Much had also changed at the Roman Baths in Bath since our first visit in 1972.  Instead of gloomy, blackened uninviting ruins we saw sparkling waters beautifully lit as Bath celebrated a renewal and preparations for a festival.

After a meeting with the Mayor of Bath, an elected for twelve-months-only official,  we moved on to a drinks party at the spa hosted by the festival.

There is an interesting vitality about Bath illustrated for me by the changes being rung on the multiple, and beautiful campuses of Bath Spa University by its new Vice Chancellor Professor Christie Slade.  Not all of these changes have yet been made public but they are based on an optimistic, even aggressive, approach to public private partnerships building on the great heritage of Bath and the scope for it to become an international centre for global leadership through innovation.  It certainly has the history and the environment and leadership of individuals such as the Mayor and Christie to establish itself as such.

We were impressed with Bath from the moment we alighted from the train at Bath Spa Station. We were met by a very helpful employee at the Station; she gently guided us with our heavy luggage to a newly installed lift; introduced us a taxi driver at the front of a queue who knew our destination and the fact that roadworks might block our entrance to it - he kindly helped us with our baggage down the hill; and of course by the generous welcome from our hosts Rob Hamilton and Christie.