Introduction

We kept our promise. 

This time around we moved beyond email, and went to interview those who claimed to have seen the goddess of the Roman Bath in the flesh. If ‘in the flesh’ is the correct turn of phrase.

The switch from computer screen to human beings had the potential to give us a clear answer to our thesis. Anyone can send us an email about ‘spotting Sulis Minerva’ for a laugh. Agreeing to meet us in person shows a level of commitment to your story.

There were some risks.Would our interviewees crumble and admit to fibbing? Invite us for a meeting to discuss the goddess, and steal our wallets? We decided to always go in a pair, and leave a printed email stack in case the police needed evidence. 

Many never responded to our meet up request. Perhaps they had their own concerns about our reasons for an interview. But in the month since our last posts we have managed to record half a dozen discussions with those who claim to have seen her. 

Following the recording two emailed us stating they did not want their answers going out in case they could be identified. Understandable. They admitted to some bizarre experiences. But we are pleased to say the four who let us publish their transcript have offered new angles on our thesis. 

It was not their words alone. Veracity grew from the smell of the coffee in the cafe, the ticking of the clock on the wall. Only a few months go this was a bit of fun, and now we had sworn statements. Remember, it was never our intention to discover these reports.  

Please note our map is not as updated as the previous two waves. We did not want to reveal the addresses of any our interviewees, so this month a lot of our titles are rather fuzzy. Rest assured this does not affect the fact they happened in Bath, or the truth of their stories. 

So is this real?  

We may soon have a conclusion. 

A view of the river near Parade Gardens