Dear Reader,
If you want to know about Jane Austen, please do not buy this book. If you want to learn about The Abbey or Roman Baths, move on to something more appropriate. This book is not about the great events and leaders, it is about the lesser known but quietly fascinating people and places. the mortar, if you will, that holds the great blocks – or blockheads – of history together.
It is called a gyratory because it is a circuit walk, but also as what you will discover can be straight in front of you, far above, or under your feet. It is also gyratory as some of the fact presented may make your head spin. But the walk is not a fixed entity. You can start it at any point. It encourages you to see and explore, not merely to look, so feel free to investigate if you see something which attracts you. The walk also visits several museums, and passes cafes and shops where you can linger. You will find many friendly people willing to help you poor some of your hard earned pennies into the local economy.
This book covers the city of Bath to the east, across the three bridges into Bathwick. A companion tome covers the central area of the city, extending up to Lansdown, returning via the artisan area of Walcot. Wherever possible they avoid traffic, and include parks where you can sit and try to make sense of where you are and why you are doing this walk. Discovering the meaning of life will require a larger book.
So, if this has not deterred you from test driving this walking tour, and if you are in a reasonable state of fitness and wearing comfortable shoes, please purchase this book. Your assistance in reducing my debts will appease my bank manager, or, dear reader, I may have to marry him.
The author
(currently a governess in a genteel household)
Love the first sentence. And I do love Jane. Love the last sentence even more. I wish I was even a church mouse. Not just to buy your book, but to partake in the walks therein.
She’s like the Beatles. Highly over exposed so you expect her to be crap. Bu once I started doing history I realised how great she is. If you really want a copy I think you can borrow them for about a dollar on kindle, or get in touch with an email addrss and I can send you a copy – bonus for loyal blog follower.
I know I am pathetic, but I don’t have a kindle. Nor any plans to get one. I suffer from too many plugs fatigue!
if you really want to read it i can send it as word tho it may be a big file. I don’t have a kindle either. all the books i read are too obscure to ever get onto it.
Thank you. When I go to Bath, which I hope to someday, I will bother you for your guide (of course if I am going to Bath, that would be an indication that I have some spare change and would purchase it on my own, and therefore make no further bother of myself!). In fact, I wouldn’t consider a trip to England without a least a few of your guides. I hope someday to support you more materially! Fine work Barb!
Before I did the bath books I used to cycle there and thought it ws just a boring place to stop for lunch, but it really is an odd mix of stuff. I hope you make it some time. Just as I hope to make it to the states some time. Ah! dreams.
On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 1:55 PM, texthistory