Gruesome Stone Figure

This ugly looking fellow was photographed by my father whilst on a visit to Bath. The below image gives it a bit more context but id love to know where the figure came from and where it is going next. We will be using some more of my dads working over the coming weeks as he took some great images of Bath. More examples of his work can be found at Dawson Images.

The King William

The King William is perhaps one of my favourite pubs in Bath. It serves many a fine ale and has a friendly, laid backed atmosphere as well as servings some of the best food in town. It can be found on the busy London road, one of the main routes into Bath.

The Mysterious Pink Milk Float of Walcot Street

I see this strange vehicle every day as I wander down Walcot Street on my way to work. Quite what its purpose is I have yet to work out. Originally I thought it was something to do with the Bath Fringe Festival but that has been and gone, yet the milk float remains. I would love to hear peoples suggestions as to why it is this striking pink colour and has a sofa on the back!

Tour Bus

Love them or hate them, there is no getting away from these tour buses in Bath. I guess they are the scourge of every city which is visited by a lot of people. I personally don't like them as they seem to clog up the streets and slow the traffic down considerably. But then I don't begrudge our visitors a guided tour round the city so I suppose they are a fairly necessary evil! As you can see from the photo they don't blend in particularly well with the more sedate surroundings of Bath! I would prefer an old-fashioned double decker which I used to get to work on in London years ago!

Pulteney Bridge Flower Shop

Is'nt this flower amazing? I should know what it is but I don't! This flower shop occupies the best spot on the bridge. It has a wonderful view across the river towards Prior Park.

Great Britain!

This is indeed a great selection of of tourist bits and pieces covering all cliches from telephone boxes to London taxis and buses! Luckily in Bath we are not subjected to too much of this kind of merchandise but actually it does make me smile when I see it!

River Tours

This week I have been in a touristy mood for some reason, I think perhaps because it is that season in Bath! This is the boat which takes people down the river to the weir at Bathampton and it is a trip which I love and have not been on for years. Everyone gets all friendly and waves from the river banks and bridges. Normally Bath is not necessarily known for it's overwhelming friendliness!

Orange Grove

This shot shows a part of Orange Grove in Bath, it could be anywhere in Europe! Orange Grove has no oranges: the name comes from a visit by William of Orange in 1734. An obelisk stands in the circular garden, which is called Alkmaar after Bath's twin town in Holland.



This is Orange Grove in 1930!

Bath Abbey Revisited

This wonderful figure was created not very long ago and stands outside the Abbey

Strange Window

I have walked past this window many times over the years and wondered why it is on a fairly grotty side-street and why it is bricked up and why someone would leave an ugly polystyrene cup on the ledge! Next to it is a bricked up archway, of the type which in past times perhaps a horse and small carriage could pass through. The street is called Parsonage Lane which gives nothing away either! My brief research shows that it could have been connected with the Theatre which was in this area in 1705.

Guitar Shop

This is the window of the guitar shop Duck Son & Pinker in Bath, possibly one of Tom's favourite shops!

More of the New Bath

Here is another shot of the new shopping district being built in Bath. The first shops are due to open later this year with the project being completed in 2010. I think we are looking forward to some new places to eat rather then new shops!

The new bus station is now open and fully operational. It has made a big difference to that part of Bath which had become gridlocked with traffic due to the construction.

So Many Places, So Little Time

There are endless places to go in Bath. These are just a few of them! I am ashamed to admit I have never been to Prior Park Garden. Can you believe it? Me a gardener! Anyway, it's on my list of things to do this summer!



Lovely blog award goes to:

Liz
Sarah
Leigh
Michele
Henny

Congratulations ladies! Just copy and paste on to your own blogs!

Bath Rugby

The good people of Bath love their rugby. They love Bath rugby and the city is thick with supporters! We have to confess that not being from round here and not being particularly interested in sport, it has passed us by. There is no missing the hordes of fans on a Saturday when Bath are playing at home, all wearing their kit and filling the streets with the distinctive blue and white shirts and scarves. This is the home shop on Pulteney Bridge. Needless to say I have never set foot in the place and probably never will!

Book Shop Polaroid

This shot was taken using my latest new 'old' Polaroid which is a model from the 1970's and is white plastic with a rainbow stripe! Very retro. We were browsing in our local book shop yet again and I decided to take this photo to see how it would turn out! Notice John and Yoko taking centre stage!

The Forum

The Forum can be found at the bottom end of Bath town centre, across from the new shopping development.

It was originally built as a cinema in 1934 before being used as a dance school and bingo hall from the end of the sixties. It is now used for conferences, concerts, meetings, graduation ceremonies and users include local choirs, orchestras, schools, colleges and universities as well as businesses. It is a lovely building and I hope one day it will become a cinema again!

A big thank you to Christopher for nominating us for this award! I am now searching the net for new blogs to pass it onto!

Have a great weekend everybody :)

Free Music at Parade Gardens

Recently after work I stumbled upon a free concert being held in Parade Gardens. This park can be found next to the river very close to Pultney bridge. Lots of people were out to enjoy the sunshine and music as the concert kicked off a season of festivals in Bath.

The Cloister at Iford Manor

Iford Manor sits on the steep slopes of the idyllic Frome valley, which itself has been occupied since Roman times. The house is mediaeval in origin, the classical façade having been added in the 18th century when the hanging woodlands above the garden were planted.

Iford is best known for its Grade I internationally listed Gardens, designed during the early part of the 20th century by the garden architect Harold Peto . He lived at Iford from 1899 until his death in 1933 during which time he built up an extensive collection of artefacts, brought back from his travels abroad. His great love of the Italianate style is plainly evident at Iford, where flowers occupy a subordinate place amongst the more structural elements of cypress, statuary, broad walks and pools.

In addition to his planting and structural work, Peto also created a cloister, his "Haunt of Ancient Peace", where he displayed many of his treasures. Today this building is used as an intimate venue for opera and other musical events during the summer months. Iford Manor was the recipient of the Historic Houses Association/Chies Garden of the Year Award in 1998.

Fashion!

Bath has a Fashion Museum which is housed at the Assembly Rooms, right in the centre of the City. It has a permanent collection as well as visiting exhibitions. I love it there as I studied fashion in London years ago and was going to design clothes instead of gardens! How things have changed! Anyway, well worth a visit for the fabulous clothes, some of them extremely old and a very interesting collection of fashion photography prints. This poster of a woman peeps out onto the courtyard outside the museum and caught my eye the other day.