Bath Pubs

A signed copy of part of an epic biography by wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill has turned up in a specialist Bath store.

Rooke Books in Northumberland Place is likely to put volume one of his four-volume account of the life of the first Duke of Marlborough up for auction and expects it to fetch around £2,000.

Churchill wrote Marlborough: His Life and Times in the 1930s, at a time when his Conservative Party was out of power.

The first two volumes alone of the biography of his ancestor – a successful military commander who never lost a battle – run to a million words and 1,050 pages.

His research is said to have provided key background insights for Churchill's military strategy and diplomacy in the Second World War.

The book is signed by Churchill and dated December 1939 and is accompanied by a letter to someone thanking them for a birthday present.

It turned up in a box of books bought by the firm, whose owner acquires hundreds of books at a time at auction.

The antiquarian bookshop will celebrate its first anniversary next month and manager Isha Marquez said business was now good after a slow start.

She had been working for free as an intern when she drew up a business plan and convinced the owner to keep it open.

She plans to put the book on display ahead of any auction and will consider serious offers in the meantime.

She said: "As a pair – volume one and a letter signed by Churchill, it is worth £2,000-plus, but ultimately it will depend on what a museum or Churchill collector is willing to pay for it at auction.

"While I have it in the shop I will be more than happy to sell it for around that price. But this is not your normal commercial item, so it may be hard to sell on the premises."

Would-be film makers are being invited to take part in a competition celebrating life in Bath and North East Somerset.

The LoveBath short film competition is being launched as part of the 250-year anniversary celebrations of the Somerset Guardian's sister paper The Bath Chronicle. And, to tie in with our theme, your film must be no longer than two minutes and 50 seconds.

The competition is being organised by the Guardian and Bath Chronicle, Bath & North East Somerset Council's Film Office, the City of Bath College, the Bath Film Festival and the Little Theatre, Bath's independent cinema.

The aim of the contest is to celebrate film and give people a chance to reflect life in and around Bath and North East Somerset. Organisers are hoping many entrants will focus on work beyond the city centre and celebrate the diversity of life throughout the B&NES footprint.

So if you want a make a period drama set in Paulton, a murder mystery based in Midsomer Norton, a comedy in Chilcompton or a real life documentary in Radstock, then this is your chance.

Would-be film makers have until October 21 to get their work together and all submitted entries that fit into the strict criteria outlined in the term and conditions on our dedicated website will be put online for people to view. The best entries will then be shortlisted and the selected films will be screened at the Little Theatre, in Bath, in front of a judging panel and audience.

The winning film will be hailed as the LoveBath film of 2010 – and the film makers will pick up a £250 cash prize in line with the Chronicle's 250th anniversary celebrations.

Guardian editor Sam Holliday said he was very excited by the whole project.

He said: "We are convinced that there will be many aspiring film makers out there who would love the chance to project their ideas to a wide audience."

Darren Rogers, the head of department for media, music and performing arts at the City of Bath College, believes the contest will attract a wide and diverse amount of entries.

"LoveBath is an excellent opportunity for both new and young filmmakers from the area," he said.

Lynne Locker, the development manager at Bath Film Festival, said: "Bath and the villages nearby have been a strong inspiration for many fine filmmakers. Perhaps the filmmakers who are inspired by the LoveBath competition will tell us tales about unfamiliar corners we rarely notice?"

Bath and North East Somerset Council says it is "very pleased"' to be supporting the LoveBath film competition through its hard-working Film Office.

Jenni Wagstaffe, the film commissioner at the Bath Film Office, said: "The main aim of the Film Office is to promote film-making in the area. At the same time, we can fulfil our other responsibility which is to ensure that filming is managed safely and efficiently on the streets of Bath and North East Somerset and to minimise disruption."

Mrs Wagstaffe said that although the council team wants as many people as possible to enter, she urged them to be respectful of the city and surrounding towns and villages – and to read the rules of the contest very carefully.

"We would ask any competition entrants who wish to film in public places – parks, libraries, museums, streets, for instance – to complete our application form, downloadable from the competition website, and send it to us at least 48 hours' prior to filming."

Full details about how you can enter this exciting and unique competition – including the rules that must be strictly adhered to – can be found within our terms and conditions on the special LoveBath website www.thisisbath.co.uk/lovebath.

The official entry form which must be submitted with every entry is enclosed here.

The amount of money spent on consultants by Bath and North East Somerset Council has doubled in the past five years.

In the past financial year, the authority spent £1.957 million – up from £975,000 in the year 2004/5.

The figures relate to revenue costs for strategic and management consultancy excluding schools and do not include the cost of employing major projects director John Betty.

The figures were obtained by The Chronicle under the Freedom of Information Act after the council said its use of Mr Betty's firm Hammond Project Management reduced the amount of money it needed to spend on piecemeal consultancy.

Questions have been raised over a new three-year contract awarded to the experienced troubleshooter who was effectively given a 15 per cent pay rise last year. His firm was taken on five years ago to oversee the biggest and riskiest part of the council's operations following problems with the authority's Bath Spa Project.

Mr Betty's firm was paid £258,196 last year, up from £224,533 in 2008/9, and his contract has been extended until January 2013.

The council's recent use of consultants ranges in scope from the Bath Transportation Project to work on tourism and street drinking.

The authority stressed that last year's figure was just 0.8 per cent of its gross revenue spend excluding schools.

Council Unison branch joint secretary Joy Davis said she kept a close eye on spending on consultants at a time when her members' jobs were on the line.

"My answer is always that you should look at the staff you've got first."

The council said in a statement that, "in common with practically every local authority, public sector, and private sector organisation across the country", it used consultants for issues which were highly specialised and required expert advice in a particular field for a relatively short period of time or during peaks of work.

"This approach is more cost effective than hiring highly-specialised expertise on a permanent basis with associated pension, National Insurance, and annual leave costs.

"The cost of using consultants over the years has increased because of inflationary pressures and a significant part arises from Government requirements for the council to conduct extensive work on strategies and plans, like the Local Plan."

It said the 0.8 per cent figure compared to 0.6 per cent in 2004/5.

A woman who spent her school years being teased for being considered to be too posh has developed enough confidence to enter a national beauty contest.

Rose Aylward, from St James's Square, has been chosen as Miss Somerset Galaxy UK after applying online.

The 23-year-old will now go forward to a national final in February where one woman will be crowned Miss Galaxy UK.

Rose says she spent much of her time at school being bullied because of her love of horses and cut-glass accent.

She says she consequently spent much of her time on her own, and often felt isolated.

This affected her confidence, leaving her shy and often doubting herself.

Rose said: "When I moved to the area, my upper class accent, love of everything equestrian, and a natural shyness encouraged children and teenagers to target me.

"When I went to secondary school, I had very few friends and was the victim of quite cruel name-calling in the corridors.

"I was not very popular and often spent time on my own.

"I felt very isolated and was left believing that I was worthless."

After leaving school and moving from Langport to Bath, Rose's confidence was very low.

But she got a job working in IT at financial management firm Novia, in Henry Street, which helped to boost her self-esteem.

It was by chance that she stumbled on the Miss Galaxy UK competition and decided to enter.

Rose said: "I was browsing on the internet when I saw the competition and just decided to give it a go.

"I promptly forgot all about it until a letter arrived telling me I was Miss Somerset Galaxy UK.

"I was really shocked, as it was so unlike me."

She wants to use her experiences to inspire other girls who are being bullied, and show them that anything is possible.

She said: "When I was at school I never thought that something like this would happen to me.

"I used to look down on pageants, but now I think that this is a very good way to spread messages to other girls.

"I am so excited to have made it to the final, it's a great achievement and I can't wait to meet all of the other girls. I am proud to be representing Somerset, and hope I can show all the girls out there who feel bullied or put down that, if I can turn my life around like this, so can they."

Also joining Rose in the final is Miss Bath Galaxy UK Kate Rodger.

The winner of Miss Galaxy England will travel to the USA to compete in the Miss Galaxy International final.

To find out more, visit www.galaxypageantsuk.com.

The owner of a dog which miraculously survived a 70ft fall off a cliff has praised Coastguard and RNLI teams for saving her life.

Holidaymaker Rebecca Derry-Evans, from Bath, was walking her five-year-old Scottish terrier, Gypsy, near Perranuthnoe in west Cornwall when the dog started chasing a rabbit and suddenly disappeared.

"I started calling for her and people told me that she had fallen into the sea," said the mother-of-three.

"Someone kindly lent me their mobile phone to call 999 and after about 25 minutes the rescue operation started."

Gypsy had first fallen on a rock some 35ft down in a gully and then another 35ft into the sea. She had managed to scramble on a rock but an incoming wave pushed her back in the water, leaving the dog with nothing to cling on to.

"I thought that was the end of her," Mrs Derry-Evans added. "She must have been in the water for about five minutes. She was freezing cold, traumatised and scared."

The family pet was lying apparently lifeless when a member of the Penlee lifeboat crew waded through a heavy swell to resuscitate the animal.

The choppy seas meant the inshore lifeboat was unable to get close enough, so crewman Dave Raymond volunteered to swim to shore and climb on to the rocks.

When he reached the dog, he discovered she had swallowed her tongue, but he managed to pull it out, then massaged her chest and stomach and was soon rewarded when the animal began to choke, splutter and showed signs of life.

Gypsy and her rescuer were winched up the cliff by the eight-strong Penzance coastguard team headed by Tim Stevens.

Her owners then took Gypsy to a veterinary centre, where she was treated and monitored overnight.

Mrs Derry-Evans says Gypsy is expected to make a full recovery. She added: "It was all very scary and I thought that was the end of her.

"Without the RNLI and Coastguards she would not have had a chance. They treated her like a human being and did a tremendous job."

Mrs Derry-Evans and Gypsy were reunited with her rescuers yesterday morning, when she thanked them for saving her life.

The fate of a Bath school which education chiefs want to close down could now lie in the hands of another one which wants to put itself beyond their control.

In a strange twist, Oldfield School's controversial plans to become an all-girls academy against the wishes of the city's local authority could prove to be the saving of Culverhay School.

Meanwhile the Rush Hill school is preparing to announce plans to collaborate with four other schools in the area in an attempt to show B&NES Council it has a viable future.

For years Culverhay has been held back in its ambition to become co-educational because Oldfield has been determined not to let in boys.

Under sex discrimination legislation there must be a balance of all-girls and all-boys schools in the city.

This means that if Oldfield does not become co-educational, Culverhay cannot be closed, although it will have to remain all-boys against the governing body's will.

Culverhay head Richard Thomson said that although the school recognised the "irony" of the situation, it was still dedicated to becoming co-educational, as had been envisaged by B&NES in a consultation document earlier this year.

He said: "We are struck by the irony of this position. However, as a community school, Culverhay recognises the very clearly expressed wish of our community for there to be a co-educational school on this site, as described in the original consultation booklet.

"We believe the school exists to serve its community and we support the aspiration to become co-educational.

"We will of course be taking a close interest in Oldfield's position."

Mr Thomson said that details about plans for the future of Culverhay would be announced in September, including a proposal for the school to become an academy, possibly in collaboration with Bath Spa University.

The final touches are also being added to a proposal for a "soft federation", which would see a partnership between Culverhay and four unnamed other B&NES schools.

Mr Thomson said: "I was appointed on a very clear manifesto to work in collaboration with other partners, to secure the widest curriculum offer for the young people at Culverhay and to this end have had three meetings with the headteachers of four other B&NES schools about developing a soft federation, which would allow these schools (including Culverhay) to deliver a rich, personalised curriculum offer for students aged 14 to 19.

"These discussions will continue in September and Culverhay remains committed to the principle of collaboration for the greater good."

Mr Thomson confirmed that Culverhay had been in talks with both St Gregory's Catholic College and Ralph Allen School as far back as November 2009 to discuss collaboration.

Since then St Gregory's has announced its plans to look into a hard federation – a more formal link-up which normally sees a shared head teacher – with Anglican St Mark's School.

A council report said it has indicated it would support "closer collaboration between the schools in the form of a 'soft' federation" instead.

At a cabinet meeting last week, ruling councillors unanimously voted to continue with plans to consult on the closure of Culverhay, despite opposition from parents, pupils, staff and the community.

The consultation is now due to begin in the middle of September, but Mr Thomson said the school's supporters would do all they could to convince the council that it should stay open.

He said: "As ever, we will articulate our case as clearly and cogently as we can.

"The development work already planned for the school will continue and we will continue to do our utmost to ensure that all the young people currently in the school achieve the highest standards they can."

It is not yet clear what would happen to the Culverhay site if the school was to close, although the council has suggested that Bath Spa might be interested in buying it.

A report said: "We are keen to continue to foster the close links made with the Bath Spa and will explore with them their future plans and aspirations for both their existing accommodation and possible expansion of facilities on the site."

Vice-Chancellor Prof Frank Morgan did not comment on the speculation but said Culverhay had the university's support.

The new Bath branch of a national taxpayers' pressure group has called for the city's nuisance gulls to be culled.

The option of shooting or poisoning the city's noisy gull population has been repeatedly rejected by council officials in Bath.

But historian Tim Newark, who recently helped set up the Bath branch of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said he was shocked by the scale of problems caused by the pesky birds.

Mr Newark's call comes as a family in Keynsham complain that cats in the town are being attacked by gulls.

He has recently moved to Bath but knows the city well, as his parents have lived locally for 30 years.

"It has definitely got much worse," he said. "Thirty years ago there was barely a gull in the sky, now we are woken up by them every single day.

"Several weeks ago, I saw one outside my door ripping a black bag to pieces right in front of me.

"It is a major problem which really has got much worse. They are clearly breeding more."

Local authorities have no statutory duty to do anything about urban gulls, but Bath and North East Somerset Council spends £10,000 a year on egg oiling and egg replacement programmes.

Mr Newark said: "We need to go beyond the council's softly, softly approach and start a cull.

"I think we have to do that, as clearly what the council is spending taxpayers' money on isn't working if the population is still going up."

A few weeks ago Mr Newark, who lives in Barton Buildings, called in a workman to remove a dead bird which had blocked his gutter and caused rainwater to flood his kitchen and stain his ceiling.

He added: "They are causing damage to our buildings. Something needs to be done, and I don't think we are getting value for money from the council.

"I have even seen them take sandwiches from people's hands."

He added: "My five-year-old son is also menaced by them as they are half his size."

The current estimate is that there are around 1,000 breeding pairs in Bath.

In Cheltenham, the local council is considering shooting the birds, but B&NES, the RSPB and nationally-renowned urban gull expert Peter Rock are united in the belief that the draconian measure would not work. They argue that the dead gulls would simply be replaced by more birds, with the breed the ultimate survivor.

However, some researchers have argued that culling can work if used hand in hand with other control methods, with a report to the Scottish Executive four years ago suggesting that a mass cull on an island in the Firth of Forth in 1972 had been partially successful in reducing gull numbers.

Meanwhile, a woman in Keynsham whose cats were attacked by the birds has also called for a change of tack.

But Marcia Hunter, of Compton Green, said she did not think they should be killed.

The owner of five cats said: "I see the gulls out of the window tormenting the cats, and a few of them have had injuries.

"One had an injury on her face and another had a gash on his tail.

"I went outside once to find one of my cats shaking behind a bush. I don't know if they (the gulls) are protecting their young or searching for food, but something needs to be done."

She added: "I know the council do try and get rid of them, but they are wildlife so it is a hard job.

"They are just a nuisance. But what can be done, I don't know."

The authority believes that a new food waste collection service, which will be started in October, will go some way to resolving the issue.

Signs have also recently been made for key gull and pigeon hotspots, such as St James's Parade, advising people not to feed birds.

An 18-year-old girl from Bath, who was killed in a road accident the day after picking up her A-level results, has been described by friends and family as someone "who made every day sparkle".

Charlotte Hecquet, who had completed her exams at Kingswood School this summer, died after her Ford Focus hit a tree and a stone wall at Lansdown Road.

The day before the accident near Lansdown Golf Club she had been celebrating after picking up her A-level results in art, English literature and politics.

A statement from her family paid tribute to a daughter who had left them with "beautiful memories".

It said: "Charlotte was the most wonderful girl to have entered our lives.

"She has touched so many people and has left us all with beautiful memories that we will treasure forever. We know that Charlotte would have been overwhelmed and touched by the love and support she has received from her friends.

"Thank you all for being there for her."

Charlotte, who lived with her parents and two brothers in Lansdown, was a talented artist and had recently had her work displayed in the city's Chapel Row Gallery.

She had been planning to take a gap year to go travelling with friends before going on to study art at university.

Kingswood head teacher Simon Morris sent his condolences to her family and said: "This is such a terrible tragedy.

"Charlotte was a wonderful young person who had just heard of her outstanding success at A-level. She had so much to look forward to.

"We are all in shock and our thoughts are with her family and friends at such a very difficult time."

Almost 300 people have joined a Facebook group in Charlotte's memory with many posting messages describing her as an "angel" who was always smiling.

One friend wrote: "Words cannot express how much you meant to me.

"My best friend, my partner in crime, you made every day sparkle and without you life will never be the same.

"I could fill up thousands of pages reminiscing on all of our epic adventures and maybe one day I will but for now I want you to know this: I love you, I miss you and ... I hope you know how happy you made everyone who had the pleasure of knowing you.

"We will see each other again some day, my angel, I'm sure of it."

Another described Charlotte as "an unfailingly friendly, lovely person who was always so nice to everyone around her."

Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the accident, which happened at around 8.18pm last Friday, to come forward.

An ambulance, a rapid response vehicle and two paramedics attended the incident, but Charlotte had suffered fatal head injuries and died at the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the collision investigation unit on 0845 4567000.

​The Early Learning Centre is opening a new store in Bath - three months after shutting its previous shop.
The firm which sells toys, books and babycare products will be opening a 1,167 sq ft shop in Saracen Street on Saturday.
Its previous shop in Cheap Street was closed in May, with the firm - which is owned by Mothercare - saying it wanted to concentrate on bigger outlets with a wider range of goods.
At that time, it gave no indication it was looking for replacement premises in the city, and suggested customers should use its Trowbridge branch or its website.
There will be a face painter and free balloons on the day, with the store opened by the principal of the city's Norland College childcare training centre, Liz Hunt.
In May, the firm which runs 215 stores had said the Bath closure was part of a strategy to "reposition our chain by resiting from small high street stores into our larger Parenting Centre format."

​Bath's Holburne Museum has announced the date when it will reopen to the public after an £11 million facelift next year.
The gallery at the head of Great Pulteney Street has been helped towards its May 14 opening date by a £86,000 conservation grant.
The cash from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation will help with the cost of ensuring that some of the oldest items in the gallery's collection are in the best condition when the attraction reopens.
The new look gallery has been closed since 2008 for an extension and development scheme which will dramatically increase the amount of display space. More than half the artwork and porcelain held by the museum will be on show for the first time in generations.
It used to charge but the gallery founded in 1882 will reopen as a free attraction.
New displays have been created by specialist exhibition design firm Metaphor, which was responsible for the recent much-praised transformation of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
The foundation was set up in 1961 by financier Ian Fairbairn as a memorial to his wife Esmée and is one of the biggest independent grant-making foundations in the country.
Museum director Alexander Sturgis said the grant was "wonderful news."
"Our new building is only one element in the transformation of our museum. The conservation, cleaning, redisplay and re-interpretation of our collection will be revelatory and offer all kinds of new excitements and discoveries for our visitors.
"The Esmée Fairbairn grant will ensure that this founding collection can be enjoyed and preserved for the next hundred years."
The gallery holds a nationally significant art collection originally owned by naval officer Sir William Holburne, who lived in Bath in the 19th century.
Holburne curator of fine art Amina Wright added: "This grant will allow us to unlock the full potential of some of the museum's finest works. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation's generosity will enable expert conservators to undertake the painstaking work needed to reveal the objects beauty and prevent these treasures deteriorating further. It will also help us to understand their history and purpose."
The Holburne's collection now contains more than 9,000 objects.
Among the pieces that will be conserved will be a spectacular gilt-bronze and Chinese porcelain candelabrum and a Chinese bowl and cover dismantled in the early 20th century. A particularly poignant object is a sword owned by Sir William's brother Captain Francis Holburne bequeathed to him as he lay dying from wounds received at the Battle of Bayonne in France in 1814.

​A community-run theatre in Bath has been damaged by thieves who broke into the building and stole money.
Last night the Mission Theatre celebrated the opening night of Daisy Pulls It Off, performed by members of Next Stage Youth.
However, when a member of staff opened up this morning, she found that someone had forced entry into the building in Corn Street.
Director and founder of the Mission and of Next Stage, Ann Garner, described the scene as 'complete chaos,' with doors broken and smashed glass.
She said they spent all day clearing up the mess today ready for the show to go ahead tonight.
She said: "These kids have been working on this all summer so just imagine if we said to the cast that we're not going ahead with the show. I don't think anyone deserves this."
Along with the takings from last night's performance, thieves also made off with the theatre's laptop, which holds vital information.
Mrs Garner said: "It is the violation and inconvenience of it and the money we will now have to pay the builders, carpenters and joiners.
"We are not awash with cash and we are not a big company.
"It is so depressing, so many people have put in the time and effort to make this theatre a happy and successful place."
Mrs Garner, who founded the theatre five years ago, said she had recently arranged to have a full alarm system fitted in the building in the next few weeks.
She said: "Hopefully this will mean it was a one-off incident."
Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact them on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Schools in Bath and the surrounding area are celebrating some of their best-ever GCSE exam results.

Our photographer was there to capture the moment when thousands of pupils finally found out their grades. Take a look at our photo slideshow.

Click here to see the photographs​

​A well-used footbridge in Bath is being shut in a safety alert.
Victoria Bridge - which links the two parts of Victoria Bridge Road - will be closed from tomorrow following the discovery of a structural fault during a routine assessment.
Bath and North East Somerset Council said the closure was necessary to enable engineers to assess the fault properly and as a precaution in the interests of public safety.
It said further details about the condition of the bridge and the likely length of closure would be released when a full assessment had taken place.

​A conman who plundered a vulnerable woman's savings by telling her needed loans to avoid being beaten up has walked free from court.
Lee Turner spun the yarns to the victim, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, after meeting her on a bus.
The 27-year-old would meet her as she left her job as a volunteer at a charity shop in Corsham and walk her to the bank to get his hands on the cash.
His deception came to light only when the woman burst into tears after a bank teller told her she had withdrawn all her savings as she tried to get more cash.
Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court that Turner met his victim at the start of last year and they got talking on the bus ride in the town.
He asked her to lend him cash, saying he was in trouble and faced being attacked if he couldn't find the money.
Miss Marlow said: "He would go with her. She would go in, withdraw money and give it to him."
She said from February to May last year, he took varying amounts from £20 on one occasion up to £300 on another.
The matter came to light when the woman tried to withdraw a further £260 only to be told that there was no money left.
When she told staff she had met a man called Lee Turner and she was giving him the money, the branch manager told her to contact the police, realising she was vulnerable.
Turner was arrested and admitted he had been borrowing the money and telling her 'cock and bull stories' to get his hands on the cash.
Miss Marlow said: "He admitted taking money from her, saying she was an easy target because she was 'a bit behind'.
"He admitted when he asked to borrow the money he didn't have the funds to pay it back. He was on benefits at the time."
Turner, now of Ryde on the Isle of Wight, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and one of failing to surrender to custody. He denied two similar frauds which were left to lie on the file.
Andrew Eddy, defending, said his client admitted taking £450 dishonestly but insisted the other £300 was borrowed for genuine reasons.
He said Turner was ashamed of what he had done and was determined to pay back the cash regardless of the decision of the court.
Mr Eddy said his client had been smoking a lot of cannabis at the time of the offences when he was living in Wiltshire but was now settled on the Isle of Wight with his uncle and aunt who had also found him work.
He said that after failing to turn up to a hearing in June his client had been remanded in custody and spent 50 days behind bars awaiting sentence.
Judge Euan Ambrose said: "Given her vulnerability, this is the sort of case which quite rightly provokes strong feelings.
"People are quite appalled to hear that vulnerable people are taken advantage of. From what I have read about you, you realise that and I judge the remorse shown by you to be genuine."
He imposed a one-year community order, saying Turner would be under supervision for that time and told him to repay £750 at £25 a week.
The judge added: "I make it absolutely clear that if it hadn't been for the fact you had served the equivalent of a 14-week prison sentence you would be going downstairs."

​Heavy rain is expected to cause disruption across the west this afternoon.
Forecasters are predicting falls of up to two inches of rain as bad weather sweeps in from Devon and Cornwall from lunchtime.
Winds gusting up to 26mph are expected in the Bath area tonight, with the rain lasting until tomorrow morning.
The forecast follows heavy rain on Sunday night which flooded homes and shops in Bath.
All of the south of England is at risk of heavy rain, with the far west bearing the brunt.
There is better news for the Bank Holiday weekend - with Saturday expected to be sunny and Sunday seeing sunny intervals.
The wet and windy weather comes from a band of low pressure being pushed across the country by the jet stream.
This stream was much further north during the extended sunny spells of June and July, diverting much of the unsettled conditions away from the British Isles.

​A man who died after falling into water following a night out in Bath had tried to get into a friend's flat shortly before walking off towards the river, an inquest has heard.
Casper Flagg, who disappeared after a night out at the Moles nightclub with his friends, had been  due to stay with his friend Mathew Eggleston in Monmouth Street.
But after the 28-year-old could not raise his friend, who had turned off the external doorbell, he walked towards Green Park Mews, where his car was parked.
Today's inquest heard how mystery surrounds the sequence of events between that point and the moment the Bath Spa University graduate ended up in the River Avon last year, and coroner Terry Moore recorded an open verdict.
Speaking at the inquest, Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said he could draw no firm conclusion from the evidence.
He said foul play was unlikely and that it was more likely that Mr Flagg had ended up in the water accidentally.
He said: "It is not possible to give a definitive cause of death, so I would say that the cause of death is unascertained.
"I don't think it is right in these circumstances to guess."
He said Mr Flagg was found with 206mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - more than twice the drink-drive limit of 80 - and said this could have been a contributing factor.
He said: "It might have made some marked contribution to his death in that you are more susceptible to the cold and it is easier to drown when under the influence of alcohol.
"People vary in the way they respond to alcohol.
"Most people would associate that level with finding themselves markedly drunk, with poor balance, poor coordination, that is the typical effect."
The inquest heard the graphic designer whose family home was in Radstock had been drinking at Mr Eggleston's flat, before going to Moles to see a band.
He left his keys and phone in the flat in Monmouth Street to keep them safe.
However when Mr Eggleston lost touch with him in the club later that night, he had gone home at around 1am.
CCTV footage revealed that Mr Flagg had still been in the club at that time and left around 3.52am.
Mr Eggleston said it was not unusual for them to lose each other and said the same thing had happened the previous night and that Mr Flagg had made his way to his girlfriend's house near the Royal United Hospital.
He told the hearing: "If I had known he was still in the club, believe me I would not have left him."
Mr Flagg was filmed by a CCTV camera trying to get into Mr Eggleston's flat, but Mr Eggleston had turned his bell off.  He told the inquest he did this out of habit in the evening to stop drunken revellers ringing his doorbell.
Detective Inspector Andy Gwyther, who led the investigation into Mr Flagg's disappearance, said a neighbour had complained of being disturbed around 4am when somebody had rung another bell.
But after getting no response, Mr Flagg made his way to Kingsmead Square, before being spotted in Green Park.
It was not until the next day when he failed to turn up for his mother Marian's birthday lunch in Bath that the alarm was raised.
Det Insp Gwyther said: "When he didn't show up for work on Monday we realised this was a high risk missing person case."
Mr Flagg's disappearance had touched the hearts of thousands of people across the country, with more than 32,000 joining a Facebook group dedicated to helping find him.
His body was discovered in the Avon at Twerton on Boxing Day, following a four-week search.
Mr Moore recorded an open verdict stating that there was little evidence for him to do otherwise.
He said: "I don't have any evidence at all to say it was deliberate self harm or that he was subject to foul play, it is in these circumstances I record that of an open verdict.
"I want to thank Mr and Mrs Flagg for the way they have conducted themselves in the inquest today and I want to thank the police for what was a lengthy and difficult investigation."
Det Insp Gwyther read a statement from Mrs Flagg and her husband Derek after the inquest about their only son.
It said: "We have to live with the tragic loss of our lovely son who was taken at the prime of his life.
"The only thing we can learn from this is look after your friends and stay together when you're out. We would like to thank everyone, the public for their help on Facebook, Casper's friends for all the support they have given us in the search for Casper and the support we have had from everyone.
"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

​Teenagers in England and Wales have scored record GCSE results again, with around seven in 10 pupils awarded at least a C grade.
But while the pass rate rose for the 23rd year in a row, fewer pupils took French and German.
The numbers of pupils taking GCSEs in biology, chemistry and physics increased, although the proportion being awarded top grades fell, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications.
Schools in Bath have reported some of their best-ever results.
Overall, 69.1 per cent of all GCSE entries were awarded at least a C grade, up two per cent on last year. Around one in five entries achieved an A* or an A, up one per cent on last year. The improved results came despite the number of entries falling again, from 5.47 million in 2009 to around 5.37 million entries this year.
The number of English entries being awarded a C fell last year but increased this summer. Almost two thirds (64.7 per cent) of English entries gained at least a C grade, up from 62.7 per cent last time. In maths, 58.4 per cent of entries achieved a C, up from 57.2 per cent last summer.
For the second year in a row, boys outperformed girls in maths although overall, girls are still doing better than boys.
Modern languages were the major casualties again this year, continuing the decline seen since the previous government decided the subject would no longer be compulsory after the age of 14.
French entries were down 5.9 per cent and entries for German dropped by 4.5 per cent, although entries for Spanish increased by 0.9 per cent, Chinese by 5.2 per cent, Portuguese by 9.6 per cent and Polish by 12 per cent.
The results are usually published on a Thursday, but were moved this year to cater for schools in Northern Ireland whose term begins earlier.
In Bath, Ralph Allen School reported its best-ever GCSE results, with 79 per cent of Year 11 students getting five or more A*- C grades in full GCSEs this year. Some 74 per cent gained five or more A* - C grades including English and maths, while 98 per cent achieved five or more A* - G passes.
Lucy White achieved all A* grades, while Lina White got 12.
Deputy head John Chantry said: "These results are the best the school has ever achieved. They are based on very strong performance in the core subjects of English, maths and science.  They are excellent GCSE results and compare very favourably to those achieved in selective schools. They include many outstanding performances from our Year 11 students who in most cases have met or exceeded their challenging targets."
At the Royal High School, 51 per cent of pupils gained nine or more A*/A grades and just under threequarters of the grades awarded to the girls were an A or A*.
Seven students gained at least 10 A*s, with Betsy Jones notching up 12.
She said: "I'm stunned! I didn't dare think that I'd get these results but I'm so happy."
Head Rebecca Dougall said: "GCSEs can seem a little overwhelming with students having to manage considerable workloads right across the curriculum. It is wonderful that all their hard work has paid off; we couldn't be more proud of them and look forward to welcoming them next week as A level and IB students in the sixth form."
Kingswood School's students achieved a 100 per cent pass rate, with 23 per cent of all grades at A* and 56 per cent at A*/A.  Some 97 per cent of all grades were at A* to C, and among the top performers were Emily Souter with 12 A* grades; Alexander Harman, Angus Plumbly and Timothy Woodhead with 11 A* grades each, and Laura Clark, Olivia Dellow, Peter Evans and Charlotte Pickering with 10 A* grades each.
Headmaster Simon Morris said: "I am thrilled to see such strong results from this talented cohort of students.  "With so many exceptional individual performances and some very able new pupils joining the sixth form in September, this year group has much to celebrate and much to look forward to".
Prior Park College had four students with 12 or more A*/A grades, with Harrison Wai getting 13 A*s and Hector Craft 12 A* grades.
Some 68 per cent of pupils got 11 or more A*- C grades whilst 29 per cent achieved A* grades, the second highest in the school's history. In addition, 31 per cent achieved 10 A*/A grades or better.
Head James Murphy-O'Connor said: "This year's results are testament to the hard work and determination our students and staff have demonstrated over the past academic year. To achieve the second highest percentage of A* grades in the school's history is extremely impressive."
At St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, 76 per cent of students got five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths.
The top performing pupil was Ethan Bateson, who scored 10 A*s and 2 As, although nine students got a clean sweep of A* and A grades.
Headteacher James Colquhoun said: "This has been a record breaking year for GCSE at St Laurence – the first time the school has broken into the 70's for 5 + A*-C including English and maths. 
"It is also likely to show the best ever value added score given the cohort's baseline at age 11. 
"The overwhelming majority of our students deserve huge praise for their GCSE endeavour and success. We can now look forward to the largest ever sixth form following some excellent A-level results this year.
"It all goes to show how the young people of St Laurence, with the focus and enthusiasm of highly committed staff, can and do achieve outstanding results these days."
More than a fifth of GCSE pupils at Monkton Senior School picked up seven A* grades or more, making it a record-breaking year for the school.
Principal Richard Backhouse said: "Last week, one of our A-level pupils who picked up their results online, had to come in and see the paper copy to verify that they had in fact done so well.
"I am sure that pupils receiving their GCSE results will be similarly pleased today.
Director of studies Jonathan Morley added: "It is very encouraging to see a year-on-year improvement in our results which cannot be attributed to the exams becoming easier.
"It's because our pupils work hard and are superbly supported by their teachers."
At King Edward's School more than 36 per cent of all grades were A*, a figure which has only been bettered once in the school's history.
Fifteen pupils gained nine A*s or better, including one pupils who achieved 12 A* grades.
A group of 13 students who took Greek GCSE for the first time all managed to get an A* in the subject.
In total the school's pass rate of A* to C was 99 per cent and 72.4 per cent of entries were either an A* or A.
One family in particular has had cause for celebration.
Claire Bowman picked up 12 A*s in her GCSE results, following on from her brother Alan's success last week, when he found out he had achieved five A*s in his A-levels.
Headteacher Martin Boden said: "The pupils and colleagues at the school deserve the highest praise for these very impressive results.
"It was a pleasure to see so many excited faces this morning and to chat to so many delighted pupils and parents.
"This exceptionally able and likeable year group, who will be joined by a record number of new entrants into the sixth form next year, can look forward with real optimism and ambition to the challenging A-level courses which await them from September.
"I congratulate them all."
The National Union of Teachers has spoken out in defence of the GCSE exams and South West regional secretary Andy Woolley has congratulated all the pupils who had picked up their results today.
He said: "Overall the GCSE results are again a massive vote of confidence in young people and their teachers. The continuing improvement in results in the sciences, and English and mathematics demonstrates the high quality and effectiveness of comprehensive education.
"For those who criticise the GCSE they should reflect on the negative impact that criticism has on the morale and confidence of young people.
"While there are strong arguments for reviewing the overall examination system, as the Tomlinson Report did a few years ago, GCSEs as they stand represent both rigour and quality and young people can be proud of the grades they have achieved."
* Don't miss our 12-page A-level results supplement in this week's Chronicle.  We'll be publishing the names of successful GCSE students in next week's paper.

​Bath is rated at 21st in the country in a national fundraising table produced by a specialist website.
People in the city using Virgin Money Giving - an alternative to Just Giving for people taking part in events such as marathons - raise an average of £611.
West London is the area where people raise the most, with an average figure of £1,260, followed by Tonbridge in Kent.
Bristol does not make it into the firm's top 50.
Virgin Money Giving has more than 30,000 fundraisers registered, and has seen more than £17 million raised since its launch in October last year.

​Microscopic worms have forced a race meeting to be transferred to Bath from a sister course.
The August Bank Holiday meeting planned for Chepstow Racecourse will now be held at the Lansdown venue instead.
The decision was taken after an official inspection of the Welsh racecourse yesterday to check out an isolated outbreak of root gall nematodes - microscopic parasitic worms which cause soil instability.
The British Horseracing Authority staged the visit after the abandonment of a fixture there last week.
Northern Racing, which owns both courses, is now working with experts to eradicate the problem.
BHA inspector of courses Peter Hobbs said: "This root gall nematodes problem is something that I have not seen on a racecourse before. The most sensible course of action is that being taken by Northern Racing which is to transfer Chepstow's Bank Holiday meeting and resolve the turf problem."
The fixture at Bath will be sponsored jointly by Terry Hosier of Lancer Scott and Andrew Smith of Festival Racing On Course.
The fixture will continue to take the form of a family fun day with free children's entertainment throughout the afternoon, and there will be reduced entry prices in two enclosures.
Tickets for the Centre Course Picnic Enclosure cost £5 per person and the main enclosure will cost £10 per person. Children under 16 enter for free when accompanied by a full paying adult. Tickets are available in advance by calling 01225 424609.

​Cyclists' representatives have met police to discuss fears over a crackdown on pavement riding.
The issue has mushroomed into a major talking point in Bath, generating scores of comments on the Chronicle's website whenever it is raised.
Last month, police handed out three £30 fines and 14 verbal warnings to people found cycling on pavements and in pedestrian areas in the city.
There has been national publicity over the tough line which appeared to be being taken by police, who said the issue had been identified as a priority at the partners and community together meetings which aim to air community worries in the city.
Now Malcolm Dodds from the Bath Cycling Campaign and B&NES Council cycling champion Councillor Roger Symonds have met Inspector Steve Mildren, who heads neighbourhood policing in Bath.
Mr Symonds said they had had serious concerns that publicity over the matter would be damaging to the city's efforts to become a cycle-friendly place.
But he said: "We have been reassured by Insp Mildren's positive attitude towards sensible cycling."
The campaigners agreed that cyclists who rode recklessly or dangerously on pavements should be caught by police but were assured by Insp Mildren that those not causing a hazard would simply be engaged in conversation by his officers.
Insp Mildren told the campaigners - who were accompanied by B&NES councillor Nigel Roberts - that there was no zero tolerance approach on the issue and that no action would be taken over children riding responsibly on pavements.
He also said that unlawful cycling would not be given a higher priority than other issues of anti-social behaviour in the city, such as cars ignoring advance stop lines for cyclists and cars parking in cycle lanes.
Mr Symonds, who had previously suggested that police actions were "demonising" cyclists, has promised to keep Insp Mildren updated about council plans to develop more cycling routes in the city.
Insp Mildren said: "We will continue to take appropriate action against anyone who puts other highway users in danger. I would encourage all cyclists to take care, be aware of others in their vicinity, and ride in a manner that they are in complete control of their cycle at all times."