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ISSUE 275 | JANUARY 2026 £4.95 where sold
POSTER
POWER !
Victoria Art Gallery’s new exhibition on print advertising
THEBATHMAG.CO.UK
NUCLEAR
MEDICINE
Where physics, biology, and chemistry collide
GOING FOR
GOLD
Bath’s athletes get set for the Winter Olympics
d e k c a P n i e t Pro
, The s k c i Joe W
on i t i r t u lks n a t , h c oa Body C GUIDING
LIGHT
TIMELESS
DESIGN
Meet interiors guru Michelle Ogundehin
Meet Norma, one of the country’s leading puppy raisers
FORWARD
LOOKING
Reflections on the year that’s passed and finding hope for 2026
THEBATHMAGAZINE
A N D . . . S O M U C H M O R E I N T H E C I T Y ’ S M O S T I N T E L L I G E N T G U I D E T O L I V I N G I N B AT H
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Contents
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CITY UPDATES Explore the latest news and updates from organisations in Bath
16 MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE Iconic fitness and lifestyle guru, Joe Wicks, shares his tips to healthy living ahead of his visit to The Forum next month
20 FILMBATH SPECIAL Set to be a cinematic highlight of 2026, FilmBath presents an exclusive screening of H is for Hawk at The Little Cinema
28 IT’S A BUG’S LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Local entomologist Peter Smithers discusses the new bug-based exhibition at BRLSI
32 POSTER POWER! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A new exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery is set to showcase an exceptional range of British advertising posters
38 FORKS AT THE READY The definitive round-up the food and drink trends that you can expect to tuck into and sip on in 2026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44 SWANNING AROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Have all the festivities left you feeling frazzled? A short-break at Mad Swans could be just the ticket
46 GOING FOR GOLD We speak with some of the athletes heading to this year’s Winter Olympics Follow us on social media @thebathmagazine
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78 50 NUCLEAR MEDICINE We delve into this fascinating field and learn more about the RUHX’s campaign to raise £4m for a new scanner
54 THE YEAR AHEAD Bath’s business leaders share their predictions for 2026 across key industries in the city
64 TIME TO SPAAAAAH Treat yourself to some you time with two new fabulous treatments at the Thermae Bath Spa
72 57 PUPPIES AND COUNTING Local residents Norma and Derek Stent share how they have raised 57 puppies for Guide Dogs
76 A DESIGN STATEMENT OR JUST PLAIN
BORING?
This year’s Pantone Colour of the Year is dividing opinions, so, what do you think?
78 MICHELLE OGUNDEHIN We meet the interiors authority at the opening of Heal’s, Bath’s latest design destination
On our cover this month Fitness guru and TV host Joe Wicks. Read our interview with Joe on page 16. Photography by Des Iles
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FROM THE EDITOR A new year always brings with it a sense of possibility, a clean page, a shift in energy, and the promise of fresh starts. It’s the time of year when ideas begin to swirl, inspiration gathers in unexpected corners, and new opportunities blossom. And with this issue, we’re kicking off 2026 with exactly this spirit in mind. We begin by meeting lifestyle guru Joe Wicks prior to his apperance at The Forum next month, who shares how we can all live healthier lives. We also meet the Bath-based bobsleigh and skeleton athletes preparing to take on the world at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, a group whose dedication and drive set the perfect tone for the year ahead. On the foodie front, we dive fork-first into the food trends set to shape our plates in 2026. Think less fad, more flavour, and plenty to get excited about. We’ve also been out and about speaking to Bath’s movers and shakers, asking for their predictions for the year ahead. From business and creativity to culture and community, their insights paint a fascinating picture of what 2026 may hold for us. In this issue, we also shine a light on nuclear medicine, speaking with the RUH’s head of medical physics and bioengineering to learn more about this fascinating field and the hospital’s campaign to raise £4m for a new PET-CT scanner. It’s a conversation that underscores how innovation, science, and community support intertwine to make real change happen. For those considering refreshing their homes now that we have entered a new year, we have a couple of articles worth diving into. Firstly, we meet interiors guru Michelle Ogundehin, who shares why trends are out and timeless style is firmly in. We also take a closer look at the Pantone Colour of the Year, an unexpected hue that’s firmly divided colour and trends enthusiasts. And of course, there’s so much more - city news, events, arts, fashion, and beauty. Here’s to a bright, inspiring start to 2026, one that is filled with new beginnings, positivity, and stories worth sharing.
Joanna Stay warm and cosy Hand built in the heart of the Cotswolds the Everhot Electric Stove is an elegant and efficient stove featuring a unique oven design and a cast iron door. Unlike a traditional woodburning or solid fuel stove it does not require a flue and simply plugs into a standard 13amp socket. Easy installation and classic design make it perfect for any space needing additional heat, including living rooms, guest bedrooms, home offices, conservatories, summer houses, annexes or even a shepherd’s hut or narrowboat. A 1.5kW thermostatically controlled heating element gently warms the room and behind the cast iron door there is a 20-litre oven, perfect for cooking small dishes. It comes in a choice of 20 colours and is priced from £1,530. Visit coopershomeappliances.com
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The Bath Magazine 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED; 01225 424499 www.thebathmag.co.uk Editor Joanna Lewis 01225 424592; joanna@thebathmagazine.co.uk Financial Director Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk Digital Editor India Farnham india@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 X @thebathmagazine and Instagram @thebathmagazine The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazine are 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 2026 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.
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City updates EARLY TICKETS RELEASED FOR BATH INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026 Bath International Music Festival has announced a series of five world-class concerts ahead of its 2026 festival, providing music lovers with a taste of what’s to come this summer. Tickets for five concerts have been released allowing people to reserve their seats early. The full programme for Bath International Music Festival 2026, which runs from Saturday 30 May to Sunday 7 June, will be announced shortly. Concerts that are now on sale at Bath Box Office include Richard Goode plays Beethoven (Saturday, 30 May), Bach Concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Sunday 31 May, 7, Gesualdo Six: Secret Byrd, Monday 1 June, and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet plays the complete piano works of Ravel, Tuesday 2 June. The Bath International Music Festival is part of Bath Festivals arts charity, an organisation that inspires and connects different people and communities through music and book festivals. All its work is designed to maximise inclusion and accessibility, ignite ideas, thoughts and conversations and promote and celebrate the positive impact that music, literature, and performance have on people’s lives. The charity also organises the Bath Literature Festival, which runs from Saturday 16 May to Sunday 24 May. bathboxoffice.org.uk
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY AIMS TO BRIDGE GENERATIONS
New store openings in Bath
The importance of ensuring the next generation do not forget stories of genocide will be at the heart of a special commemorative event in Bath marking Holocaust Memorial Day. The free public event, organised by Bath & North East Somerset Council in partnership with Bath Interfaith Group, takes place at 5.45pm on Tuesday 27 January 2026 at The Guildhall and will express this year’s national Holocaust Memorial Day theme, ’Bridging Generations'. The event will reflect the vital role of sharing memory, testimony and learning to help shape a more compassionate future. Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust, as well as millions of others persecuted under Nazi rule, and the victims of more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. This year also marks the 81st anniversary of the liberation of AuschwitzBirkenau. The Bath ceremony will feature a varied and thoughtful programme of music, poetry and reflections, supported by contributions spanning different generations and lived experiences. Tickets are available at eventbrite.co.uk
Gieves & Hawkes Rich in history and one of the most iconic names in tailoring the brand makes a welcome return to Bath with its new store on Broad Street. With three floors showcasing the brand's full range of menswear; from casual ready-to-wear must-haves, classic suits to its popular made to measure services, Gieves & Hawkes brings British Luxury back to the city. gievesandhawkes.com
Busby & Fox The new store on Broad Street is the 11th opening for Busby & Fox. Founded by Emma Vowles, the store offers a stylish womenswear collection to inspire and a carefully curated range of jewellery, accessories, and homewares. The brand has been going from strength to strength with inviting and laid-back boutiques that have built up loyal local followers and a great reputation for beautiful things. busbyandfox.com
Bramley From The Beckford Arms in Wiltshire to Shire's Yard in Bath, Bramley is a range of delightful bath, body, homeware and gift products, all created with British botanicals and all inspired by the beauty and therapeutic properties of plants. The simple ingredients, the appealing branding and packaging all add to the incredible success story that started in an inn near Bath. bramleyproducts.co.uk
RM Williams. Originally Australia’s most-loved boot makers R.M.Williams now has a stylish new store on Milsom Street. Not only can you discover its iconic Chelsea boots, leather goods, and apparel, but also its casual clothing range for men and women, all inspired by the adventurous Australian spirit. rmwilliams.com
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City updates EMBLEMS COLLECTION ANNOUNCES FIRST FLAGSHIP WITH LUCKNAM PARK HOTEL & SPA Previously operating as a renowned country house hotel, Lucknam Park has joined the Emblems Collection. Emblems is Accor’s most exclusive collection brand, designed to craft tomorrow’s legacy through addresses of exceptional character. With a highly selective approach focused on the world’s most coveted locales, Emblems seeks intimate, human-scale properties with a residential flair. These include emblematic suites and villas, and personalised service tailored to aesthetic-minded travellers and locals alike. Lucknam Park, Emblems Collection will join the Heritage category, celebrating its glorious past while ushering in a new era of contemporary relevance. The property will undergo thoughtful enhancements that preserve its identity while aligning with the Emblems ethos of “Artisans of the Extraordinary” — offering guests an experience where luxury is personal, storied, and sensorial. Located just six miles from Bath, Lucknam Park blends classic English charm with standout features: a Michelin-starred restaurant, an awardwinning wellness spa, a renowned equestrian centre, and 500 acres of landscaped parkland. Its 42 individually designed rooms and nine luxurious cottages make it a sought-after countryside escape for discerning travellers. Visit lucknampark.co.uk
BECKFORD’S TOWER SCOOPS GEORGIAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL AWARDS
ST JOHN’S FOUNDATION INVESTS £5MILLION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FREE INITIATIVE
Beckford’s Tower is among the winners of the 2025 Georgian Group Architectural Awards, sponsored by Savills. The Awards, now in their 21st year, celebrate those who have demonstrated the vision and commitment to restore Georgian buildings and landscapes and to create new work in the spirit of the Georgian era across the United Kingdom. Leaking, inaccessible, with outdated interpretation and only one display case, prior to practical completion in March 2025, Beckford’s Tower was failing to reach its potential as a museum and had been added to Historic England’s At Risk Register. Through the sensitive yet ambitious “Our Tower” project, the small Beckford’s Tower team not only restored the Tower, but also opened up the landscape, uncovered a hidden Grotto, restored a subterranean Vault, decolonialised the interpretation, and incorporated solar panels and air source heat pumps. “The Georgian period gave us many of Britain’s most beautiful buildings; architecturallyspeaking, the era introduced order, proportion and harmony inspired by classical antiquity and planned urban ensembles such as crescents, terraces and squares. It is a design tradition that is admired around the world. However, much of this architectural inheritance is in danger through insensitive development or neglect. Our Architectural Awards provide such a positive and hopeful counterpoint to the threats to built heritage we at The Georgian Group see on a daily basis,” Anya Lucas, director of The Georgian Group, says. Visit beckfordstower.org.uk
St John’s Foundation is investing £5 million over the next three years to create new almshouses and refurbish existing ones, building on its long-standing mission to support older adults. The project will see up to 15 new safe and affordable homes made available for people aged 65 and over who are facing financial hardship, ensuring they have both a home and a supportive community to live in. Once complete, St John’s will provide up to 109 almshouses, placing it among the top 2% of providers nationally. The new development comes at a time when Bath faces a severe housing challenge. House prices in Bath and North East Somerset are over 13 times the average salary, making it one of the least affordable places to live in the UK. There is less social housing available in B&NES compared to the national average, with more households in temporary accommodation than at any point in the last 20 years. At the same time, the number of people aged 65+ is expected to grow by 15% by 2028. Against this backdrop, St John’s commitment will provide a vital lifeline – safe, affordable homes, built around community and connection. Visit: stjohnsbath.org.uk
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Wool is… • Naturally insulating • Hard-wearing • Easy to care for • Sustainable • Hypoallergenic
Laminate • Luxury vinyl tile • Natural • Stain resistant • Tailor made • Vinyl • Wood • Wool Avonvale fp January.indd 1
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THINGS TO DO IN JANUARY
Chase away the cold dark days of winter and treat yourself at the city’s three-week celebration of feel-good activities, mindfulness and motivation, exclusive hotel and spa packages and taster sessions. With four different areas to explore, including physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, talk and fun, you’re bound to find the perfect experience for you. The festival runs from 28 January to 16 February. welcometobath.co.uk
2:22 A Ghost Story If you missed this brilliant sell-out, supernatural thriller when it first came to Bath in 2023, now’s your chance to catch 2:22 A Ghost Story as it returns to Bath following record-breaking seasons at five West End theatres with a host of highly acclaimed star performances. It’s a brilliantly funny and adrenalinefilled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may or may not appear… What do you believe? And do you dare discover the truth? Running 19-24 January at the Theatre Royal Bath. theatreroyal.org.uk
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Head to the Holburne and check out the museum’s latest exhibition, Zandra Rhodes: A Life in Print, from 24 January. This exhibition brings together a spectacular selection of Dame Zandra Rhodes’ screen-printed garments from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. One of Britain’s most influential fashion designers known for her fearless use of colour, signature prints, and sculptural silhouettes, the exhibition explores the stories behind some of her most iconic designs. holburne.org/events
A Ceremony of Carols Welcome the New Year with a magical evening of enchanting music sung by the acclaimed Bath Abbey Girls’ Choir on 10 January at Bath Abbey, 7pm to 8:30pm. Musical highlights will include Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, the haunting composition Peace on Earth by the Master of the King’s Music Errolyn Wallen, and an arrangement of a Welsh carol for girls and harp, Sisialau’s awel fwyn, by Jeffrey Howard. bathboxoffice.org.uk
A winter diner’s treat at Montagu’s Mews Celebrate winter in Bath at the Royal Crescent Hotel restaurant with a seasonal menu that brings the warmth and comfort to the colder months. The Winter Fixed Price Menu draws on carefully chosen seasonal ingredients and understated, wellbalanced cooking. The menu features dishes such as smoked cod’s roe mousse with beetroot and Chardonnay vinegar, Cornish fish of the day with parsnip and sesame, and a baked caramel tart with apple and crème fraîche. Thoughtfully composed and rooted in the season, the menu suits leisurely lunches and relaxed evenings in one of Bath’s most distinctive settings. Available Monday to Thursday from 5 January to 31 March 2026. A two or three course menu is available at both lunch and dinner from just £35 per person. Book your table at: royalcrescent.co.uk/eat-drink
Photo by Simon Emmett
The ReBalance Bath Wellbeing Festival
Zandra Rhodes at the Holburne
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FASHION
Multicoloured Geometric Patchwork. Faux Fur Coat, £100. www.oliverbonas.com.
New year, new threads Cool temps require cosy essentials; from thermal layers to fleecy jackets and super stylish accessories. Here’s our selection of the latest looks and new arrivals hitting Bath’s fashion stores.
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FASHION
VEJA + Finisterre Fitz Roy. Trail Shoe, £170. finisterre.com.
Padstow vest, £150. www.rmwilliams.com.
Après Ski Beanie, £38. www.anthropologie.com.
Sydney Cashmere V-Neck Sweater - Khaki, £195. nrbyclothing.com. The Halo, £135. www.jimmyfairly.com.
Capra 4oz Leather Bound Hip Flask. Marine Blue, £105. www.gievesandhawkes.com.
Cream Sasha Shearling Tote Bag £259. www.whistles.com
Knitted Wool Bandana, £59. www.toa.st/collections.
Jardener Cardigan With Ruffle. Collar- Nectarine, £240. www.graceandmabel.co.uk.
Navy Blanket Stitch. Wool Mix Knit, £159. www.whistles.com.
Alpaca Stripy Wristwarmers, £75. www.broraonline.com.
Le Chameau Ladies Giverny Jersey Lined Wellington Boots £160 www.wadswick.co.uk
Thrills Not Spills Activist. Crew Knit Jumper, £250. finisterre.com. THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 15
Photography by Des Illes
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HEALTH & FITNESS
Movement is medicine With the new year firmly upon us – and no doubt several health‐focused resolutions on our lists ‐ who better to talk to about all things health and wellness than lifestyle guru Joe Wicks? Joanna Lewis caught up with him ahead of his visit to Bath next month.
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s one of the UK’s most trusted voices on health and wellness, Joe has spent the past decade helping millions rethink how they move, eat, and feel. From lockdown living rooms to family kitchens, the fitness coach-turnedlifestyle guru has built a reputation for making healthy living accessible, realistic, and, crucially, enjoyable. So, for those wishing to transform their health in 2026, where does one start? Joe says the first thing to focus on is small daily wins by breaking your day into little goals. “For example, the first one could be ‘right, I want to do a little movement’,” Joe says. “It could be a 20-minute workout or going for a walk. But if you fail that, say ‘right, I didn’t manage to exercise as I didn’t have the energy, so, instead I’m going to put some good food in my body’.” He explains that a daily win could be cooking a recipe, putting your phone down, detaching from digital devices, or simply going to bed an hour earlier. “They all add up, so try to focus on more little wins,” he says. “Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t have the perfect day and know that you will make progress if you do one of those things every day.” For those who have made living a healthier lifestyle their New Year’s resolution, Joe suggests making exercise a daily habit. “Finding a little bit of time every day to do some movement really shifts your mood. Movement is medicine, it’s about doing anything you can to be active,” Joe says.
Rest and recovery One of Joe’s biggest priorities is sleep, a key component of a healthy lifestyle that he believes many people underestimate. “Really having a good sleep routine, being consistent with that, and trying to get into a routine that’s consistent throughout the week really helps with your energy, your commitment to exercise, your discipline around food choices, and your mental health. Sleep is about rest and recovery; you need that time to regulate,” Joe explains. Another key message he is keen to convey is how relatively simple leading a healthy lifestyle can be, and that you don’t need a lot of time, equipment, or to be an expert cook. “I really believe short workouts, around 15 to 20 minutes, are enough. I believe in quick cooking, making food convenient and fast. These are
both things that are achievable, and they can really transform you quickly.” So, as a busy dad to four young children, how does the lifestyle guru stay fit and healthy? “I like to do a combination of strength training, and I’ve also really enjoyed starting to do a bit of yoga for mobility, so on the days I’m not doing a full body workout or strength training, I’ll do a half an hour yoga session on my body coach app, which has been great. Really, it’s what I feel like, I don’t have a strict routine, it depends on what I’m in the mood for.” He adds: “For me, exercise is my core tool that I use to shift my mindset to feel positive, to feel optimistic, and to release stress on the body, that’s always my go-to.”
Moments to connect Talking of young family, Joe says it can be a challenge to balance work while being present at home, but says it’s all about finding moments to connect. “Putting my phone down and bonding, reading a book together, cooking a recipe together, or doing a little bit of exercise in the garden. It’s these little things that bring us together, really shift the mood and energy in the house. I want them to be passionate about food and to enjoy exercise, so it’s just the little things. I did a run the other day with my kids around the block and just saw their faces light up.” He adds: “Exercise should be fun, and it should be something you celebrate and do together. We need to be role models to our children, so role-modelling in the kitchen, at the dinner table, and with exercise, will change their lives.” And, finally, if Joe could set one challenge for our readers, what would it be? “When you’re in a place as beautiful as Bath, a nice low-intensity way of getting strong and getting good mental health is walking. So, try to incorporate it even once a week, go on a bike ride or a walk as a family, doing it together with someone is really great.” n Joe Wicks will be in Bath at The Forum on Friday, 6 February, where he will introduce his latest book, Protein in 15, which features 80 quick, protein-packed, unprocessed recipes for the whole family. Visit bathboxoffice.org.uk to book tickets.
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FILMBATH SPECIAL
H is for Hawk H is for Hawk promises to be one of the cinematic highlights of 2026. Ahead of an exclusive screening and Q&A presented by FilmBath at the Little Theatre ‐ Dara Foley finds out more from its makers: Director, Philippa Lowthorpe, co‐screenplay writer Emma Donoghue, and best‐selling author, Helen Macdonald
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hen Helen Macdonald’s memoir H is for Hawk unexpectedly soared to bestseller status in 2014, captivating readers with its thoughtful mix of real grief, the beauty of finding comfort in nature and a determined, curative pursuit of training a wild creature, it didn’t seem an obvious candidate for a film adaptation. Its most powerful moments unfold in the private empathy of mourning and obsession. Yet the book registered deeply in the imaginations of local writer-director Philippa Lowthorpe and novelist Emma Donoghue – who, introduced by the Producer, Dede Gardner of Plan B, have now brought Macdonald’s story to the big screen with an intensity and emotional clarity that is not only faithful to the original story but also something truly cinematic and wholly compelling. Retaining the original title, H is for Hawk will have an exclusive screening presented by FilmBath (followed by a Q&A Session with Lowthorpe and Macdonald), at the Little Theatre Cinema on 17 January – it will be a homecoming of sorts for Lowthorpe, whose work on The Crown, Three Girls, The Other Boleyn Girl, and her critically acclaimed limited series, Prisoner 951 – the story of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe and her husband Richard’s campaign for her release has earned her an international reputation for nuanced storytelling. However, H is for Hawk is clearly her most delicate of undertakings: a story about a woman whose world collapses in the wake of her father’s sudden death, and who turns to the unforgiving discipline of falconry in order to survive and somehow make sense of her sorrow. 20 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
Claire Foy plays Helen Macdonald, the emotionally quiet yet strong protagonist – her grief doesn’t wash through her so much as build up, gathering weight in every glance and gesture. When her beloved father (played by Brendan Gleeson) dies unexpectedly, Helen returns to an abandoned part of herself: the teenage falconer who once understood that tethering yourself to a wild creature is both an act of control and a surrender. She finds Mabel, a young goshawk, and brings the bird home – a decision that becomes its own kind of ritual and its own vocabulary of healing. The challenge of adapting this was immense. Macdonald’s book slips between memoir, natural history and reflections on T.H. White, the writer and falconer best known for The Sword in the Stone. White’s own turbulent attempts to train a goshawk parallel Macdonald’s in revealing ways, and the film honours that layered structure, weaving the literary, the historical and the deeply personal without feeling weighted down by any of them. For Emma Donoghue, whose previous screen work includes Room and The Wonder, the book’s shifting textures were part of the appeal. “Helen’s voice on the page is so interior, so reflective,” Donoghue says. “I knew we couldn’t simply transpose her thoughts into narration. What we aimed for instead was finding the cinematic language of grief – those moments where the world seems slightly off its axis, where you see someone trying to hold themselves together with ritual, with obsession, with absolute concentration.” Translating falconry itself into something cinematically legible was another of Donoghue’s tasks.
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FILMBATH SPECIAL “Falconry is full of technical detail, but it’s also deeply mythic,” she explains. “What fascinated me was the way it becomes a mirror. Helen thinks she’s training Mabel, but she’s really learning how to live again, breath by breath, instinct by instinct.” Lowthorpe’s masterful direction avoids sentimentality, a quality that could easily have diluted the film’s emotional honesty. As [leading film and entertainment website] Deadline.com wrote, “The impressive thing about Philippa Lowthorpe’s assured direction and the script she co-wrote with Emma Donoghue is its resistance to easy sentimentality. This is undeniably a story about grief, loss and trying to cope with it all. In lesser hands, the film could have gone for cute animal stuff to lighten the load, but H is for Hawk never succumbs to that temptation, and quite frankly, goshawks don’t make it easy for that to begin with.” It’s a fair point: a goshawk is no cinematic shortcut to charm. It is sharp, unpredictable, and utterly itself.
“Grief isn’t linear, you don’t move through it like chapters in a book. You circle it, you backtrack, you think you’re fine and then a small thing brings you to your knees” Emma Donoghue This fidelity to the nature of the bird – and to the emotional truths of the story – creates a life-affirming film that earns its tears honestly. As Deadline.com continues, “this is a film that doesn’t pander for tears, but genuinely earns them. It is the stuff of life.” The relationship between Helen and her father forms the emotional architecture of the film. Gleeson appears in her memories – warm, wise, occasionally wry – filling the frame with the solidity of a man who has shaped his daughter’s world. His unexpected departure from it makes Foy’s performance all the more affecting. A woman crushed by loss but who refuses to look away from it, even when doing so unravels her. Donoghue speaks about maintaining that emotional tension throughout the screenplay. “Grief isn’t linear,” she says. “You don’t move through it like chapters in a book. You circle it, you backtrack, you think you’re fine and then a small thing brings you to your knees. In the script, we wanted the rhythm of that – the way Mabel becomes both an anchor and a catalyst. And Claire captures that beautifully. She carries the story with a kind of wounded dignity.” Claire Foy’s scenes with Mabel are some of the most arresting in the film. They come with danger, humour and tenderness in them, but also
Author, Helen Macdonald and Goshawk. Right: The best-selling book jacket
something very raw and exacting: falconry requires precision and presence, both of which align with Helen’s need to control something – anything – in her world suddenly crushed by loss. For Bath audiences, there is an added pleasure in seeing the work of a director with deep local connections return to the city for FilmBath’s celebratory screening. Lowthorpe’s sensitivity as a storyteller, so evident in all her projects, seems particularly attuned to H is for Hawk. She understands that the film’s heart lies not in dramatic spectacle but in emotional specificity: a woman and a bird, each wary, each fiercely alive, each teaching the other how to move through a world that can be both brutal and breathtaking. Donoghue hopes audiences will see themselves reflected in that journey. “So many of us have lived through grief that felt unspeakable,” she says. “Helen’s story gives shape to that experience. I hope people come away feeling that wildness and loss aren’t opposites – they can exist side by side. And sometimes healing happens in the moments when you’re reaching toward something that isn’t tame, that doesn’t fit neatly into your life.” The result is a film that feels both intimate and expansive, rooted in personal loss yet attentive to the vast, messy landscape of human resilience. It honours the book’s complexity while discovering its own visual poetry, one that unfolds in long, contemplative shots, sudden bursts of movement, and small, tremulous moments of connection. H is for Hawk arrives not just as an adaptation, but as a meditation – on love, on the wild, and on the delicate work of finding your way back to yourself when the world breaks open. In resisting the temptation to soften the edges, Lowthorpe and Donoghue have created something authentic: a storyline that doesn’t flinch from the hardest parts of being alive, and a film that allows its audience to feel the sharpness and the solace of that truth. It was important to Lowthorpe to create something that felt “truthful, raw and vivid”. Lowthorpe adds, “I want the audience to feel like they are there with Helen, whether in her front room or out on a hunt. Nothing can get in the way of us relating to and feeling what Helen is going through”. As the Little Theatre prepares to host the FilmBath screening and Q&A, Jasmine Barker, FilmBath Director adds, “Bath has an extraordinary amount of creative talent and Philippa Lowthorpe is a perfect example of that. We are incredibly proud to host this preview screening and to celebrate her beautiful new film alongside author Helen Macdonald. It is a real privilege for FilmBath to shine a light on exceptional filmmakers who live in our city and continue to shape British storytelling at the highest level.” n H is for Hawk + Q&A with Director Philippa Lowthorpe and Author Helen Macdonald. The Little Theatre Cinema, Saturday 17 January, 5.45pm. Tickets from £13.75. Presented by FilmBath filmbath.org.uk
Film Director, Philippa Lowthorpe THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 21
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What’s on Dick and his magic cat, Tiddles, leave Bath to seek their fortune in medieval London. Everything looks rosy - a good job, new friends, the beautiful Alice - but the evil king Rat soon ruins it all! Follow Dick through a dramatic storm and shipwreck, and onto a pirate island. Will he ever recover his fortunes and become Lord Mayor of London, as the Fairy Bowbells has predicted? A pantomime for everyone, stuffed full with comedy, songs, audience participation, high drama and terrible jokes! bathdrama.com
The Skids play Komedia
LIVE MUSIC AT GREEN PARK BRASSERIE Throughout January 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 HOW RENAISSANCE INFLUENCES SHAPED GEORGIAN BUILDINGS Wednesday 7 January, 7:30-9pm n BRLSI, BA1 2HN The rules and proportions of Classical architecture were reinterpreted during the European Renaissance. As surviving fragments and buildings were rediscovered during the period, designers sought ways to use historic styles to create modern architecture. Join Dr Amy Frost, Senior Curator at Bath Preservation Trust, as she unpicks how Renaissance architectural exploration defined the city we see around us in Bath and continues to impact architectural debate today. Part of the BRLSI’s excellent series on the Renaissance: Journeys of Discovery. Tickets from £4. brlsi.org U3A TALK – CAPTAIN ROBERT FITZROY, CHARLES DARWIN AND THE VOYAGES HMS BEAGLE by Dr James Taylor Thursday 8 January, Doors open 9.30am Talk starts: 10.30am n The Pavilion North Parade Road, Bath 22 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
Robert FitzRoy commanded HMS Beagle on two remarkable voyages and on the second Charles Darwin served as his companion and naturalist. The evidence that Darwin collected led to the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859. FitzRoy paid for two artists, Augustus Earle and Conrad Martens, to paint the people and places they encountered. The speaker, Dr James Taylor is a former curator of pictures at the National Maritime Museum and author of The Voyage of the Beagle. Admission is free to members. For non-members, a discretionary £5 donation is suggested. u3ainbath.uk PANTOMINE: THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF PETER PAN Until 11 January n Theatre Royal Stage and screen star Tristan Gemmill (Coronation Street, Casualty, The Bodyguard) will don the infamous hook and sail to Neverland as the fearsome Captain Hook in this year’s pantomime spectacular, The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook. Written by Bath’s own panto legend Jon Monie, who also stars as the side-splitting Smee, this year’s show is bigger, bolder, and more dazzling than ever! theatreroyal.org.uk or bathboxoffice.org.uk PANTOMINE: DICK WHITTINGTON 15-18 January, 2pm & 7:30pm n Rondo Theatre, BA1 6RT
UNIVERSITY OF BATH GARDENING CLUB: ORCHIDS NATURE'S WAY BY SIMON PUGH-JONES Thursday 15 January, 7:30pm-9pm n University of Bath, Room 1, Level 1, East Building, BA2 7AY Simon founded the Writhlington School Orchid Project. He now runs an orchid nursery in Dorset, as well as spending time with schools in Sarawak. In this talk he will be comparing the different tropical habitats of orchids in the wild to those we surround ourselves with in our own homes. Open to all, Annual membership £25, Visitors £8. ubgc.org MAN IN THE MIRROR – A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON Saturday 17 January, Doors open 6.30pm, show starts 7.30pm n The Forum, Bath BA1 1UG Enjoy a Thriller of an evening, celebrating the legendary music of the king of pop. Starring CJ, one of the world’s greatest Michael Jackson tribute artists, this is a brand new tribute concert featuring all the greatest hits you know and love, including Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Smooth Criminal,and of course, Man in the Mirror. Complete with dazzling choreography, stunning visual effects, light show and authentic costumes. Tickets: from £34.10 (inc. fees). bathforum.co.uk PERFUME MAKING HALF DAY WORKSHOP Saturday 17 and 24 January, 2.30pm - 5pm n City Centre Why not try your hand at making your own personal fragrance in the New Year, and join Parterre for a creative, hands-on session. Informative and engaging, these half day workshops cover a bit of theory about the Continued page 24
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BATH & COUNTY CLUB Join the 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 Friday 9 January Coffee, pastries & morning talk Helen Law on being a London Barrister 10.30 for 11am. £10. Sunday 11 January Sunday Carvery - choices of two meats Four vegetables and two desserts, cheese & coffee. 12.30 for 1 pm. £32.
Interstallar. Organist Roger Sayer performs at Bath Abbey, followed by Q&A
olfactive families and perfume fundamentals. Then, working with high quality oils, you will be expertly guided through the process of designing and blending, and by the end of the afternoon you will have a 50ml bottle of perfume to take home and enjoy. £120pp. parterrefragrances.com NOONANS OF MAYFAIR – BATH VALUATION DAY Thursday 22 January, 11am-3pm n Lansdown Grove Hotel Bath BA1 5EL have your jewellery, watches, silver, object of vertu or coin collection appraised for free by the specialist valuations team from Noonans of Mayfair. For details visit: noonans.co.uk THE SKIDS – THE ABSOLUTE GAME TOUR Friday 23 January, 7pm n Komedia, BA1 1EP The Skids are a punk/new wave band who formed in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1977. They went on to have 10 singles in the UK charts including Into The Valley, The Saints Are Coming'(later covered by U2 and Green Day), Masquerade, Working For The Yankee Dollar, Animation and Charade. The tour celebrates their third studio album which reached #9 in the UK album charts. Special guest support by the much-loved Au Pairs. Tickets from £33.50 standing. Komediabath.co.uk I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT BUDDY Saturday 24 January, 8pm n Chapel Arts Centre, BA1 1QR Buddy Holly & The Crickets are brought back to life as they looked and sounded on their first tour of the UK in 1958 by the outstanding Spencer J & the Copy-Cat Crickets. A seated cabaret with a dance floor, enjoy a non-stop rock ‘n’ roll concert straight from the fifties with the songs that Buddy
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recorded such as Peggy Sue, That’ll Be The Day, Oh Boy and Heartbeat, but also other rock n roll hits such as La Bamba, Blue Suede Shoes, Rip It Up and Shake Rattle & Roll. Advance tickets are £22.50 / £25 on the door. chapelarts.org ROBIN HOOD AND THE TRAITOR OF NOTTINGHAM 28 - 31 January, Wednesday-Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 1pm & 5pm. n St Philip & St James Church, Odd Down, Bath. BA2 2QF Brand new family pantomime by St Philip & St James Church Drama Group. A thoroughly entertaining show is packed full of music, dance, larger-than-life characters and a few surprises, so is not one to be missed! Tickets £10 adults and OAPs, £6 children (under 18) excl. booking fee. Wheelchair spaces available. To book tickets call 01225 835228 (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm or 25pm) or visit: ticketsource.co.uk/spsjdrama LAWRENCES AUCTIONEERS – FREE VALUATION DAY Friday 30 January,10am-2pm n The Holburne Museum, BA2 4DB Want to know the value of your antique piece or object d’art? The expert team from Lawrences Auctioneers will be on hand and available to help you at this free valuation event at The Holburne. For further details on the event or to arrange a no charge/no obligation home visit for a private valuation see: Find all the details on lawrences.co.uk CREATIVE WRITING FOR WELLBEING. REBALANCE BATH – FESTIVAL OF WELLBEING 2026 Fridays on 30 January, 6 and 13 February n Gainsborough Bath Spa, BA1 1QY Join Dr. Kate Mattacks for this series of creative writing workshops as part of the
Thursday 15 January “Call my Quaff ”. 6 for 6.30 pm. A fork buffet to follow. Friday 16 January Morning talk by Jean Seymour A food historian. 10.30 for 11 am. Coffee and Pastries. £10. Friday 22 January BURNS NIGHT. 6.15 for 7 pm. Black Tie or Tartan. 3 course Dinner Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, and a Dram of Whiskey. £50. Rooms also for hire. Event venue: Queens Parade, Bath BA1 2NJ. Booking essential, email secretary@bathandcountyclub.com Call: 01225-423732.
ReBalance Festival at The Gainsborough Bath Spa. The 2 hour workshops are open to all ages and designed to support you as you discover your own voice. Tickets: from £33.22. Find tickets on eventbrite.co.uk INTERSTELLAR – AN EVENING WITH ROGER SAYER Friday 16 January, 6.45-9.30pm n Bath Abbey, BA1 1LT Organist Roger Sayer, who performed on the original soundtrack of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, returns to the score in this special live concert at Bath Abbey. Hear highlights from the film's iconic score, alongside intergalactic favourites from A Space Odyssey and Holst’s The Planets. Sayer will take the audience on a journey through time and space, including a discussion and Q+A about his experience working with Nolan and Zimmer. Concert includes film clips and video feed from the organ loft. For tickets: bathboxoffice.org.uk
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Carmen Bizet’s masterpiece of passion and fate
Sung in English with chorus, orchestra and surtitles
19-21 February 2026 The Roper Theatre Hayesfield Girls’ School, Bath www.bathboxoffice.org.uk 01225 463362
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WHAT’S ON EVENTS
LOOKING AHEAD TO FEBRUARY
Trombonist Peter Moore and the Bath Philharmonia at the Forum
POMP AND FEAST AND REVELRY – THE MEDIEVAL YEAR IN ART Monday 2 February, 11:30AM n The Arts Society Bath, Widcombe Social Club, BA2 6AA Rare manuscripts and paintings by artists such as Bruegel, Durer and Botticelli give us a vivid picture of life at the time, recreating the atmosphere of regular events in the lives of ordinary people. Hosted by Richard Whincop. Non-members £10 (£7 on Zoom). Must book by email - latest Friday 30 January. bath@theartssociety.org theartssocietybath.com PETER MOORE & BATH PHILHARMONIA Wednesday 4 February, 7.30-9.30pm n The Forum, BA1 1UG Dive into a night of orchestral brilliance with Bath Philharmonia and enjoy a journey through iconic landscapes of sound. Michael Seal leads Bath Philharmonia in this thrilling programme of Sibelius, – powerful, moving, and vividly alive. For tickets and details: bathphil.co.uk AQUASANA IN THE ROOFTOP POOL - REBALANCE BATH FESTIVAL OF WELLBEING 2026 Wednesday 4 February, 8am n Thermae Bath Spa, BA1 1SJ Dive into relaxation and rejuvenation with Aquasana in the Rooftop Pool at Thermae Bath Spa with Bex Bridgeford. The class is followed by a 2-hour spa session with use of towel and robe. Aquasana includes classic yoga postures combined with gentle tai chi and invigorating karate moves in the spa’s
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mineral-enriched waters. You will enjoy exclusive use of the rooftop pool before other guests arrive. eventbrite.co.uk LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF WHILE LEADING OTHERS REBALANCE BATH - FESTIVAL OF WELLBEING 2026 Wednesday 4 February, 9 - 10am n Mogers Drewett, St James House, 2 The Square, Bath BA2 3DZ When you lead yourself well, you lead your people better. Being a great leader often means putting your team first – but what happens when your own energy starts to run low? This interactive roundtable explores how managers and business leaders can build resilience, balance and focus in demanding environments. Discover how to to recognise stress early, manage your energy effectively, and model healthy habits for your team. Free event (Booking fee £1.50) however numbers are limited. Register at: bathboxoffice.org.uk SING WITH BATH BACH CHOIR 2026 CHORAL WORKSHOP Saturday 7 February, 9.30am-4.30pm n St Mary’s Church, Bathwick BA2 4EB Join Bath Bach Choir to explore one of Bach's famous cantatas, an audacious display of his creativity, along with movements from one of his most radiant motets. A day of inspiring music making led by musical director Benedict Collins Rice. All are welcome, whether you're a seasoned singer or simply eager to immerse yourself in Bach’s world. Reserve your place at: bathbachchoir.org.uk
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INTERVIEW
A Bug’s Life Eight‐eyed. Scaled. Exoskeletal. Winged. Creepy‐crawly. These probably aren’t words you’d expect to describe beautiful, high‐brow art. A group of 17 bug‐loving artists are on a mission to change that. The Entographic Collective’s new exhibition, Entographica, will be fluttering into Bath later this month, aiming to change the public’s perception of insects. India Farnham catches up with Peter Smithers, a local entomologist and member of the collective, to find out why insects might be more important, and certainly more beautiful, than many of us might have ever imagined... Above: Sarah Gillespie, A Lament for the Bordered Gothic, 2022, Mezzotint , Printed bleed edged on Arches Moulin du Gué. 49.5 x 74 cm
S
ome people go through life never really finding their crew. You know, the people that really get them, who appreciate them for all their wonderful interests, no matter how weird or wacky. This, as I discovered through chatting with Peter Smithers, a local entomologist who has spent his life studying, painting and appreciating insects, is something of a tragedy. Because it’s through connecting with one another, and sharing our passions, that we can truly know ourselves. “Insects have driven so many things in my life,” Peter tells me. “They’ve allowed me to meet a whole host of fascinating, wonderful people, and enabled me to go out and explore places that I would never have dreamt of visiting.” Peter Smithers
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“You can only conserve what you love, and you can only love what you understand.”
What’s all the buzz about? Peter’s fascination with anything with more than five legs began when he arrived at The University of Plymouth to work as an entomologist and ecologist in the early 1970s; “I realised that insects were rather more interesting than I thought, and I just got really caught up in them. And then I began to take a keen interest in how science could influence the arts and vice versa.” And so, alongside Peter’s extensive work at the university, and his various positions at The Royal Entomological Society, he began collaborating with local artists, aiming to bring the magic of the invertebrate world to a wider audience. Peter’s pursuit for minibeastcentred art was incredibly fruitful, resulting in multiple art exhibitions, a puppet-play about garden insects that ran in the south west for over 20 years “until the puppets literally fell apart”, a piece of music inspired by the songs of crickets, grasshoppers and frogs, and a contemporary dance based on insect behaviours. Oh, and a full-length opera entitled MIRIAM about the famous natural scientist Dame Miriam Louisa Rothschild, “the queen of fleas”. Phew! Now, that’s quite the artistic output already, but Peter still wasn’t finished. After retiring in 2013, he began to spend more time painting at his home in Bristol, inspired by the strange and exotic shapes he had marvelled at in the microscopic world. His muse? Spiders, of course.
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INTERVIEW Peter Smithers, Lepthyphantes
fantastic creatures differently.’” A noble pursuit. I wonder, as the main organiser of the exhibition, how did Peter reach out to the participating artists to get them involved? “Well, it's a fabulous team. We met at an exhibition in Salisbury about three years ago. Every year since then I have organised for us to get together at The Natural History Museum. It was at one of these meetings that the idea for Entographica was born.” Peter lights up as he tells me what sort of artwork we can look forward to seeing at the exhibition. “There’s one artist, KT, who has blown a metre-long, incrediby rare species of beetle out of glass. There’s another artist who has made ants out of pewter, and another who has created paintings based on the way light bounces off of scales. There’s another artist, John, who paints out in nature, you know, physically following butterflies around a field. So, we have many different approaches, but it’s the fascination with insects that unites us all,” Peter enthuses. Deadly or furry, venomous or harmless, it was spiders that had really enchanted Peter throughout his career; “They have these amazing techniques and tactics, and their bodies are utterly amazing. That’s what I find fascinating about them. They are gorgeous!” And it was looking at spiders on a microscopic level, exploring what lies just below the threshold of human perception, where Peter found the inspiration for his latest painting series: spider genitalia. “I realised that [spider genitalia] aren’t just a means of identifying species. They are incredibly beautiful, complex structures – metaphors for the natural world. In my paintings, I’ve made the structures much bigger, and then presented them in vibrant colours.” Now, I don’t know about you but I’ve never really thought about spider genitalia before, let alone what they look like up close in dazzling multicolour. It’s a striking concept. I ask Peter what the reaction to these paintings has been so far? “Well, they haven’t been widely seen yet. But my family have seen them and they've been very polite!” he jokes.
Insects, re-imagined If you fancy seeing some of these super-surreal paintings yourself, you’re in luck. A selection of talented, insect-mad artists called The Entographic Collective (quite the groupchat name), will be gliding into Bath later this month with their new exhibition Entographica. Featuring work from 17 members, from Peter’s spider paintings to phantom etched moths to larger-than-life glass-blown beetles, the exhibition will run until the end of February in the fitting home of the Bath Royal Scientific and Literary Institution in Queen Square. As we know, this isn’t the first time Peter has connected with fellow creatives; he’s been doing this for decades. So, I’m keen to know what the idea behind this specific project is? “Well, it’s all about changing the public’s perception of insects,” Peter explains. “There are over 1 million recorded species of insects, so they are the major component of life on Earth. It doesn’t look that way sometimes, but they play all sorts of minute and very complicated roles to keep the natural world going. And yet, they’re in decline. “The thing is, you can only conserve what you love, and you can only love what you understand. So understanding is key, and curiosity is the gateway to understanding. “So, one of the main thrusts of this exhibition is to present insects in a new light as creatures of beauty and as creatures who are incredibly useful. With Entographica we’re saying to the public: ‘come along, soak up these images and then go away and reflect on how you might treat these
A social butterfly Undoubtedly the work Peter has done over the last 50 years will have inspired countless people to think about insects differently, but he is not in the dark about the fact many people will still be scared of spiders. Why does he think this is? “That is the million-dollar question,” Peter muses. “Why? I'm afraid I don't know. I have seen children who are utterly fearless around spiders, but with just a subtle hint that mummy and daddy are scared, they pick up the vibe, and they become terrified. I think familiarity is the only thing that will help.” In a world of smartphones and video games, Peter is encouraging his grandchildren to be excited about the natural world. “Whenever we go out in summer, I always make sure I take some insect collecting things with me, so my grandchildren can run around in the long grass and just see what they can find.” Well, if you’re not ready to run about in the long grass yet, take a civilised stroll through the Bath Royal Scientific and Literary Institution at the Entographica exhibition instead. Challenge yourself to think differently, to look closer. It might just be the key to a better world. n Entographica will be at the Bath Royal Scientific and Literary Institution from 29 January 25 February. Learn about the artists in the collective and find out more at entographica.co.uk If you’re interested in insects, Peter recommends reading Anne Sverdrup Thygeson’s book Extraordinary Insects, or his book Small Game Hunter. If you want to get involved in the insect community, then Peter suggests joining your local natural history group. Above: Fleur Grenier, Precious Cargo, 2025 Pewter, 24ct gold leaf and concrete. 26 x 23 x 17 (H) cm
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ANTIQUE JEWELLERY REPAIRS AND REMODELLING
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CITY EXHIBITION
Poster Power! A new exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery opens later this month, showcasing an exceptional range of British advertising posters from the 19th and 20th centuries. Joanna Lewis spoke with the gallery’s collections manager, Katharine Wall, to learn more.
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he new Poster Power! exhibition promises a fascinating selection of posters promoting a wide range of events and campaigns, from theatre shows to travel and transport advertisements and posters encouraging sign-up to the war efforts during World War I. According to the organisers, the exhibition will showcase to visitors how poster design has developed over time, while offering a nostalgic journey through the events and products advertised over the past two centuries. The exhibition will also feature a stunning selection of vintage railway posters designed to entice tourists to Bath, with beautiful images of Georgian architecture and the Roman Baths, in addition to posters by Bath-based artists Clifford and Rosemary Ellis. Katharine says the inspiration for the exhibition came from the highly successful 2024 Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre exhibition featuring French posters, which got the team thinking about the artworks in the gallery’s own collection. “As a public art gallery, our collection belongs to the community, and we want people to see these artworks. With some wonderful loans from Bath Record Office and Bath Spa University, we’ve been able to add enough to create an exhibition which covers 200 years of British poster design,” Katharine enthuses. The exhibition will offer a fascinating treasure trove of material, with many of the posters having links to the Bath area, advertising local events such as Theatre Royal shows, the Bath & West Show, community events on Walcot Street, and Bath Festivals through the ages. The oldest and most recent artworks in the exhibition are both for the Theatre Royal: one from 1805, when the theatre moved to its current building, and one from 1989. Many of the exhibits provide a fascinating glimpse into the history of Bath, such as a 1890s poster about the passionately fought campaign against creating a public library. 32 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
“It seems amazing to us now that people felt so strongly against something as obviously beneficial, but there were strong prejudices against taxing the wealthy to provide something that would mainly be used by people too poor to buy their own books,” explains Katharine. “Given that Bath’s original library was in the space where we now display exhibitions, I really wanted to get this little snippet of history into the show.”
“There’s a lot of potential for nostalgia with this exhibition, and it’s great to be able to put things on display that will have a really powerful resonance for many local people.”
Other highlights include eye-catching posters by Clifford and Rosemary Ellis, who worked together to create designs for London Underground, Shell, and BP. “Many of their posters include stunning depictions of animals and nature, and their beautiful poster of wolves among trees for Whipsnade Zoo is a captivating and cleverly designed work,” notes Katharine. “Clifford Ellis became Head of Bath Academy of Art in 1937, so he’s a really important figure in Bath, and it’s great to be able to include work by him and his wife in the exhibition.”
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CITY EXHIBITION
Spoilt for choice Katharine says the team were spoilt for choice when it came to deciding which posters to exhibit. “We’ve got around 50 in our own collection, but Bath Record Office has an incredible and vast array of fascinating material, from 19th century broadsheets to Theatre Royal and Bath and West Show posters, plus fascinating artworks publicising community events like a Walcot Garden Party in 1977. We could only include a small proportion of them, so concentrated on choosing the posters that are the most visually interesting and that will appeal to the widest audience,” the curator says. She adds: “One real privilege of working on an exhibition like this is that I’ve been able to sneak in a couple of Theatre Royal posters for productions that I remember going to as a teenager back in the early 1980s. Many of our visitors will also see publicity for events that they can remember, from exhibitions to pantomimes and Bath Festival performances. There’s a lot of potential for nostalgia with this exhibition, and it’s great to be able to put things on display that will have a really powerful resonance for many local people.” Not only do the posters offer a fascinating glimpse into times gone by, but they also reveal striking changes in design. “In the 19th century it was all about lettering, with hugely inventive typographers doing everything they could to make words printed in black and white eye-catching,” Katharine explains. “With the advent of lithography and colour printing, we see a host of really vibrant and beautiful designs and an emphasis on artistry and beauty, even for something as serious as a World War I army recruiting poster. By the mid-20th century, the designs became increasingly complex, featuring innovations like day-glow colours and photographic images.” n Poster Power! is on display at the Victoria Art Gallery from 23 January to 10 May. Visit victoriagal.org.uk for more details, including opening times and ticket prices. The exhibition is free for local Discovery Card holders.
Teignmouth by Clifford and Rosemary Ellis
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WHAT’S ON / ARTS
Arts & exhibitions A Stylish Start, 6 January - 8 February, Sandra Higgins Art Gallery, Shires Yard Unit 12&13, 41 Milsom Street, Bath
Winter Exhibition, until 31 January, Gallery Nine, 9B Margaret's Buildings, Bath Craig Underhill creates three-dimensional ceramic paintings through an experimental use of materials, producing diverse surface finishes. Sasha Wardell is known for her pure white bone china enhanced with a subtle colour palette. Trevor Price specialises in handmade drypoints and etchings produced in his studios in St Ives and London. Emerging artist and printmaker Huddie Hamper paints with thick, wavy brushstrokes that convey movement. Guy Royle, who began as assistant to Breon O’Casey, crafts bold contemporary jewellery from beaten and etched silver and gold. Susie Hines combines traditional constructions with etched and patinated surfaces, different golds, silver, and unique gemstones to create contemporary jewellery. galleryninebath.com
Left: Image from the wedding of Beryl Wright and Glaister 'Bill' Dixon in Bath, 1961
Above: Trevor Price 'Woodland Walk’ , Dry Point and Etching H:47 x W:102 cm, Framed
Invitation: An Exhibition, 13 January - 28 February, Bath Central Library, The Podium, Bath A beautiful Windrush-era photographic exhibition celebrating the culture, lives, legacy and impact of Bath’s first-generation Caribbean community. Curated by Samantha Walker in collaboration with BEMSCA, Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association, based at the historic Fairfield House. @invitation_exhibition2026 34 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
Start your New Year in style with this collaboration between Emma Russell, owner of Riot’us, women’s outfitters, in Wells, with Sandra Higgins of the Sandra Higgins Gallery & Art Stop in Bath, bringing together colourful, contemporary, comfortable and sustainable clothes in dialogue with selected artworks from the gallery stock where fashion and art are in conversation. There will be a programme of special events within the gallery throughout the month-long show. sandrahiggins.art Below, top: David Ferry, ‘Desert 3’ Below, bottom; Left: Gina Parr, ‘O’Reilly, Cuba’ Middle: Patrick Hughes, ‘Night & Day’ Right: Donald Smith, ‘Colour/Space’
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WHAT’S ON / ARTS Image : Venus, Palazzo Massimo, Rome 2022, Don McCullin, © Don McCullin, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
Poster Power, 23 January - 10 May, Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge St, Bath
This colourful exhibition will showcase an exceptional range of beautiful British posters from the 19th and 20th centuries, drawn from the collections of the Victoria Art Gallery and Bath Record Office. Reflecting the spirit of the times the wide-ranging display encompasses theatre, events and entertainment, travel and transport, political campaigns and even World War One recruiting. victoriagal.org.uk
Coming soon at The Holburne Museum Great Pulteney Street, Bath Zandra Rhodes: A Life in Print, 24 January – 10 May This dazzling exhibition brings together a spectacular selection of Dame Zandra Rhodes’ screen-printed garments from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, shown as complete ensembles on vintage Adel Rootstein mannequins. Known for her fearless use of colour, signature prints and sculptural silhouettes, Dame Zandra Rhodes has redefined the role of print in fashion for more than six decades. The Shape of Care: Making Care Visible, 24 January – 4 May Over the past year, The Holburne’s Pathways to Wellbeing community has explored what care looks like — it’s presence and absence, the moments in which it is given or received, and the ways it can be felt, witnessed and made visible through making. Presented through personal and powerful responses, the exhibition celebrates the small, sustaining gestures that can sometimes be overlooked or undervalued: patient attention, thoughtful exchanges, creative connections. Don McCullin: Broken Beauty, 30 January – 4 May Sir Don McCullin is one of the most influential photographers of the last sixty years, renowned for his powerful black-and-white images documenting conflict, humanitarian crises, poverty and post-war Britain. Alongside these defining works, McCullin has created equally compelling landscapes, portraits and still-lifes, all characterised by an extraordinary sensitivity and depth. At the heart of Broken Beauty is a remarkable collection of McCullin’s latest photographs of ancient Roman statues. Never before shown in the UK, they offer visitors a rare opportunity to experience a new and contemplative side of McCullin’s practice. holburne.org
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AMATA BENEDICT: IN RUINS, until 7 February, 8 Holland Street, 23 Brock St, Bath IN RUINS is a playful exploration into the excavation of memories both cultural and personal. Reimagined artefacts and chimerical forms emerge like relics uncovered from the subconscious. The exhibition leads us through doorways and over thresholds encountering mythic stories, rituals and psychopomps along the way. Amata Benedict is an artistic partnership that collaborates on sculpture, textiles, and furniture. Their practice is rooted in the principles of the Renaissance ‘bottega’ workshop, where multiple disciplines converge to create works that seamlessly blend the realms of art, functional objects, and crafted artefacts. From quilted canvas to appliqué, ceramics to sculpture, and bronze, steel, and wood, their work spans a diverse range of materials and forms. 8hollandstreet.com
Image : Amata Benedict Psychopomp's Fag Break with Hounds Candlestick I & II
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The Playful Craft of Donyatt Puzzle Jugs Lawrences Auctioneers will feature a delightful selection of Donyatt puzzle jugs in their Winter Fine Art Sale. All of which are quirky, characterful pieces that showcase both the ingenuity and rustic charm of Somerset pottery. Produced for over 800 years in the village of Donyatt, these unusual vessels combine earthy folk-art decoration with a cleverly engineered drinking challenge. Their hollow handles, multiple spouts, and hidden air holes transform a simple sip into a party trick, revealing the potters wit as much as their technical skill. The decoration is equally engaging: sgraffito birds, tulip-like flowers, mottled green and buff glazes, and playful decoration verses speak to the lively visual language of everyday rural households. Often personalised with names and dates, they offer a wonderfully intimate glimpse into the social life and humour of the period. Today, they are treasured as spirited snapshots of local English craft. Objects that are both decorative and irresistibly mischievous. A selection of these charming jugs will appear in our Fine Art Sale on 10th & 11th February. There is still time to consign with further items. Please contact us soon if you’d like to include your pieces into the auctions. Lawrences are welcoming consignments for their forthcoming Fine Art sales to include: Silver | Vertu | Pictures | 19th/20th Century Design | Ceramics Oriental Works of Art | Jewellery | Watches | Furniture | Clocks Rugs | Militaria | Coins | Medals | Collectors | Sporting | Textiles Wine | Spirits | Books | Maps | Manuscripts | Photography
Free valuations are available online at lawrences.co.uk Home visits also available throughout Bath and the West Country without charge or obligation.
Lawrences AUCTIONEERS South Street, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 8AB. T: 01460 73041 E: enquiries@lawrences.co.uk 1A Woodlands Estate, Westbury, BA13 3QS T: 01373 822337 E: wessex@lawrences.co.uk
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FOOD & DRINK
Food for thought We hope you’re hungry, because Melissa Blease has set out her annual menu of essential food and drink trends you can expect to tuck into and sip on throughout the next 12 months
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FOOD & DRINK
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ash flow, curiosity and the constant search for new sensations: they’re the three driving factors that motivate our choices when shopping for food, planning a dinner party or choosing somewhere to eat out. But a chorus of unconscious influences generated by marketing agencies, think tanks and multinational enterprises are hard at work behind the scenes to make sure our tastes are continuously evolving; no food retailer, producer or business wants to face stagnation, and a signpost towards the Next Big Thing results in a fresh direction to our Next Big Spend. So. what have they got in store for us in 2026 – and have we really seen our last bar of Dubai chocolate? Here’s our glimpse into the food world crystal ball...
Plant-based goes back to its roots Data from the most recent YouGov survey on the subject (November 2025) indicates that an estimated 11% of adults in the UK adhere to strictly meat-free lifestyles, while research from Mintel suggests that 38% of the population actively limit their meat intake. The statistics are largely driven by concerns around animal welfare, personal health, sustainability and rising food costs. But environmental responsibility and food inflation in particular resulted in sales of commercially-produced plant-based food – one of the fastest-selling grocery categories in 2024 – plummeting by a massive 21% in 2025 as shoppers turned away from an increasing abundance of expensive, often ultra-processed meat and dairy ‘alternatives’ and ‘substitutes’ in favour of a back-to-basics approach involving natural meat-free food. Hello again, peas, beans, lentils and nuts! You’re back on our shopping lists as sales of all four are set to soar and our grocery bills come back down to earth.
Freeze your assets… and slow down! In 2025, sales of ‘revolutionary’ speedy kitchen gadgets – the air fryer, the Crockpot, pizza ovens, tandooris, smokers et al – soared. But on Black Friday 2025, our faithful old friend that is the freezer topped the sales charts. Why? Proper use of the freezer reduces both food waste and grocery shopping bills. Meanwhile, freezing produce and ingredients from fish, meat and bread to herbs, berries, cooked rice, cheese and much more locks in vitamins, minerals, micronutrients… and flavour. And why buy supermarket ready meals when you can batch cook your own, frozen to enjoy at a later date and ready when you are (unless, that is, you spot your ready meal fave raves at a knockdown price, perfect for freezing?). Working in tandem with the freezer ‘fad’, sales of the sturdy old kitchen workhorse that is the slow cooker soared in autumn 2025 alongside an increased demand for storecupboard soup and casserole staples such as pearl barley, split peas and lentils and ‘forgotten’, realistically-priced cuts of meat including beef skirt, brisket and shin, pork cheeks, oxtail, lamb neck and ham hocks, all of which are perfect for low ‘n’ slow cooking, resulting in silky, flavoursome perfection. Trends pictured opposite (left to right, top to bottom): premium, infused small-batch vinegars; specialist doughs; restaurants finding ways to fill tables throughout the week; big steak is back; natural plant-based foods; and creative crisp flavours
Five Foodie Fixations for 2026 Creative Crisps: Forget salt and vinegar, cheese and onion and even Prawn Cocktail; super-foodie gourmet crisps will crunch our snacking and even restaurant side dish perceptions up this year, with flavours including Haggis, Oyster, Black Truffle, Beef Tallow, Crab and Tartuflanghe Mustard trending across the UK – at a price: a 125g bag of the Insta-iconic Fried Egg-flavoured crisps from Barcelona manufacturers Torres to enjoy at home will set you back circa £4.95 (if, that is, you can get hold of them) The Carnivores Bite Back: Meat-free mavens should look away now; Big Meat is back on the menu. Tomahawk steaks, Côte de Boeuf, ‘epic’ 3-meat roasts, Chateaubriand and modern, ‘upmarket’ versions of the 1970s carvery offering selections including haunch of venison, 8-hour salt beef, Wagyu short rib and whole suckling pig are kicking mushroom risotto and chestnut Wellington to the kerb in the UK’s hippest restaurants. Dough Goes Global: In 2025, flavoured butters dominated breadboards everywhere. For 2026, the bread itself bounces back into the spotlight, with fascinating fusion flavours along the lines of Gochujang flatbreads, chimichurri burger buns, caraway and borage baguettes, ‘nduja bagels, balsamic brioche and sumac sourdough fuelling our compulsion for carbs. Acidic Ascension: While malt, wine and balsamic vinegars aren’t set to trickle off menus any time soon, premium small-batch vinegars will make a big splash in 2026. While you may not fritter your fries with muscat, saffron, Sichuan Baoning, IPA or cucumber fermentations, you’ll spot all of them and more in dressings, drizzles, sauces and even cocktails. Meanwhile, sales of raw, unfiltered, ‘living’ vinegars – valued for their pro- and prebiotic benefits – will dominate the health supplement agenda. Shopping by Numbers: What Stateside chef, media personality, creative director and content creator (phew!) Will Coleman started (on TikTok, of course), the Millennials have run with: the 5-4-3-2-1. Say what? Simples! Save cash, simplify meal planning and strike a healthy balance by filling your weekly shopping basket with five types of vegetables, four types of fruit, three protein sources, two kinds of carbohydrates and one ‘treat’.
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FOOD & DRINK
Out and about
…and Five Foodie Fizzleouts for 2026 Dubai Chocolate: Away from Instagram, was it ever really ‘in’? As for Yas Pasta Cake, Stretchy Yoghurt, Wax Candy, Nerd Clusters and Extreme Sours: they tried their hardest to ride and rule viral waves, but all sank without a trace. The Full English: Calorie-rich, heavy on meat, fat and grease and light on contemporary flavour-trends, the traditional British breakfast fry-up simply can’t compete with Alpine crêpes, Cockles and Laverbread, Crab Benedict, Tamagoyaki Eggs, Dim Sum or fullyladen rotis. But Asian Congee? It’s a wake-up call for sure…
According to recent YouGov data (November 2025), 38% of us are eating out “far less often” than we did a year ago, with 63% of those surveyed citing higher prices and static or lower incomes as the main reasons to dine out less frequently than they used to. Meanwhile, increasing overheads from soaring energy bills to tax and labour hikes coupled with consumer caution have combined to create an imperfect storm for restaurant owners. “While ‘special occasion’ bookings – birthdays, reunions, anniversaries and the like – are around the same as they were this time last year and our weekend and tourist season footfall still remains buoyant, we’ve closed our doors from Monday-Wednesday at the moment as we just can’t afford to stay open,” says one South West independent gastropub owner, who chooses to remain anonymous. But eating out isn’t quite set to become off-trend just yet. Promotions such as set lunch deals, early dining menus, dedicated on-off themed nights (French/Italian/curry nights, etc) and loyalty schemes are likely to dominate in 2026, while diversity (restaurants hosting regular wine, pudding and cookery clubs; pubs introducing new ‘socialising concepts’ such as movie nights and family-friendly festivals) will subtly shake up perceptions of simply going out for dinner, as will…
The pop-up phenomenon Picky Bits/Picky Tea: Cold sausage rolls, an ancient Babybel and a tub of fridge-cold hummus – what Mumsnet called ‘freedom’, the kidults called ‘a picky tea’ and the Insta in-crowd called #girldinner has been called out for what it is: random bits and bobs of old food on a plate.
Exciting new styles, flavours and chefs in fun, funky environments at accessible prices: collaborations between hosts and pop-up, one-night-only foodie events from the ‘casual’ (burgers, tacos, etc) to full-on foodie Tasting Menus courtesy of private chefs dominated social media feeds in late 2025 – and the trend isn’t set to pop down anytime soon. n
Haute Dogs: The Philly, the Reuben or the Hollywood? The Korean, the Tex Mex or the Hawaiian? Deconstructed, retro… or caviar-topped, perhaps? Nope, not anymore! We’re giving the gourmet hot dogs that tried but failed to compete with the burger the cold shoulder. Small Mercies: Tapas? Terrific! Mezze? Marvellous! Dim Sum? Delicious! But did British food – or indeed, us Brits – ever really adapt to the generally confusing Small Plate format? Our restaurant choices (and our wallets!) will say a big no to small plates in 2026.
Liquid assets set to soar as tide turns on tap water As predicted by, erm, us in our August 2025 issue, waters combining super-hydration with enriched functionality will be the liquids on everyone’s lips this year. From allegedly health- and lifeenhancing coconut, cactus and birch waters to innovative H20+ tipples blended with collagen, chlorophyll and protein and ‘functional teas’ laden with stress-relieving adaptogens, natural euphorics, mood-boosting minerals and/or vital antioxidants, the tap to a global trend (and multi-million-dollar industry) has been well and truly turned on. Meanwhile, the concept of meeting up for a couple of drinks continues to undergo a (tee)total transformation as our thirst for alcohol continues to decrease, with roughly 24% of the UK population now totally temperate. Fancy an alcohol-free, functional tea-based mocktail? Cheers! 40 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
A wake up call: is the Full English falling flat on flavour?
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FOOD & DRINK
Less booze, no January blues Words by Tom Bleathman from The Great Wine Co. January is always a challenging month. It’s cold, it’s dark, and the festive season feels long gone, though the last Christmas leftovers still linger at the back of the fridge. As if that weren’t enough, we often pile on extra pressure by setting resolutions, joining a new gym, eating “superfoods,” or dare I say it, even cutting back on alcohol. But here’s a better idea: instead of giving up one of life’s pleasures, wine, why not explore non-alcoholic options or bottles with lower alcohol content? To help you get started, here are a few of my top picks, all with varying levels of alcohol content, all available from The Great Wine Co. this January. greatwine.co.uk Kisumé Sparkling Rosé, Aubert & Mathieu 0% The exciting duo of Anthony Aubert and Jean Charles Mathieu have been taking the French wine scene by storm over recent years, creating a variety of organic and super sustainable wines, all from the Languedoc-Roussillon region and all with big bold labels that match their wines. More recently, they released Kisumé, their 0% Sparkling Rosé and it’s a fantastic option for those not drinking. Made from wine that has be de-alcoholised, this is a lively style of bubbles, packed full of elderflower and raspberry aromas. For £12.20 a bottle, it’s a great first step into the non-alcohol market.
La Spinetta Bricco Quaglia Moscato d’asti (5.5%) From the rolling hills of Piemonte, La Spinetta have long been a powerhouse producer of the region, creating some of the area’s most iconic wines. Besides creating 15% Barolos, they also produce a couple of stunning Moscato d’Asti’s. My favourite is Bricco Quaglia, the glass is filled with rich aromas of peach and honey. The pallet is sweet, but the finish is extremely clean and fresh. A great option for someone looking for a low alcoholic wine. £17.75 a bottle.
‘No Lo’ Cantina Puiatti (9.5%) Founded in 1967, Puiatti Winery is a Friulian institution. Spotting the trend for lighter wines, they created ‘No Lo,’ a blend of Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. Expect peaches, citrus zest, and floral notes in a beautifully crafted wine that tastes so good you’ll hardly notice the lower ABV £13.30 a bottle.
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FOOD & DRINK
Recipe: LUCKY LENTILS BY EVIE HARBURY Lucky lentils (Čočka na kyselo) are gobbled up in the hope of wealth and prosperity for the year ahead – and are said to represent wealth because the individual lentils resemble a huge pile of tiny coins. The more lentils you eat, the more money you’ll have the following year. Served topped with a fried egg, and sometimes with a sausage on the side – though you mustn’t add any chicken or other poultry to the dish, because then it is believed that the luck could fly away from you. I have suggested popping in a bay leaf for flavour, but if you have a sprig of rosemary, thyme or marjoram in your refrigerator drawer that’s crying out to be used, add it in. It will only improve the dish. Do not salt the lentils too early – unless you enjoy mushy lentils.
Ingredients: Serves 4 • 300g (10 1⁄2oz) dried puy lentils • 1 bay leaf • 2 tbsps vinegar (I use white wine vinegar) • 1 large onion, finely chopped • 30g (1oz) unsalted butter • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tbsp plain • (all-purpose) flour
• salt and freshly ground • black pepper
For the fried onions • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 1 large onion, thinly sliced • 2 tsps (any) sugar Serve with fried eggs and pickled gherkins.
Method 1. Tip the lentils into a sieve and rinse thoroughly under the tap until the water runs clear. 2. Add the rinsed lentils to a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil once, then drain. Return the lentils to the pan and cover again with at least 2 litres (70fl oz) cold water. Add the bay leaf (and any other herbs that might need using up) and bring to the boil. Once boiling, simmer for 20 minutes, then season with salt and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and simmer for a further 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, to make the fried onions, heat the oil in a frying pan over a low–medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 8–10 minutes until beginning to soften, then add the sugar and cook for a further 10 minutes to caramelise. 4. Meanwhile, place an additional large saucepan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Add the chopped onion for the lentils and fry for 10 minutes until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute until fragrant. 5. Stir in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes to create a smooth golden roux. Gradually add 250ml (9fl oz) of the water from the pot of boiling lentils (leaving the lentils behind for now), stirring constantly as you go to avoid any lumps. 6. When the lentils are cooked and tender, strain them and discard the rest of the water. Remove and discard the bay leaf (and any 42 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
other herbs), then add the drained lentils to the roux mixture. Season with salt, pepper and the rest of the vinegar, and stir to coat and cook for a final 2–3 minutes. 7. Serve the lentils warm, topped with a fried egg and the caramelised onions, with sliced pickled gherkin on the side. Enjoy after midnight on New Year’s Eve and your luck will never end.
About Evie Evie Harbury is a Bohemian-British cookbook author, brought up between the South West and South Bohemia, the Czech Republic. This recipe is from her first cookbook My Bohemian Kitchen, which is out now. The book celebrates soulful, seasonal cooking inspired by her Czech heritage. It tells the story of Evie’s childhood summers spent at her granny’s mill and introduces the food and culture to an international audience in a beautiful and modern way. My Bohemian Kitchen by Evie Harbury is published by Murdoch Books, £20, murdochbooks.co.uk evieharbury.com | @evieharbury
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Swanning around... Book your next break away in a playful wonderland that’s made itself home in the heart of the Mendips: Mad Swans is the new countryside hangout you should know about that’s dismantling traditional, sometimes stuffy, clubhouse attitudes
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magine this. You wake up in an eco-cabin tucked into the gentle folds of the Mendips, looking out across sprawling greenery. Your dog is still snoring away on the end of your queen-sized bed. How are you going to start your day? Perhaps a quick session in a nearby gym – kitted out with the latest Matrix equipment – then maybe choose one of two eateries to eat a lazy brunch at on the veranda overlooking people playing Putt Patch minigolf or pickleball. The afternoon could see you and your mates tackle a flexible 12-hole golf course, leaving you all enough time to pop back to your cabins and shower, ready for an evening of wining and dining experiences sparking real human connection, away from the humdrum of your everyday life... Well, this dream has become a reality at Mad Swans, which has opened a short drive from the city. The new countryside hangout – which includes multiple sports, overnight stays, and plenty of food and drink – wants to reimagine social spaces as inclusive hubs where ‘play transcends age and experience, constructed by the most formidable names in the hospitality and leisure industry’. So, what does that look like in practice? With creative guidance from chef Ollie Dabbous (who’s no stranger to Michelin stars), there are two restaurants on site; and the surrounding land has been renovated by golf architects Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert, the team behind work at legendary venues such as Royal Portrush and Turnberry. Mad Swans originates from hospitality entrepreneurs Joel Cadbury and Ollie Vigors, who have brought on a strong leadership team including Steve Rooney, group head chef, to oversee and guide their latest venture, which promises to ‘ transform golf clubhouses into lively neighbourhood spaces with fresh design, great food and an open-armed welcome’. As the team behind it tells The Bath Magazine: “At Mad Swans, we’ve created two distinct dining experiences that let guests choose their own balance between indulgence and wellbeing.” The Potting Shed is pure countryside comfort that’s been reimagined for modern appetites. “It serves hearty countryside classics, with a menu designed so you can go either way; something light or something indulgent, depending on your mood,” says Steve. It’s a relaxed celebration of flavour and craftsmanship: dishes like Eat the Rainbow (a vivid plate of grilled seasonal vegetables with romesco and green herb dressing) sit alongside slow-cooked beef short rib, sustainable fish pie, and the showstopping suckling pig that’s guaranteed become a local legend. “Our Sunday Roasts at The Potting Shed are already becoming something of a signature, too, tables book up fast!” Steve continues. “It’s all about honest, well-made food using quality ingredients, without the fuss.” Next door, The Hangout has a different energy. “The Hangout, our second restaurant, celebrates wood-fired pizzas, indulgent desserts, and relaxed, sociable dining,” explains Freddie Speed, The Hangout and hospitality manager. With its sunny terrace overlooking the Putt Patch and a cocktail list that tempts you to stay all afternoon, it’s the kind of spot where the day melts seamlessly into the evening. Such ease and generosity extend to the bar, where signature serves are already standing out, with Freddie adding: “At The Potting Shed bar, 44 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
favourites are emerging too: the Mad Swans Afters (El Rayo tequila, Sarti Rosa, coconut, sparkling wine) and our alcohol-free Freshly Cut Grass (gooseberry, chervil, soda) are both proving popular.” Local producers underpin the menu, with collaborations happening wherever possible. “It’s a big part of what we stand for at Mad Swans,” Steve notes. The focus, he says, is on “fresh, seasonal ingredients and suppliers who share our values around quality and sustainability.” Mad Swans’ ethos is all about connection, whether that’s with friends, with family or the beautiful countryside that surrounds the spaces. The Hangout’s mood is deliberately convivial: “Groups gather to share woodfired pizzas, colourful cocktails and some friendly competition, the conversation flowing as easily as the music,” Freddie tells us. Carefully curated playlists, long tables, and that soft Mendip light combine to create an atmosphere that’s as social as it is serene. “It’s a place made for togetherness: for laughter, for stories, for those unhurried moments that turn into memories,” he adds. A playful philosophy infuses the landscape beyond the dining rooms. “Connection is really at the heart of it,” says Joel. “The whole place is built around ‘play’ in every sense of the word, getting people outdoors, moving, and having fun together.” Whether it’s golf, padel, pickleball or shuffleboard, competition is nowhere near as important camaraderie. “It’s less about perfecting your swing and more about sharing the experience,” he notes. Guests can take drinks and snacks onto the course in one of the Mad Swans buggies (complete with Bluetooth speakers) and curate their own soundtrack to the day. “If that joy happens to be a cocktail, with or without alcohol, on the driving range, surrounded by the majesty of the Mendip Hills to the soundtrack of your choice, then that’s exactly the kind of experience Mad Swans delivers.” This inclusivity is a deliberate intention from the team, who say, “We’ve made it as relaxed and inclusive as possible. There are drop-in and abilitymatched sessions, and you can borrow equipment if you don’t have your own – we don’t have dress codes, and players are welcome to come and play as they are, no fancy kit is required.” It’s the kind of unpretentious approach that makes you feel instantly at ease, whether you’re a pro or simply curious to try. Even the golf itself has been thoughtfully reimagined. The team explains: “When it comes to golf at Mad Swans, we’re returning to golf ’s roots while embracing the future.” The course revisits the original 12-hole format of the 1860 Open Championship. “The Mad Swans golf course, recently transformed by internationally renowned architects Mackenzie & Ebert, blends heritage and innovation in a layout that’s quicker, more flexible, and rooted in the principles of pure golf.” Mad Swans also brings pickleball and padel to the Mendips with highspec courts designed for all abilities, plus mini golf on the lively Putt Patch, darts with augmented reality technology, and gamified shuffleboard for relaxed, sociable fun. Everything here is built to be inclusive, energising and just plain joyful. n madswans.com/mendips
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12-hole golf course
The Potting Shed
The Lounge
Eco-cabin
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Going for gold Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Joanna Lewis spoke with some of the athletes seeking to secure a spot in Team GB and add to the impressive amount of silverware won during this Olympiad.
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Photo credits: Anna Barclay/Team Bath & IBSF
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ritish Bobsleigh and Skeleton athletes are gearing up for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in Italy in February, after months of training at the University of Bath. The university’s world-class training base – the only pushstart track in the UK - has long been the heart of the nation’s sliding sports. Building on a proud Olympic legacy, Bath’s athletes will once again take to the ice track with the skill, strength, and determination that have made the university a cornerstone of Team GB’s success in these two sports. The 140-metre push-start track replicates the crucial first seconds of an Olympic run, allowing athletes to perfect their explosive starts and sled control on dry land before heading to ice. Using sleds fitted with wheels, competitors focus on sprint power, timing, and coordination, skills that can decide races measured in hundredths of a second. The university is currently home to the two best male skeleton athletes in the world, Matt Weston (World Champ 2023 and 2025) and Marcus Wyatt (World silver-medallist 2025), plus three women ranked in the world’s top 10 – Amelia Coltman, Tabby Stoecker, and Freya Tarbit.
“We’ve got the best support team, best equipment in the world, and the support within the athlete team is completely unrivalled” Amelia Coltman
British Skeleton Matt Weston - British Skeleton, reigning World Champion “Excitement is probably the overriding feeling. Obviously, there’s a little bit of underlying nerves, but I think the fact that I’ve had a very successful few years going into this one it’s going to set me up. “There is that added pressure of coming into the season as a twotime World Champion, aiming for obviously the top step of the podium at the Games. But at the same time, there’s a lot of confidence that comes from having success over the past three years, and that consistent success as well kind of adds to that feeling of confidence going into it. “I think one of the biggest things that separates British Skeleton compared to some of the other nations we race against is how much we work as a team. Although we’re in an individual sport, I work a lot with my teammate Marcus Wyatt. We share things with each other that most nations wouldn’t share between the athletes, including racing lines, what we’re trying to work on, what's making us fast, and by doing that, it means that we can fight each other for one and two in the world, which is the position we’re at now, rather than 5th and 6th. We work together to make each other better. That teamwork and constant trying to push each other and be better than each other, whilst helping each other, helps us get to that next level. “The fact that the whole team is based here in Bath means we are not just with each other during the season, but we're with each other
throughout the summer as well, which helps that team environment. We know each other so well. It makes all these tough situations that you might go through a lot easier.” Jacob Salisbury “You don’t really think too much about the Olympics because there’s so much you have to navigate to get there. I’m just excited to get onto the ice and put all of the work into practice. “The success of people like Matt Weston, Marcus Wyatt, and the girls over the past three years has pulled everyone along and lifted the entire programme. When you’re training with the best in the world, you can’t help but also improve. “We’re a close-knit training group because we spend so much time together. We all get along so well that we all try and push each other. And you get this really good mutually beneficial sort of competition that we have. So, if Matt goes and pushes fast on the push track, then I’ll be next, and I’ll want to push fast as well. A successful programme like ours isn’t just one person being successful; everyone rises together.” Amelia Coltman “We’ve been training really, really hard here at the University of Bath. We’ve been based here full-time since April last year, putting in the hard yards that nobody sees. I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in for many, many years. “The start in skeleton is so important because if you’re, say, more than two-tenths of a second behind the fastest pusher, you're going to have a really hard time winning a medal. If you’ve got that really fast push, you're almost off to a head start, and you're ahead of the pack, so it’s a very advantageous thing to have. “I think the success over the last three years for the British Skeleton team has been multifaceted. We’ve got the best support team, best equipment in the world, and the support within the athlete team is completely unrivalled. It’s just like a family. We’re absolute competitors on the track, but off it we raise each other up and push each other to be better.”
British Bobsleigh Brad Hall (GBR1 men’s two-man and four-man pilot) “We’ve got a lot of expectation going into this year because we’ve had three great years. We’ve won European Championships, we’ve won countless World Cup medals, World Championship medals, World Cup overall globes….the success has been phenomenal. We’re going with a lot of confidence. We want to win a gold medal, that’s the aim, but we’ll settle for a medal at the end of it. “There are a lot of things that we need to focus on. We don’t have our own tracks here in the UK, and we haven’t had extreme amounts of funding over the last few years. We’ve done very well with what we’ve got, but it’s definitely not on the same scale as what the Germans have, for example. We’ve got to be very specific on what we focus on. I’m turning over every stone, looking at every single element of our performance and trying to optimise that. I think that’s what we've done very well over the last few years – finding out what works, ignoring the things that don’t actually play any part, and focusing on the things that really give us the performances we need. “It’s massive to have the right people around you in terms of the teammates that you’ve got. It’s the brakemen, it’s the coaches, it’s the THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 47
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staff, the management. Everyone needs to be working together and to have the same goals and the same culture and work ethic, or else you’re just working against other people.” Leon Greenwood (GBR1 brakeman) “I joined the programme three years ago, so it’s been building all towards this point. A lot of pressure, but I’m really, really excited. “The guys are going to kill me for saying this, but, like everyone else, I found out about bobsleigh through Cool Runnings, watching that film as a kid, and knowing it’s actually a sport. As I got older, I got to know a few people who did it, and they thought I’d be quite good at it. So, I came to a talent identification day, and it’s just built on from there. “When I first started, in the summer after the 2022 Olympics, there was an opening for Brad Hall’s team. I got it, then broke my toe the following day and was out for the whole season. I was watching the guys on TV get medal after medal, literally every single race, and that made me think, “I want to be a part of that.” I got my opportunity the year later, won my first World Cup medal, and that was amazing. “It’s looking good, but the other medals don’t matter when we get to the Olympics; it’s what we do on that day. I truly believe we’ve got the mindset and the team chemistry to succeed. We're like brothers. A bobsleigh run takes a minute, but it’s the team camaraderie that makes us better. “It was my childhood dream to become an Olympian. The biggest challenge for me personally is I’ve got a daughter at home, and she’s one. Being away from her and all of our families for so much of the winter is the biggest challenge. This sacrifice needs to be worth it and, for me, that means becoming an Olympian, so my eyes are set on that.” Adele Nicoll (GB women’s two-man and monobob pilot) “My background in sport is track and field. I’m the reigning British shot putt champion, but transferred into bobsleigh in 2021 and have been 48 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
managing both sports since. As we’ve moved closer to the Olympic Games, my focus has been solely on making sure I'm in the best place possible for Milan. “I was a brakewoman when I first started bobsleigh. My debut was in 2022 as brakewoman to pilot Mica McNeill, and we won Britain’s first female World Cup medal for 13 years that year. I then went on to win my own as a pilot with Kia Placide in March 2024 in Lake Placid. “As a pilot, it’s really important to create a good, positive, open, safe space for your team. I’ve really tried to make sure the environment is one where the girls feel comfortable, can be themselves, and be there for each other. We’re all such disciplined athletes, and it’s about having that discipline individually, but then also coming together as a team to make sure we're always doing what’s best for the team. “When I came into the sport, even just to compete as a brakewoman, I had to completely redesign myself as an athlete. I lost 21 kilograms in body weight. My body composition completely changed, and I focused on my ability to move fast for more than 10 metres. Obviously, throwing is a power sport, but I never really needed that acceleration through 20, 30, 40 metres before. “The pre-season here at Bath involves using the push sleds, which essentially are on wheels on a rail system that goes about 15, 20 metres on the flat and then starts to go downhill, and then the gravity brings it back up. We do that twice a week, and then focus a lot on our speed drills, looking at the mechanics of how we run and how we apply force. We spend a lot of time in the gym as well. “My ambition for the season ahead is firstly to get the call up to say that I’ve been selected to go in both the monobob and the two-woman event. If I do get selected for the monobob, I believe that will be the first time in history that a female has competed in the monobob event for Great Britain. So that is obviously something that I’d be really proud of and just nice to know that I’m paving the way for British females.” n Visit thebbsa.com/bobsleigh and teambath.com/bobsleigh
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Sarah Cade, head of medical physics and bioengineering at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. Credit Paul Gillis Photography
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SCIENCE & HEALTHCARE
Nuclear medicine and the RUH’s £4m PET-CT campaign Most people have never heard of nuclear medicine, but it’s a fascinating medical field that blends physics, chemistry, and biology. Joanna Lewis speaks with Sarah Cade, head of medical physics and bioengineering at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, to learn more about the field and the hospital’s charity campaign to raise funds for a new PET‐CT scanner.
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espite its profound impact on modern healthcare, nuclear medicine is a specialty that many people outside the medical world have never heard of. Using tiny amounts of radioactive materials, nuclear medicine is used to help visualise, diagnose, and treat disease, from cancer to lung conditions, infections, and neurological conditions like epilepsy and dementia. “It’s quite different to things like CT and MRI,” explains Sarah. “CT and MRIs tend to give you structural information. If you break your arm, for example, you have an X-ray, and you can see where the break is. In nuclear medicine, we’re not looking for these kinds of structural changes. What we are doing is injecting a radioactive material into our patients, and that radioactive material is joined to a particular chemical or drug used in the part of the body we’re trying to look at. “For example, if we want to look at any part of the body that uses sugar, we will inject radioactive sugar. The sugar will emit radiation, so we can then put patients into our scanner a while after the injection. Any areas that have taken up that radioactive sugar will effectively glow brighter on our images, so we can see areas that are more active, that are using more sugar.”
“The new scanner will allow us to scan our patients faster and get better quality images and potentially use a smaller amount of radioactivity.” A new scanner The scanner is a central tool to nuclear medicine, and The Royal United Hospitals Bath’s official trust charity RUHX is now campaigning to raise £4m for a new PET-CT scanner and building extension. The current PET-CT scanner is nearing 10 years old and is therefore near end of life. While Sarah notes that it will continue to operate for the next few years, when these high-tech machines near end of life they become less reliable. “We want to be able to keep up with the latest advancements,” Sarah notes. “The new scanner will allow us to scan our patients faster and get better quality images and potentially use a smaller amount of radioactivity.”
This is one of the key drivers as, Sarah notes, the radiation, while small, is potentially dangerous. “There are always risks with every procedure. A big part of my job as a physicist is making sure we are using the radiation as safely as we can and really optimising what we’re doing so we are minimising the risks while still getting high-quality images. And obviously, the new scanner is kind of pivotal to that because we will be able to use slightly less radioactive material.” Another key benefit of a new PET-CT scanner is the ability to scan patients quicker, helping with the hospital’s waiting lists and growing demand for the service. Currently, the RUH scans around 1,900 patients a year, with the demand for the service growing by around 10% each year. With the new scanner, Sarah says the team will be able to go from scanning around eight or nine patients a day to around 15 or 16 patients a day.
A lead-lined extension But with that growth comes other needs, including more admin staff to manage bookings, radiologists to interpret the scans, and, most notably, a new extension, which Sarah describes as a complex and highly expensive project due to the ionizing radiation. The expense of the new extension is two-fold. Firstly, the walls will need to be made of lead. This is because the extension will be for patients who are waiting to be scanned and have been injected with a radioactive material, meaning they are radioactive, and, therefore, must wait in a lead-shielded room to protect staff. “At the moment, we have three uptake rooms,” Sarah explains. “We have one patient waiting in each room for an hour, and then we scan each of them for around 20 minutes. The extension will add a further two uptake rooms, so we can scan more patients with the new scanner.” Secondly, the extension will need to be hand-dug to protect the existing scanners. “The detectors are basically crystals, so if there’s too much vibration, they shatter,” Sarah says. The existing scanner was the first PET-CT scanner at the RUH, marking a significant milestone in the hospital’s history. The new scanner will help the team meet rising demand, improve patient experience, and ensure the hospital can continue delivering cuttingedge diagnostic care for years to come. For a field that often goes unnoticed by the public, the impact of nuclear medicine, and a new PET-CT scanner, is anything but invisible. n To learn more about the campaign, visit ruhx.org.uk/pet-ct THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 51
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BUSINESS NEWS
Bath business NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT B&NES NEW TRUSTEE APPOINTED AT THE FASHION MUSEUM BATH FOUNDATION The Fashion Museum Bath Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Lesley Exley as a trustee, a highly experienced CEO, trustee, advisor, and non-executive director with a distinguished career spanning retail, luxury, digital, and the arts. Lesley has held senior board roles at leading international brands including Selfridges, L’Oréal, Laura Ashley, Courtaulds/Akzo Nobel, Waterford Wedgwood, and Zales Jewellers, offering deep expertise in brand strategy, marketing, and communications. She is currently a senior advisor at The Inzito Partnership, a boutique executive search firm specialising in FTSE 350 chairs, trustees, non-executive directors, and C-Suite appointments. Lesley also founded and led Exley Hervey Executive Search, recruiting senior leaders across retail, luxury, property, and cultural sectors. Alongside her corporate leadership, Lesley has been a committed fundraiser for over 30 years, supporting organisations such as the British Red Cross and The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers. Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Fashion Museum Bath Foundation as it works to secure the future of the museum and its internationally renowned collections. fashionmuseum.co.uk
BATH BUILDING SOCIETY CELEBRATES 250 YEARS OF BUILDING SOCIETIES Staff from the Bath Building Society recently attended a special reception at the Houses of Parliament to celebrate an incredible milestone - 250 years of building societies. The event brought together leaders from across the sector, offering an opportunity to hear directly from CEOs of other building societies and to share perspectives on how a mutual model continues to support communities today. A highlight of the evening was a speech from MP Andrew Pakes, who reflected on the vital role building societies have played, and continue to play, in helping people save, own homes and build financial stability. The celebration also paid tribute to the origins of the building societies movement. The very first building society, Ketley’s Building Society, was founded in 1775 in Birmingham by Richard Ketley, the landlord of the Golden Cross Inn. What began as a small group of people pooling their funds to build homes for one another sparked a tradition of mutual support that now spans two and a half centuries. bathbuildingsociety.co.uk
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Sophie Broadfield has been appointed as the next chief executive of Bath and North East Somerset. Sophie will replace Will Godfrey, who retired at the end of 2025 after six years of service to the council and 39 years of service in local government. Sophie brings extensive experience of working at a senior level within local government and the civil service. She has been B&NES director of sustainable communities since 2021; prior to that she was a deputy director at DEFRA and ministry of housing communities and local government, and in a number of other senior civil service roles. Sophie has worked extensively across the region, leading the reset of the council’s Local Plan, securing investment for transport and travel in the region from the West of England Combined Authority as well as £20m investment from the Pride in Place programme for Twerton. Councillor Kevin Guy, council leader, says: “Sophie’s strategic experience in making the area a better place for people to live, work, and visit and leading large-scale transformation and organisational culture change fits well with our ambitious plans for Bath and North East Somerset. She will continue to lead the council’s work to build a fair, green, creative and connected place where we help to improve people’s lives.” bathnes.gov.uk
Jane Cox and Ella Smith of Bath Building Society
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The Autumn Budget Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves set out tax-raising measures worth up to £26 billion in the Autumn Budget on 26 November 2025. The increases will be achieved through a range of measures, including extending the freeze on Income Tax thresholds for a further three years. We have set out below a brief summary of some of the key measures announced. Income Tax The Income Tax personal allowance will remain frozen at £12,570 until April 2031, as will the basic rate band and additional rate threshold. The government is introducing a 2% increase in the tax rates for property income and savings income (bank and building society interest etc.). With effect from 6 April 2027 these rates will be as follows: • 22% for basic rate taxpayers (currently 20%) • 42% for higher rate taxpayers (currently 40%) • 47% for additional rate taxpayers (currently 45%)
Significant changes to Business and Agricultural Property Relief were announced in the 2024 Budget such that, from 6 April 2026, the first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract IHT relief at 100% but for assets over £1m, the relief will be halved to 50%. The £1m limit is per individual but in one important change announced on 26 November, the Chancellor confirmed that this £1m allowance will be transferable between married couples or civil partners. This will include where the first death was before 6 April 2026. Further details of the announcements made in the Budget can be found in our Autumn Budget 2025 publication, available on our website or from any of our offices. The above is for general guidance only and no action should be taken without obtaining specific advice.
Furthermore, from 6 April 2026, there will be a 2% increase in the ordinary and upper rates of Income Tax applicable to dividends. The additional rate will remain unchanged at 39.35%. The rates will be as follows: • 10.75% for basic rate taxpayers (currently 8.75%) • 35.75% for higher rate taxpayers (currently 33.75%) • 39.35% for additional rate taxpayers (rate unchanged) The personal savings allowance and dividend allowance remain unchanged. ISAs From 6 April 2027, for those under 65, the annual cash ISA limit will be reduced from £20,000 to £12,000. A further £8,000 per year can still be invested in an ISA but only in respect of stocks and shares investments. For those over the age of 65, the cash ISA limit will remain at £20,000. Employment The National Living Wage (which applies to those aged 21 and over) will increase to £12.71 from 1 April 2026, with the National Minimum Wage increasing to £10.85 per hour for 18-20 year olds and to £8.00 for those aged 16-17 (and apprentices). From April 2029, only the first £2,000 of employee pension contributions through salary sacrifice each year will be exempt from NICs. Contributions through salary sacrifice, like all pension contributions, will still be exempt from Income Tax (subject to the usual limits).
Helen Draper MMath(Hons) FCA Pearson May Chartered Accountants & Chartered Tax Advisers BATH, TROWBRIDGE AND CHIPPENHAM
Inheritance Tax (IHT) Frozen since 2009, the IHT nil rate band will remain at £325,000 until 5 April 2031. The ‘residence nil rate band’ is also frozen until 5 April 2031 at the current £175,000 level, as is the residence nil rate band taper starting at £2m.
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Bath reflects on 2025 and looks ahead to this brand new year Hello January! There’s something quietly therapeutic about looking ahead – a positive chance to reset, re‐focus and imagine what might come next. Here in Bath, 2026 is already taking shape, and we ask some of the city’s great thinkers for their reflections on the year that has passed and to share their hopes, ambitions and expectations for the coming one
Wera Hobhouse, Member of Parliament for Bath
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s we head into this new year, I’ve been thinking about how so much of the news-cycle is distressing and bleak. Global and national challenges, alongside political uncertainties, dominate the agenda, and these issues are in sharp focus for me every day in Parliament. But then I thought about what helps navigate the negative feelings, and overwhelmingly for me, it’s music. Looking back, many of the brightest moments of 2025 had a musical focus. Most recently, of course, the carol concerts across the length and breadth of the city, that highlighted the unique unity that communal singing brings. November brought The Mozart Festival and the lively am-dram Gilbert and Sullivan productions; May, the Bath Festival and Party in the City. And of course last June we had the spectacular Robbie Williams shows by the Royal Crescent. There truly is something for every musical taste in Bath. Incredible headline acts like The Lightning Seeds and Reverend and the
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Makers graced the stage at the Forum and Komedia in 2025, while brilliant venues like Chapel Arts and Burdall’s Yard continued to showcase reliably good and eclectic events week in, week out. Regular live sessions in our beloved local pubs, such as the Bell, the Grapes, the Green Park Brasserie, Flan O’Brien’s, The Nowhere Tavern and many, many more provide a fantastic, uplifting playlist across the whole year.
“ (music) ... accompanied by our own terrible out-of-tune singalong – is a real antidote in these often difficult times.” Music, whether enjoyed alone, reflectively in the tranquillity of our own headphones, or riotously and communally – accompanied by our own terrible out-of-tune singalong – is a real antidote in these often difficult times. No matter your mood before pressing “play”, or entering the venue, it is invariably lighter and uplifted afterwards. Music unifies, inspires, brings joy. Please join me in exploring all of our city’s musical delights, and creating your own soundtrack in Bath in 2026. werahobhouse.co.uk
Image courtesy of Visit West
CITY FORECAST
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“It is fantastic to go into the new year with two additional displays of art of world-class quality, objects we share in some cases with places like The Met in New York. ” Arts and Culture Dr Chris Stephens, Director, The Holburne Museum
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y team at the Holburne ended 2025 exhausted after a manically busy year. On top of the usual eight exhibitions, a programme of talks and concerts, and the extensive range of activities we run with schools, families and vulnerable adults, we completed a major building project and unveiled two new galleries. It is fantastic to go into the new year with two additional displays of art of world-class quality, objects we share in some cases with places like The Met in New York. Again, in 2026, we will be bringing new offers for our visitors. We are bringing a couple of spaces into public use. On the top floor of the 2011 extension, we are introducing a ‘Space to Be’ where we’ll invite visitors to sit and relax, explore the collection, art and ideas on screen or in books, or simply stare out of the huge plate glass window watching the squirrels jump from tree to tree. Looking back, last year I wrote about the potential for art to offer solace amongst monstrous world events. This is, sadly, no less true at the beginning of 2026 than it was in 2025. Later in the year, we will be mounting an exhibition about landscape painting between the wars which I hope will offer a platform for us to consider how we can assert our national identity in opposition to an ascendant fascism. As ever, we try to bring great art to Bath both for its own sake and to shed light on our present moment. holburne.org
Allison Herbert, Chief Executive, Bath BID
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Business to Business
s the year closes, I’ve support been reflecting on what Bath BID has achieved and where we’re heading. I’m delighted that businesses voted overwhelmingly to continue Bath BID for another five years from 2026, an endorsement of the work we do together. It’s pleasing to see Bath’s independents and national brands thrive, supported by initiatives like our new shopping map, city of culture posters, and Welcome Ambassadors who help visitors discover every corner of the city. Shires Yard has been revitalised with new places to eat and shop; Jolly’s and M&S will be significant new stores next year. New coworking spaces continue to appear in the city demonstrating the impressive small business culture we enjoy. On the ground, our BID Rangers continue their tireless early morning work to keep Bath clean and welcoming and casually bagged the UK Best BID award at the RHS Britain in Bloom National Competition. Of course, challenges remain. The new business rates regime looks set to increase costs for many, and changes to waste collection and road restrictions test our resilience. My role is to ensure businesses have the information and support they need to adapt. I’m proud of our impactful work via the Business Crime Reduction Partnership. This year we gained national accreditation for the partnership, delivering day and night marshals, and of course the Safe Bus. Looking ahead, our five year plan will sharpen focus on cleaning, security, and community events. We will continue to run ReBalance Bath, Bath Waiters’ Race, Bath Restaurant Week, Bath Business Conference and now Bath Boules. I believe that one of the most important things we do as an organisation is to listen to our business members. Every business, from the smallest retail gem to the largest hotel, deserves a voice in shaping the future of our city centre and we will do our best to amplify their views. bathbid.co.uk
“Of course, challenges remain. The new business rates regime looks set to increase costs for many, and changes to waste collection and road restrictions test our resilience. ”
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CITY FORECAST
Wellbeing
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his year, many of my clients have shared the same feeling: overwhelm. Throughout 2025 I’ve seen rising anxiety, low mood, and a strong desire for steadiness in a world that feels faster and louder than ever. Adults are juggling Viv Kenchington, Solution work, family, and Focused Hypnotherapist constant digital noise, leaving little room to rest and reconnect. Children, I’ve noticed, are feeling it too, showing more worry, difficulty switching off, and a clear need for tools that help them feel safe and grounded. Looking ahead to 2026, the concerns are shifting. People are increasingly anxious about the economic climate, rising costs, and the impact of technology, especially on their children. Parents are seeking ways to support emotional resilience in a world that’s both exciting and unpredictable. Underneath it all is a shared longing for balance, clarity, and calmer ways of being. I hope a hint that the year ahead may invite deeper breath, gentler rhythms, and more meaningful connection. For me 2025 was filled with deepening, expanding, and reconnecting, both personally and professionally. A standout milestone was completing the CPCAB Level 3 Award in Breathwork Coaching, a training that has already enriched the way I support clients. Breathwork has quietly reshaped my practice this year, offering grounding tools for nervous system regulation, emotional steadiness, and the gentle recalibration so many of us seek. It was also the year I created The Calm Compass Club, an imaginative, therapeutic subscription-based children’s club designed to help young people navigate their emotions with confidence, creativity, and calm. Drawing on all my skills, my aim is to help children step away from screens, spark their imagination, and build a strong emotional toolkit. This will officially launch in January 2026. Alongside this, 2025 marked the creation of the Outset Mind App and website, a joint venture offering a 12-week solution-focused programme for time-poor adults that cuts through the noise and brings clarity, confidence, and real results. As 2026 approaches, I’m excited to weave these threads together, bringing solution-focused hypnotherapy, breathwork, storytelling, and therapeutic tools into even more accessible spaces. The year ahead feels full of possibility: steadier rhythms, deeper breaths, and new ways to support the wellbeing of both children and adults. hypnotherapyandhealth.co.uk
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Philip Cobb, Director, Cobb Farr Estate Agents
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t last the budget has happened after so many months of scaremongering and so many suggestions of what was going to occur. And in the end, it was all Property a bit of a damp squib. Nothing was in it to encourage the growth of the economy and businesses, so desperately needed. Just a series of stealth taxes that in particular will only serve to hit small businesses in particular, again! The concerns about the Mansion tax were in the end to some extent nullified. It certainly could have been worse, really ending up as an extension to the council tax rather than a tax on capital gains. It is not good for people with higher value properties, but I do not feel it will be enough to put people off buying properties in excess of £2 million. Now that the budget is over and many people’s concerns have been allayed, we at Cobb Farr have already noticed an increase in viewing levels and many sales that were rather stagnant have suddenly seen an increase in urgency to exchange and completion. Going forward the demand for property in 2026 will, we believe improve, especially following the Bank of England’s interest rate cut in December to below 3.75%. There is a distinct lack of supply in certain price ranges and prices which have remained on a level playing field in the past 12 months, or in some cases fallen in the Bath and surrounding areas, may now as a result start to see an increase. Unfortunately, the rental market was hit again with more income tax on rents and dividends. Coupled with the Renters Reform act, there is no doubt many people are thinking twice about continuing with rental as an investment. However, the demand reamains high, and if there is less on the market to rent, guess what? The rents are going to increase. Surely not what was intended? The government do not seem to think these things through. But because the yields are likely to increase with lower priced apartments available and higher rents, for those brave enough, it still is a good investment in my opinion. In fact, now might be the time to get in on this market if you haven’t already. When it comes to development, the government’s ambition to build all these extra homes, will never be fulfilled until they tackle the absurd planning issues at local level. Developers we act for, say delays have become worse, not better, some of our local councils are worse than others. And the demands they are putting on the house builder in the name of achieving low energy properties, is increasing costs dramatically, which inevitably will increase the costs of property to purchase. 2025 has been a very tricky year in our view. I’m not sure that our economy is going to improve dramatically with this and last year’s budget. However, with interest rates likely to reduce and inflation seemingly on its way down, 2026 we believe will offer a better opportunity to push forward with sales and purchases. Cobbfarr.com
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CITY FORECAST
Darrin Christan, Director, Coopers Home Appliances
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nother 12 months have flown past as we speed into 2026. Bath’s food and drink scene continues to thrive against the backdrop of a much wider national business challenge. Times are tough - but the cream will rise to Food & the top and we are fortunate to be beverage in a city like no other. 2025 marked the inaugural Bath Waiter’s Race ahead of the city’s Bath Restaurant Week - a new event brought to the city by the outstanding Bath BID. We’ve also welcomed new operators to the city with more lined up to come in the coming months. Bath is becoming a key destination for not just aspiring hospitality entrepreneurs but well established and growing brands. If any city can optimise this balance of offering, it is ours. Bath’s appetite for quality hospitality experiences is testament to the pub, bar and restaurant operators who have created this thirst for the city. A successful city that continues to evolve with exciting projects on the horizon: Stadium for Bath, Bath Quays North and the Gas works site development name a few. Bath is becoming a more competitive city with a wider offering. From a personal business view, we’ve been honoured to cement ourselves in the city. Bath Pizza Co approaches its tenth year in business alongside Green Park Brasserie. Our Bath Christmas Market chalet next to Bath Abbery received a great reception and we’re fortunate to have a fantastic team leading the charge, delighting our guests and ensuring we’re well positioned for future growth. So here’s a glass to 2026. bathpizzaco.com; greenparkbrasserie.com
“Bath’s appetite for quality hospitality experiences is testament to the pub, bar and restaurantoperators who have created this thirst for the city.”
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Coopers Home Appliances on Walcot Street
Alex Peters, Director, Bath Pizza Co and Green Park Brasserie
wenty twenty five was a year of steady growth and renewed confidence across the city. There are always moments that test the pace of retail, and the lead-up to the Budget in November last year Retail was one of them. These announcements often prompt consumers to pause and take stock, which can naturally slow activity for a short spell. Even so, footfall through Bath has grown steadily, and we’ve noticed customers increasingly seeking out physical stores again. When people are making considered purchases, especially for their homes, they want to see, touch and compare. There is a renewed appetite for quality, and bricks-and-mortar retail seems to be regaining some of the ground it lost in recent years. For Coopers, this shift has coincided with a year of real progress. A major highlight has been establishing our destination showroom at Dunsdon Barn, where we’re joined by Ben Argent Kitchens and Boniti Flooring to offer customers a unified, high-quality experience. Bringing three specialist brands together under one roof has provided a clearer and more inspiring way for people to plan their homes, and it has helped us create new full-time roles within our team. The crossover between the Walcot Street store and the barn has also strengthened staff expertise and broadened how we guide people through their options. Walcot Street continues to evolve. Our role as the South West's main agent for Aga, Everhot, Lacanche and Miele, along with many more leading appliance brands, has grown. We’ve seen consistent demand for products that combine longevity with craftsmanship, and we’ve continued developing our website to support customers who cannot visit in person but still want the same level of advice and service they would expect in-store. Together, these strengths show that the premium market remains resilient even in mixed conditions. Looking ahead to 2026, we are optimistic. This is not blind optimism but grounded in what we have seen: customers willing to invest in good things, a city that draws in purposeful shoppers, and a retail landscape rediscovering the value of personal advice and real spaces. We will continue developing our offer, staying agile, and saying yes to opportunities that help us serve people better. coopershomeappliances.com; dunsdonbarn.com
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EDUCATION
Education matters
NEWS FROM THE CITY’S LEARNERS AND LEADERS
KES named The Sunday Times Independent Secondary School of the Year in the South West King Edward’s School has been named the Independent Secondary School of the Year in the South West in the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026. KES also retains the top spot as the leading co-educational independent school of any kind (boarding and/or day) in the region for the fourth year in a row in the Sunday Times league table of results. Based on combined A Level and GCSE results in 2025, 90% of A Level entries gained A*-B grades (62% A*/A) and over 53% of GCSEs scored 9 or 8 grades (32% Grade 9). The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide is one of the most authoritative surveys of state and independent schools. As well as celebrating the examination excellence of the top performing schools, the guide also shines a light on the wider strengths and innovations of the highestachieving schools, including efforts to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, inspiring passions beyond the classroom and preparing pupils for life beyond school. The accolade of the South West’s Independent Secondary School of the Year was due in part to KES’s consistently outstanding academic record, which has seen over 60% of A Level results gain an A*/A grade for the last 12 years, as well as a remarkable ‘value added’ uplift of almost a whole grade for each subject entry for GCSE pupils. Martin Boden, the school’s headmaster, says: “This award reflects our commitment to combining academic ambition with a culture of care, so that every pupil feels supported, valued, and inspired. When young people are confident and curious, they not only achieve outstanding results but leave ready to make a positive difference in the world.” Visit kesbath.com
NEW PERMANENT HEAD AT THE PARAGON SCHOOL The Paragon School is delighted to announce the appointment of Malcolm Bond as its permanent head. Selected from an impressive field of candidates, the new head succeeds Rosie Allen and will take up his new post in January 2026. Malcolm brings extensive experience in independent education. He joined Prior Park College in 2012, progressed through several leadership roles, and now serves as assistant head co-curricular. A member of the college’s senior leadership team, he is widely respected for his ability to inspire both staff and pupils. David Catlow, chair of trustees, says that he brings energy, experience, and a genuine commitment to nurturing every child’s potential. “With Malcolm’s dedication to the school’s values, we are confident this will be an exciting chapter for both pupils and staff.” The Paragon School, part of the Prior Park Schools family, is a thriving independent prep school renowned for its welcoming community, outstanding pastoral care, and strong academic and co-curricular programme. With a focus on developing the whole child, the school nurtures values of kindness, compassion, honesty, self-belief, and aspiration. “I am thrilled to become the permanent head of The Paragon,” Malcolm says. “This is a school with a huge heart, and I feel proud to step into this role. I look forward to building on the school’s strengths, celebrating what makes it special, and creating new opportunities for our pupils.” Visit paragonschool.co.uk
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Bath College launches sports academy with Bath City FC and Bath Rugby Bath College has launched Bath College Sport Academy, a new partnership formed with Bath City FC and Bath Rugby, that will begin in the 2025/2026 academic year. The academy will offer students aged 16-18 a clear pathway into professional and semi-professional sport while gaining a qualification. This means young athletes never have to choose between education and sporting ambitions. Students will train in elite facilities, access professional coaching and strength and conditioning, and receive structured timetables with dedicated training sessions, helping them develop as athletes and confident, young adults. James Moon, football lead academy coach at Bath College, says: “We are excited about the dramatic increase in sports academy activity at the college. The college’s investment in these academies will expand opportunities for our students and positively impact their academic performance and overall experience. By strengthening the role of sport within further education, we create an environment where students can thrive on and off the field, develop skills, confidence, and build resilience for the future." Bath College plans to expand the academy to include netball, golf, and women's rugby. bathcollege.ac.uk
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Proud Winner of Independent Boarding School of the Year Award - With exceptional benefits for day pupils too At Monkton, the heartbeat of school life is about creating a vibrant community that thrives every day. It defines the Monkton experience, shaping not just where pupils live, but how they live: with purpose, connection, and joy. Monkton’s boarding success is rooted in the distinctive way all pupils, whether day or boarding, are fully involved in one of our six Houses and welcomed at school from breakfast until bedtime. Our integrated House system fosters a culture of inclusion, mentorship and personal growth, where every pupil is known, valued, and celebrated. The result is a vibrant community in which pupils flourish in every aspect of their lives. Boarding life at Monkton is defined by tradition, spontaneity and fun. The richness of this boarding experience is so appealing that day pupils regularly immerse themselves in the community, often staying until 9.30pm for 'In House' evenings and making the most of all that our boarding provision has to offer. The campus is alive with activity, and a highlight for many is our weekend programme. Saturday nights feature varied, pupil-led events, from Bonfire Night to Band Night, giving pupils ownership of their community. Sundays offer rest, but many choose active options like trips to Thorpe Park, Bath Rugby, Ice Skating, or Paintballing. The number of Day students opting to return at
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weekends is a proud reflection of a boarding culture so engaging and welcoming that it attracts the entire school community. This culture draws pupils from across the UK and around the world, emphasising its inclusivity, warmth and global outlook. From Lunar New Year feasts to international community events, pupils learn not just about one another’s traditions - but how to live in a world that values empathy and perspective. By living, learning and leading together, Monkton students grow into adaptable, emotionally intelligent young adults, prepared to thrive in a diverse and interconnected world. James Goodman, Vice Principal, on winning Independent Boarding School of the Year 2025 - “It really is a team effort, with every member of staff contributing in different ways to create the community in which all our students can thrive. This recognition is a testament to their dedication, and we are proud to celebrate this achievement with the Monkton community. Together, we look forward to building on this success and continuing to provide an outstanding environment for our pupils.”
www.monktoncombeschool.com
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
The whole package Let there be no excuse not to treat ourselves in 2026. We deserve it. So, if you’re looking for a good reason to indulge in some ‘you’ time, then Rosanna Spence has the answer. She tried two new packages now available at Thermae Bath Spa, and urges you to do the same…
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ome people get all the rubbish tasks at work. Imagine having to spend time away from your desk to try out two new transformative packages at one of the UK’s most unique spa settings? Luckily, I’m a martyr at heart, so bravely accepted the challenge. Many of us living in the region likely head on an annual or bi-annual pilgrimage to the Thermae Spa to take the waters there, much like our Celtic and Roman ancestors before us, but I can attest to the fact that these two latest spa packages are reasons to visit again ASAP. The stars under the spotlight are the rather exotic-sounding Lava Shells massage and the Thermae Radiance facial. These are the transformative treatments that form the foundation of your time spent at the spa, and each package includes a two-hour spa session (plus treatment time), meaning you can unwind in the Minerva Bath, steam and sauna in the multi-sensory Wellness Suit and enjoy the iconic vista from the Rooftop Pool. Your towel and robe are included – pro tip: footwear isn’t provided, so bring your own clean flip flops, Crocs or slippers to pad about in, and a water bottle you can re-fill at the drinking fountains because you’ll need to stay extra hydrated if you’re having a treatment – plus you also get to enjoy a cream tea in the Springs Café with a delicious scone, cream and jam, and a choice of Prosecco, tea or coffee.
Lava Shells (50 minutes) Thermae uses silky smooth glazed ceramic shells, as this style of massage has grown in worldwide popularity in recent years and sourcing the natural tiger clam shells originally used in this treatment has become a concern over its sustainability. These alternative shells are hollow – their centres filled with warm water and a ‘charger’ mix of magnesium, iron and lavender scent (the ‘lava’) before being expertly worked across the body. The temperature of the shells can be tweaked to your preference – mine felt a little hot on my skin to begin with, so my therapist Karolina swiftly adjusted the warmth accordingly. She then continued to gently check in with pressure and temperature throughout the treatment so I was as comfortable as possible while she used the shells and her hands to work my feet, legs, hands, arms, back, neck and shoulders. The contours of the shells are an ideal ergonomic fit to the human body: the ridge, ‘nose’ and ‘back’ of the shell all have different uses, provide different sensations, and can soothe and work into areas of tension – they’re ideal to apply very targeted pressure and movements in any niggly bits. Typing at a desk for eight hours a day means daily ‘cold war’-esque tension builds between my shoulders, and I could feel it literally melting away under the relieving heat. This massage is for anyone looking for a different experience with the benefits of new sensations, and for those who love to use heat to unwind – it’s an essential addition to any sauna and bathing routine.
Thermae Radiance (85 minutes) To call this a facial is – in my opinion – criminally underselling the treatment. What unfolded over the next 85 minutes was nothing short of an otherworldly transformation. It began with a friendly skin consultation. My therapist Karolina asked about my skin type, of course, but the Thermae approach centres on using keywords to describe how you want to feel and look afterwards. Rejuvenated? Radiant? Younger, even? I chose ‘hydrated’, because winter has left my skin parched and uneven. Within minutes, though, Karolina gently dismantled the belief I’d clung to for some time that I had combination-sensitive skin. In reality, I have very dry skin that’s also sensitive. As someone who has kept my routine minimal out of fear of flare-ups, this was liberating. I left with a far clearer understanding of what my skin actually needs. The treatment itself unfolded in layers: gentle cleansing and toning, followed by two very different masks. The first incorporated LED technology offering a choice of seven types of light, each targeting different concerns, enhanced further by infrared therapy. Later came a peel-off mask that set while Karolina delivered a spine-tingling scalp massage. Between and after these stages were rich oils, serums, moisturisers, and a full facial massage with extra attention to the jawline, where so many of us hold tension. A hand and arm massage is included, plus some neck and shoulder work thrown in for good measure. It’s no exaggeration: I looked like a different person in the mirror by the end – my skin’s texture had softened, I was beaming and my usual redness was soothed. Plus I was equipped with advice from Karolina to keep up the good work. There are several health considerations to review before booking an LED facial. And if you struggle with claustrophobia, this may not be the right fit. Nearly two hours of cocooning between warm towels, eye patches and masks felt deeply comforting to me, but could feel confining to someone else. Don’t let this take away from the sheer luxury, though. At several points, I realised I had drifted into a hazy waking dream, meaning I had to concentrate to stay alert enough to remember each detail so I could share it here. I suspect many people happily drift off completely. I certainly will next time. n For full details on each spa package, including when they are available, the latest prices, and who the treatments are not suitable for, visit the website thermaebathspa.com or call the friendly bookings team on 01225 331 234. Minimum age 18 years for both packages.
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DENTAL & DENTURE CLINIC photo credit Betty Bhandari
NEW PRIVATE DENTIST APPOINTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE
Routine Check Ups Crowns/Veneers Hygienist Appointments
Begin the NEW YEAR 2026 in Balance Find calm, clarity and vitality for yourself and the spaces where you live and work. Join the REBALANCE Festival in Bath, with Heidi offering two inspiring and informative talks to support your year with care, balance and kindness. Book tickets for both events:
Teeth Whitening Denture Experts Free Denture Consultation
Georgina Saunders Dentist
Georgina takes a holistic approach to dentistry and has a particular interest in Periodontal disease.
Call to book an appointment! 01225 311 681 @ info@jbdental.co.uk
www.jbdental.co.uk
bathboxoffice.org.uk/whats-on (search “Heidi”)
Thursday 5 February 2026 from 6–8pm Reiki to Help Balance Your Inner Being with Heidi Lerner Rearden Curious about Reiki? Discover how this gentle, holistic therapy supports calm, harmony and wellbeing. Venue - Bath Natural Remedies, 11 Northumberland Place, BA1
Friday 6 February 2026 from 6:15–8pm Five-Minute Fixes with Heidi Lerner Rearden & Maria Bez Learn simple yet powerful techniques to reset your mind and body in just minutes. Venue - Upstairs at Browns Brasserie, BA1 1LP
Supporting wellbeing, focus, and energy from the inside out. Book sessions or discover more: heidiholistichealing - heidi@heidiholistichealing.com Holistic wellbeing offerings include: Meditation & Mindfulness Courses Reiki 1:1 Sessions & Learn Reiki Feng Shui & Energy Balancing for homes & living spaces Begin your healing journey with Heidi Holistic Healing visit - heidiholistichealing.com email - heidi@heidiholistichealing.com Instagram and Facebook - @heidiholistichealing 66 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
RECEIVE THE BATH MAGAZINE BY POST AND NEVER MISS OUT We deliver to over 15,000 addresses every month, and there’s plenty of pick up points around town. But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family, we offer a magazine mailing service. Make sure you never miss an issue... all 12 issues from just £35*
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM JUST £35* SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT www.thebathmag.co.uk/subscribe or call: 01225 424 499
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ADVANCED BOTANICAL SKINCARE Thirns Skincare facial treatments are highly personalised and tailored to your specific skin care needs. Following an in-depth consultation, Olga will devise your unique treatment programme designed to deliver results, while also offering a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. In every treatment, Olga applies her in-depth knowledge of plant-based and scientific skincare.Your skin will be treated to her innovative sculpting face massage method and the application of her own custom-blended products. Olga will also advise you on a skincare regimen to continue at home for long-lasting skin health..
SIX-MONTH TREATMENT PACKAGES AVAILABLE For more information about Thirns, visit www.thirns.co.uk Instagram: @thirns_skincare To book an appointment with Olga please get in touch via info@thirns.co.uk or send us a message on 07832 571094 THIRNS Skin Health Clinic 1 Derrymans Green, Bath, BA2 2FX
Cleansing Balm with Juniper for each booked facial.
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MBST: Supporting the body’s natural cellular repair process MBST in Sport We have several return to play studies underway with some high profile sports teams across professional football and with Bath Rugby. We’re fairly early on in the seasons in terms of gathering and presenting data at this point, but the results we’re seeing are very exciting in terms of rapid player healing and care for their bodies which are pushed to the limits. We observing accelerated return to play by significant amounts which is keeping squad availability higher. We anticipate this to have even greater impact on player availability towards the end of the season. The data will be published at the end of the 25/26 season.
MBST UK is the official regenerative Partner for Bath Rugby and Wrexham FC. Not only is this leading to dramatic increases in the speed of player rehabilitation and return to play, but it’s allowing us to gather data and explore the full ability of this technology
MBST Bone Health: At CURA we have the latest technology in assessing bone density and fragility. Unlike DEXA that uses X-Ray, REMS Scans use ultrasound to precisely assess the thickness of bone and the bone strength/architecture. It’s an amazing tool to have, especially to safely monitor the progress our patients are making after using MBST to address the deconditioning of bone in Osteoporosis: We’re seeing remarkable results when applying MBST to bone, both after trauma and in Osteoporosis patients. GETTING ACCURATE INFORMATION: ‘The most important starting point in preventing Osteopenic/Osteoporotic fracture is to accurately understand and track our bone density: REMS scanning can do this because it doesn’t involve X-ray so it’s safe to repeat scans when necessary to monitor the results of action taken. REMS ultrasound results are immediate ,accurate and are backed by over 100 peer reviewed published studies. To book your scan call us on 01179596531
Hip and Knee Arthritis: Shirley is a great example of how MBST can transform a patients life. Shirley was diagnosed with a moderate plus right arthritic knee. The pain was debilitating. A constant 6-7/10 pain-wise. Mornings were stiff and painful and it was bad at night. Her left hip is also arthritic and was causing her pain. Standing for long periods was a real issue. We applied MBST to support the recovery of her knee cartilage and lower limb bone damage. 5 months since the end of her treatment Shirley is leading a very different life. Her knee swelling is so much better. She has no pain and where before she would struggle to stand for 45 minutes, she is now able to participate in 45 minute strength and conditioning wellness classes at David Lloyd. A really great outcome for a lovely patient.
An award-winning innovative treatment for: Osteoarthritis | Back & disc problems | Bone conditions & fractures | Cartilage damage | Ligament, tendon & muscle damage | Sports & accident injuries.
Call our Bristol clinic today : 0117 959 6531 www.curaclinical.com
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No.1 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BA | Tel: 01225 466851 | www.theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk
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Promoted GARDENING content
Premium Intraocular Lenses in Cataract and Lens Surgery: An Interview with Consultant Ophthalmologist Adam Ross
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n the evolving field of cataract and lens surgery, premium intraocular lenses (IOLs) have revolutionized how patients experience vision correction. We sat down with consultant ophthalmologist Adam Ross to discuss these advanced options, including toric, trifocal/spiral, and extended depth/enhanced monovision lenses.
Thank you for joining us. To start, could you briefly explain the role of intraocular lenses in cataract surgery? Absolutely. In cataract surgery, the natural lens of the eye, which has become cloudy, is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). This lens restores clarity to vision and can be tailored to correct refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Premium IOLs go a step further by offering additional benefits, such as reducing the need for glasses and providing enhanced visual quality. What are premium IOLs, and how do they differ from standard lenses? Standard monofocal lenses correct vision at a single distance, usually either near or far, so patients often need glasses for other tasks. Premium IOLs, on the other hand, are designed to improve focus at multiple distances or correct specific vision issues like astigmatism. Options like toric, trifocal, and EMV lenses are tailored to individual needs and lifestyles, significantly enhancing visual outcomes. Let’s delve into the different types. Could you tell us about toric lenses and their benefits? Toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) are specialized lenses used to correct astigmatism in patients undergoing cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange. Astigmatism occurs when the cornea or lens has an irregular shape, causing distorted or blurry vision. Toric IOLs are available in monofocal, multifocal, trifocal and EMV designs, and their use depends on the patient's visual needs and lifestyle. How do trifocal/spiral lenses stand out compared to other multifocal lenses? These lenses allow patients to focus at three distinct ranges: near, intermediate, and far. This means activities like reading, working on a computer, and driving can all be done reducing the dependency on glasses. The design of newer trifocal/spiral lenses reduces the visual disturbances—such as halos or glare—that were more common with earlier multifocal IOLs. However, a careful examination and discussion about the pros and cons of these lenses is essential on an individual basis.
risks, including infection or lens misalignment. Additionally, some patients may notice halos, glare, or difficulty with night vision, particularly with trifocal lenses, though these symptoms often improve over time. Careful preoperative assessments and discussions can mitigate these risks by ensuring the chosen lens suits the patient’s eyes and lifestyle. Lastly, what advice would you give to someone considering cataract or lens replacement surgery with premium IOLs? Do your research and have an open discussion with your surgeon. Understanding the options, the benefits, and any potential trade-offs is key. Make sure your choice aligns with your visual needs and lifestyle. With the right lens, cataract surgery can transform your vision and enhance your quality of life.
Premium intraocular lenses have ushered in a new era of vision correction, offering patients a range of customized solutions. With the expertise of specialists like Mr Adam Ross, patients can navigate their options confidently and achieve outstanding visual outcomes. ■
You also mentioned extended monofocal lenses, or EMV lenses. What makes them unique? These lenses, bridge the gap between traditional monofocals and multifocal lenses. They provide a greater range of vision than monofocals without the compromises in visual quality sometimes associated with multifocal lenses. How do you determine which lens is best for a patient? It’s a personalised process. We start by evaluating the patient’s eye health, including the presence of astigmatism or other refractive errors. We then discuss their lifestyle, hobbies, and expectations. For example, someone who frequently reads or works at a computer might prefer trifocal lenses, while a patient who drives a lot and values distance clarity might lean toward Extended Depth or EMV lenses. If astigmatism is a factor, a toric lens can be incorporated into the plan.
To make an appointment Contact us today: Tel: 01225 220295 Email: office@theeyeunit.co.uk www.theeyeunit.co.uk
Are there any risks associated with these advanced lenses? Premium IOLs are generally very safe, but as with any surgery, there are potential
Available for consultations @ Bath Clinic and Nuffield Bristol
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CITY NEWS
A lifetime of paws and purpose Local resident Norma Stent and her husband Derek are among a very small number of individuals who have helped raise more than 50 puppies for Guide Dogs. Joanna Lewis met Norma and her latest puppy, Rhonda, to learn more about being a puppy raiser and the work of Guide Dogs, the world’s largest assistance dog organisation.
Vital work
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aising 57 puppies is no easy feat. Over the past 43 years, Norma, along with her husband Derek, has been subjected to the usual puppy behaviour – food snaffled from countertops, chewed mail, and holes dug in the garden. But, as Norma notes, knowing how the puppies she has helped raise go on to transform the lives of those with sight loss makes it all worth it. “When you see the dog working and you see the difference it makes to people’s lives, it’s just fantastic.” Norma and Derek got their first puppy, Paddy, in 1981. As puppy raisers, they are tasked with caring for a puppy for at least a year, until it is ready to begin its official training with the Guide Dogs charity. Norma started as a puppy raiser after she spotted an advertisement in her local doctor’s surgery. “I was pregnant at the time with my second child, and I wanted my children to grow up with a dog,” explains Norma. “But Derek didn’t want the long-term commitment. So, this seemed like the perfect compromise. The children and I get a dog, and at the end of the year, we can give it back. Everybody will be happy, and the children will have benefited from learning how to look after a dog.” However, Norma says that within just a few weeks, they were all smitten. “It was Derek who actually said, ‘can we have another one?’. And, we haven’t stopped since.” 72 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
Guide Dogs is the largest organisation that breeds and trains guide dogs in the UK and is the largest employer of specialists dedicated to helping children and young people overcome the challenges of sight loss. Puppy raisers are vital to the charity’s work. Not only do they look after the dog until it is ready to start its official training, but they are also responsible for teaching the pup basic commands, toilet training, socialisation, growing its confidence, and introducing it to new environments and experiences. “Wherever I go, the puppy goes too,” Norma says. As an official guide dog in training, it means each puppy goes with Norma to places that are usually off-limits, including the supermarket. Norma must also expose each puppy to as many environments and experiences as possible to help prepare it for every eventuality it may encounter in its work as a guide dog. Before Guy Fawkes Night, for example, this meant gradually getting Rhonda used to the loud bangs of the fireworks. The vast majority of the puppies are Labrador and Golden Retriever mixes, in addition to a smaller number of Labradoodles and German Shepherds. “They are smart and catch on quickly, especially if there’s a tasty treat as a reward,” Norma says. Most of the puppies go on to become successful guide dogs for the blind at around two years of age. Norma usually has an overlap, meaning that just a few weeks before her existing puppy is ready to start its formal Guide Dogs training, she takes delivery of her next puppy, which can help the new puppy quickly learn commands by following the older one’s lead.
It takes around two years for a puppy to become a guide dog at a cost of £77,000
She says she doesn’t really get attached, knowing that she will only have each puppy for a relatively short time, but admits she does have her favourites and is in touch with some of the people who go on to receive one of the guide dogs she helped raise. “We’ve seen a lot of our dogs working, which is lovely,” Norma says. One lady in particular stands out for Norma. “We went to see a lady in Plymouth who had one of the puppies we raised. It was her first guide dog, and she explained how it had transformed her life. She had spent a lot of her time indoors and was unable to go out without help due to her loss of sight. She had lost all her confidence. With a guide dog, she was now able to go out and regain her independence.”
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CITY NEWS
Norma and Derek plan to keep going, with the goal of reaching 60 puppies. “As long as we can keep doing this, we will,” Norma says.
More volunteers needed According to Claire Weaver at Guide Dogs, there are several active puppy raisers in Bath, but they need more to support the charity’s vital work. “We currently have 3,078 working guide dogs in the UK and we have 1,602 puppies being raised in volunteers’ homes,” Claire says. “Puppy raisers provide a vital foundation for the puppy’s future role as a guide dog through training, socialisation, and the introduction of new environments and experiences.” It takes around two years for a puppy to become a guide dog at a cost of £77,000. More than 500 guide dogs are expected to complete their training this year, providing life-changing support to help people with vision impairment become more independent, mobile, and get out and about with confidence. Sophia Haig, puppy development advisor for Bath, South Bristol and South Wales, adds: “Without the help of Norma and Derek and other amazing volunteers like them, we simply wouldn’t be able to train the hundreds of life-changing guide dogs that we do each year to support people with sight loss.” n Visit guidedogs.org.uk/puppyraising
Just a small selection of the many guide dogs Norma and her husband have helped to raise over the years.
THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 73
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MONTHLY WALK
A country walk in the city This month, Andrew Swift takes on a walk inspired by the concept of rus in urbe ‐ the country in the city.
Blind Lane
Mount Beacon
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ack in Bath’s Georgian heyday, the concept of rus in urbe was the keynote of many of its major developments, from leafy squares to breezy crescents and from sylvan retreats to boisterous pleasure gardens. Today, the idea has acquired a new lease of life, and also a new meaning. The endeavour now is not to create the illusion of being in the country but to forge new bonds with nature, creating green corridors, boosting diversity and improving the lives of everyone who lives here. To celebrate the new year, this five-mile walk, starting and ending in the city centre, not only looks at what the Georgians made of rus in urbe, but also highlights recent initiatives to rewild the city. Some locations will be familiar, others very much off the beaten track, and, while parts of the walk follow pavements and tarmac paths, others lie through muddy fields and along rocky tracks.
Start in Queen Square Starting in Queen Square, head up Gay Street, turn left along Queen’s Parade Place and turn right up steps at the end. Carry on up the Gravel Walk – where there is the opportunity to visit the Georgian Garden, a recreated 18th-century town garden, partway along. At the end, carry straight on, with the Royal Crescent on your right. This was the quintessence of rus in urbe – here, looking from the windows of a magnificent townhouse all you could see would be the river winding through green fields, with wooded hills in the distance. At the road, cross to walk a few metres downhill before turning right between old walls up Cow Lane. At the top, head straight on to follow a path across Royal Victoria Park. When you come to a tarmac path, turn left along it. At the end, cross the road and follow a path curving into the trees, go through a gateway and cross to walk along Tennyson Road. 74 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
Primrose Hill
At the end is St Michael’s Cemetery, which, like other Victorian graveyards, provides an important natural habitat in the heart of the city. Turn left and then right along St John’s Road. At the end, turn right at a T junction along Hungerford Road, which leads into Audley Grove. This is the valley of the Lock’s Brook, one of the lost streams of Bath, culverted around 70 years ago. Through gaps between houses on the left you can see the overgrown slopes of Locksbrook Cemetery. When the road ends, continue along a footpath for 65m before bearing right to join another road. This is Gainsborough Gardens, where the strip of woodland on the left has recently been designated a nature conservation site. At the end, turn left along Weston Lane. The former coach houses on the right were built for grand villas on the slopes above. Montrose Cottages, further along, stands on the site of a cloth mill, fed by the Lock’s Brook, which still flows under the road here. At the main road, cross to the right and carry on along the pavement. The memorial cottages a little way along were built as almshouses by William Carr of Weston Manor, in memory of his son. The single storey building across the road was the manor lodge, and the roundels running round it spell out when it was built – 1889 – in Roman numerals. The former manor, with one of the finest Adam interiors in Bath, stood at the end of a long drive surrounded by formal gardens. Today it stands forlorn and empty in the grounds of the hospital, while the lodge is home to Bath Hospital Radio. Follow the pavement as it curves down into Weston Village, head up steps to the right of the war memorial, cross the road and head right to go up more steps and follow a sign for All Saints church. Bear left along a path past the church and continue along it as it curves left downhill. At the bottom is Church Street, high above the road and screened from it by a row of gardens.
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At the end, look to the left to see two former pubs – the 18thcentury King’s Head directly opposite, and the Crown & Anchor, just beyond the zebra crossing – both closed in the last decade. Turn right up Trafalgar Road, and, after crossing the end of Lynfield Park, when the road forks, carry straight on. Continue up Prospect Place and bear right up Blind Lane, which soon degenerates into a highbanked, rocky track. A kissing gate at the top leads into a field, where a clearly defined track leads straight on up to a gate in the distant hedgerow. To the north lies Beckford’s Tower, while panoramic views open up in almost every other direction. After going through the gate in the hedgerow, a path leads to another gate, on the left. This leads into Primrose Hill Community Woodland, where, 25 years ago, over 20,000 trees and shrubs were planted on 24 acres of meadowland. Head straight uphill and, just before you come to a gate, bear right to follow a stony track around the perimeter of the wood. When you come to high metal gates, go through a kissing gate to head along a lane, turning right downhill by Fonthill House. The tower you can see through the trees below is Blaine’s Folly, built in 1872 by local politician Sir Robert Stickney Blaine. Carry on as the lane swings left and when you meet another road – by the entrance to Kingswood Preparatory School – bear right downhill. After 300m, turn right down Waldegrave Road and, at the bottom, bear right and cross to continue down Winifred’s Lane. After passing Clare Cottage, turn left past St Winifred’s Well Cottage, which has a sculpted relief of St Winifred over the door. Together with Clematis Cottage, a little further along, this small group of buildings recalls a time before grand crescents were built on Lansdown, when it was still farmland. Follow the lane as it swings right and at the end turn left to walk up Lansdown Place West. Carry on, and, at the end of Lansdown Crescent, turn left to go through an archway in the wall ahead. Follow a path which emerges on Lansdown Road and turn left, crossing a zebra crossing by St Stephen’s church and continuing uphill. Just past Springfield Cottage, go through an archway in the wall to follow a woodland path. After 30m, bear left across an expanse of grass. At the road, go through a gate opposite to follow a footpath through St Stephen’s Millennium Green, a community garden and open space established in 1999. Carry on through St Stephen’s Allotments and, at the end, turn right downhill. Take the first left towards Mount Beacon and, at the T junction, turn right. Here you are on the edge of a cliff, with tantalising glimpses through tangled branches of the city spread out far below. When the lane forks, bear left, and at the bottom turn left by Heathfield’s timeworn columns. Follow the road as it swings left and, 150m further on, turns right to double back downhill. At the bottom, turn right to walk along Camden Crescent, and, at Lansdown Road, turn left to head back down to the city centre. n
Distance: 5 miles Georgian Garden, Gravel Walk: bathnes.gov.uk/georgian-garden Primrose Hill Community Woodland: primrosehillwoodland.com St Stephen’s Millennium Green millenniumgreen.org.uk
THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 75
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INTERIOR NOTEBOOK
A design statement or just plain boring? Cloud Dancer is Pantone’s 2026 Colour of the Year. Joanna Lewis explores the colour in more detail and what design enthusiasts have to say about it.
Pantone© Mug . Colour of the Year 2026 . £28.80 . Pair your favorite hot beverage with the new Color of the Year 2026: Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer. Hand made in fine china. Volume: 385 ml. pantone.com
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ccording to Pantone, the global authority on colour and trend forecasting, this year we should all be decorating our homes in the billowy white Cloud Dancer (11-4201), a colour that Pantone says serves as a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society rediscovering the value of measured consideration and quiet reflection. I have to say, the colour choice took the team here at The Bath Magazine somewhat by shock. We’d hedged our bets – a royal blue, a dark plum, perhaps a forest green colour? The anticipation was palpable. It seemed we weren’t the only ones feverishly awaiting the 2026 Colour of the Year announcement. As we watched the timer countdown on the Pantone website, it crashed just at the denouement. Cloud White; it all felt a little, well, unexciting. According to the colour boffins at Pantone, Cloud Dancer invites a space where function and feeling intertwine to build atmospheres of serenity and spaciousness, providing a refuge of visual cleanliness that inspires wellbeing and lightness. “At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences.” According to Pantone, pastel and neutral tones offer compatible combinations to Cloud Dancer, offering subtle shifts in hue that are nuanced, pleasing, and understated. Since its release, the colour has generated controversy online, with the hashtag “Pantonedeaf ” trending across social media with design aficionados pointing to how dreadfully boring and sterile it is. However, others have embraced it, citing its ability to bring lightness into rooms and its calming effect. In a first for Pantone, it is launching a new creative initiative, releasing surprise limited-edition designs from artists across all areas of design. Each creation reflects the artist’s interpretation of the Pantone Colour of the Year. For the first iteration of the project, Pantone is collaborating with Emiliano Ponzi, an illustrator, visual artist, and author, to create a limitededition tote bag that showcases Cloud Dancer through his distinctive visual language, which combines conceptual depth with graphic precision. Pantone has been releasing a Colour of the Year since 1999. Last year’s colour was Mocha Mousse, a rich warm brown symbolising comfort and understated luxury. The year before it was Peach Fuzz, a gentle, velvety, warm peach shade, and the year before it was Viva Magenta, a vibrant crimson-red shade. There’s no question that Cloud Dancer is a surprising pivot after years of bolder colours. It is the lightest shade Pantone has ever released, making Cloud Dancer somewhat of a historical colour, despite the mixed sentiments. Like it, love it, or loathe it, it’s a colour we will likely be seeing a lot more of in 2026. n Visit pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2026 76 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
EOS Easyfit Lamp Shade . from £89.00 . The Eos lampshade draws its beauty from its soft feathers embracing a warm atmosphere to the home. Made from all-natural goose feathers, these handmade lampshades offer a soft, warm light and add an elegant touch to any interior décor. Heals. 20 Milsom Street, Bath.
SMEG Water Bottles, . £39.35 . SMEG is taking its signature style beyond the kitchen with its first-ever water bottles, created in collaboration with ecoconscious design innovators 24Bottles. There are two different sizes – The 500ml is double skinned so can keep contents hot or cold and the 1 litre version is single skinned. Other colours are available. Each are priced at £39.35 Find them at Coopers Home Appliances, 13/15 Walcot Street, Bath.
Soft Aligned Canvas . £39 . Posters and prints company Denseio presents the Cloud Dancer Art Collection, inspired by Pantone’s Color of the Year 2026, PANTONE 114201 Cloud Dancer. This curated series of minimalist artworks and objects captures a sense of calm, clarity, and quiet luxury through soft whites, subtle textures, and clean forms. desenio.co.uk
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INTERIORS
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h, colour trends. Love them or loathe them, it’s rare to enter a new year without feeling surrounded with messaging from experts urging you take notice of in vogue shades that you absolutely must welcome through your front door within the next 12 months – only to rinse and repeat come the following January. Admittedly, we’ve got a soft spot for trends here at The Bristol Magazine, and love sharing some inspiration with our readers each month. That’s because spaces and rooms that we pass the days in at home often each have their own cycle, crying out for a little TLC or a refresh at different times of year. But that doesn’t mean you have to choose one trend and stick to it. To give you a helping hand for the year ahead, we’ve collated a collection of 2026 ‘colours of the year’ from some wonderful brands, to give you a greater selection. And although there’s definitely a sense of muted calm to many of the hues – some of which even seem in unintentional conversation with others, each offering an antidote to the fast-paced nature of the world beyond your walls – there are some subtly richer, regal options in the mix too.
Master of design Who better to turn to for advice than one of the greats? A member of our team, Joanna Lewis, recently met with Michelle Ogundehin (pictured, right) – Interior Design Masters head judge, former ELLE Decoration editor-in-chief, homes therapist and all-round interiors expert – whose approach to design centres on working to empower health-conscious homemakers to thrive through considered design choices. “Home isn't just where you live, it's where wellbeing starts,” says Michelle. “Wellbeing is shaped so profoundly by the things that we choose to surround ourselves with.” The design expert did point out that she doesn’t believe in trends, noting that she sees them more as a marketing ploy to encourage sales: “They're flighty, they're ephemeral, they're in, they're out.” Instead, she told Joanna that what she really loves is encouraging people to embrace timeless, well-made items that they truly love; legacy pieces that can be handed down to their children. “I always ask people to think about what really resonates with them, what colours, textures, and finishes. The things you buy should be an expression of what you love.” We believe it’s possible to strike some balance between the two – using the official colours of 2026’s finest designers to help inform your buying choices that have the potential to become legacy items and timeless décor. And that’s exactly what we’re here to help you master in your own home – we’ve delved into the stories behind many of the 2026 colours, so you don’t have to, and paired them with some items to buy, inspired by similar shades from local retailers, in case you’re not ready to completely redecorate a room just yet. Thankfully, one of the ‘trends’ we’ve notice across the palettes is that, well, no one’s really sticking to a single trend – which we think Michelle would be extremely pleased with, and which opens up the scope for imaginative decorating projects for the year ahead... n
Cloud Dancer Let’s get this one out of the way, shall we? Pantone’s Colour of the Year may be one of the most hotly anticipated announcements of the colour wheel each December, with a pre-Christmas launch that offers a platform for interiors businesses the world over to present their offerings in line with the chosen hue. The past two years saw Peach Fuzz and Mocha Mousse receive mixed reactions, and 2026’s Cloud Dancer has proved even more divisive. “Similar to a blank canvas, Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start. Peeling away layers of outmoded thinking, we open the door to new approaches,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. “An airy white hue, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer opens up space for creativity, allowing our imagination to drift so that new insights and bold ideas can emerge and take shape. “At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, Cloud Dancer is a discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity. The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences.” To many, this ‘whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world’ will indeed be welcome serenity. To others, it’s simply an off-white. Either way – at home you’ll have the choice to go the whole hog and transform spaces into ethereal, relaxing rooms reminiscent of an Ibiza yoga retreat (perhaps not such a great idea if you’ve got young children and pets), or you can invite the clouds in with statement pieces and surfaces that offer contrast to warmer shades. pantone.com
Chawton Open Dresser in Snow, £2,075 from Neptune, neptune.com
Pictured left: Wall: Adventurer in Absolute Matt Emulsion £59 for 2.5L, Fireplace: Sage Green & Door: Hicks’ Blue both in Intelligent Eggshell £82.50 for 2.5L by Little Greene, littlegreene.com. Pictured above: Michelle Ogundehin, image courtesy of Heal’s Bath, heals.com THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 77
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Michelle Ogundehin. Image courtesy of Heal’s
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HOMES & INTERIORS
The power of considered interiors Joanna Lewis meets internationally acclaimed interiors guru, Michelle Ogundehin, at the official opening of Heal’s, the retailers first store in Bath, to discuss her design ethos and the city’s newest design destination.
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he iconic British furniture retailer, Heal’s, recently opened its doors on the heart of Milsom Street, with internationally renowned interiors authority and former editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration UK, Michelle Ogundehin, as the store’s special guest. The opening marks Heal’s first permanent store outside of London since 2017, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to bricks-and-mortar retail in one of Britain’s most design conscious cities. Spanning two stylish floors and covering 3,500 square feet, the store has been carefully curated to showcase Heals’ own-brand designs as well as dedicated areas for customers to experience iconic furniture brands. “I’m a big lover of Heal’s and what it stands for,” explains Michelle. “It [Heal’s] stands for craftsmanship. It stands for good design. It stands for quality. It stands for the timeless and the classic.” It’s probably those elements that have carried the store, which started life as a mattress maker in 1810, through two centuries of design excellence. “I think Heal’s was one of the first to really understand design as a tool, that it was something that not only transformed your home, but actually transformed how you would feel within your home,” Michelle explains. Indeed, it is this ethos that also sits at the heart of Michelle’s approach to design, working to empower health-conscious homemakers to thrive through considered design choices.
“I always ask people to think about what really resonates with them, what colours, textures, and finishes. The things you buy should be an expression of what you love.” The design expert says she doesn’t believe in trends, pointing to the fact that trends are simply a marketing gimmick to encourage sales. “They’re flighty, they're ephemeral, they're in, they’re out. They are what marketers use to sell stuff.” She tells me that what she really loves is encouraging people to embrace timeless, well-made items, like those sold at Heal’s, that they truly love; legacy pieces that can be handed down to their children. “I always ask people to think about what really resonates with them, what colours, textures, and finishes. The things you buy should be an expression of what you love.” However, if we are talking about trends, Michelle does believe that we are becoming more intentional about what we purchase. “Going into
2026 I feel like we’ve all been through so much that this idea of actually just slowing down a bit and being really thoughtful,” explains Michelle. Before making any purchases, Michelle says that buyers should first consider whether they are buying the item because they love it, or because they think the item is on trend. She points out that this is two very different ways of thinking about the items that we surround ourselves with.
Imagineering She says one of the benefits of a high-end interiors store like Heal’s is the ability to pop in to see the items and how that enables people to really envision their own interior space. Michelle explains, “Coming into a beautiful store like this, you are kind of given permission to do what I love to call ‘imagineering’; and that can be really powerful. Physically seeing the items, getting advice, and seeing what's possible. It’s getting excited about it [design].” “Home isn’t just where you live, it’s where wellbeing starts,” she says. “Wellbeing is shaped so profoundly by the things that we choose to surround ourselves with and that environment is key to shaping your habit and behaviour.” Michelle’s four step programme, outlined in her best-selling book Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, centres on helping people truly embrace items that they love. “First you clear, which is getting rid of all the stuff that does not resonate with you. Then the next step is cleanse, which is making sure you are surrounding yourself with healthy materials that are non-toxic. Then we have colour, which doesn’t have to be full fat colour, it can be shades of neutral, but it’s colour that you’ve sat down and thought, ok, these are my colours that make me happy. Then, the final stage is curation, which is where you take your personal items and arrange them in a way that tells your authentic story.” Michelle believes that life is busy and that ultimately, when you return home, it should hold and support you. “Your shoulders drop, you exhale, and you feel safe.” She adds that it’s not about spending loads of money, rather it’s about being really intentional with each purchase. “It doesn’t have to be designer pieces. Just quality pieces that you love and that support you and your wellbeing.” After all, she notes, home should be a place that restores, rejuvenates, and replenishes. n Visit: michelleogundehin.com heals.com/bath
Michelle’s best-selling book: Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness. THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | JANUARY 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 79
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VI N T AG E F U RN I T U RE
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82 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
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PROPERTY
Why digital presence matters more than ever in property By Peter Greatorex, Managing Director, Peter Greatorex Unique Homes reflect that same care. The homes we represent deserve more than a basic listing. They deserve to be properly presented, thoughtfully positioned and given the best possible chance of standing out. That belief is what drove the decision to invest significantly in our website. We wanted it to feel editorial rather than portal-led, to tell stories rather than just list properties, and to showcase lifestyle as much as layout. Every property page is treated as a presentation in its own right, combining professional photography, video and carefully written narrative to help buyers understand not just what a home looks like, but how it feels to live there. The benefits to clients are tangible. Strong presentation attracts more engaged buyers, generates better quality enquiries and often shortens the time it takes to achieve a sale. In a market where buyers are more selective and more informed, that matters. Good digital marketing does not replace good agent work, but it supports it by creating momentum from the very first interaction.
Peter Greatorex winner of Website of the Year at The Negotiator Awards 2025
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t the end of November, I was genuinely proud to see our website named Best Website of the Year at The Negotiator Awards 2025. Awards are never the reason you do something, but they can be a useful moment to pause and reflect on why you invested the time, energy and resource in the first place. For me, the answer is simple: in today’s market, a home’s first viewing almost always happens online. Before a buyer ever books a viewing, they have already formed an opinion. They have scrolled through the photography, read the words used to describe the home, watched the video if there is one, and compared it, consciously or not, with everything else they have seen. That moment matters more than ever, and it is why I have always believed that an agent’s online presence is not about vanity, but about responsibility to the client. When I founded the business, my aim was to create an agency that felt personal and considered, not corporate or transactional. As the market evolved, it became clear that our digital presence needed to
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A strong online presence also builds trust. Sellers want to know that their home will be handled with care and professionalism, and buyers want reassurance that they are dealing with an agency that pays attention to detail. Increasingly, that judgement is made before any conversation takes place. Winning Website of the Year was recognition of the thought and intention behind that approach, but more importantly, it reinforced why the investment was worthwhile for our clients. The website is not a shop window for us; it is a tool that works hard for every instruction. As we move into 2026, we are not standing still. There are some exciting developments coming that build on the work we have done this year, and I look forward to sharing more in our next article at the beginning of the new year.
4 Queen Street, Bath, BA1 1HE | 01225 904999 info@petergreatorex.co.uk | www.petergreatorex.co.uk
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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE
Senior Living
Redefined Choosing where and how to enjoy life’s later years is a significant decision with a great focus on your mental and physical wellbeing and want for continued independence. Many assume their options are limited, especially when needing a little extra help. The Residences is a new approach to how you can spend your next chapter. Offering a refined alternative that seamlessly combines independence, luxury and comfort with round-the-clock support for total peace of mind should you need it. The Residences at Hallmark Midford Manor in Bath, is for those who want to continue enjoying life their way – it’s called Senior Living Redefined. Here, daily living feels effortless. With familiar faces nearby and help always on hand, you can simply enjoy life, confident that everything you need is taken care of.
benefits including, a weekly appointment at our in-house hair salon, a weekly manicure plus regular chiropody, pedicures, and hygienist appointments – helping you look and feel your best.
Dine Your Way Restaurant-quality, chef-prepared dining is available every day, featuring local-sourced ingredients and complemented by a handpicked wine selection. Enjoy meals on your own schedule with bookable seating times and choices from the à la carte menu. When the moment calls for it, raise a glass from our premium wine menu or indulge in a seasonal cocktail, expertly shaken and stirred by our hospitality team.
In Good Company Life at The Residences is as peaceful or as sociable as you wish. For those who relish company – easy laughter, drinks, and games are always on the menu just down the hall. Elegant evening socials, exercise classes and guest speaker events create opportunities to meet like-minded neighbours and stay active and inspired.
Round-The-Clock Support
Everyday Elegance Each private suite in The Residences is designed to make you feel at home, complete with a fully fitted kitchenette, en-suite bathroom and cosy living areas. Stylish communal lounges, cocktail bars and elegant shared spaces provide inviting settings to relax, read or socialise.
Live Independently A dedicated concierge is available to make daily life feel effortless, helping with reservations, arranging outings, managing practicalities and taking care of small luxuries that make a meaningful difference. A convenient local taxi service ensures day trips, appointments and errands remain accessible, helping you stay connected to the people and places you love. If a trip to the shops doesn’t appeal, a fully stocked pantry and homedelivered groceries, flowers and baked treats offer everyday comfort and convenience—perfect for hosting or unwinding. The Residences team is here to help lighten the load, with housekeeping, laundry, and ironing taken care of, plus an optional nightly turndown service. And with Hallmark All-Inclusive-Plus, there is an array of additional 86 THEBATHMAGAZINE | JANUARY 2026 | ISSUE 275
With more than 25 years of experience, Hallmark Luxury Care Homes understands that you may need a little extra support while still enjoying your independence. Discreet, personalised assistance is always available – both today and in the future. So, if you ever need a helping hand, the familiar faces of a dedicated team are never far away. If you or a loved one is considering your next move, The Residences offers the perfect balance of independence, elegance and peace of mind. Come meet the welcoming team at The Residences and find out how they can help you keep living the life you love. Arrange your visit at hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk/the-residences or call Hallmark Midford Manor on 01225 591 571.
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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE
G
oblin Combe is approached via a level driveway and dates from the 1950’s when it was built in the site of an old quarry. It sits centrally in a generous ¾ acre, elevated plot affording fine views over the city. In previous years, it has been extended and now provides ample accommodation set to just two storeys to include 5 reception rooms, up to 5 bedrooms, ensuite facilities, an attached double garage and a first-floor balcony terrace to take in the vista. Even more of a rarity in Bath is a near level plot boasting lots of mature planting, orchard area and being fully hedged and private making it a paradise for gardeners or anyone who enjoys being outside. The rear terrace at ground level spans the width of the house and benefits from a south westerly aspect therefore having the sun for the afternoon and evening – great for entertaining. In summary a very unique opportunity to purchase an established house in one of Bath’s most sought after locations – early viewing recommended. Goblin Combe is situated in North Road, close to Bath Golf Club and backing onto National Trust land.
Cobb Farr, 35 Brock Street, The Circus, Bath; Tel: 01225 333332 37 Market Street, Bradford on Avon; Tel: 01225 866111
North Road, Bath • Detached family home • Largely level plot • Stunning views • Scope to improve and extend (STPP) • Ensuite facilities • Sun Terrace/balcony • Double garage • Conservatory
£1,850,000
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Norfolk Buildings, Bath £1,200,000 A handsome triple aspect end of terrace Grade II listed Georgian townhouse of fine proportions and retaining a wealth of period detail with a beautiful walled garden and a separate self contained one-bedroom apartment with a private garden. All enjoying a fine elevated position over-looking the river and located in a quiet no through road in the heart of the city. • Wonderful central location • Pretty one-bedroom self-contained apartment and private garden (with healthy rental income) • 4 generous bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dining room and kitchen
01225 333332 | 01225 866111
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Box, Corsham £1,150,000 A stunning, period property that has undergone renovation and improvement to provide a unique blend of traditional materials with modern living all set within one of the most popular villages on the edge of Bath. • • • • •
Grade II Listed 4 bedrooms currently, 4 reception rooms 3 storeys Ensuite facilities Ample gated parking and landscaped garden
Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire 01225 333332 | 01225 866111
Leigh Road, Bradford on Avon
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SALES
Camella Welcomes a New Year of Growth, Innovation and Excellence January marks a season of new beginnings, and Camella is delighted to announce a series of refined developments that reflect our continued commitment to exceptional service, innovation, and thoughtful growth.
A New Office in a Prime Location
Strengthening Our Leadership Team
We are proud to unveil the opening of our third Camella office, perfectly positioned between Camden and Larkhall. This expansion represents an exciting milestone as we continue to build upon our 5-star reputation, underpinned by our enduring values of Kindness, Integrity, and Being Noticeable in every client experience.
As Camella continues to grow, we are pleased to welcome two exceptional industry leaders:
Introducing Our New Website Camella is pleased to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website, thoughtfully curated to elevate the experience for buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords. The platform offers enhanced insight and clarity, including: • • • • •
Fiona Patton, appointed Head of Sales, bringing extensive experience from some of Bath’s most respected property agencies.
School catchment areas Local amenities and transport connections Broadband availability Flood risk and environmental noise data Mobile network coverage
Properties are now presented with larger, highquality imagery, seamless access to virtual tours and premium video content, and a refined online viewing booking system, ensuring an intuitive and sophisticated digital journey.
www.camella.co.uk hello@camella.co.uk 01225 255 321
Chris Gray, joining as Head of Lettings, with over a decade of expertise in property lettings and portfolio management.
246 High St, Batheaston, BA1 7RA 20 Wellsway Bear Flat, BA2 2AA 2 Claremont Buildings, Bath, BA1 6EH
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LETTINGS
Expansion into Lettings – Camella Lets
Looking Ahead Melissa Anderson, Founder of Camella,
We are delighted to introduce Camella Lets, our dedicated sister company created to deliver a bespoke lettings experience. Camella Lets offers landlords and tenants an elevated service, including: • • • •
A dedicated Client Relationship Manager Luxury, high-impact marketing An in-house maintenance team Rent guarantee services
Our experienced team is also well-positioned to support landlords through the latest rental reforms with confidence and care.
www.camella.co.uk hello@camella.co.uk 01225 255 321
comments:
“2026 marks an exciting chapter for Camella. We remain deeply committed to delivering an exceptional level of service, investing in the development of our team, championing opportunities for women and young people in the workplace, and giving back to the communities we serve.” For those considering selling or letting in 2026, Camella welcomes the opportunity to offer a truly considered and elevated property experience.
246 High St, Batheaston, BA1 7RA 20 Wellsway Bear Flat, BA2 2AA 2 Claremont Buildings, Bath, BA1 6EH
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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE
First look at City & Country’s newly designed show home at Bath Press In December, Pantone announced its hotly-anticipated 2026 colour of the year: ‘Cloud Dancer’. A reflection of the cultural zeitgeist, Cloud Dancer represents a shift in the collective consciousness towards calm, elegance and balance – a breath of fresh air amidst the noise of society. City & Country is embracing the timeless, chic trend of clean neutral colours in the newly launched show home at its brand-new Bath Press development in Bath. One of just eight brand new town houses at the development, the 1,687 sq ft show home will be available to view by appointment from Saturday 17th January 2025. Created by City & Country’s in-house interior design team, the new show home prioritises clean, contemporary decor to complement the awe-inspiring Georgian architecture that inspired the building’s footprint. The four-bedroom show home, built in the iconic townhouse style that is idiosyncratic to Bath, is designed throughout with clean, light neutrals, offering a classic canvas that highlights the property’s natural architectural elegance. Accent colours and design features include geometric and floral wallpapering, marble flooring and tile, velvet furnishings, pendant lighting to key spaces and gold accents throughout. Clementine Collins, Interior Designer for City & Country, comments: “This is the very first time that we have been able to showcase to visitors
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the design vision that underpins this remarkable collection of townhouses. It was important to us that our interior scheme reflects the carefully designed characteristics of this home – creating a calming, contemporary place that enhances the home’s natural light and architectural detail, including ceiling-height windows and balcony spaces. Every element has been crafted to create a sense of modern luxury, balancing sophistication with the clean, contemporary character of urban living.” Shelley West, Group Sales & Marketing Director at City & Country, adds: “This scheme is the first opportunity for prospective buyers to experience the quality and lifestyle on offer at Bath Press. History and modernity are at the heart of the transformation of this heritage site, as we work to create exceptionally designed, crafted homes. We have responded to the growing demand for high-quality homes in Bath that balance heritage character with a luxurious lifestyle.” City & Country launched Bath Press in April 2025, a flagship development which will create over 369 homes once complete. Currently available to purchase is a selection of craft-design apartments and townhouses. Prices currently start from £925,000 for a four bedbedroom townhouse and from £375,000 for our apartments at Bath Press. For more information, call 01174 535 155 or visit www.cityandcountry.co.uk.
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SOLD STC
SOLD STC
Combe Down, Bath
Combe Down, Bath
Marlborough Buildings, Bath
OIEO £1,175,000
OIEO £900,000
OIEO £475,000
SOLD STC
SOLD STC
SOLD STC
SOLD STC
SOLD STC
Blagdon, Somerset
West Stoughton, Somerset
Ladye Bay, Clevedon
OIEO £650,000
OIEO £875,000
OIEO £2,000,000
SOLD STC
SOLD STC
SOLD STC
Rhodyate, Blagdon
Lacuna Gardens, Blagdon
Shipham, Somerset
OIEO £460,000
OIEO £1,075,000
OIEO £1,100,000
Peter Greatorex January 2.indd 1
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SOLD SOLD STC
SOLD
Masbury, Somerset
Ubley, Somerset
Churchill, Somerset
OIEO £1,350,000
OIEO £1,100,000
OIEO £775,000
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD STC
SOLD
SOLD
Crickham, Somerset
The General, Bristol
Axbridge, Somerset
OIEO £775,000
OIEO £850,000
OIEO £850,000
SOLD
SOLD
SOLD
West Stoughton, Somerset
Wrington, Somerset
Langford, Somerset
OIEO £1,350,000
OIEO £1,050,000
OIEO £950,000
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Properties for sale
Lettings
See our latest available properties
See our latest properties, let agreed
Beechen Cliff Villas • Guide Price £710,000
Batheaston • 1 Bed, 1 Bath £1,500p/m
LET AGR EED
Charming period cottage offering character throughout, light and airy interiors, and beautifully presented living accommodation.
Bath • 2 Bed, 2 Bath £1,350p/m An impressive Victorian family home, beautifully presented offering a living room, snug, kitchen/diner, three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, utility room, cloakroom. Level garden with potential for off road parking. Permit parking. Freehold, EPC rating D. Council tax band D.
Batheaston • Guide Price £599,000 LET AGR EED
Stylish, modern apartment retaining original features, offering a perfect blend of character, charm, and contemporary living.
Larkhall • 2 Bed, 2 Bath, £1,300p/m
LET AGR EED
A charming Grade II Listed property set in the heart of Batheaston. Living room, sitting room, kitchen/diner, three bedrooms, family bathroom, cloakroom, garden room. Double garage, mature gardens. Views. Freehold. Council tax band C.
ALEX WHITE
LISA H E AT H
N ATA S H A EASEN
Head of Sales
Head of Lettings
Zest January.indd 3
K AT E P R I S TO
BETH P E R RY
EMILY STOPFORTH
GLENN P E R RY
CAROLINE ELLAM
KAREN H A AG
Delightful and well-presented Larkhall home, bright and spacious throughout, enjoying wonderful views in a highly sought-after location.
SIMONA H E A L OVA
YA S M I N SANLI
01225 481010 | 0117 3291400 happytohelp@zestlovesproperty.com zestlovesproperty.com Bath Branch: 1a Mile End, London Rd, Bath, BA1 6PT
DA N I E L L E O’BRIEN
LILLIE B U RTO N
JESS ROX B U R G
PORSCHIA STEADMAN
EMMA LOVELAND
T I L LY C OX
CHARLOTTE B ROW N
DUNCAN TYLER
Bristol Branch: Clifton Village, 4A Waterloo Street, Bristol, BS8 4BT
19/12/2025 10:50
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