bathscape.co.uk
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LIZZIE HEFFER
With a career in high-profile marketing and a deep commitment to community causes, Lizzie Heffer has made her mark both in Bath’s business world and its charity scene. As director of marketing at Thrings solicitors, she is keeper of the firm’s brand in its widest sense and leads campaigns that connect people with legal expertise. But it’s her passion for projects with heart that inspire her; her latest venture, Strength in Style, is a unique fashion show that celebrates resilience, creativity, and the power of community, all in the name of raising funds for three remarkable charities. We sat down with her to talk about life in Bath, her love of fashion, and what makes the city feel like home.
How long have you lived in Bath and what brought you here originally?
I’ve lived in Bath for over 30 years; it’s where I have brought up my four children, developed my career and found a tribe of fabulous friends. My career has always been rooted in communications, firstly working in television and subsequently in marketing, working with all sorts of people and organisations to tell their stories in compelling ways. Alongside my professional work, I’m passionate about using marketing to showcase causes that make a real difference locally, which is how I became involved with Strength in Style.
What do you enjoy most about living in Bath and why do you feel Bath is such a special city to live in?
For me, Bath is a wonderful melting pot of a great business community, a thriving digital hub, a wonderful spirit of creativity and, of course, a world-renowned cultural heritage. Bath is full of people doing interesting, ambitious things, from entrepreneurs and start-ups to artists and changemakers. There’s always something fresh happening, whether it’s an innovative event from the Bath Arts Collective, a festival, a pop-up collaboration or a gorgeously mad event like the Bath Boules. Underpinning it all is a genuine sense of community.
Tell me about your involvement with Strength in Style.
Strength in Style, now in its third year, is a fashion show with a difference. It represents the essence of Bath; it shines a light on our independent retailers, young designers from local schools, the creativity from Bath Spa University, and the magnificence of Bath
Abbey. And most important of all, it illustrates how collaboration is such a powerful force; this event brings together three of our much-loved charities, Dorothy House, Children’s Hospice South West, and We Get It, to create an evening where fashion meets purpose, and every person in the room is part of something extraordinary. What makes this event particularly special is our choice of models; they are not professionals but, instead are patients with cancer, children, siblings and carers from Children’s Hospice South West, doctors, nurses and volunteers from all three charities. Their presence on the catwalk represents empowerment in the face of adversity.
Any particular must-see designs that will be showcased at the event?
The sustainable fashion segment is going to surprise people; our stylists, together with our headline sponsors, Future Fashion Works, have sourced pieces from local charity shops and styled them in fresh, unexpected ways which we think everyone will love.
On the theme of fashion, what are some of your favourite boutiques in Bath?
I am a huge fan of our independent retailers. There is such an eclectic mix from Portman on Milsom Street, Boho on Broad Street, and the fabulous Blue in the Loft. And we are now lucky enough to have Somer in Bartlett Street where Bath Spa University has brought Future Fashion Works to town, unveiling independent designers from across Somerset. We also have some wonderful charity shops where you can find all sorts of stylish treasures.
Beyond Strength in Style, what other
events in Bath do you look forward to?
Of course, it has to be Bath Boules, that crazy annual event which fills Queen Square every summer and which brings together all the very best of Bath – our businesses, our restaurants and cafes, our charities – in short, a marvellous mix of the Bath community. And as a Trustee of the Bath Boules Charitable Trust, I know how important this event is in raising funds for our local charities.
Life must be busy; how do you unwind?
For me, unwinding isn’t always about silence and solitude, sometimes it’s the complete opposite. A big, mad family meal is my happy place: everyone talking at once, grandchildren running around, dogs hoping for scraps, stories flying across the table, and laughter that drowns out the clatter of plates. It’s noisy, unpredictable, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What is your go-to café or restaurant?
Café Lucca at the Loft is my go-to because the food is delicious, the atmosphere is relaxed, the staff are lovely and Bertie Heffer (my labradoodle) is always welcome.
What makes Bath feel like home to you?
It’s the sense of belonging, knowing the faces behind the counters, greeting friends on the street, and feeling part of a community that truly looks out for each other. Bath has given me lifelong friends, a career I love, and a place where my family has grown up. Whether I’m at a bustling work event or walking Bertie along the canal path, I always feel rooted here.
To learn more about Strength in Style or to buy tickets visit strengthinstyle.co.uk
As Autumn arrives, Albaray’s new collection offers a considered edit defined by opulent tones, bold shapes, and key pieces designed to layer and last. From soft knits and statement outerwear to redefined tailoring and elevated partywear, each style works seamlessly together for a versatile and effortless wardrobe.
This season’s palette is rich and indulgent, led by Chocolate, the colour of the season, offering a chic alternative to black. Texture takes centre stage, from buttery-soft faux leather and brushed wool blends to soft cord and luxurious taffeta. Checks, houndstooth, and heritage knits bring depth and dimension, while rich burgundy hues add warmth across knits, corduroy, dresses, and standout party pieces.
Signature silhouettes return with updated details. Every piece is crafted with care from responsibly sourced fabrics and made in collaboration with trusted factories, reflecting Albaray’s commitment to thoughtful design.
The AW25 collection brings timeless classics into the present day, combining modern versatility with timeless style. These are clothes designed to last and to be loved.
Shop the new collection in store at Albaray, 24 New Bond Street, Bath or at albaray.co.uk.
Bring a copy of The Bath Magazine into the Albaray store (Bath) and receive 20% off your purchase.
Offer is only available in the Bath store and for a limited time only (1st -30th Sept)
Offer redeemable on 1 piece only
No cash alternative to be offered. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. Please refer to the Albaray website for additional T&C’s
24 New Bond Street, Bath.
September’s here so time to plan your early A/W wardrobe and be prepared for all weathers – Check out the Whistles new Pre-Fall Collection
The Whistles Pre-Fall 2025 Collection continues to explore what dressing with confidence and elegance looks like for the modern woman. Think of this as a celebration of the design codes underpinning contemporary feminine style — modern bohemian influences, elevated surface textures and enriched details.
At the core of modern feminine style is a sense of quietly-assured dressing, where understated design meets creative details. Reflecting this, Whistles designers use tonal surface textures to express this sensibility, with scrunched, crinkled fabrics in both plain and print form. This season’s trophy jackets, arriving in a variety of iterations, epitomise this approach, with textural materials, feature buttons and sculptural sleeves.
In this refined-yet-unique approach to dressing, modern bohemian influences are woven throughout the collection. The Frill Boho Midi Dress is the perfect example, its palm green fabric heightened with subtle textures and delicate ruffle details. Suede pieces follow suit, keeping with the modern bohemian theme through tassel detailing and understated, versatile hues.
WHISTLES
1 New Bond Street, Bath BA1 1BL. whistles.com
JANE AUSTEN
Bath was the home of Jane Austen from 1801 to 1806, with the city’s vibrant and fashionable backdrop shaping her writing and life. Although her time in the city was relatively brief, it made a lasting impression on the writer, with Bath featuring prominently in her novels such as Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. This year, the Jane Austen Festival celebrates the 250th anniversary of Jane’s birth. Running from Friday 12 to Sunday 21 September, the festival features a host of events, including the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade through Bath’s historic streets. Beyond the festival, Bath is adorned with Austen-inspired exhibitions and events: from character trails and audio walking tours to museum displays and Victorian-themed teas, all echoing her enduring legacy throughout the city. Here, we round-up some of the best Jane Austen-inspired events this month.
Until 2 November
n No. 1 Royal Crescent, BA1 2LR
Jane Austen had a complicated relationship with Bath. The scandals and shallowness of the city fuelled her cynicism and wit, and nothing escaped her scathing pen. Letters, contemporary responses, and the only manuscript she wrote in Bath will reveal the highs and lows of her time here, as this exhibition exposes how turbulence and loss cast a long shadow over Jane Austen and Bath. no1royalcrescent.org.uk
Until 2 November
n Victoria Art Gallery, BA2 4AT
The Victoria Art Gallery is honouring the famed Regency author with its display, Jane Austen’s Bath, which reveals the real places Austen visited in Bath and illuminates the stories of where her characters met, flirted, and fell in love. victoriagal.org.uk
Throughout September
n The Pump Room, BA1 1LZ
Experience the elegant surroundings of the
18th-century Pump Room, where the author herself once drew inspiration, and indulge in a specially curated Jane Austen Afternoon Tea, uniquely inspired by her life and the era in which she lived and wrote. Also, discover two of Jane Austen’s original poems, on display in the King’s Lounge beside the historic Pump Room. See her original handwriting and signature from 1811. Access to the King’s Lounge is free via Stall Street. romanbaths.co.uk
AUSTENS AT THE ABBEY
Until 27 September
n Bath Abbey, BA1 1LT
Bath Abbey is running a special programme of events that highlights the Abbey’s connections to the iconic author and her family. Events include a film screening, an after-hours tour, and a service with a Regency twist. bathabbey.org/austen
PRIDE AND PEPPERONI
10-24 September
n Bath Pizza Co, BA1 1JB
Bath Pizza Co is offering a special Jane Austen-inspired menu, including Regencyinspired pizzas like Pride & Pepperoni, Darcy’s Delight, and Sense & Salami, alongside Love & Friendship Fries. There will also be a Jane & Tonic. Visitors to Bath Pizza Co in period costume will receive a glass of fizz on the house.
bathpizzaco.com/jane
13-21 September
n Various venues
Enjoy a series of events, talks, and lectures in celebration of Bath’s most famous resident at various venues throughout Bath. The festival will be officially opened on Saturday, 13 September, with the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade through the centre of Bath, starting at the Royal Crescent Lawn at 11am. janeausten.co.uk
14 September, 8pm
n The Pump Room, BA1 1LZ
If ever a novel was screaming for a musical adaptation, Sense & Sensibility is the one. After 2024’s sold-out run, Sense & Sensibility: The Musical comes to the incredible setting of The Pump Room, as part of the Jane Austen Festival, featuring outstanding international singer-actors from the UK Premiere cast. With its soaring musical score, including sensitive lyrics and dialogue, the musical invites audiences to live alongside the Dashwood Sisters, their colourful family, friends, and even enemies, where people rarely say what they mean, and passions, hidden by society, are realised in song. romanbaths.co.uk
14-23 September
n Gainsborough Bath Spa, BA1 1QY
Enjoy a Georgian-themed afternoon tea in the elegant setting of the Canvas Room for the duration of the Jane Austen Festival. Feast on traditional spiced hot chocolate and an array of delicious delicacies fit for a certain famous Georgian author; it’s the perfect way to refresh yourself after a hard day’s promenading. These themed afternoon teas are limited, and booking is highly recommended. gainsboroughbathspa.co.uk
15-21 September
n National Trust Prior Park Landscape Gardens, 10am-5pm
Explore the picturesque 18th century garden, with its winding paths, hidden features, and views over Bath. Capture an image in your Regency best on the Palladian Bridge, one of the city’s most iconic sites. Find scripts to help you act out a scene from the novels or learn more about gardens in the era. Regency dress is encouraged. nationaltrust.org.uk
16 September, 4pm-5pm n Online
Jane Austen’s Bath was a city of spectacle, sociability, and surprising diversity. This talk, with Dr. Tim Moore, Bath Assembly Rooms curator, offered by the Jane Austen Festival, explores the vibrant world of Georgian Bath and the radical inclusivity of its world-famous assemblies. From fashionable elites to crossdressing non-conformists, and from plantation owners to abolitionists and people of colour, discover the melting pot of identity that made up Georgian Bath, and how it shaped the world that Austen knew and wrote about. brlsi.org.
20-21 September
n Old Theatre Royal, BA1 1JU
Adrian Lukis, who starred in the renowned BBC TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, returns to the role of Mr Wickham following acclaimed, sell-out runs in London and New York. Join Pride and Prejudice’s most roguish gentleman, George Wickham, on the eve of his 60th birthday, to lift the sheets on what exactly happened 30 years on from where we left him… And discover his own version of some very famous literary events. bathboxofice.org.uk
Actor Adrian Lukis talks with journalist Ali Vowles about fame, fortune, tights, and the joy of a career that’s taken him from Bath cafés to Hollywood film sets ahead of his performance of his one‐man show Being Mr Wickham at the Old Theatre Royal.
Adrian Lukis has one of those recognisable faces. You’ll have seen him scores of times on TV, in the cinema and on the stage but sometimes people struggle to put a name to the face - and he tells me he couldn’t be happier about that.
We were chatting about his one man show, Being Mr Wickham, which is on in Bath this month as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the birth of Jane Austen.
Adrian’s CV covers everything from the BBC’s unforgettable Pride and Prejudice, Poldark and The Crown to SAS Rogue Heroes, Anatomy of a Scandal, Peak Practice, and the Bristol-based The Outlaws. He’s filming in the States after his theatre tour finishes and is currently doing a remake of Kind Hearts and Coronets with the actor, Glen Powell. He’s also just filmed two episodes of The Marlow Murder Club. As he says, life is busy.
“I can honestly say that I’m glad that I’ve never had the level of fame of someone like Brad Pitt or George Clooney. You know if people like them go into a pub, they’ve got about 10 minutes before they have to leave. My ‘fame’ came playing Mr Wickham in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice - he was a big character and it was a huge series. But I’m lucky - when the heat dies down so does the recognition! I live a lovely life and still see my old mates - I’m very lucky.”
Adrian was brought up in Adelaide where his father, who was in the Royal Marines had been posted. When he was nine, the family moved back to the UK, settling in the village of Steeple Ashton near Trowbridge. Aged 18 he moved to Bath to find work. He describes the city in the mid 1970s as being a real mix of the posh and young revolutionaries, an alternative scene with lots of anarchic street theatre and art in Walcot Street.
For a year he worked as a waiter in Parsenn Sally, the legendary cafe on Milsom Street.
“You never knew who you might meet. It was frequented by Roddy Llewellyn, who was seeing Princess Margaret. It was a very, very, very posh crowd. I saw all life there. Once, staff were told to wear medieval costumes. Imagine me in tights - 18 with long hair - handing out some hash cakes to all the guests arriving in limos with their friends from London. I even got advice from Peter Gabriel, who was a customer, about whether I should accept a too-good-to-be-true record deal for a band I was in with my mates. I was so in awe of him being in Genesis I could hardly speak! That year is definitely something I want to write about in my memoirs.”
Next came university and following a childhood love of acting in school productions, he studied drama.
“From then on, all I wanted to do was act and write. What I loved about plays and the theatre was how they took apart human behaviour.”
He joined a theatre company touring schools and loved it.
“I remember opening my first pay cheque and just thinking ‘I can’t believe I’m being paid to act’.”
He worked in Rep at various theatres and after several auditions got a big break on television with a new 13-part Granada TV series called After the War by Frederic Raphael.
“I was playing the lead. I found myself doing interviews with the Daily Mail, huge double page spreads telling me I was going to be a big star! Then Margaret Thatcher made all the independent TV companies compete against each other and the series was dropped, it was viewed as too intellectual to get high ratings. So, I was in this peculiar position of having to go back to square one to try and be a successful actor.”
Despite the initial disappointment, Adrian’s TV and film career took off when he was offered the role of Mr Wickham in Pride and Prejudice, but almost didn’t get the part. He was initially given a smaller role but was then switched to play Mr Wickham.
“None of us knew it was going to be such a huge success. I think we would have all been astonished to see what a cult series it has become.”
When he turned 60 this hard-working actor decided he wanted to fulfil a lifelong ambition to write. He’s often said he loves playing cads because they’re more interesting. So, he decided to write about Jane Austen’s upper-class bounder, Wickham, a few decades on from when we left him married to Lydia in Pride and Prejudice.
“Darcy’s a prig, isn’t he? But then Wickham arrives somewhere and everyone says, ‘Great, let’s get the party started!”
Actor Adrian Lukis
“People always asked me what was it like to play him - he’s such a rotter, such a cad - and I would find myself kind of defending him. Darcy’s a prig, isn’t he? But then Wickham arrives somewhere and everyone says, ‘Great, let’s get the party started! Just don’t expect him to pick up the tab at the end of the evening!”
I thought I’ll write a play around him and directly address the audience - saying this is who I am. He deceives Elizabeth and deceives everybody. He’ll even admit to the odd mistake. But essentially, at the end of the evening, I hope the audience will leave going “what a great guy.”
Having toured the one-man show for over a year he is now writing a novel based on Mr Wickham. But is he particularly looking forward to his shows in Bath?
“Yes! It’s so special to be performing in what was the Old Theatre Royal where Jane Austen actually went to the theatre. Just brilliant! What a tribute to her longevity. And to resurrect what is one of her dissolute bad boys and let him be centre stage - what more could I ask for?” n
Being Mr Wickham is on at the Old Theatre Royal, 20-21 September, 1pm & 5:30pm. Visit oldtheatreroyal.com or bathboxoffice.org.uk
Throughout September
n Green Park Brasserie, BA1 1JB
Soak up live music alongside world-class pizza, cocktails, and craft beer every night, Wednesday through Saturday. Bookings and walk-ups available. greenparkbrasserie.com
Until 4 January 2026
American Museum & Gardens, n Claverton Manor, BA2 7BD
Discover the wonders of space at this fantastic family exhibition, which showcases innovation, collaboration, and the sublime magic of space that ignites awe in all of us. americanmuseum.org
Until 31 October n Museum of Bath at Work, BA1 2RH
This exhibition sheds light on the enthusiasm for tennis in Bath from Georgian times to the present day. A wide range of displays will illustrate the development of the game from Real to Lawn tennis, including unique tennis trophies, early rackets, original costumes, tennis balls, manufacturing equipment, games and toys inspired by the sport, historic photographs, and much more. museumofbath.org
COMBE GROVE METABOLIC HEALTH DAY
8 September, 8am-6:45pm n Combe Grove, BA2 7HS
Let the team at Combe Grove help you reconnect with how good your body can feel. The Health Reset Day is your starting point to prioritise wellness and rebalance your body. It provides valuable insights into your current state of health with an Accuniq body composition analysis, along with HbA1c and lipids blood test, simple tools to implement at home, and personalised strategies to help you make meaningful changes, all within the calm and restorative surroundings of the Combe Grove estate in Bath. combegrove.com
SURROUND SOUND WITH MARK KERMODE AND JENNY NELSON
10 September, 6:45pm n Komedia, BA1 1EP
Join the UK’s favourite film critic, Mark
Kermode, and radio producer Jenny Nelson as they explore the emotional connection between great musical scores and the silver screen audience. Their brilliant new book, Surround Sound, is a fascinating trip down the glorious rabbit hole of film composition. Telling the stories behind iconic soundtracks and sharing some of their personal favourites, Mark and Jenny will reveal how what we hear has an impact on what we see, and they will celebrate the magic that happens when a soundtrack takes on a life of its own. This event will be followed by a book signing, with copies available to purchase on the night. komediabath.co.uk
11 September, 5:45pm
n Gainsborough, BA1 1QY
Enjoy a talk by guest speaker Baroness Thangam Debbonaire. The talk is part of the Gainsborough’s Phenomenal Women series, which invites women from all backgrounds who have achieved recognition and made a significant impact in their field to share their experiences and challenges encountered in their path to success. thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk
11 September
n Landsown Grove Hotel, BA1 5EL
Specialists from Noonans Mayfair will offer free auction valuations with the opportunity to consign to Noonans’ Mayfair auctions. For more details email jewellery@noonans.co.uk
12 September, 2:30pm-5pm n 14 Margaret’s Buildings, BA1 2LP
Perfect for anyone who would like to try their hand at making their own personal fragrance, these informative and engaging workshops teach you how to design and blend. Come on your own or enjoy some creative time with a friend or partner. At the end of the session, your perfume will be presented in a stylish 50ml bottle with a label and atomiser. For further information, additional workshop options, including private workshop options, and to book contact info@parterrefragrances.com or call 03301 332132. parterrefragrances.com/perfumeworkshops-experiences
A COUNTRY MUSIC SONGBOOK
12 September, 8pm
n Chapel Arts Centre, BA1 1QR
A brand new, unique tribute to country music, A Country Music Songbook is a potted history and celebration of the genre and a respectful tip of the hat to some of its artists, songwriters and innovators. This exceptional production immerses audiences in the rich tapestry of country music, showcasing its diverse history and heritage through a carefully chosen collection of songs and tasteful projected imagery. chapelarts.org
BATH FILM SOCIETY
12 &26 September, 7:30pm n BRLSI, BA1 2HN
The Bath Film Society opens its 2025/2026 season, offering thought-provoking films, much-loved classics, and award-winning documentaries every second Friday starting 12 September. Kicking off the season is Blackbird, Blackbird Blackberry (Georgia), followed by Missing (USA). Members are invited to meet ahead of the film, at 7pm, for a glass of wine at a nominal price. bathfilmsociety. org.uk
FORCHIR ESTATE WINE DINNER
17 September, 7:30pm n La Terra Bath, BA1 2JL
Enjoy an exclusive four-course meal and matching wine flight to accompany each course designed around the Forchir Estate in Friuli, now in its fourth generation. The current winemaker, Gianfranco Bianchini, takes a lot of pride in his native region and treats land with the respect it deserves. Bianchini seeks to make every wine, "an
BATH & COUNTY CLUB
Join the Bath & County Club as a member and you and your guests will enjoy a relaxed, friendly ambiance and the opportunity to meet, eat, and drink in the centre of Bath bathandcountyclub.com
Tald: Iranian Minefields, the CIA and the Royal Yacht
Thursday 4 September, 10.30am for 11am. Coffee and pastries served.
Battle of Britain Dinner
Friday, 12 September, 6.30am for 7pm. Three-course dinner, dress code black tie. Speaker - Group Captain Ralph Ashenhurst (retired).
Sunday Carvery
14 & 28 September, 12.30am for 1pm. Choice of two succulent meats and four veg, plus dessert and coffee/mint.
Talk: Georgia O’Keeffe - Mother of USA Modernism 16 September, 6am for 6.30pm Two-course supper plus coffee to follow.
Talk: Tommy Pearson, A Life in MusicOn Air and On Stage 26 September, 6am for 6:30pm Two-course supper to follow.
Quiz Night with Amanda and Kate 30 September, 6am for 6.30pm. Two-course supper and coffee to follow.
Please book with Kate by calling 01225 310326. Rooms are available for hire.
Event venue: Queens Parade, Bath BA1 2NJ. Booking essential, email secretary@bathandcountyclub.com
expression of that unique interaction between land, microclimate and vine, which leaves no doubt as to where it comes from: Friuli." They have just completed a stunning, state-of-theart winery that is completely carbon neutral; geothermal boilers and photovoltaic installations provide enough energy to make the Forchir winery self-sufficient. laterra.co.uk
18 September, 2:30pm n APEX Hotel, BA1 2DA
Come along and join Marie and her team in Bath, when they welcome Chris from Wendy Wu Tours. The award-winning touring specialist offers extraordinary tours to Japan, China, the Far East, Southeast Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Central Asia, South America and Europe. With a commitment to taking care of all details such as flights, visas, and meals. Why not join us to find out more. Availability is limited. Reserve your space by calling 01225 486 800 or email bath@milesmorgantravel.co.uk
20 September, 2-6pm n Castle Combe Circuit, SN14 7EY
Following a very successful first year at the Autumn Classic in 2024, Dore & Rees is delighted to be returning to Castle Combe in 2025. In addition to a packed schedule of racing over the weekend, Dore & Rees will be auctioning a selection of classic, performance, and competition cars, in addition to related memorabilia. nick.wells@doreandrees.com
20 September, 10am
n The Dojo, BA1 5AX
If you'd like to reconnect with your pelvis in a way that feels more like coming home to your body and less like adding tension and more stuff to your to-do list - this retreat is for you. A nervous system-friendly approach that's perfect for postpartum or in perimenopause and recognises you as a whole person, living in the stressed-out modern world. If you've lost the playful part of your relationship to your core, you are not alone. You are welcome to join at whatever stage you're at, although you may benefit more if you're past 4-6 months postpartum. The retreat takes place during the Autumn Equinox - perfect timing for bringing balance to your body and life. emiliejoyrowell.com
21 September, 10am-3pm
n Green Park Station, BA1 1JB
Visit Bath’s most popular contemporary makers’ market, nestled beneath the stunning glass roof of Green Park Station. The main floor will be bustling with creativity, a kaleidoscope of local independent artists, designers, and makers showcasing their finest work. From up-and-coming talents to established artisans, each stall promises highquality artwork, handcrafted treasures, and unique products. greenparkstation.co.uk
24 September, 7:30pm
n Bath Abbey, BA1 1LT
The powerful and poignant Strength in Style fashion show returns – this time in the breath-taking setting of Bath Abbey. This inspiring evening will bring fashion, community, and compassion together under one iconic roof. The show is a celebration of resilience, shining a spotlight on models who have all been affected by cancer or lifelimiting illness. The event will raise vital funds and awareness for three incredible local charities: Dorothy House Hospice, Children’s Hospice South West, and We Get It – a community-led cancer support group. strengthinstyle.co.uk
25 September, 10:30am n Frome, BA11 1PU
Bringing high-quality antiques and exceptional expertise right to Bath’s doorstep, Dore & Rees’s team, which counts the highest number of BBC Antiques Road
Show specialists of any UK auction house, presents its Asian Art Auction. doreandrees.com.
27 September, 7:30pm
n Ashton Gate Stadium, BS3 2LQ
Join record-breaking, legendary football manager Neil Warnock as he steps into the spotlight to recount a career like no other. Special guests include former players and colleagues, and there will be an opportunity to ask your own questions. Don’t miss a unique evening of chat and entertainment in the company of one of football’s biggest characters. ashtongatestadium.co.uk/events
The Cookery Studio, is now taking bookings for corporate events, hen parties and birthday celebrations. The studio; based in Milsom Place at the centre of Bath, offers cooking experiences for up to 14 people. Choose from a range, including street food sessions, baking masterclasses and seasonal specialties, your event requirements can be catered for to create the perfect cookery experience.
For more information contact hello@thecookery-studio.co.uk, or check out the website for further information including upcoming public workshops www.thecookery-studio.co.uk
The Holburne Museum offers a varied selection of events throughout the year. Here are some highlights for September.
Needlework class
September 12, 10am-4pm
Create a beautiful silk-shaded floral wreath design. During the day, you will also have an opportunity to view some of the Holburne’s magnificent embroidered objects and visit their upcoming exhibition, Illustrating Austen. The class will be led by Royal School of Needlework tutor, Sarah Smith.
Sense and Sensibility film screening
September 13, 8pm-10pm
Enjoy a screening of the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility, starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, in the refined surroundings of the Holburne Museum, in partnership with FilmBath. Ticket price includes entry into the museum’s Illustrating Austen exhibition from 7pm.
Emma film screening
September 13, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Enjoy a screening of the 90s classic Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, one of Jane Austen’s most beloved novels. Screened in partnership with FilmBath, the ticket price includes access to the museum’s Illustrating Austen exhibition from 4:30pm. holburne.org/events
YOGA IN THE CHAPEL
28 September, 10am-12pm
n The Gainsborough, BA1 1QY
This two-hour yoga workshop is suitable for all abilities. Led by expert teachers Bex and Lana. Combining their teachings and experience, Bex and Lana offer a fully rounded session, starting with QiGong and Breath, followed by Yang and Yin style yoga practice, and closing with the beautiful sounds of the crystal bowls and a guided sleep meditation. The two-hour journey will encourage your body and mind to find a state of relaxation, and a greater opportunity to absorb the sounds of the crystal bowls, renowned for their deep healing qualities. eventbrite.co.uk
28 September, registration from 9am n Bath Cats and Dogs Home, BA2 7AZ
Join Bath Cats and Dogs Home for their Wag Walk, one of the biggest annual dog walks in Bath. The challenge welcomes all dogs and their owners, as well as their friends and families. More than 100 dogs took part in the last Wag Walk. The walk starts from the rescue centre in Claverton with a choice of two walking routes (2-mile and 5-mile). There will be snacks, water stations, stalls, and doggy activities. All dogs who take part will receive a stylish ‘Wag Walk’ doggie bandana to wear on the walk and take home as a memento of the day. You must register for the event, and all doggie entrants will receive a fundraising pack via email. bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk
8 October, 7:30pm n Guildhall, BA1 5AW
The Bath Young Musician of the Year takes place in the impressive setting of the Banqueting Room in Bath’s historic Guildhall. Once again, a group of talented young local musicians promises an evening of outstanding performances. This prestigious annual event is always a muchanticipated part of Bath’s musical scene, and the Mid-Somerset Festival takes great pride in knowing that many competitors over the years have gone on to enjoy successful musical careers. The young performers taking part are Gavin Phelps, piano; Jacob Wells-Luttrell, guitar; Ruth Williams, soprano; Matthew Wise, saxophone; and Lucas Wong, oboe. bathboxoffice.org.uk
2 October, 6:45 arrival n Lucknampark, SN14 8AZ
Enjoy a refined five-course seasonal dinner and celebrate the heritage, elegance, and craftsmanship of the family-owned Champagne house of J. Pérard. The dinner will be hosted by representatives from J. Pérard and Fine Wines Direct, in the luxurious surroundings of Restaurant Hywel Jones. lucknampark.co.uk
U3A: The Memorised Poem
2 October, 10:30am-12pm n The Pavilion, North Parade, BA2 4EU
Enjoy a talk by author Catherine Robson. The U3A hosts monthly talks, usually on the first Thursday of every month. u3ainbath.uk
8-11 October, 7:30pm n The Rondo Theatre, BA1 6RT Zurich, 1917. Henry Carr plays Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, then sues the company's business manager, James Joyce. Meanwhile, Lenin is trying to return to Russia, and Romanian poet Tristan Tzara is starting the Dada anti-art movement. Those are the historical facts. The rest is Travesties, which spins the elderly Carr's unreliable memories into a breathless, hilarious tale of love, art, revolution, and espionage. With a plot borrowed from Wilde's classic comedy plus the liberal sampling of multiple theatrical and literary sources along the way, it's an erudite and very funny dramatic mash-up, and a lesser-spotted Stoppard gem. rondotheatre.co.uk
Actor Alison Campbell stars in a bold new production of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, in association with Live Wire and RoughHouse Theatre, blending physical theatre, modern storytelling and a feminist perspective. Emma Clegg talks to Alison about how the messages are relevant for today’s audience, and the challenges of playing multiple characters.
Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontë in 1847, speaks of its own era. The themes of social mobility, women’s limited options and the stark contrast between the wealthy and the impoverished were all central to Victorian society. So how can a new theatre interpretation connect with a contemporary audience? I ask this of Alison Campbell, as she prepares for a new production of Jane Eyre at the Ustinov, Bath from 13-15 October.
Alison defends the book and its relevance today for the way it embraces powerful, universal themes. “The story has endured because of its timeless quality. You have this resilient character, someone who, against the odds, builds the life she deserves. She does that by being brave, staying true to herself, and refusing to settle. There’s real strength in that, and it is why Jane has remained such a compelling figure.
“The novel is entitled Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, so the book is framed as Jane reflecting on her own life. We’ve taken that idea and imagined the central figure as a present-day relative who discovers her ancestor’s old diaries in an attic. As she finds different pages, she begins to piece together the story of what happened. This contemporary character sees the events with the same perspective as the audience, and that allows us to explore the broader themes and content of the original story, without needing to stick rigidly to the detail.”
The show is a new version of a production that Alison worked on 10 years ago, now reinvented with the team of writer and producer Dougie Blaxland, director Shane Morgan and movement director Moira Hunt. “We’re reworking the piece and bringing in some more physical elements, especially as there’s a lot of multi-roling involved – I play around 16 characters! We’re exploring how to represent each one physically on stage, and how to really capture the essence of those characters through voice and movement.”
There are some uncomfortable elements in the story for modern eyes, Alison points out. “There are aspects of Jane Eyre that feel quite jarring when viewed through a contemporary lens. At its heart, it’s a love story, but there are clearly abusive relationships within it.”
One of the most striking examples of this is Mr Rochester keeping his first wife, Bertha, locked in the attic. “That’s deeply disturbing – she is portrayed as both mad and from Jamaica, and is hidden away and
dehumanised. At the time the novel was written, attitudes toward race and mental health were very different, and those issues were either brushed past or framed in ways that feel uncomfortable now.
“We need to find a way to represent that sensitively. We want to hold space for the powerful storytelling and emotion at the core of the book, but also be honest about the unsettling realities within it.”
Despite the social context, the story has a strong argument for women’s rights, says Alison. “What’s so striking is Jane’s reflective nature. Even as she looks back on everything she’s been through – she was mistreated as a child and attended a harsh, oppressive school – she has this clarity about when she’s been wronged, and a strong sense of self-worth. She’s determined to strive for something better, which is part of what made Jane Eyre such a groundbreaking and exciting novel at the time – it had a strong feminist edge.”
Sometimes you tell a story purely with your voice... and sometimes it’s entirely through the body. When you combine the two, you create something special
That sense of equality is central to Jane’s character, says Alison. “When she discovers Rochester is already married, and that his wife is being kept locked in the attic, she leaves him. She doesn’t let herself be swept away by love or trapped by circumstance. At a time when women had very little power or autonomy, Jane stands up for herself again and again.”
In the final part of the book, Jane chooses to return to Rochester, and that is significant. “She comes back on her own terms. By that point, he’s been profoundly changed: Thornfield [the house] has burned down, and he’s been badly injured and lost his sight. It’s almost a kind of poetic justice – both of them have been ‘burned’ by the consequences of his past choices. And yet, when they reunite, it is as equals. It’s not about dependence or submission; it’s about mutual respect and real emotional strength. That gives the story a surprising freshness and emotional power, even today.”
When I speak to Alison, they are still in the initial workshopping stages of the production. “We’ve been exploring who the narrator figure really is – how we might root her in the contemporary world while still honouring the original story. It’s about discovering the style, identifying which parts of the story are essential to tell, and developing our approach to representing the characters. It’s a very open and collaborative process.”
Alison explains that many productions such as Jane Eyre begin life in R&D [research and development] and that there may be several R&D phases before a piece reaches full production. “Each stage allows for new discoveries that help shape the final piece. One of the challenges has been figuring out how to represent such a large number of characters on stage with a cast of one, so we’ve been experimenting with storytelling through physicality and learning how to shift between characters effectively.”
As one actor taking on so many roles, the stage choreography, developed with movement director Moira Hunt, will be key. Fortunately Alison has a fair bit of experience taking on multiple characters and highly physical roles, such as voicing audio books and working with The Natural Theatre Company in Bath. The latter included a promotional time-lapse video in 2019 that shows Alison adopting a succession of Natural Theatre characters through quick outfit and makeup changes. For Alison this kind of experience naturally feeds into other theatre projects where movement is more central. “Movement is just another powerful tool for storytelling. Sometimes you tell a story purely with your voice, like I do with audiobooks, and sometimes it’s entirely through the body. But when you combine the two, you can create something really special.”
Alison’s career direction and her love of drama and theatre was strongly influenced by her time at Bath’s Royal High School, where she remembers Mrs Trevethick who taught speech and drama: “She ignited the passion for acting in many students over the years – she was a special one!” Alison also has “a vivid memory of one autumn afternoon in sixth form – we were studying Frankenstein and my English teacher Mr Evans arranged for us to read the transformation chapter at Beckford’s Tower in Lansdown. Reading that dramatic scene inside a Gothic tower was just incredible – it really brought the book to life.”
After a BA in Performance at Bretton Hall in Yorkshire, which was known for its strange, surreal and dark comedic theatre-making, Alison then moved to Bristol and joined a theatre company called Gentleman Jack, made up of other young actors and theatre makers, and then spent ‘a few great years’ with them creating productions of classic texts and Shakespeare, before then joining the Natural Theatre Company.
Alison lives in Bristol and identifies strongly with the south west. “I’m definitely a West Country girl and being close to the countryside is really important to me. I love it down here – the people are friendlier, and there’s such a strong sense of artistry and creativity in Bristol. That spills over into Bath too, which I love. Maybe my career has been a bit slower because I didn’t go to London, but I think I’ve had a much better quality of life living in the south west.”
An award-winning audiobook narrator (with 200 books under her belt) Alison has just returned from working with the Jakop Ahlborn Company in Amsterdam on the internationally touring show, We Don’t Live Here Anymore. Always keen to keep honing her craft – “Longevity in this field means constant learning, workshops and finding new inspiration” – she is now finishing a Screen Acting MA at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and refers proudly to her portfolio career; “I do voice acting, theatre, screen work, comedy, cabaret... I love juggling different styles because each one comes with its own challenges, which keeps it exciting and helps me stay engaged.”
A quote used earlier seems to embody Alison Campbell just as much as Jane Eyre – “[Jane is] … someone who, against the odds, builds the life she deserves. She does that by being brave, staying true to herself and refusing to settle.”
Book tickets for Jane Eyre at the Ustinov, Bath and discover Alison settling into 16 different characters.
Jane Eyre: an autobiography, 13–15 October, The Ustinov Studio, Bath; theatreroyal.org.uk
Few contemporary writers have left as profound a mark on British literature as Ian McEwan. Ahead of his visit to Bath this month to discuss his new book, What We Can Know, Melissa Blease interviews the prolific author, discussing his latest novel, advice for budding writers, how he spends his downtime, and the enduring power of storytellng.
Ian McEwan is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest British writers of all time, ranked among the top 20 most powerful people in British culture. His novels (18 to date, 12 of which have been adapted for the big screen) are regularly hailed as literary masterpieces. He’s been the recipient of multiple distinguished awards, prizes, honours and accolades, including a CBE for Services to Literature and an Order of the Companions of Honour: a special award made to individuals who have “made a significant contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government”; indeed, it could be said that the recipient in this instance has made significant contributions to all four areas.
You’d surely forgive me, then, for being a bit daunted (to say the least!) at the prospect of interviewing prominent British novelist and screenwriter Ian McEwan. But would he forgive me for starting off our chat with a blurted, bungled, and rather sycophantic opening question: what’s it like being Ian McEwan?
“I don’t think of myself as being Ian McEwan, even though that’s who I am,” he laughs. “I just think of myself as being incredibly lucky to have been able to live by writing, which I’ve done now for 55 years. It’s a wonderful mental freedom, a great luxury, and a huge privilege. Every day I thank my lucky stars.”
One of the greatest British writers of all time is, it turns out, also an ineffably charming man.
McEwan is talking to me ahead of a visit to Bath on Tuesday, 16 September, when he’ll be discussing his new book, What We Can Know, with Andrew Kelly, founder director of Festival of Ideas. What can we know about the book ahead of the date?
“In some ways it’s quite difficult to describe because it’s so many things,” he says, by way of a sneak preview.
“I suppose it’s a kind of mystery, with a crime at its centre. But it’s also about the difficulties of really knowing others.
“It’s written, in the main, a century in the future, when a scholar is looking back to a famous (fictional) poet of our time. The poet reads a long beautiful poem to his wife on her birthday. He presents it to her as a scroll, the only copy. But no one knows what happened to it.
“Years pass, and more and more people speculate about the poem’s fate; it becomes famous, even though no one but the poet’s wife has read it. Different generations read it as an expression of their different problems, and Britain during the 21st century, certainly has its problems: it’s become an archipelago since a Russian bomb fell in the Atlantic during an exchange of nuclear weapons resulting in cities overwhelmed by multiple tsunamis. But life goes on! And so does the life of an unread poem.”
Welcome to Ian McEwan world, where the very essence of being human (love; relationships; art) are inextricably linked with science (climate change in particular), politics (ditto previous parenthesis) and
the quest for an ethical, liveable global environment for all. But where did the inspiration for What We Can Know in particular come from? “I read and admired a poem, Marston Meadows by John Fuller, and borrowed its form, known as a Corona,” McEwan explains.
“Once I’ve got a novel going, I write until I drop, every day, seven days a week, for as long as it takes.”
Author Ian McEwan
“I admired this poem so much that it never quite left my thoughts, and sooner or later, I found myself writing about a poem like that, that gets lost. Doing that opened up many other issues and ideas about how someone in a hundred years’ time might be writing about our times with envy, looking back on the days when we still had beautiful countryside to enjoy, when there were still footpaths linking our villages, when literature was still alive, and we still did crazy things like flying 2,000 miles for a weekend holiday. We had problems, yes- but they were problems we could have solved, but didn’t.”
Oh, that sounds sad! Or at least wistful, perhaps? “Perhaps. But I think there is a thread of optimism running through this novel. We always find a way of scraping through. If we stop doing that, it will be the end of everything.”
Nature - and politics. McEwan proposes that his earliest novels were “potentially not political,” citing his 1987 novel The Child in Time not only as “his first decent novel” but probably his first “political” work too.
Since then, both Solar (2010) and Machines Like Me (2019) in particular could easily segue into the ‘political motif’ category, with Solar specifically exploring themes around climate change and political inaction.
“It’s difficult to write about climate change as it's such a big subject,” McEwan says. “I chose the route of not writing directly about it this time around but writing about a scholar writing about a poem and then writing about his envy for our times, because his times - future times - are even worse.
“We live between the ghosts of the past and the ghosts of the future, and we know that one day we will be the ghosts of the past too. A big part of What We Can Know is getting the past, the future, and the present to speak to each other so that, by the time the novel ends, the reader feels that they’ve been in three places at once: past,
present, and future - and they’re all equally alive.”
It comes as no surprise, given McEwan’s description of What We Can Know, that the book took three years to write.
“Once I’ve got a novel going, I write until I drop, every day, seven days a week, for as long as it takes,” he says.
If such a routine leaves a lot of time off in lieu to make full use of when the final edits are done and dusted, how does he spend his downtime?
“I love hiking!” he says. “I play tennis as far as my knees will allow it, and yesterday I played cricket on the front lawn with my granddaughters, which was great fun. But hanging around with friends at the kitchen table drinking wine and eating supper is one of the greatest pleasures of my life; I put that ahead of going to the theatre, which I also love.”
But I can’t help wondering if, despite his protestations to the contrary in response to my opening question, does the reputation of “being Ian McEwan” ever impact on the day-to-day life of the person behind the persona?
“Well, let me tell you this,” he muses. “Just the other day, my daughterin-law sent me a picture of one of my young granddaughters curled up in an armchair in the most inconceivably difficult, uncomfortable position. She was reading The Daydreamer, my one and only book for children. And her mother said, she hasn’t spoken to us in hours; she hasn’t moved
from that chair. And I thought, that’s one of the best reviews I’ve ever had.”
Many of us have had days like McEwan’s granddaughter: locked up with one of his books, racing to the denouement but somehow wanting to delay the journey to the final full stop. Might he have any advice to offer fledgling authors who dream of being even close to creating that Ian McEwan enchantment?
“My main advice, especially for young writers is, if they’re going to become serious writers, they must spend at least two or three hours a day offline and use that time not necessarily writing but treating their minds like a garden to be investigated, and taking a stroll down through it. Take a deep breath, look around you, and be grateful that you even exist - you, a brilliant, amazing matter of efficient consciousness. It’s quite purifying to do that. Of course, you can go back to the internet; it, too, is a wonderful thing, a blessing as well as a curse. But make yourself your own island. You have to do that. We all have to do that.”
And if you need to take one book to take to that island with you, take one written by one of the greatest British writers of all time: mental freedom, luxury, and a privilege to read, on every page. n
An Evening with Ian McEwan for What We Can Know: Tuesday 16 September, Bath Pavilion (courtesy of Toppings Booksellers). toppingbooks.co.uk/events/bath
The annual Bath Children’s Literature Festival returns this month welcoming friends old and new and bringing the magic of books to life. The festival, which last year saw in excess of 16,000 visitors, is all about having fun, reading for pleasure, meeting the creators of children’s literary heroes, seeing illustrations come to life and sparking the imagination.
This year’s festival kicks-off on Friday, 26 September and runs until Sunday 5 October, bringing some of the biggest and best loved names in the world of children’s books to Bath.
The line-up includes Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, festival favourites Liz Pichon, Rob Biddulph, and Cressida Cowell, and a series of free festival events for all the family.
“There’s something truly magical about a children’s book festival. It’s one of the few places where young readers can step right into the world of the stories they love alongside the people who created them.”
Illustrator and author Rob Biddulph
Some of the highlights this year include:
PARTY AT THE MUSEUM
Friday 26 September, 5pm-9pm n Holburne Museum
You’re invited to join the festival’s opener, Party at the Museum: Up Late at the Holburne Museum! This free event features favourite children’s book characters, Pokemon fun, art sessions, and the Unicorn Academy Nail Bar.
ROSE AYLING-ELLIS
Saturday 27 September, 4pm-4:45pm n Guildhall
Join the Bafta-winning actor Rose AylingEllis to hear about her book Marvellous
Messages. Rose will share her inspirational heroes and talk about her career, from her early love of acting, to being the first deaf presenter of the Paralympics. There will be the chance for the audience to learn some British Sign Language and a special quiz too.
Saturday 27 September, 2pm-2:45pm n Guildhall
Festival favourite and bestselling and multi award-winning author and illustrator, Rob Biddulph, brings a fun-packed event for all the family. Rob, the creative star behind the viral and phenomenal #DrawWithRob videos, will bring to life his award-winning books and everyone will learn how to draw some of his amazing illustrations. Paper and pencils at the ready!
CRESSIDA COWELL HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON SCHOOL
Saturday, 27 September, 10am-11am n Bath Forum
Hot on the heels of the new big screen version of How To Train Your Dragon, the OG dragon wrangler herself, illustrator and author Cressida Cowell, will be bringing us more brilliant tales, with How To Train Your Dragon School and a sneak preview of her next book.
PAMELA BUTCHART
Sunday, 28 September, 2pm-2:45pm n Guildhall
Blue Peter award-winning author, Pamela Butchart, whose hilarious stories about teachers and pupils are so popular in primary schools, will be bringing us two new books, My Teacher is a Diamond Thief, and Diary of a Future Billionaire. Expect lots of fun, laughter, crisps and seriously silly stories.
RAP WITH MC GRAMMAR
Saturday, 4 October, 12:30-1:15pm n Guildhall
Award-winning teacher, Sky Kids superstar, World Book Day ambassador and viral book-rapping sensation MC Grammar will be in Bath to introduce his latest book, The Adventures of Rap Kid: The G.O.A.T. So grab your bling and shades and make your way to this epic event packed with jokes, bangin’ tunes, wicked rhythms, a sick rap battle, and the greatest dance-off of all time.
Visit bathfestivals.org.uk for more details.
• The Circus is a circular arrangement of Georgian townhouses designed by architect John Wood the Elder. Inspired by classical architecture and his belief that Bath was a Druidic centre, Wood modelled its 97-metre diameter on Stonehenge. He died shortly after construction began in 1754, and his son, John Wood the Younger, completed it by 1768.
• The Circus is divided into three equal curved segments with entrances between them, ensuring that anyone entering always faces a grand classical façade. The design exemplifies Palladian architecture, blending symmetry with historical inspiration.
• Each of the three storeys features a different classical column order: Doric on the ground floor, Roman/Composite on the first and
One of a series of illustrations by Andy Goodman for The Bath Magazine – buy a print of the artwork at fivebargatestore.myshopify.com
Corinthian on the top. The Doric frieze displays 525 unique symbols, including serpents, nautical motifs, artistic emblems and Masonic symbols, adding layers of meaning and detail.
• The Circus originally covered a water reservoir but was landscaped into a garden by 1800. Today it features a central green space with five mature plane trees, dating from around 1820, contributing to the site’s peaceful ambiance and historical listing.
• Notable figures such as painter Thomas Gainsborough (at No. 17) and Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton (at No. 15) once lived there. The Circus remains a cultural and architectural icon, even surviving damage during the 1942 Bath Blitz, with affected houses carefully reconstructed.
Meet some of the artists who bring stories alive and who will be appearing at Bath Children’s Literature Festival.
Iconic images from children’s books shape the way we see stories and characters. From Winnie the Pooh drawn by EH Shepard, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by John Tenniel, The Very Hungry Caterpillar created by Eric Carle, right through to the horned and big clawed Gruffalo created for Julia Donaldson by Axel Scheffler, each has a place in childhood memories.
Every year young fans come to Bath Children’s Literature Festival to see their favourite authors and illustrators in action. Without the pen and imagination of artist Cressida Cowell, those incredible creatures of How to Train Your Dragon would never have taken flight. But the onetime Children’s Laureate admits that when she was a child her pages were full of splodges and wobbly writing.
When Cressida was a school girl she was known as Messy Cressy for the state of her school notebooks. She says: “Then one day my Year 3 teacher gave me a notebook and said it was for her ideas, which mattered, not the spelling and the untidy writing. And now I think every kid should be given a notebook to draw and write in, one that’s not marked, but allows them to tell stories and draw pictures.”
Rob Biddulph is a successful illustrator and author, crowned Illustrator of the Year at the British Book Awards. His bestsellers include Blown Away, Odd Dog Out and I Follow the Fox. His new book is When I Grow Up I’d Like To Be and when he performs at his shows for the festival he always includes a draw-along section for the audience to take part.
During lockdown Rob launched his live #DrawWithRob online art classes, which proved a huge hit with families. In 2020 he broke the Guinness World Record for the largest ever online art class, with 45,611 households taking part.
Meet the illustrators
There will be five illustrators in residence at Waterstones in Milsom Street during the festival.
Paddy Donnelly
Paddy Donnelly author of Badger’s Book, will be hosting storytime and fun activities on Saturday 27 September. Paddy was working as a digital designer, frustrated about the temporary nature of his work before he launched his career as a children’s book illustrator.
“I decided to try and get into picture books in order to make something 'real.’ I started off by illustrating for other authors, and a year or two later I began to write a few of my own stories. I've published 27 books so far, and I absolutely love it! If I could travel back in time and tell little six-year-old Paddy that he now gets to draw dinosaurs for a living, it would blow his mind.
“I'm working on a variety of super-secret picture books, that I can't tell you about. However, I can tell you that 2026 is going to be a very busy year when it comes to publication days, so stay tuned!”
Angie Morgan
Angie Morgan, author of laugh out loud picture books, is busy preparing to entertain her young audience in Waterstones on Sunday 28 September.
“I will be showing children how to draw different expressions on faces (very easy and so important) and will also be reading aloud from my two newest books – I Really REALLY Don’t like Parties and It’s Really REALLY Not Fair. I will have black and white versions of some of the spreads from the books for the children to colour in and take home. I will also have some figures from the stories to colour in for the children to cut out and stick onto sticks so they can help the readings go with some audience participation!”
Conor Busuttil
Illustrator Conor Busuttil has asked his fans what they’d like to learn to draw during his stint at Waterstones on Saturday 4 October.
“As voted for on my socials, we will be learning to draw . . . dragons. They are one of my favourite things to draw and something I am sure any little creatives that come along will be able to draw too by the end. Hopefully you can create something extra special to take home.”
Conor wanted to be an artist from a very young age, filling his school notebooks with drawings, he said: “My advice to any budding artists or illustrators is to keep a sketchbook - I would look at things growing up and just love the shape or way something simply was - which without drawing, would simply niggle at my head until I got it down on paper. It was by drawing those random bits and bobs I would practice.”
Look out for Conor’s artwork depicting the festival’s mascot dog, Gatsby on shop windows around Bath leading up to and during the festival.
Petr Horáček
Czech born artist Petr Horáček will be entertaining children with drawing activities and storytelling during his afternoon at Waterstones on Sunday 5 October. He moved to the UK in 1994 after being involved in the Velvet Revolution which overthrew the communist government.
Petr has published several picture books for children, including Blue Monster and in 2001 won the Books for Children best newcomer award
He said: “This month I have two books being published. The first one is Green Hippo and it’s about how it is to be different, how to be accepted by others and mainly how to accept the way you are yourself. It’s probably the most colourful book I have done so far. The second book is called The Long Walk. It was first published several years ago by some friends in the Czech Republic. The book is about a garden gnome and his life story. Working on the book was great fun and I’m really excited that it’s now going to be published here in England.
Huw Aaron
Huw Aaron’s new book, The Unfairies, is the first graphic novel to be awarded Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month. He’ll be talking about his eccentric little characters in fairyland and inspiring young people to create their own graphic novels at an event at the festival on Saturday 27 September.
How did Huw get into the world of illustrating? “I’ve always loved drawing cartoons and making up silly stories. But I never really thought it was something you could do as a proper job. I tried out various other careers, and was generally pretty rubbish at them, but still doodled and drew compulsively. My wife suggested I try selling some of my cartoons, and, to my surprise, people liked them.
“I started with magazine joke cartoons, and eventually realised: if you string enough silly cartoons together, you’ve got yourself a book. Once I jumped into making kids' books, I knew I'd found the place I was supposed to fit.”
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the publication of much-loved picture book, The Lion Inside, a special puppet show will re-tell the story of the little mouse and the lion.
And there will be live appearances of two other instantly recognisable characters, The Gruffalo and Bluey at other events during the festival. n
Tickets from bathfestivals.org.uk/childrens-literature/whats-on/
The Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution is hosting a year‐long programme of talks and events that will explore the many joys, revelations, and broader cultural legacy of the Renaissance, a movement that is still making waves in the 21st century.
Renaissance: Journeys of Discovery will explore how the Renaissance transformed the worlds of art, literature, technology, science, politics, philosophy, cartography, theatre, printing, fashion, and exploration. The Renaissance was a European cultural movement that marked the gradual transition from the Middle Ages to modernity, characterised by significant cultural, artistic, political, and economic changes.
This great “rebirth” saw advances in ideas from the classical world as a result of migration from the Ottoman-controlled East, and the Republic of Florence became the flourishing centre for the new movement. It was there that Giorgio Vasari, arguably the world’s first art critic and progenitor of its burgeoning art scene, in his Lives of the Artists coined the notion of ‘rinascita’, meaning rebirth.
BRLSI’s exciting new series covers the years 1350 to 1650, encompassing the period from the early Renaissance in Florence to the end of the religious wars in Europe, and places its focus on the notion of multiple ‘Renaissances’, exploring the broader global picture beyond Italy, while investigating how the Renaissance had its roots in the classical texts and ideas that came in as a result of migration.
“Renaissance: Journeys of Discovery not only considers the full geographical scope of the Renaissance, but explores too its wider political ramifications, particularly regarding the newfound expansionism that took hold in a bid to find new trade routes,” says Andreas Wasmuht, the convenor of the Renaissance Series.
“The series investigates the full extent of humanism at home and barbarism abroad while considering how the global manifestations of the Renaissance were intrinsically linked to the new age of scientific and technological advancement.”
Kicking off the series will be keynote speaker, Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones.
“Jonathan will provide a comprehensive overview of the Renaissance and an assessment of its importance in ‘Earthly Delights’, asking if the
Renaissance really marks the seismic change in European thinking we think it does,” explains Andreas.
“He will then lead us on a magical mystery tour of Europe in the 16th and 17th Centuries, introducing us along the way to the likes of Da Vinci, Bosch, Bruegel, Titian, Michelangelo, and Durer.”
Later, in BRLSI’s year-long programme, The New Statesman’s John Gray will examine the philosophical impacts of the period, and more than 30 first-rate speakers will explore an epoch that led to a world of discovery people are still engaging with today. n
The programme runs from September 2025 to June 2026 at BRLSI, 16 Queen Square. Talks can also be livestreamed. Tickets are £4 for BRLSI members and £8 for non-members. Visit brlsi.org/renaissance for more details.
Combe Down Art Trail, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, 10am-4pm
The Combe Down Art Trail returns, celebrating local creativity across over 20 venues in this charming part of Bath. Over 40 artists will exhibit a vibrant mix of painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, photography, jewellery, and more. Venues range from private homes and studios to public spaces like the Peggy Dodd Centre, The Hub at Mulberry Park, Bath Jewish Burial Ground, and the Museum of Bath Stone. New this year is a curated “Snapshot of the Trail” exhibition at the Museum of Bath Stone, showcasing work from every artist – a perfect starting point. Local nurseries, schools, and toddler groups also add a joyful splash of young talent. Whether you're an art lover or simply curious, the trail offers inspiration, conversation, and a true taste of Bath’s creative spirit. cdarttrail.com
Blue Art Exhibition 3 - 25 September. Bath Central Library, The Podium, Northgate Street, Bath
This collaborative exhibition features works by Laura Bridges, Mary Caron-Courtney and Julia McDonald who share a passion for exploring creativity through surface texture, pattern, mark-making and the interplay of colour across different materials and techniques. With original paintings, cyanotype prints, textiles and 3D pieces, the exhibition celebrates each artist’s love of the colour blue through their individual work
HUGHES. THOMAS. SMITH 10 – 30 September
Sandra Higgins Art, Unit 11, 41 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DN
Three British artists, Patrick Hughes, Steve Thomas and Donald Smith with three unique styles, creating one dynamic exhibition where illusion, rhythm and colour meet in dialogue. From Hughes’ playful illusions to Thomas’ rhythmic structures and Smith’s explorations of colour and form, this exhibition will highlight the contrasts that define their practices and the surprising connections which unite them. Open Tues–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun11am–4pm. sandrahiggins.art
13th September - 25th October
The Lost Spells: Listening to a Landscape of Voices, Until 5 October, Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AT
With over 100 illustrations, this immersive exhibition showcases artworks by Jackie Morris and poems by Robert Macfarlane, from their best-selling book The Lost Spells. A follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Lost Words, The Lost Spells invites readers to conjure up the sights and sounds of the natural world, with original artworks, soundscapes and interactive experiences. There’s a programme of events and activities running alongside the exhibition, and many family activities. The exhibition was created by Northumberland National Park in association with Hamish Hamilton and Penguin Books. victoriagal.org.uk
Sculpting the Earth 19 September – 4 January, 10am–5pm. The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DB
This new exhibition at The Holburne brings together the ceramic works of three women artists of the 20th century: Natalie Bevan, Psiche Hughes and Ann Stokes. Curated by Chris Stephens, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to discover little-known artists’ witty and suggestive approaches to modelling in clay. holburne.org
The Peacock Arts Trail, 4 October – 12 October
The Peacock Arts Trail returns for this week-long invitation into the world of local makers, artists and creatives and craftspeople. Just like a peacock fanning his tremendous multi-colour, this event is a bold display of artistic expression and individuality from just over 80 talented artists. Starting in central Corsham, the trail showcases studio, gallery & joint exhibition spaces, moving out to the charming surrounding locations of Yatton Keynell, Box, Chippenham, Holt, Atworth & Sutton Benger, to name a few. Each venue reveals something beautiful, unexpected and completely unique. peacockartstrail.co.uk
Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair, Sunday 14 September 10am–5pm Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath
by Ben Hughes
Under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station, the award-winning Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair (BCAF) returns after its August break to bring you the best selection of contemporary art – right in the heart of Bath. BCAF is a space where local artists can network, share ideas and display art. Visitors can not only see and admire their work but purchase pieces of fine art as well as photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and so much more. For updates and exhibiting artists visit the website: bcaf.co.uk
Last Days Of Summer
Saturday 13 – 25 October
Gallery Nine, 9B Margaret Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP
Gallery Nine’s Exhibition Last Days Of Summer will showcase beautiful Seaside paintings by Bo Hilton exclusively painted for Gallery Nine and brightly coloured ceramics by Allan Manham. It is the necessity of speed in Bo’s paintings that gives them their energy and vibrancy of that moment in time. People relaxing in a heatwave, the beach packing up to go home, surfers walking by with their boards, Hilton has tried to capture this in this collection of work. Hilton’s seascapes and colour palette are the inspiration for Allan's selection, which are very complementary. This is Allan’s first show since moving to his new studio in the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building on Wandsworth Common. The move, though demanding, has proved inspiring. gallerynine.co.uk
The Batheaston Art Trail Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September, 10.30am-4.30pm
Beaux Arts Autumn Season
Beaux Arts Bath, 12-13 York Street, BA1 1NG 8 September – 4 October
Beaux Arts kick off the autumn season in the gallery with a debut solo show of paintings by Melissa Franklin Sanchez. A graduate of the Florence Academy of Art, Meilssa’s work is held in the collection of the prestigious Accademia della Crusca in Florence. Her work is mainly on copper and brass giving the landscapes, still-lifes and interiors a distinctive warmth and luminosity. The redoubtable Jack Doherty is back at Beaux Arts with another collection of his sought-after soda-fired porcelain. The exhibition opens on 8 September and runs until 4 October. beauxartsbath.co.uk
Batheaston Art Trail celebrates its 5th anniversary this year with over 50 amazing artists, designers and makers opening their studios or exhibiting in 5 shared venues on the last weekend in September. This popular trail includes ceramicists, textile artists, print makers, fine art painters, jewellers, sculptors, photographers, illustrators and many others. With 16 new artists joining the talented regulars, the event will incorporate new venues and some interesting workshops to entertain the whole family. The art trail also celebrates Batheaston's connection with the Suffragette Movement with bunting marking the venues in the signature suffragette colours of green, purple and white. There will also be an exhibition of suffragette memorabilia in one of the venues, St John the Baptist Church. Leaflets with the trail map will be available in local venues leading up to and during the weekend of the trail. Details of the artists, venues, workshops and trail map can be found on the Art Trail’s new website: thebatheastonarttrail.com
The Holburne this month unveils its new Schroder Gallery – a £2‐million space showcasing over 100 Renaissance treasures from the renowned Schroder Collection, including exquisite silver, bronzes, paintings and maiolica, many displayed together for the first time.
The Holburne’s new Schroder Gallery opens this month, a two-million-pound development displaying world-class Renaissance treasures from the Schroder family collection.
The space on the lower ground floor of the museum, designed by Eric Parry Associates with Real Studios, takes inspiration from the great treasury displays of the past. It will house one of the finest private collections of silverware in the country, as well as paintings, bronzes, maiolica and gems. This is the first time that the entire collection of Renaissance objects has been on show.
The display of over 100 pieces of silver in the Schroder Gallery includes some of the greatest masterpieces of the silversmith’s art, such as The Schwarzenberg Nef, a large silver ship; a rare Mechanical Celestial Globe (see opposite); and The Aldobrandini Tazza (from a set of 12 dishes seen as ‘one of the most spectacular groups of 16th-century silver’).
A major part of the collection includes bronze works, which enjoyed a revival in Renaissance Italy. An example from early 17th-century Florence depicts the abduction of Deianeira, wife of Hercules, by the centaur Nessus after Giambologna (1529-1608), the greatest Florentine sculptor of the time. Bronze was ideal for making objects that were both functional and decorative, such as an intricate writing box, bearing the coat of arms of Cardinal della Rovere, attributed to Severo de Ravenna, a well-regarded producer of bronze sculptures in early 16th-century Padua.
The collection also contains masterpieces of 16th-century Italian maiolica, a type of vibrantly coloured, glazed pottery. An Urbino deep circular cistern (1549) is highly decorative, painted in blue, green, yellow, orange, brown and purple. Examples of istoriato dishes, bearing mythical and allegorical themes, include The Mazo Dish painted with the the allegory of the civilising power of Eloquence. An Urbino istoriato circular dish depicts Leda and the Swan, recalling an episode from classical mythology, and possibly the Renaissance inclination to the erotic.
Important paintings from the first half of the 16th century are also hung in the Schroder Gallery, including works by artists such as Lucas Cranach the Elder and Hans Holbein the Elder, and notably Hans Burgkmaier’s important portrait of the great Augsburg banker Jakob Fugger and his wife Sybilla Artzt.
The works are a loan to the Holburne from the Estate of the late British banker Bruno Schroder, by his daughter Leonie and her family. The loan adds an array of world-class works of art to the collection of one of the most respected regional art museums in the country.
Director of the Holburne, Dr Chris Stephens, said: “The Holburne does not have a collection of Renaissance art, so this is an opportunity to open up a new side of the history of art for our visitors. The works in the Schroder Collection are of the highest quality so we can show the extraordinary skills of the craftsmen of the period. In the 15th and 16th
centuries, there were not the same ides of hierarchy in the arts –silversmiths were as skilled and respected as painters, for example – and this allows us to show work covering silver, gems and jewels, paintings, sculpture and ceramics all together.
“Despite all being made in Europe, the objects reflect the powerful global forces already at play in the Renaissance period. Materials used and depicted in the paintings reflect the importance of the trade routes to eastern and southern Asia, Africa and the Americas, with much of the silver having been plundered from South America.”
The collection items are shown to reflect their associations. Chris explains, “The gallery is a concise space so that, even though the different materials are in separate sections they nonetheless all mingle together drawing out the inter-connectedness of the collection.”
Building work on the gallery began in summer 2024 under the direction of Eric Parry RA, the architect responsible for the Holburne’s renowned 2011 modern extension. The work involved converting archive and picture stores on the lower ground floor into a new gallery underneath the extension. As well as a new galler y space with full environmental controls, the redevelopment creates a more generous circulation space in the lower ground floor of the museum, with a new display area for additional works from the Holburne Collection.
The Museum is also opening a new gallery on the first floor. This brings back to public use a space designed as a gallery when the former Sydney Hotel was converted into the Holburne Museum in 1916. Located adjacent to the grand Ballroom overlooking Great Pulteney Street, the new first-floor gallery will house the Schroder family’s collection of 17thcentury painting, mostly Netherlandish but including a major work by Claude Lorraine, the grandfather of the pastoral landscape. Shown on a rotating basis, the Schroder Collection of 17th-century paintings extends and enhances the Holburne’s own collection. n
The Schroder Gallery opens on 10 September. holburne.org
• The Baldewein Mechanical Celestial Globe – brass, silvered copper, iron and brass, Marburg, 1575. It combines a mechanism of extraordinary accuracy with a representation of the heavens.
• The Aldobrandini Tazza – showing Emperor Galba and scenes from his life, from the set of 12 so-called Aldobrandini tazze, ca. 1587–99, Flemish, probably Antwerp.
• The Mazo Dish , Venice and Urbino, 1549 – a major piece of 16th-century Italian maiolica, with an allegory depicting the civilising power of eloquence.
• The Schwarzenberg Nef, c. 1580 – silver, parcel-gilt and cold enamel. Marked Strasbourg, probably for Daniel Fladerer, Germany or Southern Netherlands. Nef refers to a ship-shaped object that symbolised high status; its role was to mark the place of the king or great lord at table.
• Nessus and Deianeira by Giambologna, court sculptor to the Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany and the greatest sculptor of late 16th-century Florence. Early 17th century.
BY CYNTHIA & RON Beau Nash Antiques
odern homes are known for their clean lines, open layouts, and fresh simplicity. But sometimes all that sleekness can feel a little too polished - almost like something is missing. That’s where antiques come in. Layering a few well-chosen antique pieces into a modern home instantly adds warmth, character, and a touch of soul that contemporary furnishings alone can’t always provide.
Antiques and modern furniture may seem like opposites, but that’s exactly why they work so well together. Imagine a richly carved mirror hanging above a minimalist console, or a timeworn wood chest paired with a streamlined sofa. The mix creates contrast, giving each piece room to shine and making the whole space more visually interesting.
Modern design can sometimes lean a little cool, especially with lots of glass, chrome, or white walls. An antique table with a well-loved patina or a vintage rug instantly softens the look. These pieces bring history and texture into the room, making it feel more inviting - and less like a catalog.
One of the best parts about antiques is their individuality. Unlike mass-produced furniture, each piece has its own story, quirks, and charm. Mixing them into a modern home ensures your space feels uniquely yours. A farmhouse dining table or a gilded frame isn’t just décor - it’s a conversation starter and a reflection of your personal style.
The beauty of this mix is that antiques don’t overwhelm modern design—they elevate it. A sleek sofa looks more sophisticated next to an antique trunk, and a simple dining set feels curated when anchored by an old Persian rug. Together, they create a layered look that feels thoughtful, timeless, and effortlessly stylish.
Blending antiques into a modern home isn’t about going backward - it’s about adding depth and meaning. With the right mix, you end up with a home that feels warm, balanced, and full of personality. And if you’re looking for inspiration - or the perfect antique piece to bring character into your modern space - feel free to pop into the shop. We’re always happy to share ideas and help you find something special that complements your home beautifully.
www.beaunashbath.com; info@beaunashbath.com; 07535137808 @beaunashbath
It’s been just over three months since Emberwood, the much‐buzzed‐about newcomer to Bath’s dining scene, opened within the historic Francis Hotel. With expectations running high, the question now is whether this stylish arrival has lived up to the hype, both in the kitchen and beyond. To find out, Joanna Lewis sat down for lunch with Executive Head Chef, David Hazell, and Hotel Manager, Bruce Marques, for a taste of what Emberwood truly brings to the table.
Emberwood needs little introduction, Bath’s latest restaurant with a relaxed British-brasserie vibe. If you’ve been otherwise occupied, the restaurant is part of the Francis Hotel’s multimillion-pound refurbishment, creating a truly spectacular dining destination right in the heart of Bath.
Step through the doors of Emberwood and you know you are in for a real treat; the decor is chic, the staff are attentive, yet equally discreet, and the charcoal-fired hearth in the open-concept kitchen tantalises with a range of delights sizzling away over its fiery hot embers.
The restaurant was conceptulised by passionate restaurateur and managing director of Five Graces Hospitality, Alex Ghalleb. With a prolific 16-year career in successful restaurant launches, his projects include the opening of celebrity hotspot Julie’s in London’s Holland Park and the inimitable Dorian in Notting Hill. The result, says Bruce, is a restaurant that’s “absolutely beautiful.” I couldn’t agree more.
Emberwood is the kind of restaurant that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled upon something special.
“What we’ve tried to create here at Emberwood is a restaurant for the people of Bath,” explains Hotel Manager Bruce.
“That’s our main goal really, trying to create a space that people from Bath know they can pop in, have a really nice light lunch, easy going, great setting, loads of natural light, or they can come and join us for a special occasion and enjoy a lovely feasting meal.”
And, it would seem that the concept is working. “As a band new restaurant, we couldn’t be happier with the start we’ve had so far,” enthuses Bruce.
At the heart of Emberwood lies a commitment to provenance.
“We’re proudly from the South West, and proudly Bath,” says Bruce. “Wherever humanly possible, we like to source things from the South West.”
Ex-dairy Côte de Boeuf, day-boat Cornish hake, sun-ripened Isle of Wight tomatoes, every ingredient has a story at Emberwood. Locally produced ingredients also extend to the drinks’ menu. There’s sparkling wine from Oxford based winery, Hundred Hills, and speciality handblended loose-leaf teas from Bath-based supplier Gillards of Bath.
Those ingredients are transformed into a menu that boasts such delights as crispy Porthilly oysters, oak smoked beef croquettes, chargrilled Isle of Wight peppers, coal roasted Cornish scallops, and a selection of hearty high-quality beef steaks and freshly caught fish, all cooked over the hearth.
Executive Head Chef David brings an illustrious culinary background to Emberwood, formerly of Michelin-starred Paco Tapas and Bristol’s Clifton Lido.
“My background’s all fire,” explains David, “and my experience has always been based around buying the best ingredients and using that smoky flavour to create incredible dishes.”
He explains: “I find charcoal and wood cooking is the quickest way to get from A to B to make a dish spectacular. If you get the right
provenance, the right seasonal ingredient, and the right quality, then you have to do very little to make that ingredient shine. Charcoal cooking adds such a unique element, so many levels of flavour and texture. It gives every ingredient the ability to speak for itself.”
On the subject of Emberwood’s most successful dishes, it’s the whole market fish and heritage kale.
“So, we're doing whole brill, whole turbot, whole monk fish, cooked on the hearth,” David says, explaining that the fish is basted to perfection with a butter made from cured pork fat with rosemary and garlic. “It adds a real umaminess to it, a real meatiness, and you get a little fragrance from the rosemary and the garlic. It really makes it an ideal feasting dish.”
Having enjoyed a selection of dishes – the market fish was hake on my visit - I can confidently say that they are all truly delicious. Kale, not a dish that you would ordinarily sing from the rafters about, is, I can attest, also superb.
“We steam the heritage kale first, and then we char it over the grill,” explains David. The secret, it seems, is in the use of coal oil, made inhouse.
“We create our coal oil from a fresh fruity extra virgin olive oil and infuse that with burning hot coals. It helps to set off the rich charcoal flavours,” David explains.
Getting as much onto the charcoal grill sits at the heart of Emberwood; fruits, vegetables, and, of course, the meats and seafood. Even ingredients that don’t traditionally barbecue well, David and his culinary team have a few tricks up their sleeves to ensure they do.
“If you have an ingredient that won’t sit on the barbecue naturally, you can do a few things to it that will allow it to take that charcoal flavour, whether it’s steaming it, sous viding it, brining it, or soaking it in a sugar syrup,” David says.
It would be remiss not to mention Emberwood’s desserts and signature cocktail offerings, both of which are served from a chic trolley to add an extra layer of theatre.
From the ‘sweet trolley’ there’s tempting delights like 70% dark chocolate and salted caramel cream sponge cake, raspberry and vanilla Charlotte cake with a fresh berry coulis, and petit fours, alongside a selection of desserts on the main à la carte menu.
The ‘martini trolley’, well, you guessed it…it’s filled with everything you need to make a superb selection of mouth-watering martinis table side. The Vesper No.9, made with the aforementioned Hundred Hills sparkling wine, hit the spot. If you’re not a martini drinker, there’s an extensive cocktail menu from the bar, including low and no alcohol, or, of course, Emberwood’s highly trained mixologist team is happy to make a custom cocktail. There is also an extensive selection of fine wines curated by local Master Sommelier, Claire Thevenot. Enjoy at your table, at the restaurant’s convivial bar area, or on the heated outdoor terrace.
Final word….. Emberwood is the kind of restaurant that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled upon something special, with a team dedicated to provenance, service excellence, and the theatre of fire. Bath has no shortage of excellent restaurants, but few manage to marry refined elegance and comfort quite like this. n
Emberwood is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Visit: emberwoodbath.com
Words by Tom Bleathman from The Great Wine Co.
South Africa is renowned for its dramatic landscapes, love of a good Braai, and a rather good rugby team. But, beyond the scenery, food, and sport, the country is also home to over 86,000 hectares of vineyards and a proud tradition of winemaking. Throughout September, The Great Wine Company will have up to 25% off all South African wines, offering you the chance to taste some fantastic wines from the plethora of world-class producers that are in our portfolio. Here are a few of my personal favourites.... | greatwine.co.uk
FROM SPANISH MADE EASY BY OMAR ALLIBHOY (Quadrille, £22), photography Martin Poole
Broad (fava) beans are widely consumed all over Spain. We love to eat them in many ways: in stews, soups and paellas, or even raw and salted as a snack. The tender seeds within the pod are delicious. The younger they are, the better, but obviously the more expensive, too.
Ingredients (serves 4 as a tapa)
• 250g (2 cups) shelled broad (fava) beans (if you find baby broad beans, even better)
• 3½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ onion, finely chopped
• 1 unearthed®, Spanish Smoked Cooking Chorizo Sausage (about 90g/ 3¼oz), chopped
• grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
Crafted by one of my favourite South African winemakers, Thomas Webb, the Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is a refreshing expression of a South African white wine. Zesty citrus and green apple notes are balanced by fresh minerality, making it a perfect partner for seafood, summer salads, or simply sipping on a sunny afternoon.
£15.50 to £12.75
• 5 garlic cloves, skin on, but crushed
• 1 sprig fresh oregano
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• bread, to serve
Produced by the world-renowned winemaker Ken Forrester, the Renegade Shiraz-Grenache 2021 designed to be South Africa’s take on a Southern Rhone Valley blend. With ripe plum, black cherry, and a hint of spice, this wine is both powerful and approachable. The Shiraz brings depth and structure, while the Grenache adds softness and aromatic lift. Ideal for pairing with grilled meats or sitting around an open fire as we approach the autumnal months.
£19.95 to £16.65
Morgenster is an estate which focuses on producing wines using Bordeaux varieties, but with South African charm. Its Cabernet Franc 2022 is a standout example, offering aromas of red berries, herbs, and a touch of graphite. On the palate, it’s silky and layered, with fine tannins and a long, graceful finish. A wine for thoughtful sipping, it pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, lamb, or aged cheeses. If this was French, you’d be paying more than this.
£22 to £17.75
Method
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the beans, bring back to the boil and then cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold running water. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, oregano and chorizo. Sweat for 5 minutes, or until the onion is transparent and soft. Increase the heat to high, add the broad beans and sauté for a couple of minutes.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of water, the lemon zest and juice, season with some salt and pepper and serve with some good bread.
Scents and Sensibility: follow your nose to find the perfect perfume this Autumn. Here’s a look at some evocative new and popular fragrances hitting the shelves in Bath’s top beauty stores.
Designed like an Extrait de Parfum, Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif is a complex and intense ambery-aromatic fragrance with a spellbinding trail. Its woody notes, the emblematic signature of Bleu de Chanel, have been accentuated, lending the scent a warm quality. Leathery, ambery and resinous notes make L’Exclusif the most mysterious of all the Bleu de Chanel fragrances. An indefinable creation that fully unfurls on the skin. 60ml, £158. Purchase online at: chanel.com
This September, Jo Malone London invites you to play with scent layering. Add to the hero scent of English Pear & Sweet Pea and combine with three colognes that transform any fragrance into something uniquely yours: There's an uplifting Grapefruit to start with oran English Oak & Hazelnut for a fresh, stylish edge, and Peony & Blush Suede for cosy, floral warmth. Mix, match and experiment — whether it’s day, night or in between, there’s a perfect pairing to suit every mood and moment. Scent layering set £94.00. For individual prices and options visit the Old Bond Street store in Bath or shop online at jomalone.co.uk
Spritz the skin with Diptyque Do Son Eau De Parfum for a sophisticated and complex aroma from a world-famous French perfumery. This fragrance fuses bold musky tones with exquisite floral notes of tuberose to compose an intricate scent that intoxicates the olfactory sense. 75ml, £160. Find it at SpaceNK, New Bond Street, Bath or buy online at spacenk.com
Choosing from our plethora of perfumes can be difficult. Yet the Portraits library brims with classics; from Lord George to Lady Blanche, Duchess Rose to The Duke, or Constance to William Penhaligon and more… there’s a new scent for everyone to discover and get acquainted with. 10 x 2ml, £40. Find them at the Bath store in New Bond Street or buy online at penhaligons.com
Eau de Parfum
A defiant floral fragrance with unexpected contrasts: rousing green spice converges with herbaceous depths, while resonant Magnolia Leaf finds roots in sumptuous woody notes. 50 ml. £145.00. Aesop, New Bond Street, Bath or explore online at aesop.com
New Online Meditation Course
Sign up for this 5 week online journey in meditation
Beginning Monday, October 20th. Join from anywhere.
A meditation routine can help you to Reduce stress & anxiety
Restore balance & resilience
Improve sleep & focus
Guided by Heidi Lerner Rearden – Certified Meditation Teacher, Reiki Master, Feng Shui & Energy Clearing Expert.
And in addition, these wonderful offerings to support your wellbeing -
Reiki treatments in person at Bath Natural Remedies & Well Bath (by appointment)
Group Reiki & Meditations at Well Bath (Sept 7th, Oct 31st, Nov 29th & Dec 14th)
Reiki Level 1 teaching at Well Bath (Oct 25th)
Weekly Online Meditation Courses (5 weeks, starting Oct 20th)
Feng Shui, Energy Clearing & Decluttering Consultations (by appointment)
NEW PRIVATE DENTIST APPOINTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE
Routine Check Ups
Crowns/Veneers
Hygienist
Appointments
Teeth Whitening
Denture Experts
Free Denture
Consultation @
Services
› Falls prevention and rehabilitation
› General aches and pains
› Pre and post surgery rehabilitation
› Neurological conditions (i.e. stroke)
› Cardiac & pulmonary rehabilitation
› Arthritis and osteoporosis
› Post hospital/illness rehabilitation
Indulge in bespoke treatments designed to reverse summer damage, restore hydration and prepare your skin for the season ahead.
• M3 Matrix anti-ageing & collagen boosting facial
• Microneedling treatments with LED light therapy for skin renewal
• Microdermabrasion facials for deep exfoliation
• WOW facials for ‘the glow’
• Environ Bespoke facials
• IPL Hair reduction & skin rejuvenation treatments
• Semi Permanent Make-up for the natual look
• Advanced anti-ageing treatments including skin tightening treatments by a qualified Doctor
At The Eye Unit (Private Clinic), our highly skilled, compassionate team delivers premium, personalised eye care tailored to enhance your vision and overall quality of life. Our consultants are renowned specialists in their field, offering state-of-the-art treatments designed to meet your individual eye care needs. From innovative cataract surgery to expert management of retinal, glaucoma, and oculoplastic conditions, we are committed to delivering the highest standard of care to improve not just your sight, but your daily life.
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University of Bath student, Nell Dougherty, is set to take alopecia awareness to the Miss Great Britain finals. Joanna Lewis spoke with Nell to learn more about her journey and how she is challenging traditional beauty standards.
When Nell steps onto the Miss Great Britain stage, she hopes to represent the thousands of people across the UK living with alopecia. While beauty queens traditionally showcase long flowing locks, Nell has chosen to empower others to embrace their differences by ditching her wig for the pageant, challenging outdated beauty standards and shining a spotlight on the condition.
Nell’s journey with alopecia began at the age of around 11, when she started to lose patches of hair. When she was 18 and about to sit her Alevels, she lost almost all her hair in a matter of weeks. Now aged 21, she has spent the last three years almost completely bald.
“The experience has certainly challenged my ideas of identity and confidence, but has ultimately led me to the point I am at now, where I refuse to let my changing appearance define me or my self-esteem,” Nell says.
“Having experienced hair loss throughout my life and noticed a significant lack of representation in the media, I wanted to challenge beauty standards, share my story, and empower others with visible differences.”
The modern languages student will compete alongside 40 candidates at the pageant, which is being held at the Athena in Leicester. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary, Miss Great Britain is the longest-running and one of the most prestigious pageants in the UK.
“What makes these diamonds so special is the way they hold a person’s most precious memories in a form that will last forever, a single, sparkling symbol of love, connection, and remembrance,” explains Carly Cooke, brand manager at Wylde Jewellers. “Whether it’s a tribute to a loved one or a celebration of a once-in-a-lifetime moment, each diamond is entirely unique to the person it’s created for.”
Throughout her journey of hair loss, Nell has been supported by the Little Princess Trust, a charity that has provided thousands of wigs to children and young people, free of charge.
“The Little Princess Trust has provided me with invaluable support throughout my journey with alopecia, giving me three beautiful humanhair wigs that helped me rebuild my confidence and sense of identity,” she explains.
“Walking out in front of an audience without a wig will definitely spark some butterflies, but I'm excited nevertheless to use the stage as an opportunity to grow in confidence and shine a light on alopecia.”
Miss Bath Nell Dougherty
Nell says that she is preparing by staying active, practicing stage presence, and working on her public speaking. It’s the first time Nell has entered a pageant, noting that she is experiencing a mix of nerves and excitement.
“Walking out in front of an audience without a wig will definitely spark some butterflies, but I'm excited nevertheless to use the stage as an opportunity to grow in confidence and shine a light on alopecia.”
Supporting her in her efforts is Wylde Jewellers in Bath. The jewellery designer and goldsmith is sponsoring Nell, loaning items of jewellery for her to wear on the night of the pageant, as well as making a striking custom silver headpiece with cubic zirconia stones.
“Wylde has been exceptionally generous and supportive of me in my journey to the finals, and I'm so excited to be able to showcase their stunning hand-made pieces on the stage,” Nell says.
At the centre of the custom headpiece will be a blue lab-grown diamond from Heart In Diamond, a company that Wylde Jewellers has worked with for around 15 years, and is now their official UK designer for bespoke jewellery.
As a firm nod to Nell and her journey with alopecia, the diamond is being grown from organic carbon sourced from Nell and her family’s hair, including her mum, dad, sister, and even the family’s pet dog. For Nell, the diamond will be a deeply personal symbol, transforming something tied to loss into a piece of beauty and strength that she can wear with pride on stage.
Alongside the pageant, Nell is arranging a sponsored chop on 20 September, to further highlight the efforts of the charity, in addition to Cancer Research UK.
“Through my appearance in the pageant, I hope to spotlight alopecia, normalise the condition and challenge our beauty standards. Ultimately, I would just like to be the representation I have looked for and promote awareness for hair loss.”
She adds: “As Bath is a city rich with history, beauty, and community spirit, representing it means carrying that pride with me on stage, showcasing not just its stunning architecture, energy and culture, but also the kindness and support of the people who’ve encouraged me throughout my journey. It’s such a privilege to represent such a special place, which I have grown to adore so much throughout my studies here.”
And, if Nell wins?
“All I could hope to do would be to continue to advocate for alopecia awareness and champion the beauty of those with physical differences on a national level, representing our nation with authenticity and pride.” n
Visit justgiving.com/page/nell-dougherty-1
Bath Festivals has appointed Caroline Ferguson as chief executive of the arts charity, which runs Bath Music Festival, Bath Literature Festival, Bath Children’s Literature Festival and Party in the City. Caroline, who has lived in and near Bath for more than 20 years, joined Bath Festivals earlier this year as Head of Fundraising. Her appointment by Bath Festivals’ Board of Trustees starts a new chapter for the arts charity, which seeks to ‘embrace a younger and wider audience’ as Bath Festivals heads towards its 80th year of promoting live arts events in the city. Visit bathfestivals.org.uk to learn more about the charity’s events.
The Roman Baths has been officially recognised as one of the top attractions in the UK, earning a coveted spot in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice® Awards Best of the Best for 2025. Ranked No. 7 nationally, this places The Roman Baths among the top 1% of attractions worldwide on Tripadvisor. Welcoming around 1 million visitors annually, The Roman Baths is one of the UK’s most iconic historic sites. The Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards are based on reviews and ratings from travellers around the world over a 12-month period, making them a trusted reflection of visitor satisfaction and experience.
People being treated for cancer at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust have praised the hospital for the care and support they have received throughout their treatment. The results of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2024 show a continued year-on-year improvement at the RUH, with the Trust’s overall ‘experience of care’ rising to 9.1 - above the top ‘upper expected’ range. People being treated for cancer at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust have praised the hospital for the care and support they have received throughout their treatment. “This is really positive feedback, and shows that we are making sure the people we care for have the support they need when they need it most, ” says Ros Helps, lead cancer nurse. Visit ruh.nhs.uk
Bath Children’s Literature Festival has launched its Share The Story appeal to give away free books to schoolchildren in the South West. The Share The Story fundraiser for 2025 aims to develop an interest in and a passion for books, fostering a lifelong love of reading. By donating, you can ensure that a child from a state school in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, or Gloucestershire will be given a brand new book by the author they have seen at the festival’s annual Schools Programme. The aim of Share The Story is to raise enough money so that thousands of young readers will be given a book, and no child will be left behind. “There’s something really special about owning a book of your own,” says illustrator and author Rob Biddulph. “Anything that sparks a love of stories and fires up young imaginations gets a big thumbs-up from me." Donate by visiting givengain.com and searching Bath Festivals.
One area that is often misunderstood is the tax implications of investing in cryptoassets. If you think this may apply to you then it is important that you tell HMRC before they contact you.
What are cryptoassets and when might a tax charge arise on them?
Cryptoassets (also referred to as ‘tokens’ or ‘cryptocurrency’, with one example being Bitcoin) are cryptographically secured digital representations of value or contractual rights that can be transferred, stored and traded electronically.
HMRC generally seeks to treat investing in cryptoassets as a non-trading activity giving rise to a chargeable gain on disposal, chargeable to capital gains tax on an individual. The gains are calculated in the same way as a gain on shares, with tokens of the same type being pooled together.
A taxable disposal of a cryptoasset generally takes place when it is:
• sold
• exchanged as a form of payment for good or services
• exchanged for tokens in a different type of cryptoasset
• gifted (subject to usual inter-spousal exemptions)
• donated to charity and the donation is tainted
• disposed of to charity resulting in a gain arising on the disposer
This means that taxable gains on cryptoassets can often arise without disposal proceeds being realised from which tax liabilities can be paid. Such so-called “dry” tax charges can cause financial difficulties so individuals should bear this in mind before undertaking any such transactions.
What should I do if I haven’t declared income or gains on cryptoassets to HMRC? If you need to report income or gains on cryptoassets that relate to the 2024/25 tax year then these should be included on your Tax Return for that year, which will usually be due for submission by 31 January 2026 (which is also the date by which any tax in relation to such income or gains should be paid).
For any income or gains relating to the previous tax year ended 5 April 2024, there is still time to amend a previously submitted Tax Return for that year and you should be able to do this up to 31 January 2026 (although penalties and interest may still be payable).
For any income or gains on cryptoassets relating to earlier tax years, voluntary disclosures should be made to HMRC as soon as possible, to report such historical tax liabilities and to mitigate interest and penalties thereon. If you believe you might have undeclared income or gains in connection with cryptoassets and don’t make a voluntary disclosure before HMRC write to you, you could suffer penalties of up to 100% of the unpaid tax or even face criminal prosecution. Even higher penalties potentially apply to matters involving offshore income or gains.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are concerned that you may have overlooked income or gains arising from these assets, and need to bring your tax affairs up to date. The above is for general guidance only and no action should be taken without obtaining specific advice.
Bath and North East Somerset’s 3rd Sector Group is hosting a volunteer fair aimed at celebrating local volunteering and learning more about local charities and the work they do in supporting people across the area.
The event, now in its third year, will feature displays by some of the 250-plus charity members that 3SG supports, with each stall providing a warm welcome, fun activities, and likely some freebies too! The event will also welcome HM the King’s representative, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, who will officially open the fair at 11am.
Visitors can also enjoy workshops and talks throughout the day. New to the fair this year will be free taster sessions for the soon-to-be-launched Wellbeing Courses in B&NES, which will be available to book on arrival.
Local businesses and charities are also invited to join an afterparty event, from 3.30pm, which will offer an informal networking session with local charities.
The University of Bath is gearing up to host one of the world’s leading sustainability conferences next year, welcoming hundreds of researchers and experts from across the globe.
Bath will host the annual Earth System Governance conference, the world’s largest interdisciplinary research network, advancing knowledge at the interface between global environmental change and governance.
The conference will bring together researchers, policymakers, and civil society partners who study how we respond to big environmental challenges like climate change, pollution, and loss of nature.
More than 500 researchers from around the world are expected to attend the conference. They will share ideas, research, and real-world solutions to help create fairer and more effective ways of tackling global environmental problems.
“We’re proud to bring this important event to Bath,” says Dr Yixian Sun, conference chair from the Department of Social and Policy Sciences at the University of Bath. “It’s a chance to showcase the university’s work on sustainability and to be part of vital global conversations about how we protect our planet.”
Previous conferences have taken place in Toronto, Utrecht, Lund, Canberra, and most recently, Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2025.
ACADEMIC & SPORTS MINDSET SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
For some students, the new term brings confidence and focus. For others, the first few weeks are intense – new teachers, new routines, bigger expectations… and the first signs of stress.
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There is something quietly revolutionary about opening a school on a farm. Not a grand, shiny campus with endless corridors and interactive whiteboards on every wall, but a place where children learn with soil under their fingernails, the seasons as their timetable, and curiosity as their compass. The Universal Farm, opening this September with an initial 3 day offer, until successful Ofsted Registration, is more than a school - it is a learning community built on connection: to nature, to one another, and to ourselves.
Situated in thirty acres of untouched countryside, The Universal Farm takes education back to its roots while preparing children for the future. Here, the classroom stretches across meadows, woodland, and a slow meandering brook. Maths might be measured out in fence posts, literacy explored through storytelling around the firepit, and science discovered in the lifecycle of a frog or the flight of a kestrel. This is not a rejection of academic rigour, but a reframing of it - learning made tangible, purposeful, and alive.
At a time when childhood is increasingly compressed by screens, schedules, and standardised tests, The Universal Farm offers something rare: space. Space to run, to wonder, to collaborate, to fail safely and try again. The curriculum follows the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), but its beating heart is rooted in forest school principles and democratic education. Children are encouraged to question, to contribute ideas, and to see themselves as active participants in their learning journey, often collaborating with peers as opposed to being in competition with peers.
The vision is clear: to create a school where every child is seen and known, where diversity is celebrated, and where education is not simply preparation for life, but life itself. With a small first intake of ten children across Reception, Year 1, and Year 2, the scale is deliberately human. Families will know teachers not just as educators but as partners, working together to raise confident, compassionate, and emotionally literate young people.
award-winning Free Rangers Forest School Nursery, creating a seamless pathway for early years children ready to take their next step. Together, the two settings represent a growing movement of schools daring to imagine a different future for education –one where wellbeing, creativity, and sustainability are at the forefront of all we do. Join us: we are hosting Open Days on Tuesday 16 September and Tuesday 23 September, 10:00am-12:00pm. Come to see our outdoor spaces, meet the team, and see learning in action within our nursery to give you an understanding of how we run. To reserve a place or ask a question, please email manager@freerangers.org.uk.
Our website can be found at www.universalfarm.co.uk for further details.
Bath & North East Somerset has an exceptional number of high-class schools – both independent and state schools –and on the following pages we provide a collection of fascinating insights into those in our area, including messages from the head, and practical outlines of what gives each school its individual character.
Choosing a new school for your child is no mean feat, whether they’re about to start primary school for the first time or make the jump up to secondary education. As a parent the best way to ensure you find the right school for your child is to do your own homework. Now is a good time to start looking ahead to next autumn and researching the options available in the Bath area.
Schools are aware of the need to offer an all-round education and a broad range of extra-curricular activities to engage pupils outside the classroom. Most parents will be looking for a school that balances a strong academic reputation with this extra-curricular provision and the result is schools with an ever-growing list of clubs and activities to offer.
If your child isn’t particularly academically minded, then opt for a school strong in its extra-curricular offering, one that can provide the opportunity for your child to really engage at school, shine in their own field and become part of the community.
While some schools may be highly selective there are plenty that cater for all abilities, or even specialise in helping children in need of individual attention. Other considerations should include the size of a school – while some children may thrive in a more competitive environment, others will benefit from being able to progress at their own pace without pressure from peers.
Pastoral care is an important factor, especially if you are looking at full-time or part-time boarding. Will the school nurture and emotionally support your child, while also teaching them the skills to become a confident, independent individual?
Equally as important is the social aspect. Children will be hoping for a school where they can make plenty of friends and develop a wide and welcoming social circle.
Open days for parents and prospective pupils provide the best opportunity to really get a feel for a school – the staff, facilities, current pupils and the general atmosphere. These visits will enable you to see which school is the best fit for your child’s skills, personality and educational needs.
The Bath area is home to a number of schools which offer a unique combination of facilities and opportunities. In our education guide you can discover a little more about what each school offers and find out what they think makes them stand out above the rest. n
Finding a new school for your child can be challenging, even at the best of times. However, for separated or divorced parents, it can add an extra layer of complexity. Leading South West legal and financial planning firm Mogers Drewett’s Head of Family Law, Rebecca Silcock, unpacks some of the challenges and how to tackle them.
As the summer holidays come to an end and parents start to consider school selection, did you know that all persons with parental responsibility must agree and consent to which school a child attends? Although the holidays have only just ended, applications for state school admissions typically open in September, while independent schools will each have their own admission arrangements.
“Where separated parents disagree on school choice, they could try and reach an agreement by discussing their concerns and the pros and cons of different schools to hopefully narrow the issues and ultimately reach a decision that is in the best interests of the child,” explains Rebecca. “Keeping the discussions child-focused will assist and make this process easier.”
If an agreement cannot be reached, Rebecca advises that there is the option of attending mediation with the help of an experienced mediator. Parents can also consider "child-inclusive" mediation with older children, so that the child is directly involved and has their wishes and feelings properly taken into consideration.
Another option Rebecca notes is lawyer-led negotiation through a collaborative process where you, the other parent, and your lawyers will meet to try and work through the issues.
However, for parents who can’t come to an agreement, the last resort is a court application where one parent makes an application to either ask the court to decide which school the child attends, and/or to stop one parent acting unilaterally, for example, moving the child to another school without agreement
“The court has to have consideration of the welfare checklist, and ultimately it is the best interests of the child that will guide the court in making any final decision,” Rebecca explains.
If you have any questions about parental responsibility and the choice of schools, please contact Rebecca Silcock, Head of Family Law, at Mogers Drewett Solicitors, Bath. rebecca.silcock@mogersdrewett.com
An increasing number of Bath’s schools are introducing phonefree environments to enhance pupil learning and minimise distractions. While smartphones promise connection, in classrooms they often deliver the opposite: distraction, anxiety, and a steady drip of interruptions that erode learning.
According to Ofcom, the online safety regulator, nine in 10 children own a mobile phone by the time they reach the age of 11, and almost three-quarters of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 have encountered one or more potential harms online. Grassroots movements, such as Smartphone Free Childhood, have been actively encouraging parents to delay giving children smartphones and social media access.
Last year, the UK government issued guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools, including prohibiting the use of phones throughout the school day to create calm, safe, and distractionfree environments. According to a recent national survey, 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools in England already have some form of ban in place.
Several schools in Bath have now introduced the Yondr pouch system, a secure and practical solution that is used in schools across the country to create a phone-free environment. Yondr is a magnet-locked pouch that students place their phone or smartwatch in at the start of the day. At the end of the day, students can unlock the pouch and re-access their phone via an unlocking station.
Schools in Bath state that the introduction of the Yondr pouch system is designed to be simple for pupils to use, consistent, and supportive of healthy phone habits both in school and at home. According to Yondr, phone-free schools have shown an 84% increase in pupil engagement, an 86% increase in improved safety and wellbeing, and 68% have reported higher academic performance.
Set phone-free zones and times
Encourage your child not to use their phone during homework, meals, or bedtime.
Upgrade to dumb phones or controlled devices
Consider a basic phone that enables calls and texts, but no internet
Enable and regularly review parental controls
Use built-in controls to restrict access to social media, ageinappropriate content, and screen time. But stay involved. Remember, controls are imperfect and will need revisiting. Model balanced phone habits
Children mirror adult behaviour. Put your phone aside during family moments, and show how to live without constant alerts.
The Bath based Paragon School offers outstanding independent education for boys and girls aged 3-11 years. Situated in 8 acres of woodland, lawns and playgrounds in a beautiful Georgian country house and converted stables, the school offers a wonderful environment for learning and adventure both inside and out of the classroom.
Rosie Allen, Head of school since 2020 says:
"The Paragon journey is one of limitless discovery. Each child enjoys a fully immersive educational experience, rooted in our school values of Kindness, Compassion, Honesty, SelfBelief and Aspiration, whilst exploring and developing their attributes as learners.
Adventures are wide and varied, centering on the beauty and joy of childhood alongside preparation for the world beyond. Pupils blossom and grow as individuals who feel they have something to offer wherever they may be. Our approach goes well beyond simply seeking academic success. Instead, this comes as a biproduct of each child focusing on their own growth."
Onward journeys are to Prior Park College and other independent and state schools, with a high number of scholarships and awards offered to Year 6 pupils each year.
Visit www.paragonschool.co.uk or call: 01225 310 837 (term time only).
Next Open Morning is Friday 3rd October.
Great schools, like Prior Park College, help students to explore who they are and find the adult they wish to be. Prior Park provides an outstanding education for each of its 560 students in an environment where they are known, valued and cared for. They are encouraged to embrace all the opportunities on offer, with the school’s aim being for all students to be happy and successful, in that order. They emerge from Prior Park with a character that is well-rounded and an academic profile that allows them to take their next step in life with confidence – whatever that step might be.
Visit priorparkcollege.com or call 01225835353 for further details or to arrange a visit.
Main Open Morning: 11 October 2025. Sixth Form Info Evening: 24 September 20205. www.priorparkcollege.com
Bath Academy
Bath Academy is a small, friendly independent Sixth Form college that offers personalised tuition in small classes. The college environment is diverse, inclusive, and nonselective with a focused aim - to give personal attention to individual students. This is central and foremost to our academic vision. We believe that taking the time to get to know students and adapting to their individual learning styles leads to effective teaching, better learning, and a positive day-to-day community experience. This makes Bath Academy educationally distinctive and appeals to students of all levels of ability. The college offers a wide range of academic subjects for A-Level, Resit courses, GCSE, and Revision courses. Bath Academy is committed to helping each and every one of its students reach their full potential and incorporates a tailored enrichment and student development programme in order to achieve this.
www. bathacademy.co.uk
Bath College
Bath College has relaunched with a bold new vision for school leavers. The College is recruiting now across its wide range of courses, and has unveiled new specialist initiatives including Bath College Sport, supporting elite athletes; Bath College ACTS (Academy of Comedy, Theatre & Sound); SoundWorks for music and media; and Bath College Works, where students run real micro-businesses.
After consultation with students we have also introduced free breakfasts, a later starting time for many courses and an enhanced social programme which provides exciting opportunities for all learners.
With strong links to local employers and universities, Bath College is determined to give every student the skills, confidence, and experiences they need to thrive. www.bathcollege.ac.uk
MESSAGES FROM THE HEAD
Mr Tim Markall, Headteacher of Beechen Cliff School:
Beechen Cliff is a high achieving state day and boarding school for boys in Years 7-11 with a large, vibrant, academic mixed Sixth Form.
Our vision is to enable our pupils and students to achieve their aspirations and become well-rounded, confident and compassionate individuals who go on to live fulfilled lives and make a positive contribution to society.
We are committed to providing an exceptional, all-round education both in terms of high academic standards and an incredible range of extra-curricular opportunities.
We have high expectations of our pupils in terms of their learning, conduct and appearance and encourage all to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at school.
Our pupils benefit from high quality teaching and pastoral care through working with a committed, experienced and caring team of staff, which leads to examination results above the national average and successful progression to the next stage of education.
We also aim to develop character and an understanding of values with much of our work based around our Core Values of aspiration, compassion, independence and respect. www.beechencliff.org.uk
King Edward's School
Through an outstanding allround education, King Edward’s School pupils acquire the tools and the confidence to flourish and be happy today and to be ready for whatever the future may hold.
We explore with our pupils, helping them to find their voice, fostering a sense of adventure, curiosity, resilience and ambition, encouraging them to do their best in all things and nurturing kindness, compassion and a sense of responsibility for others and for the world around them.
Our core values underpin and reflect all that we do at KES: from being the best version of yourself, to learning and growing together, to always exploring, and to aiming high but staying humble. www.kesbath.com
Unique within the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) family of schools, Royal High School Bath is an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 3-18 with all the power of a GDST education.
GDST schools are pioneers in, and shapers of the future of girls’ education.
Our teachers inspire each girl, with a strong focus on developing the skills, knowledge and character your child needs for the future. Royal High School Bath students benefit from all that GDST offers combined with an approach where every child is known and can flourish. Every voice is heard and every opinion matters.
We have a strong history of specialising in girls' only education; our pastoral care is exceptional and all our lessons and extra-curricular programmes have been tailored to the way that girls learn and develop.
The balance of a nurturing but challenging environment is the key to our students testing themselves and growing in confidence. We help girls be the best that they can be, and provide the springboard they need to develop a fearlessness for life – our students leave ready for the world’s challenges and equipped with skills for their future – set to make their mark on the world.
www.royalhighbath.gdst.net confidence for life.
MESSAGES FROM THE HEAD
Mr Philip White, Headteacher of Hayesfield School:
Choosing the right school for your daughter is a big decision. You want your daughter to be taught in a nurturing environment where she feels both valued and challenged. A school where excellence is encouraged and she is supported to reach her full potential. That school is Hayesfield Girls’ School.
Hayesfield provides an inspirational environment where girls achieve the highest academic standards and develop their own sense of identity and enjoy freedom from stereotyping. Our vision is to develop the ‘whole student’. Academic success is only achieved when our students feel nurtured, encouraged and self-confident. We encourage all our students to take on leadership roles and participate in a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities.
At Hayesfield our focus is on providing the best resources, support and guidance to help every young woman who joins us to grow and achieve beyond her expectations. We look forward to welcoming you to our school.
www.hayesfield.com
Kingswood School
Kingswood’s Sixth Form, with around 280 students, offers a welcoming and inclusive community where academic rigour is matched with opportunity to allow students to flourish both academically and personally.
2025 results saw half of all A Level grades at A* or A with around one third of students achieving 3 A*/A, 78% A*-B and 87.5% of BTEC candidates achieving a distinction. More than 95% of Kingswood students secured places at their university of choice, including Oxbridge and 74% to Russell Group universities.
In Year 12 Kingswood offers the Advanced Electives Programme, a pioneering initiative designed to complement A-level study, which helps prepare students for success in higher education and the workplace. These seminar-style electives are discussion-based and mirror the pace and depth of university learning. Highlights of Advanced Elective courses include International Relations, Formula 1 in Schools and The Psychology of Behaviour.
The newly refurbished Sixth Form Centre, including the popular Association Café, offers a relaxed, university-style environment where students can study and socialise with independence and comfort.
www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk
ABOUT WHAT WE DO
What is different about Monkton? Aside from the stunning views, outstanding academic exam results and passionate teachers which many schools boast, Monkton focuses on the journey of each individual in a way that is tangibly different. As pioneers in pastoral tracking, Monkton holds true to the belief that self-discovery is the key to success; not only do happy children learn but they also explore their strengths and weaknesses, develop resilience and face challenges with greater strength. The school believes in the power of failure of taking on challenges, accepting this will mean you get some things wrong and become better people because of that. No writing, no booklet, no website will ever capture something so hard to describe; you have to come and meet them yourselves.
www.monktoncombeschool.com
Millfield and Millfield Prep School
Millfield and Millfield Prep School are proud to be different. Their aim is to ensure every child can discover their brilliance across all aspects of school life and be the world’s best at immersing children in limitless academic, creative and sporting opportunities, in a full boarding environment. The school aspires to be the world leader for the development of children. Students and staff live by the values: Be Kind, Be Authentic, Be Disruptors, Be Curious and Be Brilliant. Millfield is tremendously diverse in terms of the academic, cultural and sporting backgrounds of its students, who come from 70 different countries. millfieldschool.com/admissions/open-days
Oldfield School
Oldfield School is a successful, high attaining 11-18 mixed comprehensive with 1280 students which provides an exceptional education in and environment that challenges all students and fosters ambition. We focus on kindness, ambition and resilience and our students leave the school well-prepared to face the world as compassionate, confident and resilient young people. Oldfield has a reputation locally and in the wider community for academic excellence and the quality of its pastoral care and support. The school has a comprehensive intake which reflects the diversity of the local community. The most recent Ofsted inspection was in January 2025 when the school was judged to be good and the report highlighted its high expectations for students and staff as well as a broad-based and balanced curriculum, strong support for students with SEND and a school-wide emphasis on reading. The school is justly proud of its inclusive nature and the sense of community it engenders in both staff and students. The school has a successful and popular Sixth Form of 190 students and offers a wide range of A Level courses and opportunities for its students.
www.oldfieldschool.com
St Gregory’s Catholic College
Melissa George, Headteacher
“After a year as Headteacher at St Gregory’s, I can confidently say this is an exceptional community,” reflects Melissa George.
“Our school truly embodies the concept of ‘family’ – it’s a lived reality I have the privilege to nurture every day. At St Gregory’s, we are dedicated to educating the whole person –academically, personally, and spiritually. This holistic approach shapes our students into well-rounded, reflective individuals ready to make their mark on society.
The atmosphere here is a unique blend of calm focus and vibrant creativity, providing an ideal environment for both students and staff to thrive. As we look to the future, I’m excited to build upon our strong foundation of success. We’re not just maintaining excellence; we’re constantly seeking ways to enhance the educational experience for every member of our school family, especially with our unwavering focus on developing a whole school approach to literacy and oracy and mental health and wellbeing.
This past year has reinforced my belief in our community’s extraordinary potential and I’m more committed than ever to leading St Gregory's towards even greater achievements.” www.st-gregorys.org.uk
Stonar is a co-educational, day and boarding school (ages 2-18), delivering an excellent, nurturing education that yields fantastic results. Set in 80 acres of rural grounds, with 460 pupils, Stonar is an environment where our happy pupils succeed. We believe that joy is the catalyst for extraordinary achievement. This approach to education ensures that Stonar pupils not only excel academically but also develop into well-rounded, confident individuals, who are prepared to make a positive impact on and shape the world. You don't have to be a rider to come to Stonar but the school is renowned for its Equestrian Centre. With stabling for over 70 horses and ponies we offer an unequalled equestrian curriculum to suit complete beginners, through to experienced competitive riders. www.stonarschool.com
I am delighted to have been appointed as Headteacher at this key stage in the significant journey of improvement that St Mark’s and the MSNP (Midsomer Norton Schools’ Partnership) trust have undertaken. I plan to build on this solid foundation as our school continues on its improvement journey. The curriculum at St Mark’s is designed to fulfil the school’s vision to inspire students to achieve their goals and be a force for good both in school and the world beyond.
Academic and vocational qualifications are the cornerstone of educational success at St Mark’s and we have a curriculum offer that enables learners at all levels to achieve their personal best. We create young adults ready for the world of work, possessing the skills and personal qualities to become healthy, resilient individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society. St Mark’s has an outstanding reputation for supporting students through their educational journey and providing them with the encouragement and support that they need to excel.
www.st-marks.org.uk
MESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL
Wells Cathedral School
Wells is a family-orientated co-educational boarding and day school for 2-18 year olds, which provides an allround education alongside world class, Music, Maths, Football and Chorister training.
Our vision is to inspire every individual pupil to nurture their talents in a vibrant, creative, spiritual and stimulating environment to become a responsible global citizen.
The School provides an encouraging and ambitious education for every child based on our underlying values of Creativity, Aspiration, Responsibility and Endeavour (CARE).
Our strategic vision is driven by School Motto: Esto Quod Es. This has been the motto since at least the 19th century when the School was re-founded. The adopted translation 'Be what you are' succinctly and powerfully represents the School's belief in the individuality of each pupil. The School is very conscious that pupils discover who they are and we equip all of them with the ability to enjoy a lifetime of discovery. Your School, Your Future, Your Education. www.wells.cathedral.school
Year 6 Open Evening
Thursday 25th September 6pm - 8.30pm
Year 6 Open Day
Tuesday 30th September 9.00am
Sixth Form Open Evening
Thursday 6th November 5.30pm - 8pm
At this time of year many parents are looking to find the right secondary school for their child. In Bath, you have many choices of schools ‐ both state and private. There is also a family of secondary schools in Bath that work together so that every young person can experience an excellent education.
Beechen Cliff School, Hayesfield Girls’ School and St Mark’s School are all proud to be part of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership (MNSP), a multi‐academy trust of over 30 schools with around 16,000 pupils on roll. The Trust’s strength is how it celebrates each school’s individual character, while offering support and challenge.
The Bath Hub enables the three schools to work closely together and share a common goal ‐ to ensure that every child in the city has access to an excellent secondary education. The schools are now entering their fifth year of collaboration, with students from all three schools enjoying opportunities to work and enjoy extra‐curricular activities together.
Behind the scenes, leaders at the schools work together to ensure all learners look forward to coming to school and achieve highly. Teachers across the three schools share high quality teaching strategies that meet the needs of all learners in all schools. This collegiate support has ensured all three school’s most recent Ofsted inspections were graded a secure ‘Good’. Parents are advised to read the Ofsted Reports to find out more about what makes each school unique.
Last summer, students in all schools sat GCSE and A Level examinations. Combined results for students across the three schools was significantly above the national average and we look forward to a similar set of outstanding outcomes this summer.
Mrs Clare England, Headteacher at St Mark’s School; Mr Tim Markall, Headteacher at Beechen Cliff; and Mr Philip White, Headteacher at Hayesfield warmly welcome prospective parents to their Open Events. To find out more about our schools and how we work together, please come to the Open Events, as detailed on each school’s website. We look forward to meeting you there.
We would like to welcome you to St Mark’s School. Set in picturesque grounds on the outskirts of Bath, St Mark’s is a smaller than average sized mixed secondary school but our smaller size doesn’t limit what we can offer. We are an OFSTED “Good” provider and I plan to build on this solid foundation.
The culture and ethos of St Mark’s is driven by the values of Resilience, Aspiration and Community. A focus on these values, through a broad and balanced curriculum, allows our young people to quickly establish themselves and develop their true identities in a setting where the staff know every child and value their contributions in the school and wider community. At the end of their time at St Mark’s, our students are well equipped to go out into the ever changing world and to be citizens of which St Mark’s, and you, can be proud.
St Mark’s School is a member of the Midsomer Norton Schools’ Partnership (MNSP). We continue to build on our successes and progress as a member of the partnership and benefit from the sharing of expertise and resources from within the partnership schools. St Mark’s School works most closely with Hayesfield Girls’ School and Beechen Cliff, as part of the Bath Hub. All three schools share good
practice so that students achieve their aspirations and personal growth and have an excellent experience of secondary school.
St Mark’s has been on an amazing school improvement journey in recent years, especially since joining the MNSP. We have secured excellent GCSE results over the past two years throughout all subjects and we compare incredibly favorably with other schools in the city and against national standards.
St Mark’s is a caring school that welcomes newcomers to our community. I know that the staff and students of St Mark’s share my pride in the school and I am sure that, when you visit us, you will understand why.
Open Evening
16th September 2025
6:30 – 8:30pm
Doors open at 6:00pm
Presentation at 6:30pm
Tours from 6:45pm
Open Morning
26th September 2025
9:00‐11:00 am
Welcome at 9:00am
St Mark’s School, Bay Tree Road, Bath, BA1 6ND 01225 312661 • Info@st‐marks.org.uk
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The sun is setting on August and September is softly strolling into view. Cross that bridge with these classic UK seaside/picnic treats, perfect for alfresco dining… or munching in a cosy kitchen!
Ingredients (makes 4 large pasties)
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MAGAZINE KIOSK
Mint Velvet Burgundy Tone Leaf Print Blouse | £99 mintvelvet.com
350g beef skirt or rump steak; 350g waxy potatoes (eg. Maris Piper); 200g swede; 175g onions; 500g ready-made, all butter shortcrust pastry; extra butter for the filling; 1 beaten egg to seal/glaze.
To serve: chutney, of course!
From Magalleria:
curated by Daniel McCabe
1413Magazine is an indie art, fashion and culture magazine from China, founded by student classmates Lisa and Echo who have published the magazine almost annually over a decade, refining its offbeat sense of humour and a satirical edge along the way. For this eighth issue the duo explore ‘the quiet magic of yuán in everyday life’. Yuán is a concept in Chinese culture that speaks to destiny, serendipity and unseen threads that connect people to each other. They trace yuán through visual narratives such as love stories, chance encounters, feng shui, algorithms and classified ads. The name 1413Magazine is taken from a number on the door of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology classroom where the idea for the magazine was conceived. store.magalleria.co.uk
Method
Peel the potatoes, swede and onions and cut into 1cm square cubes. Cut the beef into similarly-sized chunks, put all four ingredients into a bowl, season generously and stir thoroughly to combine. Set to one side.
Preheat the oven to 170c/gas mark 3 and lightly grease a baking tray with butter.
Meanwhile, roll the pastry out to around the thickness of a £1 coin and use a suitably-sized dinner plate to cut out 4 circular discs each approx. 25cm wide.
Spoon a quarter of the filling onto one half of each disc and spread to cover, leaving a margin around the edges. Put a knob of butter on top of each filling then carefully fold the pastry over to cover. Brush the exposed edges with a little beaten egg and either use a fork or crimp to create a strong seal, folding the end corners underneath to finish the job off. Put the pasties onto the baking tray, brush the top of each pasty with a little more beaten egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake the pasties on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. If the pasties aren’t browning, slightly increase the oven temperature for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
Serve warm accompanied by chutney of your choice.
This month, Andrew Swift, takes us on a circular walk along the Somerset Coast Path to the rocky cove of Charlcombe Bay. The walk not only takes in Charlcombe Bay and the coast path, but also loops inland, climbing through ancient woodland and crossing a high common littered with Bronze and Iron Age remains and now managed as a nature reserve.
Much of the North Somerset coastline is characterised by shining sands, mudflats and salt marshes, but there are also, if you know where to look, some sheltered, rocky coves. Although most are inaccessible, a few are relatively easy to climb down to, and one of the finest is Charlcombe Bay, near Portishead.
Charlcombe Bay is also one of the least known coves and receives few visitors, even in the height of summer. There is no road anywhere near, so you have to get there on foot, following the Somerset Coast Path.
The starting point is in the village of Walton in Gordano, which lies on the B3124 between Clevedon and Portishead. As you drive through the village, look out for Walton Street (with a signpost to St Paul’s church) and turn north along it.
The lane is narrow and busy, but after 600m, shortly after passing Spring Head Cottage, you come to a wider section with room for several cars to park on the left (ST423735: BS21 7AP).
Having parked, walk back to Spring Head Cottage and turn right along a grassy track beside the spring. After a few metres, bear left up steps to follow a rough track up through Rock Wood. The track eventually levels out and after 650m you emerge on the edge of a golf course (ST418731). Carry on for another 200m, with the woods on your right, before turning right along a stony track.
When the track forks, bear left through a kissing gate (KG), carry on down a tarmac drive, and, when you come to a footpath signpost, turn right along a road leading to the club house (ST415729). When you
reach the car park, carry straight on along a grassy footpath past a fivebar gate. After another 50m, turn left at a T junction and follow the path past a broken-down stile to be greeted by a view of the estuary far below. Carry on along the path for 200m before turning right to follow it steeply downhill. Care is needed here – the rudimentary steps could be a succession of trip hazards. At the bottom, turn right along the Somerset Coast Path (ST410732).
The Coast Path Guide describes this as ‘the best bit of the path anywhere between Bristol and Stert Point’, running along a ‘lovely, charming, coy stretch of coastline, all secretive coves and bays’. The path is also overgrown, but, as most of what impedes your progress consists of ferns and similarly innocuous vegetation, forging your way through this green tunnel, with the sound of the surf for company, only adds to the sense of adventure.
The coastline here is geologically complex and there are some extraordinary rock formations and caverns to look out for. There are several places where you can scramble down to the rocky ledge below, but, if you decide to do so, you need to exercise extreme caution, for this coastline is not as benign as it may seem. Rock falls are common and some of the cliffs rise to over 30m.
A recent episode of Saving Lives at Sea featured the rescue of a man who had fallen while trying to scramble down such a cliff to save his dog. If you stick to the path, however, and keep dogs on leads, you should be absolutely fine.
After about 1800m you pass below Portishead Signal Station
(ST424743). This was built in the early 20th century on the site of what maps describe as a ‘pigeon house’ – the cove below it is still known as Pigeon House Bay. The station was manned by watch-keepers who signalled to ships anchored offshore, using flags, to let them know when berths were available at Avonmouth. It was later converted to a communication relay station.
A little further on, the path runs below the chalets of Walton Bay Caravan Park. Walton Bay is the small inlet down to your left, which may look tempting. Access is tricky, however, and Charlcombe Bay, a little further on, presents no such problems.
After another 200m, when you come to a waymark on the left, you will see a path leading up through a tunnel of trees on the right (ST430747). Although you will be heading up it later, for now carry on along the coast path and after 350m, just after passing a wooden gate on the left, turn left down steps to Charlcombe Bay.
This is the largest inlet on this stretch of coastline, and, although the suburbs of Portishead start less than half a mile away, the chances are you will have it more or less to yourself. It’s a lovely place to linger, wandering around, idly turning over the pebbles, or just sitting to enjoy the views out to sea and the sound of waves lapping the shore.
When you are ready to leave, head back along the coast path and turn up the path you passed earlier. After going through a KG, carry on up as the path steepens, past venerable crab apple trees, into a field where there are likely to be cows. They appear placid, but should you want to avoid them, you can carry on up on either side of the hedge, although the KG at the top is on the left-hand side of it.
After going through the KG, cross the road and head straight on along a lane which soon degenerates into a stony track. After 250m, as you enter woodland, you come to three turnings on the right in quick succession. Take the third, marked with a footpath signpost, to head west through Common Hill Wood, designated by Natural England as Ancient & SemiNatural Woodland, and with an unkempt, brooding charm.
After 700m, you emerge on Walton Common (ST428738). This secluded spot is not only a nature reserve, managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust and grazed by cattle, but also a scheduled ancient monument, with Bronze and Iron Age remains. As you carry on past information boards, you walk through the grassy ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort.
Carry on in the same direction, and, after passing through the ramparts on the far side, when the path forks, carry straight on. After passing a waymark, open grassland gives way to ferns. Soon the path enters woodland again and starts to drop downhill. Carry straight on when you come to a crosspath, beyond which the path swings right before heading through a KG and dropping down to the road, a right turn along which takes you back to the starting point. n
To read more of Andrew Swift’s work and purchase his books, visit akemanpress.com | All photos courtesy of Andrew Swift
Approximate Time: Three to four hours
Terrain: Steep climbs and descents, one flight of tricky steps and rough and overgrown paths. A short section across a golf course and two places where cattle may be encountered. A walking pole may be useful for the steps and any ‘off piste’ explorations. As much of the coast path leads through a green tunnel, with overhanging branches and occasional trailing brambles, you may also wish to consider wearing a hat.
Map: OS Explorer 154
Inspired by berry, bramble and plum shades, we prepare for the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness to make a cosy home this Autumn
Cosy up in the gorgeous Hug Accent Chair from Ercol. With its retro looks and smart clean lines, this chair will embrace you in a very stylish way. It features a removable weighted head pillow for comfort and has low curved arms. Available in the full range of fabrics and leathers from Ercol's Edit Collection. Prices from £1039. Hug footstool also available separately. See this and many more in the fabulous Ercol showroom at TR Hayes, 15-18 London Street, Walcot, or visit: trhayes.co.uk
Type 90 Mini Mini Desk Lamp
The perfect lighting solution for any office or home workspace. Combining a sleek style, exceptional functionality, and energy-efficient LED technology to provide the ultimate lighting experience. With its compact size and adjustable shade, the Type 90 Mini Mini Desk Lamp (shown here in Berry Red) is the ideal choice for anyone who needs a versatile lighting solution for their desk. Whether you're working late into the night or simply need to add some extra illumination to your home office, this lamp delivers the perfect combination of form and function. Visit the Holloways of Ludlow store on Milsom Street, Bath or hollowaysofludlow.com
The Simplicity Vase is beautiful, practical and made from 100% recycled glass. These vases by Cotswold Co are hand-blown so every vase has an individual shape, £32. Find out more by visiting the store on 12 Northgate Street, Bath or take a look online at: cotswoldco.com
Cut Glass Candle Holder
It’s time to shine! Striking, sharp, and playful, this crystal candle holder offers a stacked silhouette of geometric blocks for an eyecatching centerpiece, £28. Visit the Bath store at 1-4 New Bond Street, or shop online at: anthropologie.com
An iconic focal point for living rooms, guest bedrooms, home offices, conservatories, summer houses or even a shepherd’s hut or narrowboat, the Everhot Electric Stove is an elegant and efficient stove that does not require a flue and simply plugs into a standard 13amp socket. A 1.5kW thermostatically controlled heater gently warms the room and behind the cast iron door you will find a 20 litre oven – perfect for cooking small dishes. Shown here in Burgundy. To see this and many more Everhot stoves and range cookers, visit Coopers Home Appliances at: Dunsdon Barn, Dunsdown Lane, West Littleton, SN14 BJA or at the Walcot Street showroom. coopershomeappliances.com
Make a statement with the Berry linen blend duvet cover – a deep, rich purple that’s perfect for creating a moody bedroom or cosy retreat. Made from only the highest-quality fibres, the breathable fabric combines the effortless look of linen with the softness of cotton. Piglet in Bed’s linen blend duvet covers are finished with coconut shell button fastenings and feature handy inside corner ties to stop your duvet from slipping. Prices from £119 for the single. A pair of matching linen blend pillowcases are from £39. Find out more at: pigletinbed.com or visit the store at: 20 Old Bond Street, Bath.
Houseplants can transform the dullest of rooms into a tranquil oasis; whether you have a spare sliver on a windowsill or plenty of places to pop some pots around, here’s some fuss‐free flora recommendations that’ll perk up your property nicely (and they’re mostly pet safe, too)
Ah, the great indoors. There’s nothing quite like welcoming the outside in with luscious houseplants – creating a peaceful sanctuary at home despite the bustling cityscape just the other side of the window. The reality of living in a busy city like Bath means many residents don’t have direct access to private green space. There are more studies than you can shake a stick at that confirm just how beneficial gardening can be to our mental health – boosting everything from self-confidence to feelings of relaxation and lowering stress levels – but, thankfully, having a healthy houseplant collection can contribute to this positive self-care even if you don’t have a back yard of your own to beautify.
But where should you start? There’s a whole jungle of plants waiting to be picked, and you need to consider how much TLC you’re willing to devote each week, the temperature and humidity of the rooms they’ll call home, light levels and the pot or hanger they’ll be displayed in – which needs to complement your interiors.
It’s not surprising that most popular houseplant options aren’t exactly the kind of thing you’d find growing naturally around Bath. Unless you like to keep your home environment fairly temperate and drizzly, of course. With the exception of ferns (pet-friendly) and ivy (not so much – one to keep out of reach from pawed pals), most of our easy-care houseplant picks are suited to more tropical climes, easily mimicked by our homes, with minimal watering needed and the odd leaf spritz. n
1. Peperomia Argyreia Watermelon Peperomia 12cm (Pot 20cm), £17.99, B&Q (diy,com). We love this pet-friendly variety of peperomia for its cute leaves that look like watermelons. It’ll also help purify the air in your room. Mist weekly and place it somewhere that enjoys both bright light and some shade during different parts of the day (mimicking its South American habitat under trees).
2. Chlorophytum comosum 'Ocean', from 12cm/£9.99, Waitrose (waitrosegarden.com). Spider plants are almost (almost) indestructible. Pop them in a spot with bright, indirect light, but they’ll survive in a darker place, too, and make sure the soil is well draining. Water when the soil feels dry – but don’t let it get soggy.
3. Hedera Yellow Variegated, 13cm, £6.99, Dobbies (dobbies.com). Train easy-to-grow ivy around windows, hang from planters, arrange around artwork. Simple!
4. The Little Botanical Fern & Succulent Plants, £44, John Lewis (johnlewis.com). Although delicate, this Asparagus fern isn’t too tricky to care for. Ensure it’s well watered and mist occasionally. Paired here with two cute Echeveria Miranda succulents. Though Asparagus ferns are toxic to animals, their friends the Boston fern, for example, are not.
5. Verve Moss Green Clay Plant Pot (Dia) 36cm, £30, B&Q (diy.com).
A gorgeous, chunky pot from B&Q’s new range.
6. Phalaenopsis Two Spike Pink/Lilac 12cm, £14.99, Dobbies (dobbies.com). One of the easiest orchids to care for, as well as the most recognisable. Pet friendly, the long-lasting blooms flower for up to three months, with varying intervals of two blooms per year.
7. The Little Botanical Copper Mister & Plant Set, £37, John Lewis (johnlewis.com). Succulents need minimal watering, and the rest of your indoor jungle will thank you for the occasional misting.
8. Maranta Leuconeura Fascinator, 12cm, £12.99, Dobbies (dobbies.com). This pet-friendly guy likes to be kept slightly moist and in a medium light position.
9. Classic Glazed Stoneware Planter, Honey, £15-£35 (15cm, 18cm, 25.5cm), John Lewis (johnlewis.com, plant not included). The Chinese Money Plant in this delightful pot was once thought to bring money, fortune and a general spot of good luck to its owners; its coinlike leaves can also be easily propagated with a quick snip. This is chilled-out plant only needs watering when the soil feels dry between your fingers. Find a bright spot, out of direct sunlight.
Many of us are familiar with the Yeo Valley Organic brand, decking our supermarket shelves with its natural healthy food products. We may also have been lucky enough to pay the Yeo Valley Organic Garden a visit in Blagdon, Somerset, open seasonally to the public and showcasing organic gardening at its finest. This year, for the first time, Yeo Valley Organic is launching its garden festival, a three-day event with talks and panel discussions, hands-on workshops and demonstrations.
The festival takes place from September 18-20 and offers the chance to immerse yourself in all things gardening, while enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the gardens. Whatever your levels of experience or interest, there promises to be something for everyone, including music, entertainment, plenty of locally sourced food and drink options, and specialist nurseries offering seasonal plants and bulbs for sale.
The aim is to provide inspiration, information and real-life practical solutions to suit every garden and budget, and one of the highlights of this festival will be the extensive line-up of gardening experts visiting the show to share their knowledge and enthusiasm. Each day has a theme and a line-up of guest speakers, the first of which is ‘Seeds of Change’ on the Thursday, when BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Arit Anderson
will take up the trowel in her talk about gardening with climate change in mind. Friday’s theme is ‘People and Pollinators’, when Alys Fowler will be among the experts, and will discuss perennial vegetables that benefit soil, pollinators and human health. On Saturday the focus is ‘Mission Possible’. Frances Tophill will be visiting and hopes to inspire new gardeners and growers. Speaking ahead of the show, she says, “I am passionate about finding and encouraging a new generation of gardeners to dig in and get their hands dirty, which really starts with the reminder that there is no right or wrong way of creating a garden.”
Other Saturday speakers include designer Tom Massey, who is wellknown for his medal-winning gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and television appearances on BBC’s Your Garden Made Perfect. A strong advocate of sustainable gardening, he’ll be bringing his water-wise approach to planting design to the festival. “Gardening with nature is something we can all embrace, observing and celebrating seasonal changes, harvesting rainwater to reduce our reliance on mains water, and nurturing healthy soils,” he says.
Also joining the event will be the no-dig gardening pioneer Charles Dowding, National Trust’s head of gardens and parks Sheila Das, Becky Searle, Georgie Newbery, Jason Williams and Mark Diacono. Yeo Valley Organic Garden covers more than six acres, and includes
colour-themed borders, a tranquil grove of silver birch trees, ponds, gravel garden, wildflower meadow and garden sculpture. The garden has plenty of late-summer and autumn interest, with ferns, dahlias, wildflowers and ornamental grasses that link the garden to the landscape beyond. Planting is largely naturalistic and pollinator friendly. For more than 25 years garden creator Sarah Mead and her team have championed an organic, climate-conscious and soil-friendly approach to gardening, meaning it thrives even when rain levels are low.
“...there is no right or wrong way of creating a garden.”
BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Frances Tophill
One of the features of the show is the Compost Campus, and composting has always been a huge endeavour at these gardens. All the cuttings and leaves are shredded, plus there is an ample supply of farm manure from the dairy herds. This is a garden that is managed with dry weather in mind. With reference to the hosepipe bans this year, Sarah comments, “Dry spells don’t mean dull gardens. Mulching is one of the best things you can do. It locks in moisture, suppresses weeds and feeds the soil as it breaks down.” n
Full festival details (18-20 September) and tickets are available from yvogardenfestival.co.uk. For more information about the gardens and visiting times, go to yeovalley.co.uk
Elly West is a professional garden designer, working in and around the Bristol and Bath area | ellyswellies.co.uk
Primrose House is approached via a generous brick-paved driveway which leads to the garage and front entrance, bordered by a level front garden with mature planting, welltended borders and a striking fir tree.
The interior is beautifully presented, with attention to detail evident throughout. The ground floor benefits from zoned underfloor heating and a thoughtfully extended kitchen, with all rooms accessed from a central hallway that also links to the integral garage - currently utilised as a gym.
The main sitting room overlooks the front garden and opens directly into the kitchen, which features a central island and double doors leading to the rear garden. An archway flows seamlessly into the dining room, which in turn provides access to a practical utility room. A guest cloakroom completes the ground floor.
Upstairs, a bright and spacious landing leads to four wellproportioned bedrooms. The principal suite, set within the rear extension, includes a stylish en-suite shower room and a private dressing room. The remaining bedrooms each enjoy a pleasant outlook, and the family bathroom has been fully refitted to a high standard.
To the rear, the level and enclosed garden is perfect for family life and outdoor entertaining. Gated access to both sides, mature planting, and a generous patio terrace - directly accessible from the kitchen - make this a wonderfully functional and attractive outdoor space.
Cobb Farr, 35 Brock Street, The Circus, Bath; Tel: 01225 333332
37 Market Street, Bradford on Avon; Tel: 01225 866111
• 4 generous bedrooms
• Dressing room and ensuite
• Wonderful living space
• Extended and fully refurbished
• Garage/gym
• Level enclosed gardens
• Residential location
• Vendor suited
£995,000
£1,250,000
A rare opportunity to acquire this impressive Grade II Listed former Rectory, dating back to the 1820s. Brimming with character and charm, the property features grandly proportioned rooms and beautifully maintained gardens. Offered to the market with no onward chain.
• Historical former rectory in 1/2 acre of beautiful gardens
• No onward chain
• 4 bedrooms
• Double garage
• Impressive eco credentials
Lansdown, Bath
£1,250,000
A wonderful example of a corner townhouse, having undergone an extensive and sympathetic refurbishment to an exacting standard. It boasts unique retained features and is set close to the city centre on the edge of Royal Victoria park.
• Full Georgian townhouse
• Elegant proportions
• Versatile accommodation
• Stunning period features
• Fully refurbished
01225 333332 | 01225 866111
Every Month, usually the last week of the month, we deliver copies of The Bath Magazine directly to select residential areas across the city. The Bath Magazine is one of the best things our readers receive through their letterbox.
We currently have a few areas that have become available and can offer a minimum of 5 hours work for individuals looking for a little work. Depending on the area – the average number of magazines is around 500. Each area takes around 5 – 8 hours to complete.
The magazines can be quite bulky, so you will need to be fit and active as well as trustworthy, and very reliable.
You will need to have use of a car, and a mobile phone. You will also be based in or very near Bath.
We currently pay £12.21 per hour – which is taxable depending on circumstances – and we also include ‘drive time’
Additionally – we are always interested in hearing from husband and wife, or family teams prepared to cover larger areas or work longer hours. Sorry no children. CALL STEVE on 01 225 424499 or email: steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk
For many people approaching later life, the idea of moving feels daunting — especially when it comes to cost. But for an increasing number of over-55s, the decision to move to a purpose-built home is one of the best they’ve ever made.
At Pemberley Place in Bath, our residents are discovering that a fresh start in a high-quality, low-maintenance home doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. Designed exclusively for the over-55s, this thoughtfully designed collection of one- and two-bedroom apartments offers exceptional comfort, security and independence — at a price that may surprise you.
Affordability doesn’t mean compromise. Every apartment at Pemberley Place includes a private balcony or terrace, secure entry system, and high-spec finishes throughout. There’s also
an elegant residents’ lounge, on-site café, hair salon, guest suite, and beautifully maintained gardens for all to enjoy. With flexible purchase options available, including shared ownership, finding a home that fits your budget — and your lifestyle — is more achievable than ever.
For many, the choice to move is about more than just the home itself. It’s about making day-to-day life easier and more enjoyable. Downsizing from a larger or older property often means fewer worries about maintenance, lower running costs, and more time to focus on the things that really matter — from family and friends to hobbies, travel and well-being.
At Life in Place, our mission is to create vibrant, supportive communities where people can feel connected, independent, and in control of their future. We’re part of England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing for the over-55s, and every development is built around the needs of those who live there. Pemberley Place is ideally located in the desirable Lansdown area, just a short distance from the heart of Bath. With excellent local amenities and transport links on your doorstep, you’ll enjoy the best of both worlds — peaceful surroundings with everything you need close by.
Whether you’re looking to reduce your outgoings, be closer to loved ones, or simply enjoy life in a home that works for you now and in the future, Pemberley Place offers an exciting and realistic opportunity.
Start your next chapter today — without the financial strain. Call us on 01225 591351 or visit pemberleyplace.co.uk to book your visit.
By Peter Greatorex, Managing Director, Peter Greatorex Unique Homes
As the evenings start to draw in and the autumn market gets underway, sellers have a real opportunity to capture serious buyers before the end of the year. Autumn is traditionally a busy time for the market as buyers who delayed decisions over the summer return with renewed focus, keen to move before Christmas. However, success in today’s less fluid market depends on preparation and above all, getting the price right.
The latest figures from Zoopla show that homes which start too high and require a reduction end up taking more than twice as long to sell compared with those priced accurately from the outset. Once a listing goes stale, it becomes much harder to attract fresh interest. With many properties already sitting unsold for twelve weeks or more, sellers need to be realistic from the start.
Recently, I have had clients come to me after sitting on the market with another agent for some time. After reviewing everything with them, I have had to be very honest that their pricing was way off
from where the market is today. In fact, I have even advised reductions of as much as £400,000 from the original asking price to bring a property back in line and give it a real chance of selling. Buyers are far more price-sensitive than they were a couple of years ago, and sellers who ignore that risk stagnation.
Pricing is only one part of the equation. Autumn is also a great opportunity to showcase your home at its most inviting. With the change in season, photography should be timed to capture rooms at their brightest, while a quick garden refresh, clearing leaves, adding seasonal plants, and making the front door welcoming, perhaps with a fresh coat of paint or potted plants, can really improve kerb appeal. Inside, touches like warm lighting, throws, and other soft furnishings add a sense of cosiness, helping buyers picture themselves in the space. It is also worth highlighting energy-efficient features at a time when buyers are paying close attention to running costs, so good insulation, modern heating systems, or even smart thermostats can be attractive selling points.
If your property has already been on the market without success, simply putting it back on the portals will not work. A rest period of a month or two can help, but a relaunch has to bring meaningful change. That usually means a new guide price, better presentation, and sometimes a new agent with a refreshed strategy. There is no set formula for how much to reduce a property by, that really depends on where it started. If the launch price was far too high, the adjustment will need to be greater. Ultimately, it comes down to how serious a seller is about moving.
It is the agent’s job to help manage expectations and give honest advice, even if that advice is uncomfortable. Pricing in line with where the market is today and preparing your home so it stands out against other listings will give you the very best chance of securing a buyer. With the right approach, autumn can be one of the strongest windows of the year to achieve a sale and move on to the next chapter before the end of the year.
4 Queen Street, Bath, BA1 1HE | 01225 904999 info@petergreatorex.co.uk | www.petergreatorex.co.uk
This striking architect-designed home, built to a high specification, offers a seamless blend of historic charm and modern living in the heart of Combe Down, with flexible accommodation.
• 4 bedrooms, 5 bath/shower rooms
• A contemporary kitchen, a spacious living area and courtyard garden
• EPC rating B
OIEO £900,000 Badgworth,
OIEO £850,000
A charming period cottage in the sought-after village of Badgworth, beautifully updated while retaining original features. Delightful gardens with sunny courtyard, and a heated pool, double garage/gym, stone workshops and garden shed.
• 3 bedrooms including principal suite
• 4 reception rooms
• EPC rating E
OIEO £1,150,000
An immaculately presented family home, fully refurbished, with spacious westfacing garden in the sought-village of Combe Down on the southern edge of Bath.
• 4 bedrooms
• Contemporary styled open-plan kitchen/living area with bi-fold doors
• EPC rating E
• EPC rating C SOLD
OIEO £1,350,000
A beautifully restored period home that has been sympathetically extended and improved by the current owners, blending character with modern living.
• Five bedrooms
• Set in approx. 2 acres of well-maintained gardens and paddock
See our latest sold properties
Julian Road, Bath • Guide Price £1.1m
A substantial Grade II Listed town house. Currently organised as two student HMO properties. 9 bedroom four storey maisonette and a two bedroom lower ground floor apartment. Garden. Yield of 7.9%. Freehold. Council tax band D. EPC rating D.
Bathampton • Guide Price £625,000
A stunning two bedroom garden maisonette forming part of a magnificent Grade II listed building, with accommodation over the ground and lower ground floors. Holiday lets permitted. No onward chain. Share of freehold, EPC rating C, Council tax band B.
See our latest properties, let agreed
Royal Crescent • 2 Bed, 2 Bath £2,500p/m
Set within the iconic Royal Crescent, blending Georgian grandeur with modern comforts for a refined living experience, exuding sophistication through its stylishly finished decor.
Bathford • 2 Bed, 1 Bath £1,500p/m
A delightful and beautifully presented cottage, full of charm and character, peacefully tucked away in a tranquil setting ideal for relaxed country living.
Bath • 6 Bed, 2 Bath, £4,500p/m
This exquisite Edwardian home blends timeless period charm with contemporary luxury, showcasing refined interiors and breathtaking panoramic views over the historic city of Bath.
