Blue plaque on iconic Bath building linked to UWE Bristol project is fit for an Emperor
See all news![A small group of people posing in front of Fairfield House with blue plaque visible on the wall behind.](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/fairfield-house-blue-plaque.jpg?la=en&h=300&w=760&mw=847&hash=F3A6381CF342B93A35DE2F17672F6C49)
Fairfield House in Bath where Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie once lived, has unveiled a blue plaque that is funded by the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The Emperor's grandson Prince Micheal Mekonnen revealed the plaque during a ceremony on Sunday 22 September.
The blue plaque was born out of research carried out by UWE Bristol academic Dr Shawn Sobers, who undertook an AHRC-funded project called 'Ethiopian Echoes on a British Landscape'. His work breathed new life into Fairfield House, making it an intercultural hub that organises debates, exhibitions and the formation of an internet radio station Imperial Voice.com. It also raised awareness about the building's historical importance through various public talks and academic papers.
When Mussolini's Italian fascist regime invaded Ethiopia in 1935, the Ethiopian royal family settled in Bath to campaign for international support. The Emperor lived with his family in Fairfield House, a Grade II listed building, from 1936-40 before returning home to reign for another 30 years.
Today he is still worshipped as God incarnate by the Rastafari movement, which has its origins in 1930s Jamaica.
During his time living in Bath, Emperor Selassie received a warm welcome from local residents, and this generosity was reciprocated when he gave Fairfield House to the city as a gift to be used for elders of the city. Today the building is used as a day care centre by the Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association (BEMSCA).
On Sunday morning, Prince Mekonnen also unveiled a second blue plaque on the Tropicana building in Weston Super Mare. While living in the UK, the Emperor regularly visited Weston-super-Mare, where he enjoyed swimming in the open-air pool. Although invited to, he never jumped the queue and would happily chat with other visitors.
Both plaques were created to honour the time the Ethiopian King spent in the South West. Other dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of Bath, Councillor Gerry Curran are to attended the openings.
Dr Shawn Sobers, who is Associate Professor in Lens Media at UWE Bristol as well as a Trustee of Fairfield House CIC, said: "This was a significant day for both Bath and Weston-Super-Mare, and a long overdue acknowledgement that an important world leader made then west country his home. We look looking to continuing this partnership with Weston, and other sites in the UK that the Emperor had connections with."
Malcolm Nicholson, Weston-Super-Mare's Town Clerk, said: “We are honoured to have this association of our town with the royal family of Ethiopia, and grateful to Dr Sobers and the trustees of Fairfield House for linking up with Weston Town Council to recall this important time in history.”
Related news
![A woman wearing a graduation cap and gown smiles looking directly at the camera](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/bishop-viv-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=739ADCB89DF924A20454FCE58CC0E76D)
23 July 2024
First female Bishop of Bristol awarded Honorary Degree by UWE Bristol
The Rt Revd Vivienne Faull has been awarded an Honorary Degree by UWE Bristol in recognition of her pioneering work promoting roles for women within the church.
![Robert Channon, wearing a black cap and red graduation ceremony robes](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/robert_channon_410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=1E20FAE3501C90E3B5FA974FC2CF43CC)
18 July 2024
Pioneer who improved lives of people with diabetes awarded honorary degree
An inventor who vastly improved the lives of people with Type 1 diabetes with a series of innovations has been awarded an honorary degree by UWE Bristol.
![Head and shoulders image of Louise Mitchell wearing a black cap and red graduation ceremony robes](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/louise_mitchell_410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=1C4A93B3D738429FBFC3F839EF0C85AF)
17 July 2024
Chief executive of charity that runs Bristol Beacon receives honorary degree
The chief executive of the charity set up to manage Bristol Beacon, the renowned music venue in the city, has been awarded an honorary degree by UWE Bristol.
![Professor Sir Steve West (left) with Clare Reddington (right), wearing black caps and red gowns at a graduation ceremony](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/clare-reddington-hon-grad-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=CEB303EE9B7D969CC6424B4DE45FB550)
16 July 2024
Watershed chief executive recognised with honorary doctorate from UWE Bristol
The chief executive of one of Bristol’s leading cultural organisations has been awarded an honorary doctorate.
![General view of the Purdown View student accommodation at Frenchay campus, with greenery and landscaping in the foreground](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/purdown-view-410x230.jpg?h=1080&w=1920&la=en&hash=AB2313D7EB740CCAC8EA2D3A15E2ED51)
11 July 2024
UWE Bristol completes largest low carbon student accommodation development in UK
New student accommodation at UWE Bristol which is the largest low carbon development of its kind in the UK has been completed.
![Photo shows a lady smiling in front of a rack of clothes she's made](/-/media/uwe/images/news/podcast-ach-tetyana-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=EBE1EEF47917F1EE072973B2EAE95501)
08 July 2024
UWE Bristol students share powerful refugee and migrant stories
A new podcast ‘Wisdom from the Global Majority’ tells the stories of both migrants and refugees in Bristol through their own words.
![A photographer using an old-fashioned camera to take an photo of Stonehenge, with a backdrop of a blue sky](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/stonehenge-photography-main-image-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=82D3AA342D3552BF0055E5180A7BFE8E)
22 May 2024
Academic retraces footsteps of Victorian photography pioneer behind Led Zeppelin album cover
A UWE Bristol researcher has used old-fashioned photography methods to recreate images by a Victorian photographer noted for taking an iconic photo that became a Led Zeppelin album cover.
![UWE Bristol international student Sadock John, photographed at Frenchay campus in front of a yellow UWE sign](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/sadock-john-uwe-sign-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=B163C3325F2F42B2341B100B26B6ACE7)
14 May 2024
Meet the international student making a difference in Bristol and Tanzania
A student at UWE Bristol is playing a starring role in a campaign to highlight the important contribution international students are making to the UK and its communities.
![Students Carla Mabb and Kian Swainston, with arts programme manager Donna Baber stand in front of the photography exhibition at the Brunel building](/-/media/uwe/images/news/southmead-photography-students-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=8F7C033B6A1B622CA31C8349566952C4)
10 May 2024
UWE Bristol student photos showcase 10 years of the Brunel building
Striking images have been captured by student photographers for an exhibition marking 10 years since the Brunel building at Southmead Hospital opened.
![A billboard in St Werbughs in Bristol shows children's illustrations and the words if racism vanished for day I'd wear my hair like this](/-/media/uwe/images/news/billboard-racism-vanished-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=AEF138B778B4ABA3532A6C5D2630EE94)
26 April 2024
New billboard to encourage conversations about what life might be like without racism
The billboard displays an illustration from the book ‘If Racism Vanished for a Day’, which explores the impact of racism on children's wellbeing.
![Artist Mr Doodle drawing with a pen while sat on the floor, with the floor and wall covered in black doodle art on a white background](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/mr-doodle-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=DE7AB621C29B08887024970908FDC435)
22 April 2024
UWE Bristol graduate Mr Doodle set to stage first museum exhibition
A former UWE Bristol illustration student is preparing to present his first ever UK museum exhibition.
![Representatives of nine regional institutions sign up to the new OurCity2030 partnership to combat inequality in Bristol](/-/media/uwe/images/news/uwe-supports-ourcity2030-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=F52F742EE0F22B8CEEF84BBC3B92D8B4)
05 April 2024
University joins new partnership to combat inequality
UWE Bristol has signed up to a ground-breaking agreement to address inequality and deprivation for Bristol’s low-income communities.