It’s 75 years since the Festival of Britain, and there’s been quite a lot of coverage of this anniversary. Even those who were primary school children at the time are now in their eighties, so … Read more...
The Festival of Britain 1951
Research Stories
A Dispute over Earwigs!
Amongst the archives of the Bowler company is this letter of complaint and J B Bowler’s reply and explanation. The complaint about the earwigs relates to the Codd type bottles sealed with a glass ball … Read more...
“A cure for all”
The year is 1780 – You come to Bath seeking a cure for chronic illness and visit the Pump Room. How might your experience change depending on wealth and social status? “Mr. Skrine tells me … Read more...
Mr Golding, advertising agent
This has got to be one of my favourite research finds. It started with a death certificate for Anthony Golding who died in St Martin’s Hospital in 1940, aged 40. Here he is in the … Read more...
A bargain Bagatelle board
Last year we joined Rev. Francis Kilvert on a visit to the Bath Flower Show in 1870, a very hot and tiring day. Kilvert (1840-1879) was born in Hardenhuish, Chippenham; his father was the vicar … Read more...
The Fentiman family – three generations of working women
This portrait of Daisy Fentiman is in the collection of glass plate negatives from the Tom Carlyle Leaman photography studio curated at the Museum. Daisy was born in June 1881, the daughter of Mary Jane … Read more...
Anyone for Ice Cream?
Since it is (at the time of writing this piece) the summer holidays, I thought we’d take a look at the delectable subject of ice cream in Bath. The Bath Chronicle reports about ice cream … Read more...
A day out at Bath Flower Show
The journals of Rev. Francis Kilvert (1840-1879), covering 1870-1879, are a delightful record of his daily life during his thirties and also demonstrate his eye for the natural world, with beautiful descriptions of weather and … Read more...
David Press – Pastry Cook, Noted Shop for Cakes
“Pastry Cook; Noted Shop for Cakes” is David Press’s regular classified advertisement in the Bath Chronicle for his shop at 28 Broad Street (sometimes Ices are mentioned too). Directly above his advert is always placed … Read more...
What did it cost to play a game of tennis in 1777?
We have wanted to know the answer to this question for ages – and thanks to a new book by local historian Colin Fisher, we now know the answer! The Costs of Pleasure (Hobnob Press … Read more...