Thursday 30 June 2016

Things to Do In Bath This Weekend - Thailand!

If you’re stuck for things to do in Bath this weekend you need look no further. While having a browse through the upcoming events that will be happening in the city this summer, we found details of a great festival that will be taking place in Bath’s Royal Victoria Park this Saturday and Sunday (July 2nd and 3rd).

The first Bath Thai Festival will be happening this weekend from 10am until 7pm (on both days) and it’s set to include a huge range of activities and displays.

As an opener for anyone who arrives near the beginning of the day there will be the chance to see Thai monks chanting and traditional blessings and offerings being given (10:40 on both days).  

The devoted foodies out there will be pleased to see a vast range of different authentic Thai cuisine on offer, and live cooking demonstrations so afterwards you can try cooking your own Thai dishes at home. Those who are feeling brave can take part in “I’m British Get Me Out of Here”, which we think will involve trying some of the more unusual Thai delicacies… Crickets have been mentioned as one potential…

Music and dance is another major part of Thai culture and will be playing a big role in the weekend. On Saturday Thai folk songs will be performed at 11:25, 1:40 and 2:30. On Sunday the times will be 12:30, 1:20, 2:30 and 5:20. Also, throughout the two days at regular intervals, performances of traditional Thai dances will be taking place and each day will end with Thai dance music.  

Two of the other things that Thailand is known for; Muay Thai boxing and Lady Boys, will be featured too. Demonstrations of the boxing will be given by Danny Sergiu; three times area champion.  

Other highlights include; a Thai beer garden, Thai carving, Thai massage (always a winner), Thai fortune tellers, a blindfold boxing competition, and a family fun fair.

On both days there will be plenty to see by way of traditional costumes and culture. But if you can only make one day it’s worth bearing in mind that Sunday has the Thai cheerleading display, the Miss Thailand of Great Britain contest, and the drawing of the raffle - the winner of which receives a return flight ticket to Thailand. 

At only £3 for an adult day ticket, and £1 for a child ticket, both of which can be bought on the gate, it’s great value and certainly worth having a look at. Especially if the weather holds out!  


From all of us here at Dukes, we hope you have a great time whatever you might be doing this weekend.

Thursday 23 June 2016

Visit Bath Fashion Museum and See A History of Fashion in 100 Objects

Bath has a fantastic range of museums, and this week we wanted to tell you a little more about the new exhibition which the Bath Fashion Museum is running.

On the 19th of March Bath’s famous Fashion Museum opened the doors on its new exhibition, “A History of Fashion in 100 Objects”. In just 100 carefully chosen items of clothing; encompassing everything from 18th century dressing gowns to designer dresses from the likes of Christian Dior, and from embroidered gowns dating from the 1600s to bodycon outfits from the last decade, the exhibition aims to show visitors what the fashions are that have shaped us over the past 400 years, and what they’ve meant for the people wearing them. The 19th century crinoline for example freed women from needing to wear multiple cumbersome layers of petticoats in order to have full skirts, and in doing so allowed them to do more as they were able to move around with greater ease. While in more recent years sustainable clothing has come to the forefront, and one of the most unusual items on display in the new exhibition has to be the blue, quilted and tied jacket and trousers that are the first menswear design to win the Fashion Museum’s Dress of the Year competition.

Another special addition to the Fashion Museum’s calendar of events this year are special “Behind the Scenes” tours. On a few select dates a curator from the museum will take guests behind the scenes at the museum to view some of the historical collections which aren’t on general display. As well as a chance to see items that aren’t out on show to the general public, these tours will give attendees an insight into the preservation techniques and storage and filing methods that are vital in looking after the collection. Tickets for the 5:45 pm tour on Thursday July 28th are available via the Bath Box Office website, as are tickets for the 5:45 pm tour on Wednesday August 24th. Tickets for the 9:30 am tours on Wednesday July 13th and Monday August 8th may be available on the door but as this is such a rare opportunity there’s no guarantee.    


The Fashion Museum and the 100 Objects exhibition is open this summer from 10:30 am - 6 pm (last entry 5 pm), and then in November and December the hours will be slightly shorter (10:30 am – 5 pm (last entry 4 pm)), but bear in mind that the museum recommends allowing for between 1 ½ - 2 hours for a visit. Although if you are really into your history of fashion, and you also decide to explore the Assembly Rooms (which the Fashion Museum is located under), and perhaps also the tea rooms that are part of the Assembly Rooms, a visit could easily last for a whole afternoon.

Thursday 16 June 2016

Visit Bath Festival of Motoring for Father’s Day

On Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th of June the Rotary Club of Bath’s Festival of Motoring will be returning to Walcot Rugby Ground for a weekend full of beautiful vintage motors and the very latest Supercars. If your father is a lover of classic cars and the open road then this could be just the thing to visit in Bath this Sunday. Last year the event had over 500 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors!

Some of the entertainments on offer include the Lansdown Model Flying Club’s display of radio controlled model aircraft (these include aerobatic, scale and helicopters); four lane slot car racing (think competitive scalextric, with prizes to win and lap records to beat); free massages on Saturday afternoon from Oceania Therapies; and even laser clay pigeon shooting (which we didn’t know existed until now and is something we definitely have to try).

In additional to these entertainments, and the cars themselves of course, there will also be live music performed throughout the weekend. On the Saturday Bobby Martian & The Planets will be performing a collection of 60s and 70s classic blues and R&B. The Supanauts, festival veterans who’ve played at the likes of Glastonbury and Edinburgh, are booked for the Saturday also, but are a heavy metal rock band who pay a powerful tribute to Black Sabbath.

On the Sunday, the Park Lane Big Band, who will be playing. Also on Sunday will be the Bellini Girls who have a vintage/glitz/glam/elegance feel to them. They blend a mix of music from the 40s and 50s together with their close harmony singing style to great effect, along with a few more modern hits and musical hits. Similar, but at the same time utterly different, are FiFi LaRoux and the Prohibition Band who are a 1920s/30s era jazz band with theatrical flair and a lot of class. They too will be performing on the Sunday. As will the Royal High School Junior School Choir, who perform at several other events throughout the year so are more than your average school choir.

The opening times are 10-5 on the Saturday and 10-4 on the Sunday. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome and day tickets are £10 for adults (£7 in advance), £5 for children (£3.50 in advance), and £25 for families (£18 in advance) of 2 adults and up to 3 children aged between 5 and 16 – children under 5 go free. Tickets are available via http://www.bathfestivalofmotoring.com/tickets/ or on the gate.


The event is being held in aid of two main charities; Freewheelers, a charity which provides volunteer motorcyclists who transport blood and essential life-saving products all over the country, and Time to Share, a group which organises support and services to improve the lives of disabled children in Bath.