Jaw dropping

Into town for a dental appointment. Hadn’t realised our dreadful government is withdrawing so much NHS money from this branch of the medical services!

Aren’t ‘dental plans’ just another name for privatisation?

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Meanwhile, good to see repairs completed – if still under wraps – on the damaged balustrade adjoining Pulteney Bridge.

Good to know one of our best photo-opportunity spots is going to look much happier in appearance once the city opens up again for visitors.

It is also good to know l appear to have a regular following! I had passed through Sydney gardens – which is currently getting a Heritage Lottery assisted makeover. I wondered – with so much earth-moving underway that there appeared to be no archaeology being conducted ted alongside it.

This is a former Georgian pleasure garden after all and who knows what evidence of that history lies beneath the soil – even if it’s only a coin or a silver spoon?

Well l am pleased to acknowledge Sue Palmer – Community Ranger for the Sydney Gardens Project Team – amongst my followers. She was quick to put me right about historical responsibilities too.

Sue told me:

‘We do have an ‘archaeological watch’ on site at all times during the earth moving. This is the right procedure to follow. So while it may not look like there is archaeology going on, there definitely is!

Whenever there are works on site, we always have a ‘watch’ person seeing if anything is being uncovered or revealed. They may look like just another member of the build team, but they are there!

Adam Tuffey was the archaeology watch person when we were digging the foundations for the new community building, and one of our volunteers interviewed him for our blog site.’

Here is the link. https://medium.com/sydney-gardens-bath/archaeological-finds-at-sydney-gardens-bd368c857941

Fascinating stuff – thanks Sue – and here’s a plan of the new play area which has just been released.

Finally, looking down on the fabulous April blossom on view in Parade Gardens with a little balustrade reminder that other sections of this Bath stone decorative edging will need repairing soon.