Bath Coffee Shop Tour, Bath, England (B)

Hi there, my name is Conor and I’m a diabetic travelling Jersey Bean (little old Jersey off the coast of France, not massive New Jersey in the US) who wants to travel as much of the world as possible on a very limited budget. I mainly write about history, culture and diabetes on the road. I hope you guys enjoy.

Today I am reviewing Showaround, a company that links locals with travellers for a more personalised tour. Offering more than just the bog-standard historical sights these locals point out their favourite coffee shops or shopping spots, recommending restaurants and bars and giving you insider knowledge that might otherwise be missed from a more formal city tour.

I am getting a tour of the city of Bath in the UK by Beanie focussing on independent coffee shops and quirky cafes. Check out her blog here.

The first proper stop is not actually a coffee shop or cafe at all but rather a church. Situated in the Manvers Street Baptist Church building is a homeless shelter run by Julian House and the Genesis Trust. Homelessness in Bath is an issue that many people are unaware of or would not associate with a city with UNESCO world heritage status but the numbers of people in need are significant. Five areas in Bath are within the most deprived 20% of the country according to a council report from 2012 and the Manvers Street centre helps hundreds of people a month. Take a look around their websites for more info on getting involved. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).