Sydney Gardens – BATH NEWSEUM

The people’s park.

A 21st century pleasure garden for all the community. That’s what Keith Rowe – Project Manager for the Sydney Gardens restoration and improvement scheme – promised today in an interview with Bath Newseum. The project recently successful bid for a major Heritage Lottery Fund grant to start work on regenerating one of the city’s most […]

by Richard Wyatt

Another unhappy ending.

Sad to see another well-established business announcing closure. This bargain bookshop has been trading at the Bog Island end of Pierrepont Street for around 35 years. Ironically – for Good Buy Books – it’s good bye books now. I am told it’s a mixture of bad health and falling sales. Another victim maybe to our […]

by Richard Wyatt

Bring back the park keeper.

It’s good to know that the supporters of a revamped Sydney Gardens can look forward to a new year in which their dreams can begin to come true – thanks to Heritage Lottery funding. However, can l just point out that whatever wonderful restoration work is done, nothing can be truly achieved without re-instating the […]

by Richard Wyatt

Hey Bath! – love you.

Winter Solstice – December 21st – seems a good place to reflect on what is past and what is to come. Bath Newseum has never set out to rival the local newspapers – and ad mags – but to offer a take on what affects us all, living in and around a heritage city steeped […]

by Richard Wyatt

Mourning the loss of a park keeper.

Unfortunately this is what happens when you decide to ‘save’ money and dispense with the services of a park keeper. A man who is around during the day – who both sees and discourages this sort of mindless vandalism. Here’s hoping – when the Sydney Gardens are re-born with the aid of the recent HLF […]

by Richard Wyatt

Sydney Gardens wins HLF funding!

Bath’s Sydney Gardens has been saved from dereliction. The UK’s only surviving Georgian Pleasure Garden – and one of the oldest parks in the city – will be restored thanks to National Lottery players, following news of a £2.7million grant. The money, which has been awarded jointly by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the […]

by Richard Wyatt

Historic canal under attack.

Always the same isn’t it? The week a vital member of staff takes a holiday, his services are suddenly urgently needed! Bit of a shock greeting narrow boat crews and towpath users on the K and A through Sydney Gardens this morning as someone with limited capacity has directed what is left of his intelligence […]

by Richard Wyatt

Bath’s turf wear

Two years of necessary disruption around Bath Abbey as the multi-million pound Footprint Project gets underway but l can’t resist pointing out how the hoarding has had a knock-on effect on the increased wear and tear of the green space around the obelisk in Orange Grove. Looks as if the Parks Department are going to […]

by Richard Wyatt

What future for the meadows?

Whitehall cut-backs in local government funding – and the increased demands on social services from us all living longer – have left B&NES a bit short of cash. I suppose looking after needy kids and the old must take priority over the care of things like the city’s many parks so its no surprise the […]

by Richard Wyatt

Fingers crossed for Sydney Gardens.

Friends and suppporters of Sydney Gardens – one of Bath’s most historic city parks – are hoping it will be two-times lucky as they formally submit their bid for HLF funding to secure and improve what is the remnants of one of Britain’s best remaining Georgian pleasure gardens. The Sydney Gardens Parks for People Project […]