Bath Aqua Glass Ltd.
Glassblowing, Orchard Place, Walcot Street, Bath.

Entering Bath Aqua Glass' studio, I was shown by, Dan the glassblower, the 'Wonders of Glass'. In front of a big group of onlookers; Dan heated the glass, (to a temperature of 1100 degrees). on a blowing iron... and turned it gently. Blowing and 'gathering' the glass balloon from a molten lump, the molten glass expanded, due as I was told to the blown air in the glass expanding.
As it cooled, the glass changed from a purple/red colour to the familiar Bristol Blue as the glass cooled. Adrian, who showed me round the studio, produced extremely fine strands of blue glass from a tub on the counter for me to see. The glass strands were the width of a guitar string, showing just how fine glass can be stretched. It can, Adrian explained, be stretched to the width of one molecule!

Carol B

Bath Aqua Glass, is in combination with Bristol Blue Glass, we blew the first piece of 'Bath Aqua Glass' back in March of this year. Since then we have concentrated on the wholesale side of the business, selling to the glass specialist shops in this region. We have glass master blowers coming over from Bristol Blue throughout the week but the production studio is actually on the same site, we would produce wine glasses on one day and in between times people will come in and visit and look through the whole process. We have actually had international students coming in and we run them through the whole procedure.
We have had lots of students visiting from Switzerland, and we have had Tai students in but we haven't had many French students here yet, but maybe as the summer progresses...and we have had many Americans & Canadians

'What would people do if they wanted to come over here and see the studio'?

We don't do courses but we can organise demonstrations for students and organisations. All they have to do is telephone us here at the studio, the number is +44 (01225) 428146 or +44 (01225) 463466 that is where we have the shop and the stained glass studio as well. The Stained Glass Studio has also produced, which might be of interest to you on Tuesday an Alternative Fashion Show, a lot of costumes which are made by us and are made out of glass! There is a Bristol Blue Bikini which is being worn by a lady and there are various other bits and pieces which are going to be wicked! The TV are actually involved with it as well. All the proceeds go to the Whale and Dolphin Conversations?...a printers error. We welcome college and school parties from other countries to come and see the studio and the glass blowers at work. If they do want to come and visit, just give us a couple of weeks notice, so that a couple of the guys, the top blowers, although they are sociable chaps,they are on a mission, so when they come in on the day it is their work, but we do make provision for people who come in as it is a glassblowers studio and we are aware of that, so that is why we like a little bit of warning so we can plan ahead. This furnace is firing 365 days a year so we have got to get the gas bill paid, it's the biggest gas bill in town!
It has to be the greatest craft to be doing in the winter! Yes...if you bring your washing in it's dry in ten minutes.

Adrian, showed me round

The Alternative Fashion Show
A fabulous collection of clothes from the Alternative Fashion Show in London, South West designers and the new Tsunami alternative boutique. This year designs in glass are included - by Bath's own Hand Made Glass Company! Proceeds to Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

To be held at the RSVP Bar (formerly P J Peppers) at 8pm Tuesday the 1st June. Tickets œ3.00 / œ2.00 concs on the door. Promoted by Tsunami Alternative Boutique and sponsored by RSVP Bar.