After a remarkable 32 years Pauline Swaby-Wallace has stepped down as service manager at Bemsca, the day care charity based at Fairfield House.
Fairfield House now gives a warm welcome to Norma Jaggon, Pauline’s successor as Bemsca service manager. Norma has already been hard at work for a month, learning the ropes from Pauline, leading fulfilment of HIM’s wish that Fairfield House be “a home for the aged”.
Norma Jaggon (right) said she is honoured to be passed the baton from Pauline, and to start work on a project with such meaningful purpose.
Pauline takes on a role connecting Bemsca and the Royal United Hospital, and continues as a Trustee of Fairfield House Bath CIC, of which she was a co-founder.
Welcome Norma, and thank you Pauline for all she has done as Bemsca manager and everything else at the heart of Fairfield House.
Fairfield House is now among the top 10% of visitor attractions world wide according to Tripadvisor. Reviews praise its educational tour, historic importance and relevance to contemporary issues. The Tripadvisor award is based on first-hand visitor feedback over 12 months.
Fairfield House Bath CIC Chairman Fisseha Gizaw Combley said “We are honoured. A heartfelt thank you to visitors, reviewers and supporters, to our Operations Manager Ras Benji, and all volunteers.”
See our Tripadvisor ranking and reviews here.
Rastafari celebrate the Emperor’s 133rd Birthday 23rd July 2025
Fairfield House hosted special events for the 133rd anniversary of the birth of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I. The Emperor’s Legacy Day took place 19 July, all the communities sharing and celebrating what the legacy of the Emperor means to them. VIPs in attendance included the new Mayor of Bath Cllr Professor Bharat Pankhania, Liqe Teguan Tekle Mariam, Kesis Abate Gobena and the Deacons of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and Steven Golding, President of the UNIA Jamaica.
The Mayor and Mayoress meet Bemsca on the Emperor’s Legacy day
On the 23rd of July Rastafari faithful from different mansions, including Bobo Ashanti, 12 Tribes of Israel and Nyabinghi, made their pilgrimage from far and wide to be at HIM’s home of His Imperial Majesty for the day. With support from Fairfield House Bath CIC and a Rastafari “Iniversal ises” was held in the welcoming and inclusive tradition of Ras Bandele Selassie.
The Iniversal Ises were followed by special cake cutting on the front lawn.
Fairfield House Bath CIC has acquired HIM’s wallet from a private seller. Dating from his time in the UK, it’s not in great condition. We grateful to the expert bookbinders at Geo Bayntun in Bath for the offer to clean and restore it. HIM was a customer of Bayntun’s, which to this day keeps a brass Imperial seal originaly used for personalising HIM’s leather bound books.
The empty wallet is a fitting metaphor for HIM’s time in the UK, and also for Fairfield House today which needs significant funds for its restoration.
Watch the story of HIM's wallet
Bekele Woyecha of Together with Refugees gave a brilliant talk for Bath Welcomes Refugees about sharing stories and changing the narrative. He reminded us that every person seeking sanctuary is an individual with a story to tell.
Bekele Woyecha visited Fairfield House, and is seen here with Hiba from Sudafest, one of the community organisations based at Fairfield House.
The sensational Fairfield House Ethio Jazz Project played its most ambitious gig yet at a summer thank you event for Fairfield House volunteers. To the original players Harriet Riley (vibes) Riaan Vosloo (bass) and Mark Whitlam (drums) band leader Ross Hughes added the talents of trumpeter Laura Jurd, guitarist Adrian Utley, multi-instrumentalist Will Gregory, Ras Blaggy and Jah Rubba on percussion, and Julius Nunn on krar. A live recording is now in production, produced by Patrick Philips.
You can hear a new audio documentary Sylvia Pankhurst: The Honorary Ethiopian by Katie Chandler-Clarke on SoundCloud.. It features Helen Pankhurst CBE, Prof Shawn Hailemariam Sobers, and community members at Fairfield House.
Hear the Sylvia Pankhurst podcast
Through the wind and the rain, visiting sacred sites of Bath, the Bath Interfaith Bathscape festival pilgrimage reached the sanctuary of Fairfield House early on a September Sunday evening.
The group was welcomed and warmed with hot drinks and food, and heard from Operations Manager Ras Benji about the decision of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I to found a Chapel at Fairfield House in 1937, and the journey of the Tabot of Medhane Alem, eventually to the church of Miskaye Hazunan Medhane Alem in Siddist Kilo, Addis Ababa.
Historical Guided Tours on Sundays through to December. Book here Ticketsource.co.uk/fairfield-house
Oct 4 Rastafari Sabbath Observance
Oct 18 Freedom in the City day hosted by the Ethiopian community
Oct 24 Sounds of Sudan event with Sudafest
Oct 20 Bemsca Diwali
Oct 29 Bath Spa Uni Fairfield House BHM reception at Newton Park
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