Things to come?

Now you know l take a special interest in our city’s heritage and am quick to point up anything that l think reflects badly on our historically world-famous home town.

I do appreciate that times are hard financially, and it is difficult to keep up with the maintenance required on the fabric of this architecturally and socially significant city.

One that attracts so many visitors and depends heavily on the income received from tourism. God forbid we ever wake up to find our hot springs have dried!

However, on a positive note, l wanted to list some of the improvement works anticipated next year that will further enhance Bath’s appearance.

The canopy over the High Street entrance to The Corridor should be reassembled and back in place early next year.

The Rebecca at the Well statue by Bath Abbey is due to be given a bit of skilled TLC.

Refreshing the famous 17th-century West Doors of Bath Abbey is also on the 2026 to-do list for our historic parish church.

I am hearing the damaged top entrance post to Prior Park is also finally due to be repaired. The word is that the entrance will be set back a bit to reduce the chance of a further vehicular collision.

Bath Preservation Trust will be taking away the vandalised telephone box at the steps end of the Gravel Walk to restore and return it, decked out with information about this Georgian-built pedestrian ‘by-pass’ that gets a mention in Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion.

I have to say there is little in the way of gravel left on that passageway, and its future welfare has to be addressed soon!

Here’s hoping work will start in earnest on the conversion of the old Mineral Water Hospital into a top-class hotel, and that the old KES School in Broad Street will continue its transformation into a bar/restaurant/boutique hotel. Not sure on that one.

Looking forward to seeing new trustees appointed to sort out the future of number 4 The Circus and its former award-winning Georgian garden. Still not sure you can call council appointments independent, as they will be charged with getting rid of the building.

We’ve the reopening of a renovated Jolly’s to look forward to and M & S relocating to Southgate.

Hope whoever takes over their old store will respect and maybe even make more accessible the length of the city’s medieval wall bordering their delivery yard.

Is it too much to hope that the clock above the facade of Bath Spa Station will be put back in place?

Hopefully, our Thermae Bath Spa can celebrate its 20th anniversary with its broken front column back in place, too.

I wonder if the council has had any offers for Ralph Allen’s Townhouse yet, and do they intend to sell the old tourist office in Abbey Courtyard?

The year ends, though, with no public statement on the future of the beleaguered Cleveland Pools or the progress of talks between B&NES and Wessex Water about how to put water permanently back in the Vicky Park duckponds.

Finally, as a cyclist, l have to say the year ends with very few city-centre roads actually safe for those on two wheels.

We are a pot-hole and sunken trench city and, I suppose, reliant on money from our West of England Mayor to do anything about it.

Please add any more pluses or minuses to add to this heritage list.