Regular events in Bath
Mondays
Widcombe Choir. Widcombe Social Club. 7.15-9pm. For details see the Widcombe Association website.
Tuesdays
Central Library with Bath La Leche League. Meet the friendly breastfeeding support for mums. 10-11.30am. Details at Email: mara.rl.richards@gmail.com or call 01225 339023 (Mara) or 01225 317631 (Helen).
Old Theatre Royal Tours. Guided tours every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday of The Masonic Hall in Bath, also know as the Old Theatre Royal.
Wednesdays
Widcombe Wayfarers Walks. Meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, starting at 10am at the west end of Widcombe Parade. Walks last between 1-2 hours and are medium paced. Come dressed for the weather, with suitable footwear and be prepared for a few climbs. Walks are limited to 20 people and registration is now compulsory. The walks are free but if you would like to make a small donation to this event you can do so when you register. See the Widcombe Association website for details.
Widcombe. St Matt’s Widcombe. Coffee morning at 10.30am. Come down and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.
Southdown Methodist Church. Warm Spaces. 1-4pm. Southdown Methodist Church Centre and Thursdays 10-4pm offering a warm space, refreshments and activities.
Thursdays
Story Time at Bath Library. 12noon to 12.30pm. Let’s share stories and books at the library! Perfect for families with children aged 0-5. No booking required.
Bath Good Afternoon Choir. They meet every Thursday at the Central United Reformed Church in Argyle Street Bath from 2pm to 4pm. The choir is led by Grenville Jones, where the accent is on social singing for people who have afternoons free.
Fridays
Bath Mosque – Al-Muzaffar. Friday prayers. Check website for various times. https://bathmosque.org.uk/
Saturdays
Bear Flat Community market and café. Third Saturday of every month, from 9:30am to 12:30 pm in the church hall on Bruton Avenue. To book a stall, email market@bearflat.org.uk
Walcot Antique and Flea Market. The market is every Saturday from 7.30am to 4pm.
Bath Farmers’ Market. Green Park Station. Every Saturday at 9am-1.30pm. You will find quality, fresh, seasonal produce at a fair price. The goods are sold directly by the people who produce them and everything usually comes from within a 40 mile radius of Bath.
Sundays
Madalene Chapel, Holloway. Holy Eucharist – 10am at the Chapel
Church of Our Lady & St Alphege Mass 11am, 6pm. Oldfield Lane.
St Luke’s, Wellsway. 10am. Service of worship, prayer and teaching.
St Matthew’s, Widcombe. 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month 10:30am Contemporary Family service
Theatre Picks In Bath
Thu 8 Dec-Sun 8 Jan. Theatre Royal Bath. Aladdin. Traditional pantomime with its origin of a mash up of the Arabian Nights and the emergence of China in the late 18th century. With Jon Monie (who used to star in Bath’s pantos with the late Chris Harris) as the titular character with a guarantee of high humour, classical references and big song and dance numbers.
Fri 9 Dec-Sun 15 Jan. The Egg Theatre. Five Children and It. Written by Marietta Kirkbride, and based on the novel by E Nesbit the show was a big success last year gaining a five star review from Bath Voice.
Sat 7 Jan-Sun 5 Feb. Egg Theatre. Snow Mouse. An enchanting winter’s tale for the very young. Winter has arrived and the woods are covered in white. A child hurries to put on their winter clothes so they can run outside and play in a sparkly new world. Just when they are starting to feel a bit lonely, they find a sleeping mouse buried under the soft white flakes. Sliding, tumbling and laughing, they explore the winter wonderland together and keep each other safe and warm from the winter freeze. Come and join two new friends on their adventures in a magical forest full of play, puppetry and music. Performed by Egg favourite Emile Clarke.
Thu 12 – Sun 15 Jan. Rondo Theatre. Beauty and the Beast. Various performance times. Community Theatre. By Warren McWilliams. Presented by Bath Drama. A tale as old as time about a fearless young Beauty, who bravely ignores Count Danton’s advances, and goes on a quest to save her sick father. Bath Drama offers a festive treat for all the family filled with song and dance, suspense and romance.
Thu 12- Sat 21 Jan. Theatre Royal Bath. Relatively Speaking. Beautifully crafted, uproariously funny and charmingly English, Relatively Speaking was Alan Ayckbourn’s first West End hit in 1967, making him a household name, with Noël Coward himself praising the young writer on creating “a beautifully constructed and very funny comedy”. Featuring Liza Goddard.
Fri 13 Jan-Sat 11 Feb. Ustinov Studio. Bath. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee’s scintillating masterpiece takes place during the course of one brutal and hilarious night when George, a college professor, and his wife Martha invite a young couple back for late-night drinks after a faculty party.
Tue 24-Sat 28. Theatre Royal Bath. Ballet with Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Spectacular presentations of two of the world’s most popular classical ballets, accompanied by a live orchestra to complete the experience.
Wed 25-Sat 28 Jan. Mission Theatre. The Father. By Florian Zeller translated by Christopher Hampton. 7.30pm. The Father is a tragi-comic mystery, a sobering and realistic family story, and an unsentimental, emotionally intense look at the world through the eyes of a man experiencing dementia. Funny and poignant in equal measure. Directed in-the-round by Next Stage’s Artistic Director, Ann Ellison, with the role of the Father played by talented Next Stager, John Matthews.
Mon 30 Jan-Sat 4 Feb. Theatre Royal Bath. Pride and Prejudice* (sort of). Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story.
Fri 3-Sat 4 Feb. Mission Theatre. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Mozart. Presented by Cardiff Opera. 7:30pm. After making their Bath debut in 2022 with Così fan tutte, Cardiff Opera return to The Mission Theatre with a new, exciting production of one of the most enduringly popular stage works ever created – Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).
Theatre Picks Outside Bath
Thu 24 Nov-Sat 7 Jan. Bristol Old Vic Theatre. The Nutcracker. Transported to a fantastical kingdom where toys come to life, nutcrackers can talk and just about anything feels possible, Clara soon discovers that it’s not just mice lurking beneath the floorboards.
Sat 26 Nov-Sun 8 January. Salisbury Playhouse. Cinderella. Traditional rags to riches pantomime.
Thu 1 Dec- Sun 15 Jan. Bristol. Tobacco Factory. The Snow Queen. Join Gerda on her quest to the frozen north as she tries to save her best-friend Kaj from the icy, wicked clutches of The Snow Queen.
Fri 2 Dec-Sun 8 Jan. Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Belle and Sebastian. A Travelling Light and Bristol Old Vic co-production based on the stories of Cécile Aubry. A boy and his dog escape to the mountain in a wild adventure.
Pick of Diary Events in Bath
Sat 12 Nov-Tue 3 Jan. Bath on Ice. Royal Pavilion, Royal Victoria Park. Ice skating outdoors and Glow Golf returns.
Thu 5 Jan. The Pavillion. U3A talk on the effects of the Poor Laws. With Peter Martin. Doors open 9.45am. Talk at 10am. £3 non members.
Fri 6 Jan- Fri 24 Feb. Bath Rugby Club. On Your Feet. 8 week exercise programme for all ages and abilities. On Your Feet is a mixed age and mixed gender fitness programme that is designed for you and delivered by Trained Expert Fitness Instructors, our Health and Wellbeing Lead and a Qualified Advanced Rugby Coach, combining fitness and rugby to increase positive habits.
Fri 6-Sun 8 Jan. Widcombe Social Club. The third Bath Jazz Weekend. Featuring a remarkable line up of bands and soloists of international standing from across the British jazz scene. Beginning on Friday night with an affectionate retrospective film featuring the likes of Count Basie and Big Joe Turner. Then it is Esprit du Jazz quartet led by accordionist Karen Street and violinist Theo May’s Odd Unit quintet. Saturday features pianist and composer Rebecca Nash with her quintet project Redefining Element 78, followed by solo pianist Matthew Bourne. Saturday evening has Robert Mitchell’s True Think, now with the addition of vocalist Liselotte Ostblum. Solo vibraphonist Orphy Robinson, another voice for contemporary Britain and Paul Dunmall, leading his new younger-generation quintet, is featured as a creative saxophonist. On Sunday the three-gig programme begins with trumpeter Pete Judge and Harriet Riley’s special project Comfort In Chaos together with Bristolian poets. Following them is pianist Andrew Cormack and saxophonist Jake McMurchie leads his new local-but-international Bristolian quartet..
Wed 11 Jan. BANES. Guildhall. Planning Committee Meeting. 11am.
Thu 12 Jan. Komedia. Talk with Dr James Brown on The Science of ADHD: Navigating Neurodiversity in a Neurotypical World. This talk is designed to give you an increased awareness and understanding of an ADHD brain. It will include advice and tips on how to navigate a neurotypical world as a neurodivergent person. This talk will also highlight how society is demanding change. People are increasingly recognising and accepting neurodiversity and self-defining as neurodivergent. Surely, it’s time for the world to alter neurotypical societal standards as they are fast becoming outdated. 6.45pm.
Thu 12 Jan. BANES. Guildhall. Licensing sub-committee. 10am.
Mon 16 Jan. BANES. Guildhall. 4pm Climate Emergency and Sustainability Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel.
Fri 20 Jan. Rondo Theatre. Rock the Tots. Gigs for little people… and their grown-ups. Expect to hear some super tunes with destinations in their titles and lyrics. There might be some Toto, there may well be some Beach Boys, and who knows, George Ezra might feature! Come along with your wee adventurers, and we will take you on a fun journey. And of course we will have our puppet friends, inane dance moves, story, memes and more. Sessions are 1hr long without an interval. Suitable for children aged 0-6, and their adults. Please note: each adult and child over the age of 1 needs their own ticket – children under 1 year old go free. 11am.
Fri 20 Jan. Rondo Theatre. The People’s String Foundation Duo. 8pm. The People’s String Foundation Duo are the two founding members of the international 32 piece gypsy orchestra. They have worked with theatre companies throughout the UK and are currently touring their back catalogue of theatre compositions, orchestral pieces, and songwriter material. A show of real heart and musical ability.
Thu 26 Jan & Sat 4 Feb Rondo Theatre. The Greatest Magician: an evening of wonders. 8pm. A dazzling new magic show, presented by the magician most famous for jamming the BBC switchboards after he correctly predicted the lottery. This astonishing, enigmatic, five star rated magic show will leave you aching from laughter and dizzy in disbelief. Directed by the late Paul Daniels, the enigmatic show comes to the stage for the first time… you’ll be transported to a jaw-dropping world of light-hearted hilarity, wonderment, and mystery.
Thu 2 Feb. The Pavillion. U3A talk on Europe’s youngest county: Kosova. With Elizabeth Gower. Doors open 9.45am. Talk at 10am. £3 non members.
Mon 13-Fri 17 Feb. BANES. Spring Half Term Holidays. Schools out for a week.
Pick of Diary Events outside of Bath
Fri 6 Jan. Bristol. Haunted and Hidden Bristol Walking Tour. Fun 90 min walk that combines haunted buildings, TV locations and Bristol trivia. Advance bookings are required. Starts at College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TJ. 8pm.
Sat-Sun 7-8 Jan. Thornbury. Dinomania at Thornbury Leisure Centre. Dinomania is bigger than ever with more dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures than ever. Watch in amazement as the dinosaurs walk amongst the audience. Get up close and personal with lots of baby dinosaurs. Maybe you will get lucky and get to feed our long neck Armargasaurus or are you brave enough to touch a huge T.Rex. 11am and 2pm.
Sat 21 Jan. Henleaze. Treasures of the Baroque at Henleaze Concert Society. Trinity-Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4BT. A captivating programme of sparkling instrumental music from the Baroque period.
Exhibition Picks in Bath
American Museum, Bath. Claverton. The Museum features collections from the United States where you can visit room sets that recreate periods of American history giving the feeling that someone has just stepped out, as well as our world-renowned folk art, quilt and map collections. The Exhibition Gallery has a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions showcasing different links to American culture such as dinosaurs, photography, fashion, American music, history and travel.
Museum of Bath at Work. Julian Rd, Bath BA1 2RH. A Visual Record of a City at Work exhibition continues with photos and videos. Enter the world of working Bath through a series of authentically reconstructed workplaces, workshops and display galleries. Two thousand years of working life are on display from a Victorian ironmongers and engineering works, a soft drinks making factory and even a Bath Stone mine working, all on show in a former Real Tennis court, dating from 1777. Displays in two galleries: Landscapes and Livelihoods and Knowing Your Place.
Victoria Art Gallery. Peter Brown exhibition until 15 Jan. This exhibition features over 100 new oil paintings and prints by the ever popular Bath-based artist, ‘Pete the Street’.
Holburne Museum. Rodin – Degas: Impressionist Sculpture. Until Jan 8. Focus on the artists’ representation of the human body and their expression of its energy through both dynamic poses and static poise; Elisabeth Frink: Strength & Sensuality. Until Jan 8; My Reality is Different Until 8 Jan; From Sat 21 Jan to 23 April: Illustrating the World of Woodcuts in the Age of Durer. This is a rare opportunity to view the complete set of woodcuts known as The Great Passion, produced by the most famed artist of the German Renaissance, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528); Alberta Whittle: Dipping below a waxing moon, the dance claims us for release: newly commissioned sculptures. 28 Jan to May 8 2023.
Herschel Museum of Astronomy. Commemorating 200 years since the death of William Herschel. The museum will be exhibiting some artefacts on loan from the Royal Astronomical Society and Herschel Family Archive which will showcase William’s achievements. The exhibition will also acknowledge the important contributions of those working with William, including his sister Caroline Herschel. Until Dec 31.
Museum of East Asian Art. Revolution, Propaganda, Art: Printmaking in Modern China. Continues to 3 June 2023. The exhibition showcases a series of prints selected from Muban Educational Trust’s collection of over 6,000 and tells the story of China’s twentieth-century wars, revolution and rejuvenation. The exhibition explores artistic trends, political movements and technical developments in modern Chinese printmaking. The works presented mark several significant anniversaries in China’s modern history, including the May Fourth Movement (1919), the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (1921), and Lu Xun’s seminal printmaking class, which symbolises the origin of the Modern Woodcut Movement (1931).
Exhibition Picks outside Bath
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Queens Road. The art of Japanese porcelain. The exhibition examines how Japan became the global leading makers of porcelain between 1640 and 1680. Until 30 July 2023. John Akomfrah – Mimesis: African Soldier. Mimesis is a film by John Akomfrah that uncovers the story of the Commonwealth soldiers who volunteered to fight in World War I: the war of their colonial masters. Until 8 January.We Were Everywhere: World war experiences from pre-Partition India. This exhibition explores the experience of Indians and Pakistanis during the world wars and the partition of India. Until 5 March 2023. Sweet Patootee Arts: Turning Point. A series of four short films by Sweet Patootee Arts inspired by oral histories about the Black Caribbean experience after WWI. until 5 March 2023.
Stonehenge Visitor Centre. Circles of Stone: Stonehenge and Prehistoric Japan is a new exhibition celebrating the rich culture of prehistoric Japan. Through a number of exquisite objects, some seen for the first time outside of Japan, the exhibition tells the story of Japanese settlements and stone circles of the middle and late Jomon periods, roughly the same time when Stonehenge was built and used. Until 20 August 2023.
Do you have an event you would like to be included in the next edition – email Erica at erica@bathvoice.co.uk or call her on 07402 441485.