Zoom into 2022.qxp_Layout 1 21/12/2021 15:58 Page 1
WHAT’S ON | THIS YEAR
Zoom into
2022
When we say ‘zoom’, we’re not talking the cloud-based communications app, but the real, physical zoom word. What follows are actual things that are happening this year in our city. After some consideration of predicted consumer trends, Emma Clegg rounds up the things to look out for, ranging from the Winter Olympics to the Tudors, and choral performances to the reopening of our much-loved lido
T
he pandemic has changed our approach to life. It has changed when we work, where we work and how we work. But reports predicting consumer attitudes for next year indicate that it has also changed why we work, and what we choose to do when we’re not working. It seems that we are less driven by the conviction that we have to keep ourselves firmly on the career ladder, following an upwards curve in order to achieve in life, and that perhaps doing so is ultimately limiting the parameters of our life experience. Having lost so many days in the last 18 months or so, the idea that we’ve got just 16,790 days from becoming an adult to reaching retirement (as estimated by GWI’s consumer report for 2022) is meaningful and we are realising that our time is super precious and we need to take advantage of it. Forecasters are predicting that post-pandemic there will be a record number of employees leaving their jobs, wanting to embrace adventure, try new things and be less conservative and cautious. Already trends are indicating that treating ourselves and
indulging in new experiences has become a priority, just behind saving money and spending time with loved ones. So after so long staying put in an enforced bubble, people want to break out and be wholesomely engaged in every moment on this earth. There’s also a continuing dominant trend to look after ourselves with the increasing urge to keep active, eat more healthily and take part in activities that we enjoy to improve our mental wellbeing. “Taking ‘me’ time isn’t selfish,” says the GWI Zeitgeist for 2022, “because just a moderate amount of free time is linked to being happier and less stressed”. Self-care also means recognising the things we don’t want to do, and we’re learning how to recognise stress prompts and act to remove them or reduce their impact. Charged with this information about consumer trends, here are some top-notch what’s on picks in the Bath calendar in 2022. Whether it’s artistic discoveries, theatrical experiences or sporting achievements, these will help you to make the most of your time, embrace new experiences, and look after your mental wellbeing. Life is for the taking.
CELEBRATE OUR HERITAGE
make Bath a World Heritage Site: its Roman remains, hot springs, 18th-century architecture, 18th-century town planning, the landscape setting of the city, and the way in which Bath’s Georgian architecture reflects 18th-century social ambitions. Free to enter, there is no need to book tickets or timeslots to visit; the centre will be open Monday to Sunday, 9.30am to 5pm. Visitor numbers will be restricted in the centre to allow for social distancing, so at busier times some visitors may need to wait to enter the building. The second phase of public realm improvements in York Street is due to begin in the new year. The works were initially scheduled to take place alongside works in Swallow Street during the summer of 2021. • bathworldheritage.org.uk/worldheritagecentre
20 TheBATHMagazine
|
January 2022
|
iSSue 227
Patti Smith: Steven Sebring
The new World Heritage Centre in York Street opens in the spring (after being trialled last month), with the exact launch date to be announced. The centre will include interactive exhibits and displays and visitors will be able to download an exciting new app, which they can use to go out and explore the city. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the World Heritage Centre will give visitors a chance to find out what makes Bath so special. It is designed to inspire them to go out and explore the buildings, landscapes and history that
