July 11, 2025 • 8 mins
"Steeped in Roman heritage and swooned over as Britain’s premier spa destination, Bath’s architectural flourishes and all-encompassing grandeur underpins my love affair with the city. I recently reacquainted myself with its atmospheric charm in a whistle-stop romp around Blighty with Trafalgar’s Real Britain tour. Adeptly helmed by travel director Selene, this is Trafalgar’s fastest-paced UK tour, delivering a whistle-stop experience with some of Britain’s most desirable destinations. If you’re short on time but want to tick-off a swag of top-billing icons, it’s a cracking option."
Read Mike's full article here.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That'd be.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Mike Godley is our travel correspondent. He's focusing on Stone
Hinge and Bath in the UK today.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hi Mike, Good morning Jack.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
So if you are planning a UK trip, do you
reckon Stone Hinge is worth a visit or is a
little bit you know, underwhelming?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, previously I found it a real down there, and
the reason for that was in the past used to
be all of this rather constant road traffic clattering right
past the antiquity on the Soul's pre plane, and I
think people just thought this is real bad. So thankfully
that section of road has been re rooted. So now
(00:50):
when you go to Stonehenge you actually have to walk
to the monument across these fields. And it's so good
because Stone Hinge feels like it's been liberated and a
new found sense of solitude, so much better. And I've
done a really good job in recent years with the
makeover to the visitor center. So they've now got this
(01:10):
awesome gallery which does a really good job showcasing the
life and times of the druids who built the Stone Circle. Yeah,
about four thousand years ago. I only found out there recently, Jack,
that the Druids they were only second to the King
and Queen, you know, in terms of important and Celtic life. Yeah,
they were so hugely regarded. And yeah, you were just
(01:34):
learning so much about Neolithic Britain at this visitor center,
So definitely worth a stop.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, great, Okay, cool. I've never been to Stonehinge, but
I did sometimes wonder if it was a bit sort
of you know, yeah, it's a bit underwe way, But
that sounds great with the visitors center, it sounds amazing.
Just what half an hour away is? Ye is Bath?
So what do you think is Bath's great calling card?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I adore Bath, Jack, and I think it's the architecture
that really stands out. Everything is just so semetrical, you know,
so Georgian, so region, and it's all crafted from that
honey colored limestone. Then you've got those staggering ancient Roman
baths which are tapped into Britain's only thermal hot springs.
(02:18):
But I've always thought a really good test for a
city's grandeur when they tout they have grandeur, is how
well does your city look under gray skies? And this
is Britain after all. But I can say that Bath
passes the rain test and flying colors. It is a
showstopper in all weathers.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Nice are there are essential sort of landmarks that you
should be ticking.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Off well for architectural nerds like me, I think the
circus in the Royal Crescent are the top two. They
are just marked pieces of urban living, you know, from
a couple of hundred years ago, all of those symmetrical curves,
multi story stone buildings, they're just so beautiful. Interestingly, the
circus check it was actually inspired by Stonehenge and the
(03:01):
Sun's movements, so that is what sort of dictated the
design of the Z. And then there's all sorts of
other interesting curios like Pulteney Bridge, this big grand stone
structure which was actually inspired by Florence's ponte Vecchio with
all of the shops incorporated into it. And if you've
(03:23):
seen Russell Crow's Le mis film from about a decade ago,
that that actually featured in Le Miz depicting Paris, which
is a bit out there. But what really intrigued me
when I was in Bath just a few weeks ago.
The city has become such a hit with set chests.
We've talked about set jesting in the past, and Barth
(03:46):
is absolutely on that map. And I tell you one
thing that's really fueled that recently Bridgeton, because so much
of Bridgeton is shot in Bath. Ah.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Oh, that's so good. Do you know I interviewed Russell
Crowe when he when he released that film. Yes, I
remember the Hands of Time so well as well as
Russell crow and Lamors fans. Jane Austen fans swoon over
my goodness. So what can you do with your Jane
Auston fan?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, her footprints are everywhere, but the Jane Auston Center
is the big drawer, very much telling the story of
how Bath shaped her life and her writing. The center
is just so well put together, lots of authentic period
exhibits and lots of costumed mannequins. And the reason I
mentioned that is because I thought they were mannequins, but
(04:36):
they suddenly spring to life as real people. So they've
got some really good little theatrical touches in that center,
and these mannequins come real people offer some really good
pithy anecdotes as you're head around the center. Yeah, definitely
worth checking it out.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, nice, And Jane Austen is not the only major
literary figure with a museum, and bart.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
No also on the literary trail. Just down the street
Mary Shelley's House of frank and Sign and this is,
I have to say, more of an entertainment experience than
a museum. So you've got the likes of an eight
foot automaton of Frankenstein her beautiful Monster. There lots of
(05:20):
electric shock displays, which is kind of cool, but also
unpacked Shelley's life and times and Bath one of the
most amazing things Jack but known to Shelley back in
the day. She was practically living on top of the
Roman baths and their big gates and they were only
discovered about sixty years after she left, So she was
(05:44):
a little of this amazing antiquity and no one knew.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Is that amazing? Yeah? So was it? What like they're
built on top of it or had been covered with ground?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, okay, yeah, absolutely, Yeah, just layers, you know, layers
of civilized that happens.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
It's crazy to me that would happen. But anyway, so
Bath got really good buns, doesn't.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
It very good? Yes? So for starters, there's Sally LUNs Buns,
which you will find in Barb's oldest house. It's like
from the fourteen hundreds of this house, and Sally was
a French refugee. She established your bakery here about four
hundred years ago and it's still the same site that
operates today as the bakery with these enormous, delicate, semi
(06:29):
sweet buns obviously best washed down with the pot of tea,
but they have this quite unique bready m cakey texture
that's supersized. So they will serve them in the halves
and then you can choose a topping to slather on them.
But I would definitely recommend the cinnamon butter. Oh my goodness,
that is so good.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Oh yeah, Okay, how does that differ from the bath bun?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I know, this becomes quite an academic exercise to explore
these buns. Jack, But the bath bun interesting story. It's
just around the corner from sally LUNs there's the bath
bun Tee shot and this is the place to go
for the bath fun. So this is a smaller and
sweeter bun than Selly's. Lots of currants, they put crushed
(07:15):
sugar cubes on top of it and the bath bun
was actually created by an eighteenth century doctor called William Oliver,
but his bunds became so popular with his patients have
proved to be the undoing so then William all Oliver
moved into the biscuit trade. But all the moderation jackets
(07:36):
are good thing. Those buns and bath, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
They sound very tasty. Indeed, all right, thank you so much, Mike.
I've never bed Bath, would absolutely loved it because Bristol
is just up the road, isn't it. So yeah, now
out the western side of the aisle. Yeah, no, I
would absolutely love to go. So those are really useful tips.
Thank you. We'll make sure all of Mike's advice for
exploring Bath and Stonehenge are up on the news talks.
(07:58):
He'd be website news talks. He'db dot co dot in
zed Ford. Slash Jack is the best place to go
for everything from our show Jack. We have eleven sold
the panels on our house plus a five Kilowa battery.
It's the best investment we've ever made. Power bills range
from fifteen to twenty dollars in summer to an absolute
maximum of one hundred and thirty dollars. In winter, the
panels continue to generate power even on a dull day,
(08:21):
filling the battery for use at high peak times, which
saves us money. We sell our surplus to the grid,
helping the power generation for the country. Also, if there's
a power cup we have stored power in our battery.
We can watch our power generation and usage on the
associated app. Just do it, says Viv. Thank you very much,
Viv ninety two, ninety two. If you want to send
us a message.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks b from nine am Saturday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That'd be.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Mike Godley is our travel correspondent. He's focusing on Stone
Hinge and Bath in the UK today.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hi Mike, Good morning Jack.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
So if you are planning a UK trip, do you
reckon Stone Hinge is worth a visit or is a
little bit you know, underwhelming?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, previously I found it a real down there, and
the reason for that was in the past used to
be all of this rather constant road traffic clattering right
past the antiquity on the Soul's pre plane, and I
think people just thought this is real bad. So thankfully
that section of road has been re rooted. So now
(00:50):
when you go to Stonehenge you actually have to walk
to the monument across these fields. And it's so good
because Stone Hinge feels like it's been liberated and a
new found sense of solitude, so much better. And I've
done a really good job in recent years with the
makeover to the visitor center. So they've now got this
(01:10):
awesome gallery which does a really good job showcasing the
life and times of the druids who built the Stone Circle. Yeah,
about four thousand years ago. I only found out there recently, Jack,
that the Druids they were only second to the King
and Queen, you know, in terms of important and Celtic life. Yeah,
they were so hugely regarded. And yeah, you were just
(01:34):
learning so much about Neolithic Britain at this visitor center,
So definitely worth a stop.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, great, Okay, cool. I've never been to Stonehinge, but
I did sometimes wonder if it was a bit sort
of you know, yeah, it's a bit underwe way, But
that sounds great with the visitors center, it sounds amazing.
Just what half an hour away is? Ye is Bath?
So what do you think is Bath's great calling card?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I adore Bath, Jack, and I think it's the architecture
that really stands out. Everything is just so semetrical, you know,
so Georgian, so region, and it's all crafted from that
honey colored limestone. Then you've got those staggering ancient Roman
baths which are tapped into Britain's only thermal hot springs.
(02:18):
But I've always thought a really good test for a
city's grandeur when they tout they have grandeur, is how
well does your city look under gray skies? And this
is Britain after all. But I can say that Bath
passes the rain test and flying colors. It is a
showstopper in all weathers.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Nice are there are essential sort of landmarks that you
should be ticking.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Off well for architectural nerds like me, I think the
circus in the Royal Crescent are the top two. They
are just marked pieces of urban living, you know, from
a couple of hundred years ago, all of those symmetrical curves,
multi story stone buildings, they're just so beautiful. Interestingly, the
circus check it was actually inspired by Stonehenge and the
(03:01):
Sun's movements, so that is what sort of dictated the
design of the Z. And then there's all sorts of
other interesting curios like Pulteney Bridge, this big grand stone
structure which was actually inspired by Florence's ponte Vecchio with
all of the shops incorporated into it. And if you've
(03:23):
seen Russell Crow's Le mis film from about a decade ago,
that that actually featured in Le Miz depicting Paris, which
is a bit out there. But what really intrigued me
when I was in Bath just a few weeks ago.
The city has become such a hit with set chests.
We've talked about set jesting in the past, and Barth
(03:46):
is absolutely on that map. And I tell you one
thing that's really fueled that recently Bridgeton, because so much
of Bridgeton is shot in Bath. Ah.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Oh, that's so good. Do you know I interviewed Russell
Crowe when he when he released that film. Yes, I
remember the Hands of Time so well as well as
Russell crow and Lamors fans. Jane Austen fans swoon over
my goodness. So what can you do with your Jane
Auston fan?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, her footprints are everywhere, but the Jane Auston Center
is the big drawer, very much telling the story of
how Bath shaped her life and her writing. The center
is just so well put together, lots of authentic period
exhibits and lots of costumed mannequins. And the reason I
mentioned that is because I thought they were mannequins, but
(04:36):
they suddenly spring to life as real people. So they've
got some really good little theatrical touches in that center,
and these mannequins come real people offer some really good
pithy anecdotes as you're head around the center. Yeah, definitely
worth checking it out.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, nice, And Jane Austen is not the only major
literary figure with a museum, and bart.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
No also on the literary trail. Just down the street
Mary Shelley's House of frank and Sign and this is,
I have to say, more of an entertainment experience than
a museum. So you've got the likes of an eight
foot automaton of Frankenstein her beautiful Monster. There lots of
(05:20):
electric shock displays, which is kind of cool, but also
unpacked Shelley's life and times and Bath one of the
most amazing things Jack but known to Shelley back in
the day. She was practically living on top of the
Roman baths and their big gates and they were only
discovered about sixty years after she left, So she was
(05:44):
a little of this amazing antiquity and no one knew.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Is that amazing? Yeah? So was it? What like they're
built on top of it or had been covered with ground?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, okay, yeah, absolutely, Yeah, just layers, you know, layers
of civilized that happens.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
It's crazy to me that would happen. But anyway, so
Bath got really good buns, doesn't.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
It very good? Yes? So for starters, there's Sally LUNs Buns,
which you will find in Barb's oldest house. It's like
from the fourteen hundreds of this house, and Sally was
a French refugee. She established your bakery here about four
hundred years ago and it's still the same site that
operates today as the bakery with these enormous, delicate, semi
(06:29):
sweet buns obviously best washed down with the pot of tea,
but they have this quite unique bready m cakey texture
that's supersized. So they will serve them in the halves
and then you can choose a topping to slather on them.
But I would definitely recommend the cinnamon butter. Oh my goodness,
that is so good.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Oh yeah, Okay, how does that differ from the bath bun?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I know, this becomes quite an academic exercise to explore
these buns. Jack, But the bath bun interesting story. It's
just around the corner from sally LUNs there's the bath
bun Tee shot and this is the place to go
for the bath fun. So this is a smaller and
sweeter bun than Selly's. Lots of currants, they put crushed
(07:15):
sugar cubes on top of it and the bath bun
was actually created by an eighteenth century doctor called William Oliver,
but his bunds became so popular with his patients have
proved to be the undoing so then William all Oliver
moved into the biscuit trade. But all the moderation jackets
(07:36):
are good thing. Those buns and bath, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
They sound very tasty. Indeed, all right, thank you so much, Mike.
I've never bed Bath, would absolutely loved it because Bristol
is just up the road, isn't it. So yeah, now
out the western side of the aisle. Yeah, no, I
would absolutely love to go. So those are really useful tips.
Thank you. We'll make sure all of Mike's advice for
exploring Bath and Stonehenge are up on the news talks.
(07:58):
He'd be website news talks. He'db dot co dot in
zed Ford. Slash Jack is the best place to go
for everything from our show Jack. We have eleven sold
the panels on our house plus a five Kilowa battery.
It's the best investment we've ever made. Power bills range
from fifteen to twenty dollars in summer to an absolute
maximum of one hundred and thirty dollars. In winter, the
panels continue to generate power even on a dull day,
(08:21):
filling the battery for use at high peak times, which
saves us money. We sell our surplus to the grid,
helping the power generation for the country. Also, if there's
a power cup we have stored power in our battery.
We can watch our power generation and usage on the
associated app. Just do it, says Viv. Thank you very much,
Viv ninety two, ninety two. If you want to send
us a message.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks b from nine am Saturday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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