Pat is 60 Day 4

The following Saturday saw us returning to Bath for the Grand Ball which was to be held in the Assembly Rooms.

After checking back into the Kennard Hotel, we went to the Assembly Rooms for a rehearsal and cream tea.

About 100 people turned up for the Rehearsal, some in traditional dress but most saving their finery for the evening. It was reassuring that most people had as little an idea about how to dance as we had.

The admiral was there of course with his vice, somewhat tired and footsore by the end of the evening.

Our costumes came from Farthingale's of Bath and we are very grateful to Sue, Chris and Robin for making it possible for us to attend.

During the four hour evening ball, we must have managed about 12 dances with varying degrees of success although as the evening went on, it seemed to get easier.

And so ended Pat's 60th Birthday present surprise (or so she thinks !)

Pat is 60 Day 3

Sunday starts with the Jane Austen walk (£5) around Bath. A lively and knowledgeable guide who easily slipped in or out of the books set in Bath, what life might have been like at the time and the life that Jane Austen might have lived whilst in Bath.

Starting at the baths, amongst the things we saw along the tour were:

the Pump Room - said to be where people came to inspect the register to see if they knew anyone else who had signed it to say that they were in Bath

the baths themselves, (note one of King Bladud's pigs in the bath) This one is "Bath Pig"

Click here for information on the Pigs

another of the baths, this time one which had been dedicated to the Celtic Goddess Sul (hence Aquae Sulis as the Roman name), apparently she is also linked to the Roman School for Midwifery in Bath

Parade Gardens next to the river which are now built on the site of an old regency building

the back of the Pulteney Bridge (said to be one of two ancient bridges with shops on them left in Europe)

another Pig (Roman this time) officially known as "Pignacious"

the house belonging to Jane Austen's Aunt which she stayed in part of her time in Bath

the assembly rooms where we were going to dance the following weekend

nearby lived Bondage Pig (actually entitled "Pig in Prada")

and finally we saw another of the houses that Jane Austen lived in, this time on Gay Street.