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Iconic Jolly's store launches closing down sale
Becky Feather Reporter
JOLLY’S in Bath, one of the oldest department stores in Europe, is closing down as plans to spend millions upgrading it have been approved by landlord Bath & North East Somerset Council.
It was bought by House of Fraser in the 1970s and taken over by retail mogul Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group six years ago.
The closure, announced this week when signs appeared in the shop’s windows, took the council by surprise and on Tuesday it released a statement saying: “House of Fraser went into administration in August 2018 and since then the council has been working hard to ensure a secure future for this flagship store at the heart of the Milsom Quarter.
“A significant element of the plan is to make Jolly's once again the anchor store for Milsom Street, and a programme of works, which are already under way, will see significant investment in the building over the coming months.
“The council was unaware of the intention of the current occupier to put up the notices which have appeared in the windows of the store.
“While plans are at an advanced stage with a third-party occupier, the council is not in a position to make a formal statement at this time in relation to its proposals for the future of one of Bath’s most important department stores.
“However, the intention is that a joint statement with this third party will be made at the appropriate time.”
There were problems at the department store last year with water pouring in and broken panes of glass falling into the trading area.
Repairs and alteration work to five skylights at the Grade II listed building were approved earlier this year, as were plans to remove metal stairs and walkways at the rear that were deemed a health and safety risk.
There is a current planning application to carry out internal and external work including re-roofing, repairs to external walls, extensive window and door repairs/replacement, storm water repairs and upgrading, and the upgrade and replacement of mechanical, electrical and public health services installation.
Although Jolly’s is not specifically mentioned in a council report as part of it was exempt, the cabinet member for resources, Councillor Mark Elliott, (Lib
Dem, Lansdown), agreed at the end of last month to approve capital spending of £10 million into “properties within the Milsom Quarter Masterplan area”.
The report said: “This decision is being taken under urgency powers to enable full approval of the capital budget to address essential maintenance to buildings within the Milsom Quarter.
“The urgency relates to the need for securing this decision without delay as tenders for works are time limited and accordingly, they need to be contractually agreed within that time period.
“Furthermore, this will facilitate the agreement of lettings which are dependent upon this decision ensuring the ongoing use of key council commercial properties that will contribute to the economic sustainability and vibrancy of the Milsom Quarter.”
Serving Bath for two centuries
In October 1831 Jolly and Son announced the opening of their ‘Bath Emporium’ at 12 Milsom Street.
Over the years the business expanded, and the existing Jolly’s store was formed from joining together eight terraced buildings.
In an historical building appraisal report prepared for the current planning application, Jolly’s is said to have played a part in the social, cultural and economic life of Bath for two centuries from the same site.
It says: “Jolly’s has consistently presented itself as a prestigious destination for shoppers, including members of the royal family, and the buildings have been designed and redesigned to support this image.”
It goes on: “Jolly’s epitomises the history of aspirational shopping in Milsom Street, with continuity in the site, the business and the type of goods sold.”
The report adds that the store’s long history and varied and extensive business make it “a local institution, playing a part in the collective experience and memory of the people of Bath and beyond.”
In addition Councillor Elliott accepted a recommendation to “Allocate £502K Revenue Budget Contingency (within Corporate Budgets cash limit) to Commercial Estate of £13K in 24/25, a further £358K in 25/26 and £131K in 26/27.”
He also agreed to delegate lease decisions to council officers.
Curo supports charity with £5k donation for van
A JOINT donation between Curo and Travis Perkins ensured a Bath-based charity could purchase a new van after theirs was stolen.
Odd Down-based Bath Area Play Project (BAPP) runs free play sessions for children across Bath and North East Somerset, and relies on a van to transport the equipment to and from the different venues.
Their van was stolen back in September, and the insurance
payment didn’t cover the cost of a replacement used vehicle.
Thanks to a joint Curo and Travis Perkins Managed Services funding pot, which is available for local community projects and ideas, a donation of £5,000 was made to cover the shortfall.
The charity once again has a van, complete with brightly coloured branding.
Caroline Haworth, director of BAPP, said: “We are very grateful for this donation. It’s meant
we can get a van that we can rely on, and that we can get it branded which we hope might be a deterrent to thieves. Having a van is vital to our work as we use it to transport our equipment to our sessions so that we can provide different resources than the children might get in school or home – such as our very popular spin painting bike. The opportunities we can provide help children to develop some skills that they don’t necessarily
get from formal education.” Samantha Thomas, supply chain and fleet contract business partner at Curo, said: “We know that many of our customers and their children benefit from Bath Area Play Project’s important work, so we’re really pleased that we can support them with this donation.”
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The store has been a constant in Bath for nearly two centuries
The Bath
Council ‘pauses’ plans to end respite care service
Becky Feather Reporter
JUST days after announcing that the respite care service at Newton House in Twerton is to end, Bath & North East Somerset Council this week “paused” the closure and an apology was issued for the distress caused to families.
Last week it was revealed –without consultation - that Bath and North East Somerset’s only short-stay respite service for adults and children with serious disabilities, severe medical needs, and those who require 24hour care was due to be axed at the end of January because it is “unaffordable”.
Social care charity Dimensions and the council told families by letter that the short breaks service at Newton House in Tanners Walk would be ending due to financial difficulties.
The letter said: “Newton House will remain a service run by Dimensions but will become a residential care home instead of providing short breaks.
“We understand this change may worry you. We will support you to find a suitable alternative service, which can best meet your needs, and we will ensure there is a smooth transition between these.”
A petition, addressed to B&NES Council and the Department of Health and Social Care, was started on Saturday by parent Richard Franklin, who said Newton House is an “essential lifeline service for the users and families”.
He explained: “It is the only home in the area, so it’s very important that this is not allowed to shut, especially without any consultation, or anything else to
replace it in the area.
“These families need respite care; it is not a luxury, but an essential service for people with severe needs and those who care for them.
“This proposal is a cost-saving measure only and once lost, it’s gone forever. This terrible decision has been made at a very local level, under the Liberal Democrat council, without any consideration for service users and carers. There is no proposed alternative provision, leaving families totally bereft of help and support.”
The petition has been signed by more than 1,300 people.
Meanwhile Independent councillor for Keynsham South ward, Alan Hale, contacted cabinet members to protest at the “total lack of consideration for those service users who are already disadvantaged”.
The cabinet member for adult services and public health,
Councillor Alison Born (Widcombe & Lyncombe, Liberal Democrat), then stepped in,
saying she became aware at the end of last week of the decision to use Newton House for residential care for people with learning disabilities, rather than respite care, and has since discussed the matter “in detail” with council officers.
She said: “It has been agreed that the closure will be paused to allow time for the needs of all current users of the service to be reviewed and for alternative services to be identified in advance of any change to the provision at Newton House.
“I have also requested an upto-date report on our respite offer across Bath and North East Somerset and have asked that all families currently using Newton House are advised that the planned closure has been paused while this work takes place.
“Once this communication has been made, a letter will be sent to each of the families, confirming the change to the original plan and our intention that they will have access to the appropriate respite services to meet their
Signing off for the year ... some words from the editor
AS we send this newspaper to print, concluding our issues for 2024, I thought I'd share a few words with our readers. Having produced 26 issues this year, I'd like to start by thanking our small team who make all of this possible. From writing articles, to putting together the what's on and food & drink sections, proof reading and selling our advertising space, the
Bath Echo simply wouldn't be here without them. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2025 brings! Last year we took over a neighbouring newspaper and have been running that alongside the Bath Echo. The Week In has built a strong digital audience and continues to grow. We now print over 6,000 copies of the Bath Echo every fortnight, and thanks to strong demand, we're looking
at increasing this next year. We continue to make our advertising rates as affordable as possible for small businesses across Bath, while having to meet our own ever-increasing costs. We're proud to reach tens of thousands of people in print and online every month, so if you'd like to try advertising with us, do get in touch and see what we can offer - you may be surprised!
needs.”
Councillor Born added: “The respite services offered at Newton House have been operating at approximately 60% occupancy, which led the operators to consider their best options for financial stability going forwards.
“The proposed change was intended to make the best use of this important facility and to ensure that it was meeting local needs, but I understand the lack of clarity about alternative provision for each of the existing users has created uncertainty and I am sorry about the distress caused. I hope this provides reassurance that we understand how vitally important respite care is and that service users and their families will be involved fully in the revised process.”
Councillor Hale said he was pleased the closure has been paused to understand the needs of service users, adding:
“It is a great shame that that understanding was not sought before sending a letter to users telling them of the closure.”
News in Brief
Three teens arrested over drug-dealing
Three teenagers were arrested last weekend as part of an ongoing operation by Avon & Somerset Police to crack down on suspected County Lines drug-dealing in the area. Two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old were arrested in Bath on Saturday 7th December on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. They have since been released on bail, with conditions to not to enter the Avon and Somerset area. At around 8am on Saturday morning, officers attended the address of a vulnerable woman who they believed to be a victim of ‘cuckooing’. In the property, they discovered a quantity of class A drugs, suspected to be crack cocaine, and money as well as a bladed article. The woman has been provided with safeguarding support and enquiries are ongoing. If you are aware of suspected drug-dealing and use in your area, call 101 or speak to your Neighbourhood Policing Team about your concerns.
Kingdom Hall flat plans are approved
Plans to convert the old Kingdom Hall in Oldfield Park into flats, with zero parking or outside space, have been approved. Developer Four Points Property Ltd submitted a planning application to Bath & North East Somerset Council to change the use of the building at Triangle North from a place of worship to four homes.
Weather Forecast
And finally, I'd like to thank you, our readers, for your support and for picking up this newspaper. It means a lot to us.
We'll be back in print from Friday 3rd January, so in the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We'll still be operating online covering the latest news throughout the festive season, so do visit www.bathecho.co.uk
Long range forecast: (20th Dec to 2nd Jan)
Expected to stay mild with high pressure, spells of wind and rain on the way. Getting more unsettled into the new year with a possibility of sleet and snow at times.
Newton House on Tanners Walk in Twerton, Bath
Cost to prevent pavement collapsing faced by residents
Feather Reporter
THERE are plans to pump foam concrete into a void under the pavement outside The Empire in Bath city centre which has been neglected for years and is currently being propped up to stop it collapsing.
The method is similar to that used to make the Combe Down mines safe.
The Empire was built around 1900, designed by the city’s architect. It was originally used as an hotel but requisitioned by the Admiralty at the start of the Second World War.
It was returned to its owner, Bath City Council, in 1989 and converted into 43 retirement apartments in the mid-1990s, with restaurants on the ground and basement floors.
The proposed structural remedial works are to the void under the pavement near the south-east end of the Orange Grove façade. It is believed that the void is possibly waterlogged cellars from houses demolished when the landmark building was constructed.
The building is Grade II listed. The application which seeks listed building consent has been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council by residents’ property management group
The Empire Bath RTM Company which says the situation needs to be sorted “quickly”.
It has the support of The Architect restaurant at The Empire.
The cost will fall on leaseholders who have previously said they were not aware the vaults were their responsibility.
A report submitted with the application says that the existing concrete and steel deck that forms the pavement area above the void was built around 1933. New support beams were installed in 1995 to provide strengthening to the original decaying deck/steels. However, it was later discovered that the 1995 repairs did not include galvanized replacement
steel beams and the leaks in the concrete slab above were not properly addressed.
The report adds: “The nongalvanized replacement beams were also installed tightly against the soffit of the concrete deck, which made it impossible to maintain the protective paint coating on their upper surfaces.
“The slab was found to be unreinforced and constructed from clinker concrete with brick aggregate containing sulphates which, when wet, create high acidity that can severely corrode any steel in contact.
“This slab was left unreplaced and therefore continued to leak.
The resulting corrosion was likely due to persistent water infiltration through the roof slab, compounded by poor ventilation in the void space.
“History has now repeated itself, with the replacement secondary support structure also now corroded.
“A series of temporary props were installed in 2021 to prevent collapse of the existing pavement above.”
The report explains that following a Bath & North East Somerset Council survey of vaults within the city centre, safety concerns were raised regarding the “parlous” state of this existing void and the “potential impact this could have on the public realm above”.
A detailed structural assessment was commissioned and found that the void space had been impacted by water through cracks within the decaying concrete deck. “This water ingress has severely corroded the steel beams which provide primary support to the pavement above.”
The structural report recommended that a series of ‘props’ be installed whilst a permanent solution could be found. These remain in place and are monitored regularly.
The report says research has revealed that at the time of the conversion in 1995, there was a proposal for this void space which would have involved
installing a new tanking system across the pavement deck.
“However, this was not done, partly due to costs and partly since the head lessor (then a Pegasus company), had been granted both obligations and rights by the freeholder (B&NES Council) to develop the Colonnades and associated Undercroft areas beneath Grand Parade.
“Despite several design feasibility studies, these proposals were never pursued, and without the installation of waterproof protection, the concrete deck and supporting structure deteriorated, resulting in increasingly damp conditions within the void space.”
The report says the previous managing agents “did not seem to realise” that this underground pavement void area was within its repair and maintenance remit which had resulted in “years of neglect” of this redundant space.
This neglect was one of the reasons contributing to the residential leaseholders exercising their ‘Right to Manage’. In mid-2022, the new RTM Company took over responsibility and appointed new managing agents 3Sixty Real Estate to oversee building repairs and maintenance.
Three options have been considered; Option A involving a full concrete deck /steel beam replacement; Option B to infill the void with lightweight foam concrete, and Option C to retain the existing props.
The report says: “The applicant, along with the commercial leaseholder, are seeking approval to progress with the only viable Option B by infilling the existing underground pavement void using a low-density foam concrete product (e.g. Porofoam by Cemex).”
It adds: “Estimates for this option were half that of the full repair cost (then circa £250k, but now most likely to be higher due to inflation and use of additional drainage membranes); which although still significant, was the only viable option sensibly available to the residential and commercial leaseholders to safeguard the public pavement for future years ahead.”
The foam concrete will ensure that the existing corroded steels are therefore no longer relied upon for structural stability. The report adds that it also eliminates the need for extensive removal and replacement of the existing steelwork, concrete deck and public pavement/footpath, avoiding prolonged disruption and a likely lengthy closure of the restaurant above.
Before any works are undertaken, an assessment of the drainage will be made to ensure it is functioning correctly and if necessary, repairs will be carried out.
Temporary protective hoarding will be provided during delivery by truck of the pre-mixed foam concrete and the installation works. Access to the restaurant
entrance will be maintained. The application says the proposals will not harm the listed building or its setting within the Conservation Area and World Heritage Site.
In a statement, The Empire Bath RTM Company says: “The simplest and cheapest course of action, would be as described in Option C, to install more temporary supports and steel plate sheeting and prop up a leaking concrete slab, which is what was done by the developer (circa 1995).
“However, we do not feel such an option would be the professional course of action to take, as the problem would resurface and the work would need to be patched up again.
“We are therefore supporting the request to undertake the work outlined as Option B – the infilling of the void with lightweight foam concrete.
“Taking all the factors into account, although this is not the cheapest option, we believe this to be the best and most responsible way forward.
“The work needs to be done quickly for safety reasons, but also because any further inflation will put a huge strain on leaseholder finances.”
The Architect restaurant says in a statement: “The current proposal allows us to retain full access to our property, shortens the duration of the project and subsequently the disruption to our business and hence we are supportive of this solution / application.
“Alternative methods would involve the loss of our main entrance resulting in a significant reduction in capacity and a likely closure of our business for a prolonged period of time (c. 2024 weeks).”
The plans include retaining a small area below the external restaurant steps to allow maintenance access.
The planning reference is 24/04436/LBA.
The consultation closes on 2nd January.
Thermae Bath Spa reopens following collision involving lorry
THE Thermae Bath Spa in the city centre reopened to the public on Friday 6th December, following a collision involving a lorry earlier in the week.
On Wednesday morning, 4th December, a delivery lorry reversed into one of the columns at the entrance to the building on Hot Bath Street.
The column, which is part of the 18th century Grade II listed building, incurred significant damage, and the decision was made to close the complex for safety reasons.
Specialist structural surveyors from YTL Construction supported by MGF structural support contractors and IDH design consultants drew up a repair plan, and worked through
to 4am on Thursday morning to make the site safe.
The temporary solution was complicated by the fact that the structure sits on top of 18th century vaults, so further stabilising work was required beneath street level to stabilise the column using a network of steel props.
Speaking last week, Andrew Jordan, Vice President of YTL Hotels UK, which operates Thermae Bath Spa, said: “We apologise to all our customers who had planned to visit Thermae Bath Spa over the past couple of days and we are grateful for their patience and understanding.
“We also really appreciate the kind messages and well wishes we have received.
‘‘Our staff have been working incredibly hard to contact all our customers and rearrange their visits, or offer vouchers or refunds.
“It is great to see how all our staff pulled together in difficult circumstances.
“We are also grateful to our sister company YTL Construction who were on the scene almost immediately and called in specialist contractors to assist.
“Thanks to their expertise and for working through the night we are now in a position to be able to open our doors in time for what we anticipate will be one of our busiest weekends of the year.’’
Further work will be carried out over the coming months to restore the column.
Becky
Work was undertaken to make the site safe | Photo © Thermae Bath Spa / YTL
The Empire in Bath | Photo © Mareks Perkons / Shutterstock.com
Temporary changes to recycling and waste collections announced
PEOPLE across Bath are being reminded about upcoming temporary changes to recycling and rubbish collection dates over the Christmas and New Year period.
Bath & North East Somerset Council has posted leaflets to every household advising them of changes to collection dates and key recycling information. Changes will affect collections which would normally be scheduled from Wednesday 25th December to Saturday 11th January.
Garden waste collections have been paused over the winter period and restart from Sunday 12th January. Garden waste can instead be taken to local recycling centres during opening hours.
Dorothy House Hospice Care is once again offering a Christmas tree collection for residents living in BA1, BA2, BA3 and BS31 for a donation to their charity.
Alternatively, trees can be taken to recycling centres or booked in for collection on garden waste collection days from13th January to 14th February.
Collections by Dorothy House or the council can be booked in advance on the council website. Trees that have not been booked for collection and left out at the
front edge of the property will not be collected.
When recycling Christmas trees, either at recycling centres or by pre-booked collections, all decorations must be removed and the tree should be cut in half, to less than 1.2m tall.
On average the council collects 24% more rubbish and recycling over Christmas week than at any other time of year.
Residents are being urged to recycle as much as possible and to avoid creating waste in the first place by using sustainable alternatives.
You can line your kitchen food caddy with newspaper, compostable bags or any bag you already have available, including unwanted plastic bags, bread bin bags, salad bags or pedal bin liners. The recycling treatment process will remove all liners
before the composting process begins.
Only plain brown wrapping paper will be accepted in recycling. Even though some wrapping papers state they are recyclable, they often contain non-paper additives such as glitter.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “Christmas and New Year is an especially busy time for our crews because of the increased amount of rubbish and recycling – particularly food waste – that they need to collect.
“Please remember to wash, squash and sort the materials before you put them in your green boxes to prevent contamination and ensure high quality recycling.
“It will also help the crews to collect quickly and keep their vehicle moving to reduce traffic congestion in your road.”
The council’s recycling centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
The reuse shop in Keynsham recycling centre will close at 3.30pm on Friday 20th December and will reopen at 9.30am on Saturday 4th January.
Donations during this period will be suspended and residents are asked not to leave items outside the shop when it is closed.
Bulbs planted to mark international link
THOUSANDS of bulbs are being planted in public spaces across the Bath area to mark 80 years of a unique international link.
Bath is twinned with the city of Alkmaar in the Netherlands, a connection dating back to March 1945.
The municipality of Alkmaar, which sits in the heart of the famous bulb-growing region in North Holland, has donated 24,000 crocus and tulip bulbs to help highlight the connection, which is still going strong eight decades later.
Bath in Bloom, working with the Bath-Alkmaar Twinning Association (BATA), is arranging for the bulbs to be distributed to community gardening groups and schools, as well as the RUH, Dorothy House Hospice Care and B&NES Council’s Parks Department.
Stephen Brook, Chairman of Bath in Bloom, said: “24,000 is a lot of bulbs! But we are delighted by the interest expressed by so many people to get involved and help celebrate the city’s own special link with the Netherlands.
“Next spring we will all be able to enjoy seeing the tulips and crocuses in bloom across the city. It should be a stunning sight.”
The bulbs are a special
“Alkmaar mix” created by one of the Netherlands' leading bulb growing suppliers. The red tulips and white crocuses, reflecting the colours of the Dutch city's flag, are being planted in locations including Royal Victoria Park, Orange Grove, Walcot Street, Henrietta Park, Sydney Gardens, Alice Park and Widcombe High Street.
The donation of bulbs was arranged by the Bath-Alkmaar Twinning Association, which encourages and supports exchanges and community links.
Chris Davies, BATA Chairman, said: “Thanks to the generosity of our friends in Holland and the enthusiasm of Bath in Bloom and their supporters we’ll have a lovely reminder next year of this special international city-link.” Bath and Alkmaar first formed an official friendship at the end of the Second World War, when each first hosted visits from children of the other’s city. Since 1945, thousands of people have travelled back and forth between the two cities, visiting not as tourists, but as guests and friends. BATA is collecting memories of visits to Alkmaar over the past 80 years. You can share yours by visiting the website at www.bath-alkmaar.org.uk
Photo © B&NES Council
Pictures from the Past
Jolly's in 1834
IN the week that the closure of Jolly’s was announced, an archive picture from 1834 takes us back to the early days of this Bath institution.
This advertisement, which appeared in a city directory, boasts ‘funerals fully
furnished’ – a phrase very popular at the time, but a little puzzling today. The goods on display in the windows, however, give a better idea of Jolly’s stock in trade. Jolly’s was primarily a linen drapery and silk mercery, but from the start sold a range of other items, such as foreign china, alabaster figures, jewellery, stationery, combs, toys, cutlery ‘and almost all the multifarious articles usually kept in
bazaars’. James Jolly already had a couple of draper’s shops in Kent when he opened what he called a Parisian depot at 20 Old Bond Street in the 1820s.
At first this was seasonal, but later remained open throughout the year, with his son Thomas in charge.
In 1831 came the move to 12 Milsom Street, followed a couple of years later by expansion into No 11 to accommodate an
COLUMN | Clare Moody, Labour Police and Crime Commissioner
AS your Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, I knew when I was elected to the role in May this year, I had four years to make a difference on your behalf. For several months I have been gathering thoughts, ideas, and concerns from residents through my Police and Crime Plan consultation - the response has been outstanding. More than 1,140 people shared their ideas for how the priorities I had outlined could be delivered. The consultation was a huge ask of the public and I want to personally thank all of you that took the time to take part. As well as all the responses I received through our online survey, my team and I reached out to our communities in lots of ways, through public forums across the area, a postal survey and numerous focus groups to hear
the quiet and under-represented voices so often missing from policing.
I am pleased to say that the Police and Crime Plan I developed following this feedback, has now been accepted by the Police and Crime Panel for Avon and Somerset. You can read the plan on my website https://bit. ly/4iyIz67
The priorities outlined in my Plan reflect the priorities you raised with me throughout my time campaigning and since I was elected in May 2024. You told me your policing priorities are:
• Strengthening neighbourhood policing (including tackling anti-social behaviour)
• Reducing Violent Crime (particularly male violence against women and girls and serious youth violence)
• Prevention of crime
• Supporting victims
• Improving policing standards
This Plan is not about me making unrealistic promises. We all know it isn’t possible for me, or the police, to solve all the problems we face as a society in the remaining three and a half years of my term.
I do promise that this Plan is about improving the way we work together, the collective impact we can have, about setting the conditions for success and laying the foundations for safer and more resilient communities now and for future generations to come.
Delivery of my Plan will mean working with all the relevant partners, not just the police, to focus on prevention, intervention, diversion, engagement, education and opportunities to have a bigger impact – improving lives for all our communities.
This Plan is a means to deliver
ever increasing range of stock. It did not stop there, of course, and, as its growth continued, the shopfront seen here was swept away and the grand facade we know today was built by Major Davis – the architect of the Empire Hotel. Although, in the 20th century, the business passed out of the hands of the Jolly family, the name survived, as it still does today – but for how much longer?
change. To achieve this, I will develop a plan of action in the first months of next year, which will be continually refreshed throughout my time in office. This work will continue to benefit from hearing your views about what will make a difference in your community.
Now that the Police and Crime Plan has been finalised, I am looking to confirm the funding available for the delivery of your police service. We all know that nationally the police service in England and Wales is facing huge challenges, particularly when it comes to resources. The thin blue line is stretched, crime is increasingly complex, and funding has to go further. That is no different here, in Avon and Somerset.
I want to hear from you on the
level of council tax you feel should be allocated to policing. Your input is important as we set the budget for the coming year and continue to build safer communities together. You can let me know your thoughts by completing the short, online survey on my website: https://bit.ly/4f9LejS I will review all responses before setting the policing part of your council tax for the 2025/26 financial year in the new year. For me, being in politics is about making a difference. That is what I will continue to strive to do for you during 2025, and for the remainder of my time in office. I wish you and your families a happy holiday season and for those celebrating Christmas – as I will be with my family this year –a very Merry Christmas time.
Kirsten Elliott Akeman Press
An advertisement for the Bath Emporium, dating back to 1834
Crossword
our
Congratulations to Martyn Evans for winning £20! You can find the answers to last issue's crossword on page 24.
1 Key of the "New World" Symphony (1,3)
4 Where the 4.50 from Paddington departed (8)
10 Ejected (6,3)
11 Plunder (5)
12 Brings up the rear (4)
13 Hidden from view (8)
16 Import (12)
19 Land imbecile in trouble for exercising artefact (8,4)
22 Torpor (8)
23 "Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's --- ..." (1,3)
26 Tenor violin (5)
27 Alcohol (3,6)
28 Speculative enterprises (8)
29 Delhi wrap (4) Across
Down
2 Property debt (8)
3 Latest (4)
4 A "bear of very little brain" (4)
5 Tyrannical (10)
6 Implausible (3-7)
7 Pay back (6)
8 Smart (7)
9 Geared up (5)
14 Completely opposed in argument (5,5)
15 Tomorrow's celebrity (6,4)
17 Real thug out for the best medicine? (8)
18 Criticized severely (7)
20 Work like a dog (5)
21 "Lawrence of Arabia" lead actor (6)
24 "I don't mind --- , Except as meals ... " (Ogden Nash) (4)
25 Sleep restlessly (4)
Entering our competition - via email or post
For your chance to win £20, submit your full name, postal address and answers by email to puzzles@bathecho.co.uk or via post to:
Crossword Competition 1312, Bath Echo, PO Box 5395, Bath, BA1 0YA
The winner will be the first randomly opened entry with the correct answers on 31/12/2024. They will be notified using the details they provide when entering the competition. Winners will be given the option of receiving a High Street shopping voucher or be provided the £20 via a BACS transfer.
MERRY C H RISTMAS
Food & Drink
Tasty Dates For Your Diary
Jimmy Deane’s - the festive fresh fruit’n’veg fairies operating from their vibrant stall in SouthGate - will be delivering pre-ordered Christmas boxes to your doorstep between Saturday 21st - Tuesday 24th December (or making them up ready for collection on Monday 23rd December)… if, that is, you’ve placed your order by midnight on 18th December. Don’t miss out! www.jimmydeanes.store
Spice up your life! Chef Will Gillbard’s innovative pop-up Thai dining experience Raya’s Thai Thali is operating a takeaway service from Oldfield Old Boys Rugby Club (Shaft Road, Combe Down) every Friday evening between 5.30-9.30pm. Expect traditional Thai flavours with a contemporary Anglo
Sponsor our Food & Drink section! Get in touch via advertise@bathecho.co.uk
influence in abundance (the signature Crispy Chicken Thighs and Cauliflower in Coconut and Peanut Sauce must not be overlooked!) and a new dish will be unveiled every week, all at wallet-friendly prices. www.rayasthaithali.co.uk
Get your festive glam on and sparkle along to the Royal Crescent Hotel on Thursday 19th December when Leigh Coleman will be strumming his classic/ contemporary guitar magic and a bar/cocktail menu offers comfort and joy for all. This event, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, is free to attend on a first-come, firstserved basis but a £15 deposit guarantees your invitation to the party and a welcome mulled drink on arrival.
https://bit.ly/3OK1pcX
The cosy-but-chic merrymaking hotspot The Broad Street Townhouse (Broad Street, of course) has unveiled a unique tea- and coffee-inspired cocktail bar just in time for Christmas. The bar promises to be “a treat for the senses evoking elements of apothecary with theatre, specialising in a variety of classics with a twist” every ThursdaySaturday evening. Cheers!
https://bit.ly/4f6QKDL
Dine at lively mezze hotspot Pomegranate (Walcot Street) this December and you’ll receive a Secret Santa gift. What’s in it? It could be a free glass of wine, it could be a free bottle of wine, it could be… ah, you won’t find out until you return to Pomegranate in January!
www.pomegranatebath.co.uk
Recipe: Surf and Turf Sharing Platter
Candlelit tables, a tinkling piano and a splendid 3-course seasonal feast served in elegant, historic surroundings: it’s all going on at the Pump Room (Stall Street/ Abbey Square) on the evenings of Saturday 21st-Monday 23rd December.
From smoked salmon blinis to proper Christmas pudding by way of, of course, a turkey feast alongside lively alternatives for those who are saving their traditional blow-out for The Big Day itself, this is guaranteed to be an unforgettably evocative preChristmas treat for all (£55pp; booking essential).
https://bit.ly/4hX9atg
Fly along to Belushi’s (Green Street) Wednesdays and tuck into an endless, bottomless supply of chicken wings in buffalo,
barbecue and/or veggie format for just £13.95. https://bit.ly/3OPHObj
Don your best (or worst) Christmas jumper and make The Architect (Orange Grove) your home-from-home on Christmas Eve. Lunch, supper (until 8.30pm) or just drinks (until 10.30pm), the scene is set for mellow vibes to prepare you for The Big Day itself. https://bit.ly/3D8vYqb
Melissa regularly reviews restaurants across Bath and the surrounding area. You can find out more at www.theprandialplayground.uk
Follow Melissa on X Find her @ThePigGuide
Whether you share it with A Special Someone or plonk it on the table to start a festive supper party for four off in fine style, you can’t go wrong with this modern take on the classic Surf and Turf combo. Despite its show-stopping flamboyance, this luxurious dish takes only 20 minutes maximum to move from stovetop to table. Yes, you’ll be required to use your best multitasking skills, but each stage of the recipe is really simple… especially as we’re using saucy mussels that somebody else (in this instance, any big supermarket) has already prepped for you.
Ingredients
(serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter)
• 1 x 500g vacuum-packed, pre-cooked mussels in garlic butter
• 170g-200g sirloin or fillet steak
• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 400g large, raw king prawns (defrosted if frozen)
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 150ml single cream
To serve: garlic bread, for mopping up that luxurious sauce
Method
• Cook the mussels according to the stovetop instructions on the packet and set them to one side, still in the sealed packet they were cooked in.
• Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan or skillet. Rub ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil over the steak and fry for 2-3 minutes (or according to your liking) on each side, turning once only and adding a generous knob of butter on the second turn. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside on a plate to rest.
• Heat another 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in the pan and soften the shallots for 3-4 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. Add the prawns to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add the brandy and bubble until reduced, then add the tarragon, lemon juice and cream. Season well, and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
• Cut the steak into chunky slices and add it to the creamy prawns along with the mussels and all their sauce. Stir to combine, heat through gently and serve the pan in the middle of the table with the garlic bread on the side.
Melissa Blease Food Writer
What's On
Bath Carnival Christmas Special
Bath Brew House
13th December, 7pm
Bath Carnival have teamed up with Bath Brew House for a party. Expect Bacana Funk with a festive twist. Free entry all night, enjoy some great food and drink while you let your hair down.
Gospel Celebration
St Swithin’s Church
14th December, 7pm
Join an uplifting evening of gospel music from two choirs – Bath Community Gospel Choir and Soul of the City. Bring in the joy this season with classic and festive gospel tunes.
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite
Mission Theatre
15th December, 2pm
See the acclaimed concert pianist Nurry Lee as she takes to the stage for an enchanting Christmas musical journey with Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite arranged by Mikhail Pleynev.
Winter Wonderband
Chapel Arts Centre
18th December, 8pm Winter Wonderband are Saul Rose and Maclaine Colston, joined by Beth Porter and Jennifer Crook. With spellbinding vocal harmonies backed by beautiful instruments, they sing of wintery tales.
The Cher Experience
Burdall’s Yard
13th December 7.30pm
Step into a world of glitter, glamour, and timeless hits with The Cher Experience. This sensational show brings Cher's iconic voice, dazzling costumes, and unforgettable performances to life.
Bath Craft Fair
Weston Free Church
14th December, 12-4pm
Shop handmade gifts, cards and decorations from over 25 stalls and support local small businesses this Christmas. Free children’s activities including a festive trail.
Tea Cup Christmas
Victoria Art Gallery
15th December, 11am-3pm
Calling creative kids! Visit the Victoria Art Gallery for a free, festive craft session and make your very own tea cup decoration. Add your handmade decoration to the real Christmas tree.
A Carolean Christmas
St Michael’s Without 18th December, 7.30pm
Following the success of Bath Recital’s 2023 A Carolean Christmas, The Carolean Consort join forces with Noctis Chamber Choir for a candlelit concert with seasonal Baroque music.
Friday 13th December 2024 - Thursday 2nd January 2025
Stargazing Tour
Bath Abbey
13th December, 6-9pm
Would you like to spot planets and stars from the top of one of Bath's historic buildings? Join Bath Abbey and Bath Astronomers for live stargazing at the top of Bath Abbey's tower.
Christmas Choirs
Dyrham Park
14th, 15th, 21st & 22nd December
Local choirs are due to perform on weekends in the run-up to Christmas in the village church of St Peter which adjoins the estate. Let the music of Christmas get you into the festive spirit.
Komedia
15th December, 7pm
Elvana tear through Nirvana’s catalogue whilst splicing in grunged-up sections of the king of rock & roll's finest moments, culminating in a whopper mash-up of overdrive and old school Rockabilly.
A Christmas Spectacular
The Forum
19th December, 7.30pm
The Massed Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines come to The Bath Forum, as they present ‘A Christmas Spectacular’. See the Corps of Drums, and enjoy yuletide classics, solos and marches.
Events from 20th December to 2nd January
What the Dickens!
Theatre Royal Bath
20th December, 12pm
Join Jane Tapley for an illustrated talk on Charles Dickens, exploring the life and times of the most famous 19th century novelist in the world. Follow Dickens' career path to being a novelist supreme.
Saturnalia Trail
The Roman Baths
21st – 31st December
Take part in this special family trail. Saturnalia was the most popular holiday in the Roman year and marked the winter solstice from 17th to 23rd December.
String Art Stars
Herschel Museum of Astronomy
21st December – 5th January
Create a beautiful Christmas star ornament to take home. Explore the geometry of star patterns and make your own celestial string decoration. Free with museum entry.
Christmas Movie Soundtracks
The Guildhall
22nd & 28th December, 4pm Fever's Candlelight concerts are coming to Bath. These unforgettable performances by a string quartet will take place at the Guildhall, beautifully illuminated by thousands of candles.
Winter Solstice Event
Bath City Farm
21st December, 1-4pm
Come together at this special, new, intimate event where a small group will be led by Sarah Davies, Mental Health Programme Lead, to celebrate the Winter Solstice.
Mince Pie Specials
Avon Valley Railway
29th December & 1st January
Visit after Christmas for a festive trip onboard one of the heritage trains and enjoy a mince pie served onboard as you travel the line. Adults £11, Concessions £10, Children £7, Under 5s free.
New Year's Eve celebrations across Bath
Krater Comedy Club
Komedia
31st December, 8pm
Kick-off your last night of 2024 with the Krater Comedy Club New Year’s Eve special – featuring two circuit-leading stand-ups and one of the best compères in the business.
NYE Singles Party!
The Boater
31st December, 9.30pm Head along to the New Year Singles Party! Get ready to mingle and celebrate the start of the new year with other singles of all ages and sexual preferences.
New Year's Eve Ball
The Pump Rooms
31st December, 7pm
Dust off your dancing shoes and join us at the Pump Room for a New Year’s celebration like no other! Enjoy a spectacular night filled with glamour, fizz and fun.
Shimmy Discotheque
Walcot House
31st December, 8pm
Shimmy Discotheque is back! The infamous festival venue returns for one night only. Ring in the New Year with us at the biggest NYE party in Bath. Three rooms of House, Disco and Funk.
A Christmas Celebration 2024
Bath Abbey
14th December, 7pm
A variety of seasonal music, readings and audience participation for all the family. Join the Abbey choirs including the young Melody Makers in their Christmas celebrations.
Farmer Christmas
Newton Farm Shop
14th & 21st December, 11am-1pm
Farmer Christmas is back for 2024, making an appearance for two dates only. Have your photo taken with him on the vintage tractor and receive a sweet treat and a special sticker.
Anniversary Gala Concert
Bath Abbey
17th December, 7.30pm
This unique event, hosted by Lucis Choir in partnership with the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, sees a selection of festive music performed by some of Bath’s finest musicians.
The JLS of Bath Family Christmas
St Michael’s Without 20th December, 7.30pm
An evening of Christmas music with the JLS of Bath, from sublime choral pieces to fun Christmas classics. There will be a retiring collection in aid of Pancreatic Cancer.
Christmas Oratorio by J S Bach
Bath Abbey
21st December, 7pm
Capture the joy of the Nativity in words and music in the setting of Bath Abbey. The Girls' choir and Abbey Lay Clerks are joined by the outstanding baroque instrumentalists, Rejouissance.
2024 Round Up Quiz
Bath Cider House
29th December, 7pm
Do you think you know everything that has happened this year?? Head along to the 2024 Round Up Quiz and put it to the test. 1st prize is a £75 bar tab. Max teams of 6 and £2 per person.
All That Glitters Gala
Abbey Hotel
31st December, 8pm
Guests are invited to an unforgettable night of glamour and celebration at this New Year's Eve Gala. As midnight approaches, attendees will be immersed in an evening filled with sparkle.
New Year at The Bath Townhouse
Coppa Club
31st December, 9pm
Join them on New Year's Eve to celebrate the end of the year and the start of 2025! They'll be partying the night away alongside DJ Ric, who will be on the decks from 9pm until 12.30am.
New Year's Eve
Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel
31st December
Welcome in 2025 with champagne and canapés, followed by a decadent tasting menu or a four-course gala dinner meal. After dinner, it's time for music and dancing before the countdown.
Share your listings with us!
You can share your event listings with us for 2025 by emailing whatson@bathecho.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you
Elvana – Elvis Fronted Nirvana
Residents invited along to annual Bath Jazz Weekend
RESIDENTS are being invited to the fifth annual Bath Jazz Weekend, taking place from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th January 2025, featuring a line up of bands and soloists of international standing.
This year’s programme welcomes celebrated jazz artists from the Netherlands and France alongside some of the best British bands.
The 2025 event will be held at Bath’s Widcombe Social Club.
Beginning on Friday night, this year’s offering is director Robert Wise’s classic 1959 film noir Odds Against Tomorrow starring Harry Belafonte and Shelley Winters and featuring a soundtrack from the Modern Jazz Quartet with Bill Evans and Jim Hall.
Friday’s live programme kicks off with young generation artists in a quartet led by pianist Ky Osborne. Topping the bill is the celebrated trumpeter and composer Laura Jurd.
Saturday’s programme is split into afternoon and evening sessions. Saxophonist Dee Byrne leads off on Saturday afternoon with her sextet Outlines, a new project playing original compositions and taking short musical sketches as springboards.
Another sextet – Kevin Figes’ You Are Here – is a tribute to much admired but now sadly departed friends, mentors and
collaborators, featuring new arrangements of compositions by Keith Tippett, Elton Dean, Harry Miller, Dudu Pukwana and others.
In the evening, Scotland’s Secret Path Trio, fronted by the Highland pipes of Fraser Fifield, creates a unique and melodic repertoire that infuses jazz with Scottish traditions alongside the inspiration of leading Scots artists Paul Harrison on keyboard and drummer Tom Bancroft.
From the Netherlands, pianist, vocalist and composer Nani Vazana is one of the only artists in the world writing and playing songs in the ancient, matriarchal Ladino language, propelling it into the 21st century with socially pertinent lyrics, celebrating migration, gender and female empowerment.
The evening ends with a premiere of Molecatcher, a new trio built around the ever-inventive, fulsome creativity of saxophonist
Iain Ballamy and the awardwinning virtuosity of guitarist Rob Luft – jazz musicians from two generations who have both achieved the rare distinction of creating their own unmistakable and uniquely individual styles.
On Sunday the three-gig programme begins with the quartet Ribbons, jointly lead by pianist Rebecca Nash and vocalist Sara Colman whose repertoire
includes original compositions as well as a celebration of the intimacy and delicacy of songs from jazz and their favourite singer-songwriters.
Following this is another premiere from a new trio of three improvisers: saxophonist Larry Stabbin, Paul Rogers, back from France with the double bass, and
Festive Trail
Mark Sanders. Rounding off Sunday, pianist Huw Warren and vocalist and violinist Angharad Jenkins present their new interpretation of Calennig, the Welsh traditional music that celebrates and welcomes the New Year.
Based on the ancient Plygain carols symbolising hope and
new beginnings, the duo’s collaboration draws inspiration from the traditions of their native Wales and steps gently and melodically between the worlds of jazz and folk.
Tickets are available to purchase online at https://bit.ly/41sG0fK and by phone (01225 463362) and in person from Bath Box Office.
drummer
Nani Vazana will be performing on Saturday 4th January | Photo courtesy of Bath Jazz Festival
Festive celebrations being offered at Roman Baths and city art gallery
PEOPLE are being encouraged to visit the Roman Baths and Victoria Art Gallery in Bath as part of their festive celebrations this year.
Both venues are hosting a variety of events for all the family, including trails, seasonal shopping and festive dining.
Visitors can step back in time at the Roman Baths, where they can witness the iconic site illuminated by torchlight or take part in the Saturnalia trail, a family adventure steeped in Roman holiday traditions.
At the Victoria Art Gallery, people can explore stunning works by top regional artists at the Bath Society of Artists Exhibition. Share the magic at the Roman Baths this winter
Experience a day out at the Roman Baths this winter. Feel the magic as steam rises above the Great Bath, meet costumed Roman characters, and immerse yourself in history. From afternoon until closing at 6pm, the Great Bath will be illuminated by torchlight, creating a truly magical setting.
Pop-up bar
At weekends throughout December, join the festivities at a pop-up bar by the Great Bath, offering hot chocolate, mulled wine, spiced apple, Champagne, and soft drinks – the perfect way to warm up and enjoy the season. Every weekend until 29th December.
Family activities
For young history enthusiasts, the Saturnalia trail (21st – 31st December) provides an exciting journey through Roman holiday traditions, including gift-giving, home decorating, and festive feasting. On Saturday 14th December, from 11am to 3pm, families can take part in ‘Roman Revels’, a craft session where children can make seasonal decorations inspired by Roman customs. Activities included in Roman Baths admission.
Seasonal shopping
Complete your day with a visit to the Roman Baths Shop, where you’ll find a selection of holiday decorations, artisanal ceramics, luxurious candles, and food and drink. Open until 8pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays during Bath Christmas Market, it’s the perfect place to find special gifts for loved ones.
Christmas dining
The ultimate destination for festive dining, the Pump Room Restaurant will offer a choice of seasonal options, from Christmas afternoon tea (including a children’s version), to festive evening dining by candlelight accompanied by the talented resident pianist.
Christmas at Victoria Art Gallery
Visit the Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition this winter, a highlight of Bath’s cultural calendar. You can browse and buy from a selection of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture, including some winter scenes. Don’t forget to vote for your favourite exhibit in the Public Choice Prize.
Tea Cup Christmas
On Sunday 15th December, from 11am to 3pm, the gallery will host a free family workshop in the foyer, where young artists can make a Christmas decoration to add to the Christmas tree.
The Roman Baths is open from 9am – 6pm everyday except 25th and 26th December. The torches are lit from mid-afternoon, offering the chance to experience the site at its most atmospheric.
The Victoria Art Gallery is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10.30am – 5pm. It will be closed for Christmas from 4.30pm on 24th December, and all day on 25th and 26th December.
Light installation on show at Bath Abbey
BATH Abbey is hosting a special new light installation this Christmas, featuring handmade stars designed to highlight its historic architecture.
The Light of Stars, which is running until 8th January 2025, celebrates the theme “Under the Same Sky of Stars” and invites the local community and visitors to experience and reflect on the wonder of the festive season.
The Abbey has been adorned with a canopy of handcrafted paper stars, creating an enchanting display both inside and out.
The stars, up to two metres in diameter, are set against the iconic stained-glass windows.
Within the installation, the Advent Star guides visitors towards the Abbey’s Nativity scene.
Andy Jupp, creative director of The Light of Stars, said: “This installation reflects the rich history and sacred atmosphere of Bath Abbey, while also celebrating the spirit of togetherness that defines the Advent season.
“It’s an honour to collaborate with this iconic space and the wider Bath community to bring light and joy to the city.”
The Light of Stars continues the long-standing relationship between Paper Starlights and the city of Bath.
Known for their presence at the Bath Christmas Market for over 20 years, Paper Starlights has
become a popular part of local festivities.
Co-founder Jules Cooper said: “Bath has always been a special place for us, and we’re thrilled to create something so meaningful for its community.
“This installation is about more than beauty – it’s about connection, bringing people together under one shared sky of stars.”
The stars have been crafted by skilled artisans in India using 100% natural materials.
The Light of Stars installation is a result of a close collaboration between Bath Abbey and Paper Starlights.
Rev Stephen Girling, Bath Abbey Missioner, added: “We are incredibly excited to be able to host this work.
“To give us a sense of being a part of a wider universe, and to be the first of – we are sure -many greater churches who may come to benefit from and share in this unique work of beauty.”
Win tickets to watch Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!
Over the festive season, children’s television presenter from Channel 5’s Milkshake! and award-winning panto star, Olivia Birchenough takes centre stage as Snow White in the magical pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She'll be alongside Bath favourite Jon Monie as Muddles and EastEnders’ Nick Wilton as Dame Dilly Donut. Presented by UK Productions, the wonderfully traditional show appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from 12th December to 12th January. When the magic mirror declares Snow White to be “the fairest of them all”, the vain, wicked queen flies into a jealous rage and demands her revenge. Making her escape Snow White discovers a cottage in the forest inhabited by seven dwarfs who welcome her warmly into their home. But danger soon returns when a mysterious old lady arrives at their door selling apples and Snow White’s friends must rally to help her. George Olney stars as the Prince, and Emma Norman makes a welcome return as the Wicked Queen Grimelda after thrilling audiences as Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty last year. Snow White’s friends and protectors the Seven Dwarfs will
be played by George Appleby, Denise Coppen, Willie Coppen, Kieran DuMont, Harrison Taylor, Ana Texido Martinez and Brian Wheeler. Alongside the company of professional actors and the Ensemble, this year’s pantomime will also feature the young dancers from Bath’s Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance. With a new script by Bath’s all-round pantomime legend Jon Monie, this thrilling fairytale follows a princess trying to flee the clutches of her evil step-mother with the help of her friends the seven dwarfs, a delicious Dame, her hilarious
son and a handsome prince, who come to Snow White’s rescue. Bursting with comedy, great songs and dance routines, beautiful costumes and plenty of audience participation, this panto extravaganza is guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages. The pantomime is sponsored by Bath Carpets and Flooring and Monahans Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors.
To book tickets for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Theatre Royal Bath, call the Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk
Win four tickets to the performance on Saturday 11th January at 7pm
Simply answer the question below and send it in for your chance to see Snow White at the Theatre Royal!
Who wrote this year's pantomime script? A: Jon Monie B: Nick Wilton C: George Olney
Your answer: Name: Phone Number: Email Address: Address:
You can cut out this section and send it to us in the post at Snow White Competition, Bath Echo, PO Box 5395, Bath, BA1 0YA or enter online at www.bathecho.co.uk/snowwhite
Competition Terms
• The competition will close at 5pm on Sunday 5th January 2025.
• Entrants must be 18+ years and UK residents.
• The prize: Tickets for 4 people to watch the pantomime Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs at the Theatre Royal Bath on Saturday 11th January 2025 at 7pm.
• The prize holds no cash value and is non-transferable.
• The winner will be randomly chosen on 6th January and their details will be passed to the Theatre Royal for the purpose of arranging tickets.
Brian Wheeler, Emma Norman, Jon Monie, George Olney, Olivia Birchenough and Harrison Taylor, who are starring in Snow White | Photo © Freia Turland
Photo © B&NES Council
Photo
© Paper Starlights
12 DECEMBER ’24 TO 12 JANUARY ’25
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Over 70 volunteers pack presents for young people in hospital
OVER 70 volunteers came together earlier this month to prepare more than 1,000 gifts, goodies and activities for young people staying in hospital over the festive season.
The ‘volunteer elves’ assembled at St Mary’s Catholic Church Hall on Julian Road on 30th November and 1st December to put together the packages for young people who are staying in mental health hospitals across the country.
The packing day was organised by Bath-based charity Christmas For CAMHS, who have been preparing gifts for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) units across the country for nine years.
The initiative was launched after it came to trustee Dr Rosanna Bevan’s attention that young people in mental health units rarely receive any donations, unlike their counterparts in hospital for physical ailments who often receive gifts.
The elves spent their weekend pulling together special boxes containing an individual gift for each young person to keep, as well as some small fidget toys, a gift for their ward (such as a jigsaw or popular card game), a wellbeing advent calendar, decorations to make the wards feel festive and some activities to do together, such as a colour-in
tablecloth, blank cards and paper chains.
They also packed bigger gifts for young people particularly in need, such as young people with no family support.
The gifts were made possible by kind donations from members of the public, who bought gifts from an Amazon Wish List or made a financial donation via JustGiving.
The charity has currently hit 75% of its fundraising target this year.
Volunteer Becca said: “It was extremely insightful to see exactly what was going on behind the scenes in order to ensure each gift is picked and packed appropriately.
“I felt very privileged to be able to contribute towards the running of such a special event – I will be back next year!”
Amanda, also a volunteer, added:
“As a family it was wonderful to
do something that will make a difference to young people at Christmas. Our girls aged nine and 12 said they want to do more work to support all year round and thought there was a lot of thought that had gone into the gifts.”
Rosanna, a Bathonian who cofounded Christmas for CAMHS, said: “We are so grateful to our volunteer elves for all the time and effort they put in this weekend to make young people feel thought about and special at a tricky time of year to be in hospital.
“We’re delighted that we will be able to reach every CAMHS unit across the country this year, thanks to the generous support of the public.
“We’re hoping to hit 100% of our fundraising target by Christmas Day!”
Work to begin on creating linear park
WORK is set to start early next year on the creation of a 10km linear park alongside the River Avon in Bath, as part of efforts to improve the towpath and open spaces.
Bath & North East Somerset Council carried out user research and community engagement back in 2021, which has helped to shape the final designs.
The Bath River Line project will be developed in three phases, with work on Phase One, the stretch from Windsor Bridge to Green Park, due to run through to Summer 2025. Phase One includes new seating, improved access to the river path and pollinator-friendly planting along the river path.
Work will be carried out at Green Park, the north west corner of Norfolk Crescent and the south east corner of Norfolk Crescent green space, as well as on the riverside path to the south of Bath Artists Studio; at the junction of steps from Norfolk Buildings Road; to the south of Norfolk Buildings; and to the north and south of Midland Bridge.
Councillor Sarah Warren, cabinet member for climate and sustainable travel, said: “The Bath River Line will help to expand the active travel network in Bath by creating a level, accessible route for everyone to use while the new
seating spaces and planting will help to improve biodiversity and climate change resilience and provide social spaces that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors.
“This project will support the council’s vision of being Nature Positive by 2030.”
Signs giving details about the work will be displayed at eight key points along the river path and if temporary closures of the riverside footpath are necessary during construction, details and alternative routes will be advertised in advance.
New wayfinding signage will be installed during the summer.
The Bath River Line project is being developed in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency, Wessex Water, National Trust and Bath Spa University.
In April 2022, the West of England Combined Authority awarded just over £1 million to deliver the Bath River Line, in addition to £150,000 development funding it awarded in 2019. A further £216,959 from the combined authority’s Investment Fund will fund the work on the riverside path at Midland Bridge, following the removal of the old pipe bridge. B&NES Council is funding the remaining £509,074 of the project including £493,000 through developer contributions.
Charities receive over £11k thanks to crematorium recycling
TWO charities have shared more than £11,000 thanks to the recycling of metals from Haycombe Crematorium in Bath.
Bath Gateway Out and About and Parkinson’s UK have each received £5,800 as a result of the specialist recycling scheme.
Bath & North East Somerset Council donated the funds after raising the money from the notfor-profit Recycling of Metals Scheme run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), of which the council is a member. With the consent of relatives, members of the scheme collect common metal objects from cremators such as medical pins, metal plates and artificial joints for recycling and the money raised is divided between ICCM members for distribution among charities.
Bath Gateway Out and About provides a range of ageappropriate fun, social and leisure activities for 50 or more adults with learning disabilities. It provides activities that can make a real difference to its members’ lives by integrating them into the local community in Bath, increasing confidence and
independence whilst alleviating loneliness and isolation.
Kelly Jones, charity administrator at Bath Gateway, said: “These funds will go a huge way towards helping adults with learning disabilities to be able to experience the pleasures of enriching engagements with their peers.
“Our weekly programmes enable our members, with the help of our fantastic volunteers, to partake in a wide variety of enjoyable leisure activities. We are extremely grateful for this wonderful donation. Thank you!”
Parkinson’s UK offers support to
everyone affected by Parkinson’s disease, including carers, family and friends. It also funds research into treatments and the causes of Parkinson’s.
Kirsty Berrigan and Rebecca Landolt, heads of community fundraising at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We are so grateful to
Haycombe Crematorium for their generous and thoughtful donation.
“This kind contribution will provide much-needed support to people living with Parkinson’s, as well as their families and carers.
“The funds will help us deliver critical services, such as our helpline, local support groups, and tailored advice, which make a real difference to the Parkinson’s community. It also allows us to continue investing in groundbreaking research, bringing us closer to better treatments and ultimately a cure.”
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “The consent given by families for us to take part in the metals recycling scheme is a real gesture of kindness to others.
“We hope that these contributions to good causes are a small comfort to those who have lost loved ones, as the money raised will make a real difference to local people’s lives.”
In 2024, a total of £25,600 has been donated to charities from the scheme. To qualify for donations from the scheme, charities are selected on the basis they have to assist the bereaved or those who are terminally ill.
Representatives from Parkinson’s UK | Photo courtesy of B&NES Council
Some of the ‘volunteer elves’ | Photo courtesy of Christmas For CAMHS
Fire service welcomes two new control operators at Lansdown
TWO new fire control operators, who provide a calm and reassuring voice when you call 999, have graduated at Avon Fire & Rescue.
After completing a rigorous training programme, Chloe and Alistair are now fully prepared to serve the local community.
The graduates successfully completed a challenging and comprehensive training journey starting with a 12-week introductory course.
They will now undergo two years of self-study, four phased exams, and a final assessment.
A special graduation ceremony
was held at Fire Control in Lansdown, Bath on Friday 29th November, where the graduates were joined by proud family and friends.
The event featured a presentation of certificates and awards to honour their achievements, followed by a tour of the control room, giving guests an insight into the vital work carried out behind the scenes.
As fire control operators, they will play a critical role in ensuring swift and effective responses to emergencies.
From handling 999 calls to mobilising crews and resources,
their professionalism and expertise will help save lives and protect communities across the region.
Group manager for fire control, Catherine Withers, said: “We are incredibly proud to welcome our two newest fire control operators to the team.
“Their hard work and commitment throughout this demanding process is truly commendable.
“They will now take on an essential role in keeping our communities safe, and I know they will excel in their careers with Avon Fire and Rescue Service.”
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Festival's radio station partnership continues
A PARTNERSHIP between the popular Peasedown Party in the Park event and Radio Bath is set to continue in 2025.
The partnership was formed three years ago to create stronger links between local radio and community events in the area.
Radio Bath will be running and coordinating all of the stage entertainment on the day of the festival.
Party in the Park Festival managers Karen Walker and Gavin Heathcote, who also serve as Peasedown’s Independent local councillors, said: “We’re thrilled to have teamed up with Radio Bath for another year.
“As well as broadcasting top quality shows, and playing the best music, they are also committed to providing a voice for our many local communities, and in particular underrepresented and under-served individuals across the area.
“They’re extremely fortunate to have a highly skilled team of professionals working behind the scenes, which we’re looking forward to working with in preparation for next year’s 16th anniversary festival in Peasedown.”
Loraine Morgan-Brinkhurst MBE, one of the station’s
founders and directors, has decades of experience organising local events.
She said: “We’re looking forward to working with the Party in the Park team to organise the live music aspect of next year’s festival.
“Peasedown’s summer festival is one of the longest running in the district. With crowds of over 2,500 people attending each year, it’s an event like no other and does a fantastic job at bringing the community together.
“Radio Bath will be there on the day, broadcasting live and ensuring festival goers are kept on their feet with the very best local bands for over 7 hours!”
Peasedown Party in the Park 2025 will be held on Beacon Field on Saturday 14th June 2025, from 11.30am – 7pm.
Chloe and Alistair have graduated as fire control operators | Photo © Avon Fire & Rescue Service
Gavin Heathcote, Radio Bath's Simon McNeill-Ritchie, Loraine MorganBrinkhurst MBE and Karen Walker
Alice Park to receive a ‘Trees of Hope’ Sycamore Gap sapling
ALICE Park in Bath has been announced as one of the recipients of the 49 ‘Trees of Hope’ Sycamore Gap saplings gifted by the National Trust across the UK.
The big reveal in National Tree Week follows the charity’s invitation on the anniversary of the felling of the much-loved tree at the end of September for applications for one of the saplings grown from its seed.
Nearly 500 applications were received for the 49 saplings, one to represent each foot in height that the tree was at the time of felling.
The saplings are currently being cared for at the charity’s Plant Conservation Centre, and they should be strong and sturdy enough to plant in winter 2025/26.
The new homes for the saplings will all be in publicly accessible spaces, enabling many more people to feel part of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree’s legacy with recipients from all across the UK including The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds, Holly’s Hope in conjunction with Hexham Abbey in Northumberland, and The Tree Sanctuary and Tree Amigos in Coventry.
The Alice Park Trust’s successful application for a sapling cited the city’s green landscape in a
twice-inscribed UNESCO World Heritage setting as an ideal location.
It also said the sapling would be planted in the park for all the young people who are looked after in the district as a public place for them to connect to and to create a vision for hope and regeneration.
Alice Park was given to the young people of Bath in 1937 for children to play in.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is the sole trustee of the park which is managed by the Alice Park Trust SubCommittee under delegation of the Charitable Trust Board.
B&NES Council leader, Councillor Kevin Guy and Councillor Joanna Wright, chair of Alice Park Trust, welcomed the news that the park had been successful in securing a Sycamore Gap sapling.
They said: “The trust and the council want to dedicate this Sycamore Sapling in Alice Park to looked-after children as a reminder to us all how important they are and of our duty to care for them.
“Having a public place that looked after children can go to and see a tree dedicated to them is a really positive message of hope out of adversity. Thank you to the National Trust for this great initiative.”
Andrew Poad, general manager
for the National Trust’s Hadrian Wall properties, said: “Each and every application for a ‘Tree of Hope’ told heartfelt stories of people’s emotional connections to the Sycamore Gap tree and the importance of nature.
“They spoke of loss, hope and regeneration from all four corners of the country, from towns, schools, colleges, community groups, hospitals and hospices, it’s been a privilege to read them all. The tree meant so much to so many and through the ‘Trees of Hope’ initiative we are helping reach people across the nation, for generations to come.
“Each sapling will carry a message of hope with it as they
BATH CRAFT FAIR
start a new chapter not just for the tree but for all the 49 people and communities that will receive a sapling next year.”
The entries were judged by a panel of experts from the National Trust led by independent judge and arboriculture specialist Catherine Nuttgens.
Catherine commented: “The Sycamore is one of the most architecturally beautiful trees in our landscape.
“In summer, their dark green leaves create a canopy that looks almost like broccoli, while in winter, they create a silhouette that perfectly depicts what we think of when we think of a tree.
“The loss of any tree can evoke
strong emotions – none more so than the Sycamore Gap tree. Its destruction felt utterly senseless, destroying the simple joy it brought to so many people for so many reasons.
“But the ‘Trees of Hope initiative has kept that sense of joy and hope alive, and it has been truly humbling to read through so many applications but a difficult task to select the final 49 recipients.
“The stories have come from every corner of the UK and every walk of life. Their words reflect the hope and kindness that human beings are capable of, which feels like such a fitting response to the loss of this precious tree.”
Chris Trimmer with the saplings | Photo © National Trust Images / James Dobson
Explore Alice Park with this walking trail, kindly provided by Bath
Treescape There are now ten trails available to explore special trees across Bath. You can find them at
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Ofsted says Bath College making ‘reasonable progress’ to improve
BATH College is making “reasonable progress” to improve after a critical Ofsted inspection last October.
Ofsted reports published in 2013 and 2018 had rated the further education college as Good.
But a report published in January 2024, following a visit by a team of 12 inspectors in October 2023, revealed that the college had dropped a grade.
Inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to Requires Improvement.
Leadership and management, quality of education, students’ personal development, adult learning programmes and apprenticeships were all said to need improvement.
However, students’ behaviour and attitudes, the education programmes for young people
and provision for learners with high needs were all rated as Good.
A monitoring visit was held last month, with the focus being to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.
Ofsted says that college leaders are making “reasonable progress” for:
• Improving their evaluation of the quality of education and the level challenge from governors.
• Improving the involvement of stakeholders in the design and implementation of the curriculum.
• Improving the use of assessment to inform teaching, and to provide learners and apprentices with helpful
feedback so they know what they need to do to improve.
• Improving the usefulness of apprentices’ reviews so that leaders know how much progress they have made, and to inform timely intervention.
• Improving the availability and participation of learners, including those with high needs, in work experience activity and work-related learning.
Bath College has two campuses – one in the centre of Bath and the other in the Somer Valley, Radstock.
At the time of the monitoring visit, around 2,100 learners aged 16 to 18, 4,900 adult learners, and 500 apprentices were studying at the college.
There were around 280 learners in receipt of high needs funding.
Happy and welcoming Odd Down school is ‘ambitious’ for pupils
Becky Feather Reporter
ST PHILIP’S C of E Primary School at Odd Down in Bath impressed a team of Ofsted inspectors who visited last month.
The school at Bloomfield Rise was judged to be Good in all areas inspected – for its quality of education, leadership and management, early years provision, children’s behaviour and attitudes, and their personal development.
From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement in inspections of state-funded schools.
The school had last been inspected in 2019 when it was judged to be Good.
There are currently 276 children on the roll at the school, which has been part of Palladian Academy Trust since 2016.
It is an Anglican school within the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
The inspection report says pupils enjoy attending this “happy and welcoming school”.
It continues: “Pupils feel safe at school.
“They are confident that adults will help them with their learning or address any concerns they may have.
“The school is ambitious for all pupils. From the start, children in Reception Year learn to follow classroom routines, and this helps them to listen and respond to adults.
“Most pupils achieve well. They engage with their learning
and are enthusiastic to answer questions and contribute their ideas.”
Pupils are said to be “polite and considerate” and have opportunities to contribute their ideas to the school.
This includes the school council’s work in redeveloping the collective worship programme. The eco team is proud of the work it does to raise awareness of environmental issues by, for example, holding a ‘no electricity day’.
The report says: “These experiences help pupils to develop their character and a sense of responsibility,”
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are said to be well-supported in lessons.
The inspectors also say the curriculum is well organised although in some subjects, the school hasn’t identified the essential knowledge that each year group should know. This lack of clarity means teachers do not check that pupils have secured this knowledge. The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum is praised for helping pupils learn how to be healthy and responsible citizens.
Arrangements for safeguarding at the school are effective.
The report adds that trustees and governors have an accurate understanding of the school.
Staff value the work that has been done to reduce their workload and parents and carers value the positive relationship they have with the school.
All agree that their children are happy, safe and achieve well.
Silence over closure of £4 million Bath primary school
A £4 MILLION Bath primary school that opened in 2017 has closed after failing to get enough pupils.
At a regional Department for Education meeting last month, an application to amalgamate Abbot Alphege Academy (AAA) with Weston All Saints CofE Primary School (WASPS) was approved.
AAA, a Church of England school in The Partnership Trust, had only been 10% full.
AAA’s website reveals there have been no children in attendance since the end of September at the school at Beckford Drive, Lansdown.
The building will move into the control of Bath & North East Somerset Council and it is understood it will continue in community use.
The Hospital Education
Reintegration Service is based on the top floor of AAA and is provided by The Mendip School, also a member of The Partnership Trust, for children in Years 1 to 11.
B&NES Council has committed to the service remaining in the building for the remainder of the current academic year.
AAA, with room for up to 210 children, opened through the free school route in response to the building of around 300 houses at the former Ensleigh Ministry of Defence site at Lansdown. It was built on the former Royal High School playing field site next to the MoD.
However, projected numbers of pupils did not materialise, due to falling birth rates blamed on the cost-of-living crisis, and high interest rates, meaning many families have not been in a position to move.
With no evidence that the number of pupils would strengthen in the future, The Partnership Trust has been working with the council and Diocese of Bath and Wells to ensure the best outcomes for all pupils.
WASPS is also part of The Partnership Trust and is a Christian school. It has a Good rating from Ofsted.
AAA was told by Ofsted in 2022 that the quality of its education required improvement.
The Bath Echo contacted The Partnership Trust, the Bath & Wells Diocese and B&NES Council last week for comment about the closure of AAA. We had not received any responses as we went to print this week.
The Partnership Trust consists of schools in B&NES and Somerset.
The others are Moorlands Schools
Federation and Roundhill Primary School in Bath; Castle Primary School in Keynsham; Marksbury CofE Primary School; Farmborough Church Primary School; St Mary’s CofE Primary School at Writhlington; Paulton Infant School; Fosse Way School at Radstock;
The Roper Building at Bath College
Pensford Primary School; Cameley CEVC Primary School; Chew Magna Primary School; Hayesdown First School and Nunney First School near Frome; The Mendip School near Shepton Mallet; and Horrington Primary School near Wells.
Abbot Alphege Academy at Beckford Drive
Illuminated flower display unveiled at RUH for Christmas
PATIENTS at the Royal United Hospital in Bath will be able to get into the festive spirit thanks to a new art installation of giant illuminated flowers.
The display, which will be in place over Christmas and the New Year, features a number of giant Victoria amazonica flower sculptures. It follows the success of a similar art installation that took place over the festive season last year. The flowers have been installed in the Children’s Ward garden and the two central courtyards, adjacent to the hospital’s Atrium.
Jigantics team is thrilled to be able to share the flowers with everyone at the RUH this winter.
“Studies have shown that even looking at visual representations of nature reduces stress and anxiety and ultimately improves our mental health and wellbeing.
“Flowers also have a long history within cultures of being symbols of thought, be it love, empathy, celebration or appreciation – a shared unspoken language between humans.
They have been donated and installed by James and Lindsey Cochrane at Frome-based artists’ studio Jigantics, working alongside the RUH’s in-house art and design team, Art at the Heart. James from Jigantics said: “The
“Through these giant illuminated blooms we aim to make interventions in public places that spark a sense of awe and wonder, whilst also generating feelings of relaxation, warmth, joy and unity between those gazing at them. Ultimately, creating windows of shared and memorable happiness.
“Jigantics are grateful to all those working in the RUH and wish all the hospital’s patients well and a Happy Christmas.”
Tony Smith, Art at the Heart
Air ambulance charity renamed to include Bath as it marks 35th year
A LOCAL air ambulance charity has been renamed to include the city it regularly serves as part of its life-saving work.
The Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity is now officially the air ambulance service for the city of Bath. As the charity enters its 35th anniversary year, the name has been changed from Wiltshire Air Ambulance to better reflect the work it carries out across Wiltshire and the Bath area. The charity has also received a new look and logo to go alongside its rebranded title, making it more accessible to supporters.
David Philpott, chief executive for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity, commented: “Since moving to our airbase in 2018, the charity has responded to more missions in the city of Bath than any other critical care resource.
“Our helicopter can fly to Bath’s city centre and the surrounding villages in just four minutes and over the last two years, Bath has been our second most attended area.
“We also transfer more patients to the Royal United Hospital in the city than any other hospital.
“As we enter our 35th year, we felt it was only right to have the charity’s name reflect our true operational area.
“It’s important to stress, nothing will change clinically, we will continue to be there for the people of Wiltshire and Bath –just as we have done for the last 34 years. Simply put, we now have a name that truly tells our story.”
With over 100 missions undertaken in Bath during 2024, representing 9% of all emergency callouts, Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity’s importance to the city is greater than ever.
Critical care paramedic Craig Wilkins said: “As a Bath resident, I’m especially proud to work for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity and be there to respond to emergencies across our communities.
“When we are called to incidents, we are dealing with very ill or injured people who are potentially experiencing the worst moment of their lives.
“The patient is my world – I treat them as if they were a member of my own family.
“Ultimately, we can only do this because of the generosity of the general public and local businesses who provide us with essential funding, and we are so grateful for that support.”
As a registered charity, the service relies entirely on voluntary donations and support from communities across Wiltshire and Bath.
exhibitions manager, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jigantics back to the RUH again for Christmas and New Year.
“Their designs are incredible and
always so popular with patients and staff alike, helping to create a feeling of wellbeing and an uplifting environment for the people we care for.”
Midwives and nurses celebrated for their ‘incredible’ work
A SPECIAL award ceremony has been held at the Royal United Hospital to recognise the “incredible” work of nurses and midwives.
The RUH’s Nursing and Midwifery Awards 2024 gave staff the opportunity to celebrate fellow colleagues who go the extra mile every day. The ceremony coincided with the anniversary of the birth of Mary Seacole, a British Jamaican nurse in the 1800s who paved the way for diversity in nursing in the UK.
There were 13 awards in total, recognising all of the hospital’s nursing and midwifery groups.
This year’s awards went to:
• Healthcare Support Worker of the Year – Michelle Bigden, Helena Ward
• Maternity Support Worker of the Year – Kate Francis, Specialist Infant Feeding
• Staff Nurse of the Year –Caroline Reading, Children’s Emergency Department
• Midwife of the Year – Sarah Allouat, Antenatal Clinic
• Sister/Charge Nurse/Senior Sister of the Year – Mel Burcombe, William Budd Ward
• Senior Nurse Leader of the Year
– Ana Simoes, Older Persons Unit Short Stay
• Specialist Nurse of the Year –Bryony Skipworth, Staff Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
• Specialist Midwife of the Year –Karen Doran, Midwife
• Advanced Clinical Practitioner
of the Year – Mel De Jaeger, Urogynaecology
• Research Nurse of the Year –Ros Knight, Paediatric Research
• Outstanding Achievement of the Year – Rachel Burridge, Junior Sister, Older Persons Unit Short Stay
• Chief Nursing Officer Outstanding Team Award –Maternity Senior Team
The afternoon’s top award was the Chief Nursing Officer Award, which went to Zita Martinez, Director of Midwifery.
Zita received her award in recognition of her ‘exceptional and inspirational leadership across Maternity Services’. Chief Nursing Officer Toni Lynch said: “Our wonderful nursing and midwifery staff work so hard for the people we care for each and every day. These awards are the perfect way to highlight just some of those staff for their incredible achievements and outstanding contributions to the RUH.
“Congratulations to all those award winners and nominees and a huge thank you to all of our nursing and midwifery staff for your consistent hard work and commitment – we couldn’t do it without you.”
Left: The Jigantics team who installed the display | Above: Some of the flowers on display | Photos © RUH
The air ambulance helicopter at the Royal Crescent in Bath | Photo © Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance
City centre shop proposes security gate to keep out rough sleepers
Becky Feather Reporter
A FURNITURE and homewares company in the centre of Bath wants to install a security gate to stop rough sleepers from taking shelter in its entrance lobby overnight.
The Cotswold Company highlights security and safety issues from rough sleepers who use the lobby at the front of 12 Northgate Street. It describes its proposal as “humane”.
An application for listed building consent has been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council for a security gate to reduce the “negative social impact of rough sleeping in this specific location” and preserve the Grade II listed building’s architectural and historical significance.
An accompanying statement says the shop front is currently “vulnerable to unauthorised access and misuse” and adds:
“The current situation, where rough sleepers occupy the shop front, has resulted in wear and tear on the building’s exterior, including littering and using the entrance as a toilet, causing hygiene and safety issues.”
It says the proposed security gate has been “carefully designed”
to blend in with the historic and architectural qualities of the shop front; it can be easily installed and will allow the lobby to locked and blocked off overnight, then unlocked when the shop reopens the following morning.
The statement says: “The installation of a security gate will enhance the safety of both the building and the public.
“Rough sleepers often create additional safety concerns, such as increased risk of fire hazards, blocked fire exits, or issues with public health and hygiene.
“By restricting access to the shop front, the new gate will help mitigate these risks, ensuring that the area remains safe and secure during the night.”
It adds: “While it is important
to acknowledge the challenges faced by rough sleepers, the shop front of a listed building is not an appropriate or suitable location for overnight accommodation.
“The proposal for a security gate aims to address the issue in a humane manner by ensuring that rough sleepers are not forced into an environment that could exacerbate their situation.
“Instead, it encourages local authorities and support services to direct individuals to more suitable places for assistance, thus reducing the strain on the building’s environment and enhancing its role in the community.”
The planning reference is 24/04477/LBA. The deadline for comments is 5th January.
Pub’s B&B expansion plans win approval
THE owners of The Charlcombe Inn on Lansdown have won permission to build a detached block to create four more B&B guest bedrooms.
The application was submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council by Heartstone Inns.
The pub at Lansdown Road was formerly known as The Blathwayt Arms. It underwent a refurbishment during lockdown and reopened as The Charlcombe Inn.
The main building contains the bar, restaurant, two guest bedrooms and staff accommodation. To the north west of the car park there is a converted stable building and a detached bedroom block which together contain eight guest rooms.
Given the success of the existing B&B accommodation, the company submitted plans to extend this side of the business
by adding six more bedrooms. Two will be created by converting the garden room restaurant at the rear of the main building, for which planning permission is not required.
A further four double ensuite guest rooms were proposed in a new block to be built next to the southern boundary of the site on what is currently a patio area. Each bedroom will have a landscaped seating area within the paved courtyard.
The building will also contain a laundry store/plant room. There will be cycle storage provided for guests.
In its application the pub said it is well used by people attending the nearby racecourse and the existing rooms have extremely high occupancy rates, with many potential guests are turned away when the rooms are all booked. Charlcombe Parish Council supported the plans.
Food stand set to extend opening hours despite objections
John Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter
A POPULAR Bath street food stand will be able to serve food six days a week, despite facing a battle from its neighbours. Currently based on Bog Island between the signs for the old Island Club, LJ Hugs has been serving Cajun street food to the people of Bath for the last ten years.
It previously opened six days a week but recently has only been open Tuesdays to Saturdays after the stall realised it did not have the street trading licence to open on Mondays.
LJ Hugs said this had been a “clerical error” and applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council to be able to trade on Mondays.
But the matter had to go before the council’s licensing subcommittee for a hearing after three neighbouring businesses objected.
At the licensing hearing on 28th November, Tom Burton of LJ Hugs said the error was “our mistake”.
But he added: “Since we have been told it’s actually five days,
we have lost a day’s trade. We have had to let go of two members of staff.”
Owner Lewis Farquharson said: “It’s had a massive impact losing one day a week through no reason of our own except for a clerical error.”
But three nearby shops, Sukko, House of Bridgwater, and Bath Chip Shop, lodged objections to the plan, citing concerns over litter, traffic, and “the smell of fried chicken”.
Mr Burton said the objections “threw us a little bit”. He said: “As hospitality businesses we kind of thought we had each other's back.”
Delshad Mageed of Bath Chip Shop told the committee that people would sit in his upstairs seating area eating food bought from LJ Hugs and that people would “completely block” in the loading bay in front of this shop to eat their food.
Chair of the committee
Councillor Shaun Hughes said: “Sadly that’s not a consideration for this committee.”
Mr Farquharson said: “We are a community-based company and one of our main goals was to create jobs in the area, not just locally but regionally across three
sites.”
LJ Hugs also has a kiosk in Broadmead in Bristol and in November opened a new restaurant in Trowbridge, where one of the employees let go has been re-employed, and has been nominated for Uber Eats' restaurant of the year. The committee agreed to grant
LJ Hugs the licence to trade on Mondays as applied for. Their decision stated: “They found that the additional day of operation would be unlikely to have an effect on public safety or amenity, nor would it cause an obstruction.”
The street food stall is open from 11am-6pm. Although its usual
pitch is on Bog Island, for the duration of the Bath Christmas Market, it has moved just around the corner onto Grand Parade by the entrance to Parade Gardens.
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The entrance to the store | Photo © The Cotswold Company
The Charlcombe Inn in Bath
The stand on Bog Island in Bath | Photo © LJ Hugs / blueOrange studio
Last-minute battle to have stall during Christmas Market
John Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter
A BATH shop won a battle to be able to have a stall outside during Bath Christmas Market, in a last-minute victory on the morning the market started.
In previous years, gift shop Pinkart has had a stall outside its storefront on York Street during Bath Christmas Market.
But last year it was ordered to remove it for creating a pinch point for crowds, causing the company losses as they had already paid for stock.
Now after a licensing battle to have a stall again this year, the shop only won the right to do so in an eleventh-hour victory on the morning of the first day of the event.
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s licensing subcommittee met in the Pump Room to decide their application on the morning of 28th November, while outside the window crowds began to mill about the market stalls on Kingston Parade.
The case was brought before the committee after local councillor Paul Roper (Kingsmead, Liberal Democrat) lodged an objection to the application for street trading consent and a pitch outside Pinkart for the duration of Bath Christmas Market.
He wrote: “Last year at the Christmas Market they set up an unauthorised stall selling food and drink and the authority had to take enforcement action.
proposals with the council’s licensing and highways officers and with Bath Christmas Market — none of whom had objected.
Mr Coffey said: “It did cause an issue last year. This year [Bath Christmas Market] have left us a bigger space outside — even bigger than 2022.”
Pinkart are selling a “selection of homemade beverages” from their stall, including mulled wine, mulled cider, Italian hot chocolate and Belgian waffles.
Ms Nikolova added: “We are a Bath independent business and this pitch is extremely important.”
Councillors on the licensing subcommittee said they would allow the pitch and grant the licence as applied for.
Their decision stated: “Members found that the proposed pitch was unlikely to have an effect on public safety, amenity, nor would it create an obstruction.”
Mr Coffey said: “We think that we are happy that our hard work over the year has resulted in the right decision being made.”
He said it would disrupt the flow of pedestrians and detract from the “pleasant ambience”.
“This application appears to me to be a way of setting up shop during the Christmas Market without paying the normal fees for a place in the market.”
But Svilena Nikolova and Tim Coffey from Pinkart told the committee that last year the stall had operated without issue throughout the market in 2022 and that the pinch point issue last year happened after the market sited a chalet directly opposite their shop. They added that they had spent the last year working on the
Insurance broker teams up with Bath Rugby Foundation for community Boot Exchange
LOCAL insurance broker
Howden Bath has teamed up with Bath Rugby Foundation, launching a Boot Exchange to recycle rugby boots and helps local children keep active. The insurance team have become a focal point for the local community to donate, exchange or pick up a pair of second-hand boots, helping even more children play on the pitch, keep active and develop new skills.
Abi Brinkhurst, branch advisor at Howden Bath, explained: “Sport is much more than throwing a ball; the social and physical benefits are endless, and for young players especially, it can give them the right tools to navigate adulthood.
local families with a fun and sustainable scheme that makes sure everyone who wants to play can get out on the pitch!”
Bath Rugby Foundation community manager Alex Randall, and communications manager Lucy Slade, said:
“As the charitable arm of Bath Rugby, we are dedicated to helping young people who need social, emotional, practical, and physical support.
“Our mission is to build confidence, develop life skills, and create pathways to independence, bridging the gap between the poorest and most affluent areas in B&NES.
“Training together forges friendships, strengthens communities, and helps talent shine – qualities that are vital on and off the pitch.
“That’s why we’ve launched our Boot Exchange, and we’re thrilled to be working with Bath Rugby Foundation, who run an incredible range of rugby, wellbeing, and educational programmes for our community.
“Together, we will help out
“The Boot Exchange is a brilliant project to increase the understanding of the barriers and challenges faced in accessing appropriate footwear for sports for those living with financial hardship.
“This project further helps children and young people to access sport in their communities and make positive changes to their physical and mental health.”
While inflation has decreased since the peak of the costof-living crisis, day-to-day household costs are still higher
Bath Christmas Market will be running until Sunday 15th December. Pinkart’s own stall is permitted to run for the same duration, from 10am-8pm seven days a week.
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than they have been throughout the past five years.
With children’s rugby boots costing anywhere between £15 to £50, the price of replacing them even just once or twice a year can quickly add up.
Craig Pope, branch manager at Howden Bath, said: “The Boot Exchange works so well to tackle this, as there are many families with cupboards full of almost
new boots, and many in need of a new pair to fit their growing feet!
“We can’t wait to see kids running out in a pair of shiny new boots, with big smiles on their faces.
“We’ve launched this scheme as our wider Howden Group is the Principal Partner of The British & Irish Lions, and we’re all counting down until they roar into action on tour in Australia next year.
“With the Lions as our North
Star, we can expand our support for grassroots sport in our community. We’re excited to share this journey with you as we launch more events and initiatives soon.”
If you would like to collect, exchange, or donate boots, pop into your local Bath branch located at 7 George Street, or ring 01225 788 044 and speak with a member of the team.
The Bath Rugby Foundation Team | Photos © Howden Bath
More space has been left opposite Pinkart by Bath Christmas Market | Photo © John Wimperis
Consultation on travel scheme extended again
BATH & North East Somerset
Council’s consultation on a controversial active travel scheme that would see more than 6km of cycle lanes created has been extended for a second time.
Local residents and businesses now have until midnight on 2nd January 2025 to have their say on the plans to improve walking, wheeling and cycling on four proposed routes across Bath.
The Bath Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Links (BWWCL) consultation has already received a large number of responses, and the council is encouraging more people to go online and have their say on the proposed scheme.
Comprising of four routes, the scheme hopes to broaden active travel options across the city, creating more than 6.2km of cycling routes through advisory lanes, dedicated spaces and quiet routes.
The project would increase Bath’s cycling network by more than 10%.
It would see the removal of around 193 on-street car parking places being lost for dedicated cycling routes.
The BWWCL scheme is part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme and is designed to connect key areas within Bath
through a network of dedicated cycle lanes, advisory routes and improved pedestrian paths.
The four proposed routes included in the scheme are:
• Weston to Bath City Centre
• Links to Royal United Hospital
• Oldfield School to Newbridge Hill
• City Centre to Kennet & Avon Canal
BWWCL seeks to rebalance how
road space is used across the city by prioritising active modes of transport to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is responsible for distributing the UK Government’s City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funds to viable schemes in the region. Its members include the
Changes urged to make future homes more accessible
John Wimperis Local Democracy Reporter
COUNCILLORS have been urged to make five changes to planning regulations in Bath and North East Somerset, which campaigners say will help people who need accessible homes in the district.
Susan Charles of the group Access B&NES told a full meeting of Bath and North East Somerset Council on 21st November: “We are all only one diagnosis away from needing accessible accommodation.
“Illness and disability can strike at any time, any age, and in any type of housing.
“All that is needed is five changes to planning regs that could save the NHS, social services, and the client money, time, and not having to move house.”
She said that she had not been provided with the numbers of accessible homes already in the council area, but the council’s housing needs assessment report quoted that nationally one in 12 households had at least one person with a limiting long-term illness or disability.
The report estimates that this
equates to 21,300 people in Bath and North East Somerset – 566 of whom are estimated to be living in an unsuitable home.
Ms Charles said: “That can require planning permission, building contractors, upheaval, and — in a case I heard of recently — where a couple hired an accessible Airbnb at £1,000 per week for four weeks while a shower and toilet was added onto the ground floor under the stairs in their house, as the wife had broken her hip. “It has been 10 months now while she lives on the ground floor, sleeps, eats, and entertains in one room, still waiting for the operation. But imagine the
difficulties if the adaptation wasn’t done.”
Ms Charles told the council that accessible planning was needed for new-build housing in the district.
She said five key changes would be level access, wider doorways, bathrooms walls containing no electrics or plumbing so they can be moved to expand the bathroom if needed, good lighting in stairways, and for joints and rafters to leave a wider space for a lift to be installed if needed.
Council leader Kevin Guy invited her to meet with the council’s cabinet member for housing.
Planning Round-up
New art gallery and offices proposed
Listed building consent is being sought to make changes to a Georgian ‘house with shop’ in the city centre.
The property is said to be of “high significance” for its historic and architectural value.
An art gallery and offices/ therapist rooms are planned for Bar Breton at 28 Barton Street, which is on the corner with Harington Place.
The application that has been submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council seeks permission to convert a bathroom into a bathroom and kitchen, along with fire safety improvements and some minor repairs.
The upper floors will continue to be used as a maisonette.
The planning reference is 24/04479/LBA. The deadline for comments is 9th January.
West of England Mayor and leaders from the Mayoral Combined Authority’s three constituent councils: Bath & North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council.
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Self-build home plan in Southdown approved Planning permission in principle has been granted by Bath & North East Somerset Council planners for a self-build home in the rear garden of 1 Cedar Grove at Southdown.
The garden has a rear access onto Moorfields Road and the car park associated with Telford House. Planners approved the application which had prompted some objections locally, including concerns about overlooking and overdevelopment.
Improvement works to pavements welcomed
PAVEMENTS in the village of Peasedown St John near Bath have received some muchneeded attention thanks to funding secured by a local councillor.
Shoppers in Bath Road, where most of the village’s shops and amenities are located, raised their concerns about the poor condition of pavement surfaces with Councillor Karen Walker earlier this last year.
As a result, B&NES Council’s Highways Department allocated just over £22,000 to carry out improvement works.
Councillor Walker said: “Thanks to all the local residents and users of Bath Road who have contacted Cllr Heathcote and I over the years about the poor condition of the pavements in this street.
“The pavements had become cracked, broken and full of dangerous holes. The support we received from residents gave us a strong case to take to B&NES for the resurfacing works to be done.”
Pavements in Bath Road, similar to many in other parts of the village, fall under the jurisdiction of either Bath & North East Somerset Council or Curo, depending on their exact location, meaning that coordinating repair
work isn’t always easy.
Councillor Gavin Heathcote (Peasedown St John, Independent) added: “The highways staff at the council have done a fantastic job.
“On a regular basis Councillor Walker and I spend an afternoon walking around the village showing officials which pavements need repair work and agreeing a schedule for resurfacing to be carried out.
“Thanks to all the residents and shoppers in Bath Road who got in touch about this issue, the street is now looking a lot safer with newly resurfaced pavements.”
It's hoped the five key changes will benefit future residents
How the proposed changes could look across the city | Image © B&NES Council
Councillors Karen Walker and Gavin Heathcote on Bath Road
Surgery loses second bid to turn space into HMO
Becky Feather Reporter
A SECOND attempt to turn part of a GP surgery in Bath into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) has been unsuccessful.
In March we reported that St Michael’s Surgery at Walwyn Close in Twerton had been refused permission to turn the two-storey wing, previously used by a dental practice, into a fourbed HMO by altering the layout on the ground and first floors.
The main reason for Bath & North East Somerset Council refusing the first application was the risk of “sandwiching” No. 14 Walwyn Close between two HMOs as No.12 had received planning permission in September 2021 to become one.
Council planning officers were also concerned that two of the proposed bedrooms would have obscured glazed windows,
which although designed to ensure no harmful overlooking for neighbours, would cause an unsatisfactory living environment.
The application also failed to secure an EPC (energy performance certificate) level C.
The latest application submitted in early October said the council’s
HMO map showed no evidence of No.12 having implemented the change of use and that permission has now expired. The revised plans also made changes to windows.
There were eight objections and local councillor Sarah Moore (Twerton & Whiteway, Liberal Democrat) wrote to
raise concerns about the lack of outdoor space, overlooking, and overdevelopment of the site. She added that when planning permission was granted to the doctors’ surgery to build the dental surgery next door, the reason that had been given was to enable the doctors’ surgery to expand.
Councillor Moore added: “This area urgently needs more doctors, not more HMOs.”
In refusing the application, officers said that the occupier of the first-floor middle bedroom would be subject to an unsatisfactory living environment because of an obscure glazed window: “It is noted that the applicant has sought to overcome this through the addition of a roof light. Although this helps provide more light into the room, there is still no outlook.”
The planners also said that the scheme fails to secure the necessary EPC level C.
Repairs planned for Rebecca Fountain statue
BATH & North East Somerset Council is applying to carry out repair works and maintenance to the Grade II listed Rebecca Fountain statue in Abbey Church Yard.
The marble statue, which has a sandstone base, dates from the first wave of public drinking fountains.
It was erected in 1861 by the Bath Temperance Association to improve public hygiene and promote abstinence from alcohol.
It depicts the Old Testament figure Rebecca who is holding a jug from which, when it worked, water poured into a bowl. However, the fountain has not been in use for many years.
A report says the statue is in a generally good condition.
It is structurally sound, with significant elements having been refurbished in 2004.
It says: “The fountain survived the 1942 Bath Blitz and in recent years being in close proximity to the contractor’s compounds during the Bath Abbey Footsteps Project and the Bath Christmas Market.
“There is localised damaged and discolouration of the marble from pollution.”
It is recommended that the fountain undergoes a programme of general maintenance to prevent further deterioration, including cleaning and localised repointing.
A number of vandalism attacks have been carried out on the statue including in 2021 when Rebecca’s face was painted blue.
24/04451/REG13.
A CLIMATE group made up of local volunteers has secured a new base in the centre of the city thanks to Bath & North East Somerset Council.
Climate Hub B&NES, which was set up to engage the community, share knowledge and provide information about how everyone can respond to the climate and biodiversity crisis, has opened in the former First Bus in Bath ticket office in the rotunda at Bath Bus Station.
The volunteer organisation has had several pop-up events in Bath, but this is the first time it has had its own public-facing space.
The council’s Vacant Unit Action Project, which supports the reuse of empty buildings on the high street for community and commercial use, helped to find the space and has provided a small grant in support.
Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for economic and cultural sustainable development, said: “I would like to thank First Bus in Bath for offering this space for the community.
“It is fantastic to see the empty ticket office brought back into use again.
“The council’s Vacant Unit Action Project has been working with the Climate Hub for a while and this is a good example of how we are working in partnership with community groups and businesses to achieve action on climate.”
The hub will offer a welcoming environment where residents, commuters and visitors can learn about nature and climate, discover sustainable living tips and get involved in campaigns for a greener district.
Climate Hub B&NES will
also offer a space for partner organisations working on nature and climate-related projects to showcase their work for a month at a time.
Councillor Oli Henman, cabinet project lead for climate emergency and sustainable travel, said: “The council is committed to working with local groups and providing support and collaboration necessary to achieve our strategic priorities, drive down carbon emissions and achieve our net zero ambition.
“The new Climate Hub will play a key role in engaging with communities and promoting local action and we hope that residents, visitors and business owners will drop in to the new location for information on sustainable travel, energy efficiency, biodiversity and more.”
The hub is running a crowdfunder
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT OF A PREMISES LICENCE UNDER THE LICENSING ACT 2003
Warrens Bakery Travel (Bath Spa) Ltd applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council on 4th December 2024 for a licence to use the premises at Platform 1, Bath Spa Railway Station, Dorchester Street, Bath BA1 1SU for the retail sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises.
The sale of alcoholic products is to take place during the following times: 06.00 To 21.00 Daily.
Notification of the application made to the Licensing Authority is available on a register at www.bathnes.gov.uk/ licensing-register.
Representations should be made in writing to: Bath & North East Somerset Council Licensing Services Lewis House Manvers Street Bath BA1 1JG or by email to licensing@bathnes.gov.uk by 1st January 2025
Representations made will be disclosed in an open meeting should a hearing be necessary.
It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and is subject to a fine of any amount on summary conviction for the offence.
Dated: 13/12/2024
campaign to raise funds to extend and support its work as it moves into the new space.
Mel Clarke, Chair of Trustees at Climate Hub B&NES, said: “We are really excited to have this space in such a central location.
It will be open every day and staffed for as many hours as we have volunteers.
“There will be a wealth of resources and information,
including displays about climate science, the importance of connecting with nature, sustainable fashion and ‘greenwashing’ and many more. “There will be a children’s area, and library, as well as information about local nature and environment related events. We’ll also be inviting other ‘green’ groups to join us each month to promote their work.”
The planning reference is
The deadline for comments is 6th January.
St Michael’s Surgery at Walwyn Way in Twerton
The special statue was erected in 1861
The new base is in the former bus ticket office | Photo © B&NES Council
Eleven students offered sporting scholarships
ELEVEN students at the University of Bath, including a Paris 2024 pentathlete and aspiring Olympians have been awarded sporting scholarships for the 24-25 academic year.
Charlie Brown, Ranjuo Tomblin, Justin Davies, Patrick McElhinney, Oscar Cawthorne, Joshua Gammon, Dylan Registe and Matt Ward will all benefit from a cash award to help them meet the demands of training, competing and studying at an elite level.
Netballer Alanna Pullen and rugby players Aiden AinsworthCave and Jess Doyle, all of whom have represented England at agegroup level, complete the cohort of scholars.
Previous scholars include four Paris 2024 Olympic medallists –Tom Dean (swimming), Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz (judo), Kate Shortman (artistic swimming) and Becky Wilde (rowing) – and hoping to emulate the success of training partner and fellow engineering student Dean is Matt Ward who, like the triple Olympic Champion, will be supported by a Bill Whiteley Scholarship.
Ward joined David McNulty’s world-renowned Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre training group in September 2023 and is now combining his swimming career with studying Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
The multi-talented swimmer, who became Team Scotland’s most decorated athlete at a single Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023 with three golds in a sevenmedal haul, made his senior British international debut at June’s European Championships. Also making his GB bow in Belgrade was Sports Performance student Joshua Gammon, who is the recipient of an Alumni Fund Scholarship. Gammon has won 200m butterfly gold at the past
two Aquatics GB Championships, as well as 100m silver at this year’s Olympic Trials, and will compete in the first major event of the LA 2028 Olympic cycle, this month’s World Aquatics Short Course Championships in Budapest.
A third international swimmer receiving scholarship support is Ireland’s Dylan Registe, the reigning national 50m butterfly champion who made his senior debut at the 2023 European Short Course Championships.
A Sports Performance student, Registe is supported by a Hudson Powell Scholarship as is Northampton Saints Academy and England U18 rugby player
Aiden Ainsworth-Cave. A former Bedford School 1st XV captain, the Economics fresher – a second-row forward – has helped the University make a strong start to the 2024-25 BUCS Super Rugby season.
The newly-renamed Hudson Powell Sports Scholarship Fund recognises the contribution of two late University of Bath sporting giants, football coach Ivor Powell and Dr Tom Hudson, the Director of Sport who established the UK’s first university sporting scholarships at Bath in 1976. Modern pentathlete Charlie Brown will benefit from a
Santander Scholarship as he builds on his Olympic debut at Paris 2024. The Sports Management and Coaching student, who trains at the University with Pentathlon GB, has already won World and European medals, and is targeting regular podium placings during the LA 2028 cycle.
Another athlete with Olympic aspirations is sailor Oscar Cawthorne, who is supported by a Bill Whiteley Scholarship. The Mathematics fresher represented Great Britain at the 2023 Youth Sailing World Championships in Brazil, placing sixth in the 420 male/mixed class with Henry Heathcote.
Trendell Scholar Ranjuo Tomblin is the latest artistic swimmer to combine their sport with studying at the University of Bath and, like Shortman, he is no stranger to making history after becoming the first-ever male to compete for Team GB in the sport. The Sports Performance student also won Britain’s first European Championships gold for 39 years in June, one of four medals he brought home from Belgrade. Natural Sciences first-year student Jess Doyle is the recipient of a Bill Burden Scholarship. The full-back represented England
Crossword answers - Issue 092 (29/11/2024)
Rugby in the U18 Women’s Six Nations 2024 and also played for the U20s in this summer’s Transatlantic Quad Series against the United States and Canada.
Completing the new intake of scholars are three more studentathletes supported by the Alumni Fund. Biomedical Sciences student Justin Davies won World University Cross Country Championships silver for GB in 2022 and is making great strides as a middle-distance runner on the track, bagging British Indoor Championships 800m bronze earlier this year before smashing his personal best while winning the British Milers Club Gold Standard Race in August. Roses Academy player Alanna Pullen, who helped England win U21 Netball Europe gold in 2023, has been named in the Team Bath Netball squad for the inaugural NXT Gen League season. The Sports Performance student has also helped the University make an unbeaten start to their 2024-25 BUCS Premier South campaign. Biology student Patrick McElhinney, who plays his club hockey for Team Bath Buccaneers in Division 1 South, is part of Hockey Ireland’s National Performance Pathway and an U21 international.
Across: 9 Bird flu, 10 On leave, 11 Capri, 12 Tax-exempt, 13 Sarcasm, 15 Rerun, 16 Apt, 17 Jekyll, 19 Osprey, 22 Aim, 24 On end, 26 Issuers, 28 Light bulb, 30 Incur, 31 Dungeon, 32 Melodic.
Down: 1 Abscess, 2 Draper, 3 Efficacy, 4 Guatemalan, 5 Coax, 6 Elixir, 7 Palm tree, 8 Destiny, 14 Atomic bomb, 18 Emerging, 20 Possible, 21 Collide, 23 Ostrich, 25 Duties, 27 Encode, 29 Urns.
Saturday 14th December – 3pm
Bath City v Welling United (Away) League
Saturday 15th December – 2pm
Bath City Womens v Cirencester Town (Home) League
Tuesday 17th December – 7.45pm
Bath City v Frome Town (Home) SPC 2
Saturday 21st December – 3pm Bath City v Aveley (Home) League
Thursday 26th December – 7.45pm
Bath City v Chippenham Town (Away) League
Wednesday 1st January – 7.45pm
Bath City v Farnborough (Home) League
Bath City FC Bath Rugby
Sunday 15th December – 1pm
Bath Rugby v Benetton Rugby (Away) Investec Champions Cup R2
Saturday 21st December – 5.30pm Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons (Away)
Gallagher Premiership – R8
Saturday 28th December – 12.45pm
Bath Rugby v Saracens (Home)
Gallagher Premiership – R9
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The sporting scholars for 2024-2025 | Photo © Team Bath