--- a/babel/dates.py
+++ b/babel/dates.py
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@
     return Locale.parse(locale).time_formats[format]
 
 def format_date(date=None, format='medium', locale=LC_TIME):
-    """Returns a date formatted according to the given pattern.
+    """Return a date formatted according to the given pattern.
     
     >>> d = date(2007, 04, 01)
     >>> format_date(d, locale='en_US')
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@
 
 def format_datetime(datetime=None, format='medium', tzinfo=None,
                     locale=LC_TIME):
-    """Returns a date formatted according to the given pattern.
+    """Return a date formatted according to the given pattern.
     
     >>> dt = datetime(2007, 04, 01, 15, 30)
     >>> format_datetime(dt, locale='en_US')
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@
         datetime = datetime.replace(tzinfo=UTC)
     if tzinfo is not None:
         datetime = datetime.astimezone(tzinfo)
-        if hasattr(tzinfo, 'normalize'):
+        if hasattr(tzinfo, 'normalize'): # pytz
             datetime = tzinfo.normalize(datetime)
 
     locale = Locale.parse(locale)
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@
         return parse_pattern(format).apply(datetime, locale)
 
 def format_time(time=None, format='medium', tzinfo=None, locale=LC_TIME):
-    """Returns a time formatted according to the given pattern.
+    """Return a time formatted according to the given pattern.
     
     >>> t = time(15, 30)
     >>> format_time(t, locale='en_US')
@@ -274,8 +274,8 @@
     For any pattern requiring the display of the time-zone, the third-party
     ``pytz`` package is needed to explicitly specify the time-zone:
     
-    >>> from pytz import timezone, utc
-    >>> t = time(15, 30, tzinfo=utc)
+    >>> from pytz import timezone
+    >>> t = time(15, 30)
     >>> format_time(t, format='full', tzinfo=timezone('Europe/Berlin'),
     ...             locale='de_DE')
     u'17:30 Uhr MESZ'
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@
         time = time.replace(tzinfo=UTC)
     if tzinfo is not None:
         dt = datetime.combine(date.today(), time).astimezone(tzinfo)
-        if hasattr(tzinfo, 'normalize'):
+        if hasattr(tzinfo, 'normalize'): # pytz
             dt = tzinfo.normalize(dt)
         time = dt.timetz()
 

--- a/babel/numbers.py
+++ b/babel/numbers.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
     return Locale.parse(locale).number_symbols.get('group', u',')
 
 def format_number(number, locale=LC_NUMERIC):
-    """Returns the given number formatted for a specific locale.
+    """Return the given number formatted for a specific locale.
     
     >>> format_number(1099, locale='en_US')
     u'1,099'
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
     return format_decimal(number, locale=locale)
 
 def format_decimal(number, format=None, locale=LC_NUMERIC):
-    """Returns the given decimal number formatted for a specific locale.
+    """Return the given decimal number formatted for a specific locale.
     
     >>> format_decimal(1.2345, locale='en_US')
     u'1.234'
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
     return pattern.apply(number, locale)
 
 def format_currency(number, currency, locale=LC_NUMERIC):
-    """Returns formatted currency value.
+    """Return formatted currency value.
     
     >>> format_currency(1099.98, 'USD', locale='en_US')
     u'1,099.98'
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
     return format_decimal(number, locale=locale)
 
 def format_percent(number, format=None, locale=LC_NUMERIC):
-    """Returns formatted percent value for a specific locale.
+    """Return formatted percent value for a specific locale.
     
     >>> format_percent(0.34, locale='en_US')
     u'34%'

--- a/babel/support.py
+++ b/babel/support.py
@@ -17,12 +17,123 @@
 .. note: the code in this module is not used by Babel itself
 """
 
+from datetime import date, datetime, time
 import gettext
 
-__all__ = ['LazyProxy', 'Translations']
+from babel.core import Locale
+from babel.dates import format_date, format_datetime, format_time, LC_TIME
+from babel.numbers import format_number, format_decimal, format_currency, \
+                          format_percent, format_scientific, LC_NUMERIC
+from babel.util import UTC
+
+__all__ = ['Format', 'LazyProxy', 'Translations']
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 
+class Format(object):
+    """Wrapper class providing the various date and number formatting functions
+    bound to a specific locale and time-zone.
+    
+    >>> fmt = Format('en_US', UTC)
+    >>> fmt.date(date(2007, 4, 1))
+    u'Apr 1, 2007'
+    >>> fmt.decimal(1.2345)
+    u'1.234'
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, locale, tzinfo=None):
+        """Initialize the formatter.
+        
+        :param locale: the locale identifier or `Locale` instance
+        :param tzinfo: the time-zone info (a `tzinfo` instance or `None`)
+        """
+        self.locale = Locale.parse(locale)
+        self.tzinfo = tzinfo
+
+    def date(self, date=None, format='medium'):
+        """Return a date formatted according to the given pattern.
+        
+        >>> fmt = Format('en_US')
+        >>> fmt.date(date(2007, 4, 1))
+        u'Apr 1, 2007'
+        
+        :see: `babel.dates.format_date`
+        """
+        return format_date(date, format, locale=self.locale)
+
+    def datetime(self, datetime=None, format='medium'):
+        """Return a date and time formatted according to the given pattern.
+        
+        >>> from pytz import timezone
+        >>> fmt = Format('en_US', tzinfo=timezone('US/Eastern'))
+        >>> fmt.datetime(datetime(2007, 4, 1, 15, 30))
+        u'Apr 1, 2007 11:30:00 AM'
+        
+        :see: `babel.dates.format_datetime`
+        """
+        return format_datetime(datetime, format, tzinfo=self.tzinfo,
+                               locale=self.locale)
+
+    def time(self, time=None, format='medium'):
+        """Return a time formatted according to the given pattern.
+        
+        >>> from pytz import timezone
+        >>> fmt = Format('en_US', tzinfo=timezone('US/Eastern'))
+        >>> fmt.time(time(15, 30))
+        u'11:30:00 AM'
+        
+        :see: `babel.dates.format_time`
+        """
+        return format_time(time, format, tzinfo=self.tzinfo, locale=self.locale)
+
+    def number(self, number):
+        """Return an integer number formatted for the locale.
+        
+        >>> fmt = Format('en_US')
+        >>> fmt.number(1099)
+        u'1,099'
+        
+        :see: `babel.numbers.format_number`
+        """
+        return format_number(number, locale=self.locale)
+
+    def decimal(self, number, format=None):
+        """Return a decimal number formatted for the locale.
+        
+        >>> fmt = Format('en_US')
+        >>> fmt.decimal(1.2345)
+        u'1.234'
+        
+        :see: `babel.numbers.format_decimal`
+        """
+        return format_decimal(number, format, locale=self.locale)
+
+    def currency(self, number, currency):
+        """Return a number in the given currency formatted for the locale.
+        
+        :see: `babel.numbers.format_currency`
+        """
+        return format_currency(number, currency, locale=self.locale)
+
+    def percent(self, number, format=None):
+        """Return a number formatted as percentage for the locale.
+        
+        >>> fmt = Format('en_US')
+        >>> fmt.percent(0.34)
+        u'34%'
+        
+        :see: `babel.numbers.format_percent`
+        """
+        return format_percent(number, format, locale=self.locale)
+
+    def scientific(self, number):
+        """Return a number formatted using scientific notation for the locale.
+        
+        :see: `babel.numbers.format_scientific`
+        """
+        return format_scientific(number, locale=self.locale)
+
+
 class LazyProxy(object):
     """Class for proxy objects that delegate to a specified function to evaluate
     the actual object.