Well, after a terrible June and July with health concerns in the family it was time to see if my wife, Joanne, and I could make it to an airbnb in Bath for a break.
We had booked a weekend in Bath years ago, and through one thing and another we kept cancelling and rescheduling to a later date. This year though, the stars aligned, fewer people died and my family were less disrupted by college, university etc.
Joanne and I jumped in the car on a Friday afternoon and drove from Shrewsbury to Bath and we found a park and ride where we could leave the car for the two days Parked on the outskirts of the old city we found our way into the city centre on the bus and jumped out by The Ivy restaurant, looked around, figured out which way we needed to go to the AirBnB.
Upon arriving at the accomodation we used the keycode and entered the building before a long tre up some steep stairs to the very top of the building. Unpacked and had a scout around in the apartment/flat, we headed out for a walk. Obviously my Leica Q3 came with me to help me document some of the places that we’d inevtibaly explore.
First up was a walk to The Circus and then The Royal Crescent. These circular themed roadways and houses built around them were similar to those seen in an old romantic comedy or a Sherlock Holmes type flick. In actual fact after looking into it, I can see a number of period dramas including Bath’s own author Jane Austen and some of her novels that had been made into movies.
Very posh indeed and some of the properties here must have been eyewateringly expensive, in 2021 Number 9 sold for £4,650,000. (Four and a half million pounds) Now that is an exclusive housing association to be a part of. Wow.
Next up was a walk into the city and a stroll around the city centre, visiting the Abbey and seeing the Roman Baths for the first time.
We sat in a cafe in the square at the front of the Abbey and had a little drink before heading ito the Roman Baths to see what the fuss is all about. As per the previous post when I rant about the Space Shuttle Enterprise not having been to space, I was disappointed to find out that the baths in terms of the big wet bit were original but the buildings around it was a more contemporary construction. The baths in the darker areas were interesting to see and imagine just how humid it must have been in there. The hot spring still bubbles up to the surface and tops up the baths, and this is amazing in itself, if a little pongy. There was some nice information in here, but it felt a bit sparse and not really worth the money. Might be a bit controversial but it was all a bit bland.
The next day we had a wander around the City, looked at getting a boat trip and then went on the open top bus tour around the city. It was a good way to see much of the city that we wouldn’t have known about before. We watched some live music, big drum group, in the local park and then carried on to the Pulteney Bridge which has shops on each side along the length of it. They were mostly little gift shops, cafe’s and hairdressers but it was odd that it didn’t feel like a bridge when on there. The buildings in Bath are known for their style and consistency but I found that the scenery was boring due to this. I did find an old telephone exchange whilst we were on the bus tour but never got back to it for proper photos.
There were loads of people around which was a great result for me with my Q3 doing some street photography but again, I found that the city was primarily aimed at shopping for big brands and also many cafes and bars. In the evening it was more about stag and hen parties.
After we’d eaten tea and had a stroll back to the apartment I decided that I was going to go for a walk after dark to see how the abbey looked and see how busy it was with revellers. It was actually dead quiet. There were very few people about apart from in the larger Wetherspoon pub and Slug & Lettuce venue where many drunk people sang, danced, fell over and fought.
I had a walk and then when there wasn’t much to capture I headed back to the airbnb and went to sleep in the slightly uncomfortable bed. Tomorrow would see us head to Bristol to take a look at the Clifton Suspension bridge and the riverside.
Up and out of the Airbnb, on the park and ride back to the car, before driving to another park and ride on the outskirts of Bristol. It was a bit of a rougher introduction to the city of Bristol, in much the same way as the outskirts of Rome are covered in graffiti and rubbish. When we got off the bus and had a wander around we had a cup of coffee before heading off to The Bagel Place, where the day before I’d arranged to meet one of the workers and look at a Leica M6 camera he was selling on Facebook Marketplace. I had a look over it and decided to buy it from the guy selling and then instantly put a 35mm film into it so I could try it out as we walked through Bristol.
We walked passed a Banksy painting on a wall by a bridge, “Well Hung Lover” depicts a naked man hanging off a window ledge whilst a jealous husband looks out of the window. It’s covered by a bit of vandalism and some tags but I guess that’s ok. After all , that’s what Banksy did originally.
We went to the riverside and had a drink in a cafe there before going into the Museum where we saw the Edward Colston statue in a glass case, still bearing the vandalism from when it was removed from its pedestal in the Black Lives Matter protests a couple of years prior.
The history of the city of Bristol was interesting in the Arnolfini and we spent a while in here reading about how it grew as a city. Outside were a few cranes on the side of the docks. One was being operated by volunteers but I didn’t fancy spending money on climbing up and having a swing back and forth.
We walked back to the Park and Ride bus stop, hitched a bus to the car again, then drove back through Bristol to get to the Clifton Suspension bridge, where we got out of the car and had a walk across this massive spectacle of engineering. It was seriously impressive and I was glad we took the time to head over and visit it.
Overall, we had a nice time away with less stress than we might have normally had. We could just do what we wanted and go where wanted when we wanted. We haven’t done this since the Cruise in 2023 and it was nice to spend time together again.
I also managed to make lots of images of street photography, using both the Q3 and now the M6.
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