SPOTLIGHT Bath at Christmas

Take a magical walk along Bath’s festive lights trail

Christmas

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED

In this strangest of years, we are embracing the comfort of the festive season more than ever. We’re loving Bath BID’s magical Christmas Light Trail, designed and produced by Fineline Lighting and Visit Bath – it is sprinkling some much-needed magic across the city. The trail – which we highly recommend following in full – begins at St Swithin’s Church to the north of the city and leads you on an illuminated path through Bath’s iconic locations like Abbey Green, Kingston Parade, Kingsmead Square, Old Bond Street, Northumberland Place, SouthGate and Buro Happold’s offices, which this year have been transformed into a spectacular enormous advent calendar. The Abbey is lit up with bright projections that can be seen from all seven hills around the city, while the old Royal Mineral Water Hospital building glows blue in celebration of the NHS. For more: www.welcometobath.co.uk

Mr and Mrs White Christmas: the Netflix festive rom com we all want to see Kilter Theatre and A Word in Your Ear have brought Christmas tales to households all over the city

Theatre

TELLING TALES

Kilter Theatre and A Word In Your ear have joined forces to bring Bath some Christmas joy in the form of Festive Doorstep Stories – it’s like carol singing but with a story in place of a song. Throughout December, the arts organisations’ army of actors have pitched up on doorsteps across the city to invite residents to choose from a menu of yuletide tales.

Oliver Langdon, Kilter’s artistic director, says, “On the menu there’ll be an option to suit every household, but they’ll have one thing in common – a warm, feel-good factor to remind us of what’s good in life and to keep out the chill as the days get darker.” For more: www.kiltertheatre.org; www.awordinyourear.org.uk

Love

DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS Mr White and Miss Christmas have tied the knot. It sounds like a fairytale – and to them, it might be – but it also happens to be true. Mr and Mrs White-Christmas married on the picturesque terrace of the Roman Baths just before lockdown. The couple met when they were just 12 years old.

“It took us time to twig that our surnames came together as White-Christmas,” says Tilly – Mrs White-Christmas – “We first realised at our secondary school prom when our friend uploaded pictures to social media using the hashtag #WhiteChristmas.” For more: www.romanbaths.co.uk

Bath in all its festive glory

Bath Abbey’s Christmas Tree by @chloemoore_photography

Twinkling Milsom lights by @brilliantbath

Margaret’s Buildings by @brettsalakophotography

Check out the Our Landscape City map on Cheap Street

Go outside

THESE ROUTES WERE MADE FOR WALKING

This year Bath’s green spaces have become more important than ever. As we spend more time socialising out of doors, they have become the heart of the city year-round.

A new project has launched to champion these very spaces. Our Landscape City aims to connect Bathonians with surrounding landscape, defi ning the city as a walking and cycling destination – not just for locals, but our visitors too.

“Bath is a perfect size for exploring both city and landscape on foot or by bike, and we have spectacular views within relatively short distances. With many of us spending more time at home due to the pandemic, fresh air and exercise is key to

Charity

A GREAT YARN 100-year-old Ethel White has brought passers-by more than a little festive joy with her knitted nativity scene – complete with Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus in his manger, three wise men, shepherds and a donkey – which she whipped up in a mere two weeks.

“It didn’t take me very long at all,” Ethel says. “I’ve been knitting 80 years and am knitting all the time. Knit, knit, knit! I’ve put it in my window so people can see it when they go by and show it to their children. I wanted to do my bit at Christmas to try to cheer people up.”

Ethel, who’s a resident of a sheltered housing scheme in Combe Down, has raised more than £4,000 for local charities with her knitting in her time. For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk maintaining physical health and mental wellbeing,” says councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services. “Our Landscape City will inspire people to enjoy everything Bath has to off er beyond the historic landmarks, encouraging visitors to extend their time here and help revitalise the local economy.”

The huge Our Landscape City map on Cheap Street shows walking or cycling routes from the city centre to green spaces like Limpley Stoke, Charmy Down and Prospect Stile, as well as the facilities available at each location. For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk/

our-landscape-city

Ethel has always been an avid knitter