There is hardly a better way to spend a balmy summer’s evening than to cruise down the Kennet and Avon Canal, with a glass of fizz in hand, the warming early evening sun overhead and the beauty of the riverbank and water to enjoy. It was a Friday evening and my family and I were...
Category: Featured
Exciting lineup of activities this Summer at Wiltshire leisure centres
Wiltshire Council leisure centres are offering a range of activities inspired by the upcoming summer Olympics designed to bring the excitement and energy of the Games to local communities. Whether you are an aspiring athlete or just looking for some summer fun, there are a variety of activities to capture the spirit of the Games. Swim...
A remarkable bicentennial and Royal month for Lacock Primary School
Parent governor Hannah Pearce looks back to a very memorable few weeks at Lacock Primary School What a month it has been for Lacock Primary School – from our bicentenary celebration service on 20th June to the arrival of Her Majesty Queen Camilla last Thursday (11th July). We are so grateful to those who could celebrate with...
Attendance boost at Kingsbury Green Academy to above South West average
A drive on improving the relationship between parents and the school has seen an increase in pupil attendance that takes Kingsbury Green Academy in Calne to well above average for the South West region. Overall attendance has increased to 90.3% from 88.8% last year, which translates to approximately 94 additional school days, a figure that...
Mr B’s book shop holds its inaugural ‘Read to a therapy dog’ session – with more to come!
Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath recently hosted its inaugural monthly Read-to-a-Therapy Dog session called ‘Hey Doggy, Listen Up!’, marking a unique collaboration in Bath between Mr B’s and Therapy Dogs Nationwide. “The idea behind the sessions is to help kids or adults who struggle with speech and reading aloud or who might...
Culinary Celebrations for Marksbury School’s Year 6 leavers
Year 6 students from Marksbury Church of England Primary School have marked the end of their time at the school with an exclusive visit to The Pig near Bath at Hunstrete. Throughout the year, students have been visiting The Pig as part of the ‘Adopt-A-School’ programme run by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Previous...
Review – American Road Trip at the American Museum & Gardens in Bath
Ian Waller enjoys a trip across the roads, highways and history of America, from Kerouac to Easy Rider and beyond There’s something uniquely romantic about the classical American road trip – setting off along Route 66 to explore the states of America, perhaps on a pair of Harleys, at the wheel of Cadillac or simply...
The challenges of summer holidays for parents of neurodivergent children
Lucie Dunrod-Simpson from Parent Nook considers the additional challenges that summer holidays provide for parents of neurodivergent children Ah. The Summer Holidays. Endless ice creams, snack requests and day trips. However, for all parents, the long break from school also brings a range of challenges. Scrabbling together enough annual leave, drafting in relatives and finding...
Review – Lilliput Farm Kitchen, the best family Sunday lunch in Bath!
Ian Waller and his family enjoy a faultless Sunday lunch at Bath’s newest restaurant Our first visit to Lilliput Farm Kitchen was a nosy call by for tea and cake just to see what Bath’s latest restaurant had to offer. As it happens, the Victoria sponge was seriously good and tempting enough for us to...
Wiltshire Schools recognised for encouraging healthy lifestyle and wellbeing
Ten more Wiltshire schools have recently gained Wiltshire Healthy Schools accreditation for encouraging healthy lifestyles and promoting wellbeing. Wiltshire Healthy Schools is a Wiltshire Council programme designed to effectively address the health and wellbeing of children and young people. Using the whole school approach and teaching Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, schools can build...
Local boys kick off Young Fundraisers Challenge for Bath Cats and Dogs Home
Three local boys, Alex Hourston, Harry Mellor and James Everard, have become the first participants in the Young Fundraisers Challenge raising funds for Bath Cats and Dogs Home. Alex and Harry recently ran a stall outside Alex’s house selling homemade lemonade, cookies and doughnuts, and raised an impressive £91. They also donated 40 old tennis balls...
45,916 butterflies spotted in Wiltshire last summer, can the region beat that this year?
Last summer, citizen scientists in Wiltshire spotted 45,916 butterflies and day-flying moths during the Big Butterfly Count. Today, wildlife conservation charity, Butterfly Conservation, is issuing a rallying cry to people in the region to help beat that this year. In 2023, people across Wiltshire did 3,017 Big Butterfly Counts, with the Red Admiral taking the...
Children encouraged to fire up their imagination in the Summer Reading Challenge
This summer, children aged 4-11 can visit Wiltshire Council libraries to join the Marvellous Makers Summer Reading Challenge and fire up their imaginations through the power of reading. The challenge, produced by The Reading Agency and delivered by libraries, is to read at least six library books over eight weeks during the summer and receive...
New community hub, cafe and library is coming to Radstock town centre
A café, a new home for the community library and space for community and cultural events is set to be created in Radstock town centre following the purchase of the Trinity building by Radstock Town Council. The new community hub will be developed as part of a wider plan to regenerate the town centre and...
How to prepare your child for their first day at secondary school
Emma Arnaudet, a teens and parent coach, offers advice to parents planning for their child’s first day at secondary school The first day of secondary school represents a massive upheaval for a child. Think of a goldfish, secure in his aquarium, used to his routine and then suddenly being thrown into the sea. How can...
New funding to help more young people in care to stay connected
More children in care in Bath and North East Somerset will be able to maintain relationships with important people in their lives thanks to new government funding. Bath & North East Somerset Council has secured funding from the Department for Education for its Lifelong Links programme which ensures that children in care have a positive support network...
Bath students celebrate prestigious engineering scholarship success
Kingswood School in Bath is celebrating the success of three Year 11 students following the announcement that they were all awarded the prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. The Arkwright Engineering Scholarships programme is the most esteemed Engineering scholarship scheme of its type in the UK, offering financial support through A-levels and mentoring from a professional engineer....
‘Follow on’ Baby Massage and Movement course with BumpBirthBabyUK
BumpBirthBaby, the Bath-based company which offers a range of pre & post pregnancy treatments, hypnobirthing courses and baby & parent classes, has created a new ‘follow on’ course from its regular Baby Massage course for parents who have completed its five-week course with us. The first course runs from 5 September at 12.30pm to 1.30pm, and offers a...
Royal High School Bath continues to surpass IB global average
Royal High School Bath students who received their International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma results this summer once again outperformed their peers worldwide. Their average score was 36 out of 45, higher than the global average of 30, and the UK average of 34.6. This continues a trend at Royal High Bath for their IB students to...
Sulis Hospital in Bath holding a recruitment day for 100 new job
Sulis Hospital in Bath is holding a recruitment open day on Saturday, July 27 from 10am to 2pm, where prospective employees are welcome to come through its doors. The hospital has opened over 100 new jobs ahead of its new Sulis Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SEOC) launching in December. Roles range from clinical to support staff...
Education provider named for new special school in Melksham
An education provider is in place and the finishing touches are being made so Melksham House can take on a new identity as a school for special educational needs this Autumn. Brunel Education, a subsidiary company of Brunel Academies Trust which already operates three schools in Wiltshire, Exeter House, St Marks and Wyndham Park, will...