Things to do in Bathwick

The Holburne Museum has, like much else in the city, undergone a profound facelift in the last few years. Initially hindered somewhat in its mission by the fact that the original collection contains only a few pieces of real interest, being mainly gloomy second-rate eighteenth and nineteenth century portraiture. But the recent additions to the collection are very good indeed. And in terms of the visiting exhibitions, curator Alexander Sturgis - now off to run the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford - has done a magnificent job of getting the museum on the real cultural map, rather than just the tourist one. The café is also friendly and relaxing, and something of a hub for parents with small children.