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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
I spent 10 years in Bath, which is the longest I have ever lived in one place. I was born in Seoul but moved to Vancouver with my family when I was eight years old. I started out in fashion and beauty marketing in New York before moving to Bristol to do a Masters in Literature. Not long after, I took a trip to Bath, the nearest city – it was a foggy day and I remember biting into a Bath bun (they’re very dry and not particularly delicious) and being absolutely enchanted by the city. My jaw dropped when I arrived at the Royal Crescent and I wondered who lived there. I moved here after completing my studies.
The city is elegant and timeless and has influenced all aspects of my life and work. It is evident in the visual language of Cerealthe magazine I founded with my partner, Rich, and in the programming and identity of Francisthe gallery I established here in 2018. I now live in Los Angeles, where I opened a second gallery, but I travel back and forth. Hand on heart, I prefer Bath. Unlike Los Angeles, where you get in the car and drive two blocks, Bath is made for walking; I miss wandering around and entertaining myself.
A walk I always make without fail is from Sydney Place, where I have a flat, to Sydney Gardens (I think the only remaining Georgian pleasure garden in the UK) and to Bathwick Fields, which is part of the Bath Skyline Walk. It feels like you’re deep in the countryside; In spring you can look for wild garlic in the nearby forest and in autumn, pears, quinces and apples from the orchard. There is a bench that I always sit on that has the most beautiful view of the city.
What I like most about Bath is that there aren’t many environmental stressors – the buildings look the same legally, so there is an underlying foundation that is predictable and familiar. It makes me feel calm… and I’m not a calm person. My first stop is always native variety – is my favorite bakery in the world and has a lovely restaurant and wine bar upstairs. I go there to buy bread, pastries, breakfast and coffee, although I also drink coffee from Society Cafe and colonna. Christmas begins when I ate my mince pie and picked up my panettone.
The few restaurants I like serve modern British food; Here it is more difficult to find diversity in the kitchen. He Beckford Bottle Shop and Bistro Serves the typical small plates to share. Further along is its sister restaurant, Beckford Canteen, which is good for lunch and dinner. Walcot House It’s very reliable – it’s big so you can usually book, and the quality of the food is wonderful, they always tell you the name of the farm where the ingredients come from. And although I’m not a pub girl, if I ever fancy a Sunday roast I go to the Marlborough Tavern.
Bath has some of the best independent bookstores. my favorite is Topping and company – looks like something out of a movie with rolling stairs and piles of books. They offer complimentary tea and cookies, which I enjoy while browsing cookbooks (although I don’t cook). I love too Persephone bookswhich reprints mainly female writers, the children’s book section of Mr. B’s Emporiumand Bath Old Books for anything second-hand – it runs like a co-op and is very old school – they offer handwritten receipts.
There are also some amazing designer stores including Berdoulat and 8 Holland Street – How wonderful that there is a guest house upstairs. and I love him Ellis Workshop showroom, which is repainted every season to present its new colors. Founder Cassandra recently created a custom red color for the gallery walls.
My apartment is in front of the impressive Holburne Museumso I will always stop by there; Of course, my American friends only know it as Lady Danbury’s house in Bridgerton. I have really enjoyed the museum’s program since its director Chris Stephens arrived; is incorporating more modern artists, such as Henry Moore and Mr Doodle, a multidisciplinary artist from Bristol.
I think if I went to Bath in 30 years, it would still be the same: like any city, it changes, but never abandons its fundamental truths.