Interestingly, this is the first time I have been here since March, despite it being our nearest big town. The natural springs in Bath, already known for their curative properties, were developed as a spa by the Romans and continually used in one form or another ever since. In the eighteenth century, it became fashionable to ‘take the waters’ in various places and Bath, under the direction of Beau Nash, became the most fashionable place to recover from whatever ailed you. Bath Abbey (consulting my memory here) is full of sad memorials to people who died young.

The city was laid out to accommodate the many rich people who went there in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century (including Jane Austen who is very popular with the tourist industry) and has a range of lovely Georgian houses. It also, because of its geographical situation, has some awful traffic.

About half the shops and restaurants seemed to be open but several appeared to have closed for good. I suppose it will be a long time before the final effects of the Coronavirus are properly evaluated.