What's your favourite part of Bath?
Very tricky these questions. I suppose it would have to be Walcot Street, we live nearby and I walk along it practically every day. It retains, despite modernisation, that combination of artisan haphazardness, craft-based manufacturers, small independent shops, a varied streetscape and a charming atmosphere. It's a shame that the annual Walcot Nation Day celebrations were brought to an end. They were great fun – a pity they couldn't be revived.
What's your favourite place to eat?
If we are going to eat out, and to be perfectly honest we don't do that much of it, we might go to Tilley's Bistro. Another favourite, not least for the architecture, is Aqua in Walcot Street.
What's the best view of Bath?
At the risk of sounding mawkish, my mum's house, on the southern slopes above the Warminster Road, has an incredible view looking north west. I can recall as a boy that on a fine evening, not only was there a fine prospect across to the eastern edge of the city but when the sun set, the living room was bathed in a golden glow. Mind you, I suppose the best view I can call to mind is that from Little Solsbury looking west.
Where would you meet friends for a drink?
I was brought up in Bath and I have seen cherished pubs close or evolve into eateries but a constant delight through all the years is the Bell in Walcot Street.
What is your favourite shop?
I think it might be Shannon, the Scandinavian shop in Walcot Street. I am a huge fan of Scandinavian domestic design and whilst a lot of the stuff is beyond my pocket, it is wonderfully cluttered and colourful. The other is the Rostra Gallery in George Street.
What would your perfect day in Bath entail?
I presume this is a sunny day? Well anyway, it might start – if it's a Sunday for example – with a walk along the canal towpath to Bathampton. I ring one of the six bells at St Nicholas's Church at Bathampton and although I am not very good at it, I do enjoy it. Then a stroll back into the city – one of the great things about a city relatively small in size is the ease in getting around it on foot. We might sit in Victoria Park and then, if he has invited us, go up to my brother-in-law's at Bloomfield for a barbecue. If there's time I'd like to see a film at the Little Theatre – I'm a fan of French films.
What would you change about Bath
First off, I think more of the centre should be pedestrianised. It sounds trite, I know, but the street plan is really not capable of coping with the traffic flow. Every now and again the Buchanan Tunnel proposals for diverting Bath's through traffic are reassessed, aren't they? It always seemed to me that Colin Buchanan's suggestion that traffic in towns is incompatible with civilised living can't really be argued with. Forcing the use of park and ride, and paving more of the streets has to be a good idea.
I think there should be more awareness of the great variety of Bath's cityscape and avoid any more development which threatens the variety of buildings, open spaces and the small details and features that make up our environment.
● Next week: Writer Kirsten Elliott
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