Not a great start

Happy new year and all that. I spent mine in Stockholm, and I'll post more on that anon.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that great a start in Bath, as I learned when I got into work this morning. A guy was stabbed to death on Sunday night just down the road from me. Less than 100 metres, in fact. There'd been a fight in the Longacre Tavern, which spilled out onto the pavement, and one poor bugger copped it. I'm not sure if the four guys arrested and released did it, but at least there were plenty of police on hand for a change. There are plenty more now, questioning people in the flats next door.

While the Longacre Tavern is not a place I would frequent, the fact that it is so close is worrying. I walked past it today en route to the supermarket (closed anyway), and saw a cross tied to a post at the end of the alleyway next to the pub. I've looked up that alleyway before, and noticed two fairly shifty types lounging next to the wall. Maybe more shopping at Waitrose is on the menu.

I suppose the good news is that there is, on average, about 1 homicide per year in Bath (pop. 170,000), and total crime has dropped by a lot over the last few years. It's not particularly good news for the person who dies, though. RIP.