FROM THE EDITOR

Somebody up there likes me. It ain't like I've followed a well-trodden trajectory.” These are the words of our very favourite anarchic punk performance poet John Cooper Clarke who is appearing at The Forum in June. He absolutely isn’t putting up with the ‘legend’ label suggested by Melissa Blease, however –he prefers ‘bone idle’, ‘vain’ and ‘opinionated’. Judge for yourself on page 16.

This month also brings memorable and uplifting musical performances of an orchestral type –we have West End numbers from Lucie Jones with the Fulltone Orchestra, Handel’s SolomonOratorio with Bath Recitals and Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with Jennifer Pike and Bath Philharmonia. See page 26 to read about them. Our world is dominated and defined by technology and it’s ever-evolving. So what impact does it have within education and are there moments in the classroom when more traditional teaching methods still hold sway? We ask some of our local schools how technology feeds into the curriculum on page 54. It can bring rich learning experiences, we gather, but it also needs to be used wisely and for a specific purpose. We were honoured to be given a diary account from local ex-fireman Rob Davis about his trip to Türkiye to assist with the help and rescue operation in the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake in parts of Türkiye and Syria. This is a local story of one disaster volunteer stepping up with courage and humanity and making a difference in the middle of a chaotic and overwhelming human tragedy. See page 48. There’s also an insight into the timeless interiors of Sims Hilditch (page 62); a review of the award-winning musical Lion King, soon to grace the stage of the Bristol Hippodrome (page 28); and an insight into the specialist magazine business (page 42).

John Cooper Clarke once said that the poet’s greatest enemy is indifference. Well, there’s no reason for there to be any of that this month.

Emma Clegg, Editor

The Wildlife Trusts and Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are calling on gardeners to reimagine their lawns with their ‘Bring your lawn to life’ initiative for the benefit of wildlife and the environment. They are inviting people to raise the blade on their mower and cut their grass less regularly, and embrace daisies, dandelions, clovers and other naturally flowering plants. Lawns left to grow long help mitigate flooding by better soaking up rainwater, counter the heat island effect through their cooling properties, and capture pollutants. They are also better at resisting browning during dry spells than short grass, owing to their longer roots. wildlifetrusts.org

The Bath Magazine 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED; 01225 424499 www.thebathmag.co.uk

Editor Emma Clegg 01225 424592; emma@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial DirectorJane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Assistant Editor/Web Editor Daisy Game daisy@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

To advertise tel: 01225 424499

Publisher Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact us at thebathmag.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine and Instagram @thebathmagazine

The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazineare published by MC Publishing Ltd.

We are independent of all other local publications.

The Bath Magazine is delivered free, every month, to more than 15,000 residential addresses as well as businesses throughout Bath and the surrounding area. We also have special distribution units in many of Bath’s supermarkets.

© MC Publishing Ltd 2023

Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bath Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

All paper used to make this magazine is taken from good sustainable sources and we encourage our suppliers to join an accredited green scheme. Magazines are now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help to reduce waste and contribute to the six million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Please recycle this magazine, but if you are not able to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine on to a friend or colleague.