We’ll get to the water in a moment, but first let’s talk bikes.
What is it with the cycle hoops outside Bath’s Guildhall. Do the two bolts holding them in place snap or work free? We seem to have lost another two.
A diminishing number of bike stands outside the Guildhall.
While they may be aesthetically pleasing, these two wheel parking ‘posts’ are not up to the job. When are they going to be replaced with something that is?
Two missing bike hoops outside the Guildhall.
Meanwhile, with the spring sunshine we enjoyed over the week-end it was good to see our river cruisers out and doing great business on the River Avon.
Looking down on a cruise boat from Grosvenor Bridge.
Plenty of customers for the up river cruise.
While trips upstream from Pulteney Weir are well known to me, l was pleased to see you can now float downstream on a lunchtime cruise that’ll take you to the Boathouse pub and back.
A cruise down river leaving from Bath Quays.
You climb on board from a riverside path – alongside the new Bath Quays development – where the bank has been re-shaped and re-planted as part of a new flood defence scheme that is also seeing new flood barrier walls on the other Lower Bristol Road bank.
The new flood barrier wall being installed.
Check out www.RiverAdventures.co.uk for more information.
Newly planted trees are already in leaf.
The new saplings they have planted at Bath Quays seem to have taken with fresh green foliage appearing as the new riverside ‘park’ takes shape – one which – hopefully – will include the retention of an 18th century footbridge found during archaeological work on the site.
The remains of the 18th century bridge lie under black plastic.
While on the subject of water, it’s great to see the humble little Laura Place fountain back in action and raising the spirits with it’s sparkling display of sunlight fused with cascading water. A quick clip snatched with an iPhone.
What a shame more recent developments like Southgate and Brunel Square – down by the rail station – had not thought of a water feature to help emphasise the fact that this city’s fortunes revolve around its waters – both hot and cold.
And – as we were also talking trees – this is a good place to end with an email from John Houghton.
“I don’t know if you have seen what has been done to the willows outside the old Herman Miller factory opposite Lidl (where I worked one summer in 1972 when it was the original Herman Miller factory) Someone has done a really good job of trimming and shaping the trees.’
The pruned willows looking great on the riverbank.
He sent me an image he took from the nearby footbridge.
‘Definitely something to celebrate, I think?’, he says.
Always good to do that John.
