The next meeting of the forum for neighbours of the university campus is on Tuesday 3rd June.

The forum allows those living near the Claverton Down campus to talk with management and the Students’ Union of the University of Bath. The agenda this term includes buildings works around the campus and planned events. This Saturday is the Students’ Union summer ball, which is expected to attract thousands of ballgowns and bow-ties.

The meeting starts at 5:30pm; please RSVP to G.Gillespie@bath.ac.uk if you wish to attend.

The Holburne Museum of Art has appointed a new director, Jennifer Scott.

Dr Alexander Sturgis, the museum’s director since 2005, has recently been appointed director of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. During his period at the Holburne, the museum has been extended and renovated, enjoying significantly higher visitor numbers.

Jennifer Scott has worked for the last ten years as a curator of the Royal Collections. Her expertise is in Renaissance painting, and she recently collaborated with the Holburne on the Rembrant and his contemporaries exhibition. She starts at the Holburne from the Autumn.

Meanwhile, the museum is preparing for its first ‘Up late’ Friday evening. On 30th May, and the last Friday of the month thereafter, the museum and cafe will be open until 9pm.

The children’s play area in Sydney Gardens has received a new piece of equipment. The old carousel was replaced this week by a rotating cone climber.

“We are looking forward to Sydney Gardens being restored with our lottery project,” said Cllr Nicholas Coombes. “However, in the short term we need to keep the park up to scratch. That’s why David Martin and I have asked for equipment like this to be installed, which can be re-used in the future.”

University management, local residents and your Bathwick councillors will be meeting on Tuesday 4th February from 5:30pm.

The forum is a termly meeting to discuss events and activities on the Claverton Down campus, and for local residents to share concerns and ideas about the university. The forum was established by Cllr Niholas Coombes to help improve relationships between university management and the people who live near campus.

If you are interested in attending, RSVP to g.gillespie@bath.ac.uk

The Holburne Museum has switched on its seasonal light show. This is the third year since reopening that the museum has installed a light show in its grounds over the Christmas period.

This year, the museum itself plays a greater part in the experience, as the extension is lit up by dozens of lamps, pulsing and changing colours. The reflective surface of the ceramic responds in unexpected ways, glowing and sparkling.

The lights are free to view from the cafe, but to complete the experience, hire headphones to listen to a specially composed soundtrack to which the lights dance. The lights are switched on at 4pm every evening until 5 January.

The Chronicle has an album of photos,and amateur photographers have shared some of theirs from the Holburne twitter feed.

Bathwick councillor Nicholas Coombes has raised the need for expansion of St Mary’s Primary School at a meeting of the council. He asked how BathNES council was supporting governors in their wish to expand.

The school has an excellent reputation and is consequently oversubscribed with huge demand for places. An increased birth rate in this part of the city means that demand will soon rise further, and the proposed housing development on the MoD site will also contribute to the need for places.

The Council has undertaken a feasibility study about doubling the size of the school to allow for two classes at each year group. This involves using part of the bordering MoD site for expansion, which could also provide playing fields for the first time.

Your local Liberal Democrat councillors strongly support expanding the school so that children living in Bathwick can attend their local primary. Nicholas and David will continue to work to ensure that this opportunity is not missed.

The next meeting of the forum for neighbours of Bath University is on Tuesday 3rd September. The meeting is an opportunity for local residents to speak with university management and students’ union leaders.

The agenda this term includes an update on major projects and a preview of events expected on campus. Plans have been drawn up for a pedestrian island on Convocation Avenue (reported here) and work has started on the new Arts centre.

The University will soon be hosting the Special Olympics, to which all residents are invited as spectators.

There is an open day planned for 14 September, which is likely to cause some traffic disruption, and term starts at the end of the month, with most students expected to arrive from 20th September.

University staff, students, local residents and Councillors meet once a term to discuss issues of mutual concern. This term’s meeting of the forum is on Tuesday 4th June at 5:30pm.

Regular items include major building works on campus and forthcoming events. The largest of these are University Open Days which attract 8,000 prospective students; these are planned for the 20th June and 14th September.

Also on the agenda are transport matters, including buses, pedestrian routes and issues on Claverton Hill; new policy towards HMOs; and student numbers for the coming year.

After the Summer Ball today most undergraduates will be leaving campus over the weekend. Freshers’ Week for new students starts on 20th September, with returning undergrads recommencing lectures from 30th September.