Meet Julianne Mac Julianne (or Ju to her friends) is one of those rare things: a native Bathonian. She loves living in Bath and has no desire to seek pastures new. Meeting her for the first time one is struck by her love of people, her sense of humour, her enormous energy, her passion for community service but mostly by her dazzling smile. During her busy career which she loved Ju found time to volunteer although she never found what she considered the perfect group. Upon retirement she decided to set about creating a group which took in her interests in psychology, history, buildings & genealogy. Not one for bureaucracy Ju’s concept was to set up informal groups which connect people with similar interests and let them run themselves. When the BBRA launched and began to connect neighbours, one to another, Ju discovered there was a desire for social activities. The Friday Night Drinks group was formed in MidBloomfield; it is scheduled for the last Friday of the month at The Bear. The group continues to this day; sometimes there are 4 participants; sometimes 24. The next big idea was Supper Club which, once launched, carried on under its own steam as an informal WhatsApp group. While the initial enthusiasm has waned a bit some of the group will be meeting for a Christmas supper at The Packhorse Inn.* There were also group walks and more but then Ju launched her most successful concept to date: the History Group which focusses on the rich seam of industrial history and remarkable people, Dr. Clara Cross for example, in the community of Odd Down; an area largely overlooked by Bath historians. Starting as an informal chat group it grew as did the desire amongst some of the participants to document the discoveries in a formal way. Perfectly timed was at the arrival of Trudi Mayo, who is studying for a Masters in History & Heritage. Trudi has set up a website (odddownhistorygroup.org) and is documenting the oral histories and photographs of Odd Down residents. The group is collaborating on a project to create a display for the Museum of Bath at Work. As an adjunct to the group Ju is offering a series of local history films and talks by local experts at the Odd Down Football Club Cafe. Speakers offer their services free of charge because of the level of interest and their own passion for the topic. The next project was Crafternoon: an informal craft & coffee group where coming together informally for “knit & natter” along with other crafts has been popular. And now a a Spanish conversation group has launched with a small but committed group of students working together to improve their skills. All of Ju’s groups are completely free of charge with the caveat to purchase a drink or snack at the venue. Everyone is welcome to attend these groups. For information on dates and times please see the What’s Happening page of this site. But Ju’s commitments extend further. She supports a young lady who has Down’s Syndrome to Friday sessions at the Salvation Army Cafe where Carol Young provides a warm welcome & a myriad of activities. Ju also volunteers at the Carer’s Centre on the Lower Bristol Road where she acts as Games Group Lead giving often stressed Carers on opportunity to relax and unwind. And she serves as bereavement support and as a fundraiser for Dorothy House and Cancer Research; programs near & dear to her heart as she has lost too many people to Cancer. Ju reminds us that Dorothy House began its life in Bloomfield Road. Connecting people is a huge part of Ju’s brief. She feels, too often, people miss out of activities and programs on their doorstep due to lack of knowledge. During her all too infrequent downtime Ju likes spending time with friends and family cooking & baking for them. So if you happen to meet Ju out on Bloomfield Road please say “Hello” to One Amazing Neighbour! * Supper Club will be available to all interested members in the New Year. Details will be announced in December.