I moved to Bath in the summer of 2011 after five years in Dubai, seeking everything it didn’t have: a small scale, history, countryside within reach. Museums, theatres, galleries; festivals year round. Wild swimming in the River Avon and paddleboarding along the Kennet and Avon Canal. Early-morning light in Bath Toby Mitchell By the time I arrived I’d walked up and down Walcot Street virtually many times, anticipating getting my hair cut at Melanie Giles and coffee at Sam’s Kitchen (now Landrace Bakery) while waiting to collect my pictures from The Framing Workshop. After the gloss of the UAE, the city’s independent boutiques and individual shopkeepers were a lifeline. The Roman Baths and classic architecture, instantly recognisable from the Circus and Royal Crescent, a refreshing shot of antiquity.