Bath Spa

It was my birthday yesterday... I am now officially that little bit older. And to mark the occassion, P and I went to Bath (again) from Sunday to Tuesday. The main reason was to indulge in a spa day at the fantastic new Thermae Bath Spa, which was their millennium project and opened last year (only six years behind schedule!). What an amazing experience! Everyone knows Bath is famous for the Roman Baths and the healing powers of the water, so the Thermae people have made the most of this with a fantastic new centre, virtually next door, consisting of three naturally heated pools, a room full of aromatherapy steam rooms, an astounding treatment centre, a swanky restaurant and probably more. For our £95, we had a two course lunch, two hour-long treatments and unlimited use of everything... including the open-air roof top pool: surely the best thing about a thoroughly great thing (see picture and no, that's not me, it's a generic picture from their website!).

We also found time to go and see "Notes On A Scandal" at the cinema, which I was particularly interested in seeing after everyone on my script writing course last year smugly told me that my script was identical to this one. I'm pleased to say... I can see many, many differences. But then I would say that. Cate and Judi were excellent, and it is rare to see such a down-to-earth, no frills, gritty British film.

However, less impressive was Billie Piper in the opening night of her debut stage play "Treats" at Bath Theatre Royal - also starring Kris Marshall (from "My Family" and the annoying BT ads). Billed as a comedy, the mis-named "Treats" is an incredibly short play about a tedious love triangle... which bears no resemblance to a treat. The whole thing comes to the Garrick in London next week, and sadly P and I anticipate that Billie's West End debut will be critically panned. But maybe we'll be proved wrong. It wasn't so much the acting skills of Billie, Kris and the other one, more the complete lack of plot or any trace of subtle sub plot. Perhaps we, erm, lost the plot altogether? Still, it was enjoyable enough and Kris Marshall provoked a few laughs.

We're back in London now and off to see De La Soul tonight in Camden... so expect more on that soon.