Fairyland switch on attracts crowd of 5,000

The venue for 5,000 Bathonians and visitors at the beginning ofAugust in 1954 was Sydney Gardens, where they found themselves in a"veritable fairyland of colour and excitement", as the Chroniclereported.

The event was the summer illuminations that was the signal, thereport continued, for Bath to "go gay".

One of the attractions at the park was Spot Bobby Bath, theChronicle mystery man. People stood to win pounds2 if they couldidentify him correctly.

Several times, a Chronicle reporter heard exclamations of "Thatlooks like him" or "That's Bobby Bath over there!" but the mysteryman escaped detection.

Bobby Bath was to be at large again the following Saturday, andthe reward for his capture was to increase to pounds4. The coverprice of the Chronicle was 2d, or a little under 1p, by way ofcomparison.