Back from a short break in Spain – enjoying the delights of cheap and clean electric trains – and out into Bath city centre.
These observations are all about signs. In Monmouth Street l passed the recently repainted Griffin Inn where it was good to see another example of new sign writing decorating an old building.
It’s a contemporary take on an old tradition marked by the faded advertisements – or ghost signs for long defunct businesses – which are still to be seen everywhere in the city.
They feature in a book called Ghost Signs of Bath – which has been written by Andrew Swift and Kirsten Elliott – and published by Akeman Press.
Not far away in James Street West the latest Apex hotel is taking shape and due for opening in the summer of this year.
The 177 bedroomed 4-star complex will be joining nine other hotels the company owns across the UK.
The Apex hotels website calls it the Apex City of Bath Hotel but l am sure l saw something about a competition to choose a name for the newcomer from a pre-selected list.
None of them struck me as being very much about the new hotel’s historic location.
I can live with ‘City of Bath Apex’ but would prefer they looked across the road and reflected on the once busy Bath terminus of the Somerset and Dorset Railway.
Apex Green Park would strike me as an obvious choice.
While we wait to see what finally goes on that sign can l just point out that the black and white stripes of the crossing outside the Odeon Cinema Complex are so faded – they look like one of the city’s famous ghost signs!
The paint is so faded – and the Belisha beacons on either pavement so shabby and insignificant – that a visiting driver to Bath may soon not know that he or she is approaching a zebra crossing. Not good news if you are a local pedestrian.
Another road marking that needs replacing!
Name for new Hotel – As it is just across the road from New King Street, is it about time Bath had a ‘Herschel Hotel’…
If not the ‘Herschel’, how about the ‘Adelard’