This Is Bath, a UK regional publication and website, reported today that Nick Mason was amongst those who appeared at a celebrity reception at a Bath stately home, St Catherine's Court, near Batheaston, to raise money for a new arts youth centre. The party, at the home of Hollywood actress Jane Seymour, was in aid of the Theatre Royal's Egg Appeal.

Apart from Mason, other famous names included film star Bill Nighy, famed for his role in Love Actually (and rumoured to be the next Dr Who), and musicians Peter Gabriel, Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet and now an actor, and Midge Ure, former lead singer with Ultravox who also played a pivotal role in Band Aid.

The Egg, so-called because of its shape, will be a £2.25m development on the site of the Robins cinema in St John's Place. The Theatre Royal has already raised £1m. The final building will incorporate a ground floor cafe, workshops, a stunning egg-shaped auditorium, seating 110, and a rooftop rehearsal room, linked to the Theatre Royal's historic main house and innovative Ustinov Studio.