A spa day at virgin active in Oxford

A few weeks ago a friend took me to the new Virgin Active club in Oxford.  It is a fantastic set up, built in the middle of a school, so there is loads of parking and beautiful grounds, and the school benefits from a state of the art health club.

The day was completely free as she gave me a guest pass and it was one of the best days I have spent at a health spa, we did a class, swam, sauna-ed, played some very gentle tennis and drunk many many coffees in the Costa Coffee outlet and had a massage which cost only £30.

In the Summer this becomes 6 outdoor courts which are used by the club.

As well as the coffees they served a pretty good cheese and ham omelette.

This is the outdoor pool which is heated all the year round and looks inviting with the steam rising from it.

We ran around like loonies doing a 'body attack class'

The gym had a number of personal trainers who were really proactive in helping everyone

The pool was deserted and great for a relaxing swim

All weather tennis, a great luxury and lots of courts available

I wore an old support top from H & M, the straps had stretched so I tucked it under my sports top for extra support, thinking it was almost a new work out wear look, actually looking at this picture, it just looks like I had forgotten to get properly dressed.  The trip predated the self tan adventure, exhibit one is a good example of the previously described grey/green tinge that I sport during the winter months..

A Spa day at Coworth Park

A few days ago  visited heaven; the new spa at the Coworth Park.
It is probably one of the most perfect spas that I have ever been to and it is only just over a year old, so everything is pristine and it is not overly busy.
Coworth Park is a very grand hotel that is part of the Dorchester group of hotels, it is located just outside of Ascot.  The main hotel is quite classic...

 The spa however is a little different, I walked past this lovely water feature which is the link between the old and the new....

 It is a state of the art modern eco building, not normally my preferred aesthetic, but there was something very feminine and homely about this building and the interior light was beautiful.

Everything is natural, the interior brings the garden into the spa.

The gym wasn't huge, but with only a handful of guests it was adequate.

 The pool was beautiful and opened on to the grounds, it had piped music playing under the water.

The changing rooms were more of a nod to the Dorchester in London, with those luxurious slightly deco touches.

 I loved the lucite tables that I wanted to take home.

 I had a brilliant facial which used this Swedish brand, it was nice to have a change from Aromatherapy Associates, these smelt just as lovely and were all organic.

The nail area isn't quite as spectacular as at the London one, but is very well equipped.

The relaxation area was really fresh and uplifting, infinitely better than all those dark zen style rooms where you just feel that you want to escape.

There were four of us having lunch, it was absolutely delicious, we had healthy salads, and rather unhealthy indulgent cream puddings.

Unfortunately all of my gym kit was in the wash, luckily I never throw anything away so still had these blue and purple marble effect leggings, yes I really did buy these in about 1985, the photo doesn't to justice to quite how hideous they are!

The day cost £115 for a facial, unlimited use of the spa and grounds, a two course lunch, a glass of champagne, unlimited lattes and cappucinos and a fresh fruit juice. It is a great deal and will be much more expensive (if available at all) once the hotel and spa is fully established.

Where are you most at home?

In London, most of my friends are chronically dissatisfied with their lot and dream of a peaceful, less harried existence.  They throw money at problems to make up for the hours that they spend working in jobs that they hate and are in a vicious circle of living to work and needing a high salary to maintain a lifestyle that they despise.
I am still bathing in the glow of having taken the plunge and escaped from the treadmill, my income has drastically reduced and I live in a completely different way now.  But of course I have replaced the old dissatisfaction with a new anxiety;  life is so comfortable and contented, I fear change.  When life is pretty miserable change is intriguing rather than to be feared, but for the first time I would love for every thing to remain just as it is.

Unfortunately Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are. (Brecht)


I am in rented accommodation in a high demand area and having a furry friend puts me in a precarious position,  I'm only ever one unscooped poop away from oblivion.


It set me thinking about what I could do to lower my overheads and find somewhere that I would love equally if I were given my marching orders.

I've never lusted after grandeur in houses, I feel lost in big cold rooms, I like to be cuddled up, cosy and warm somewhere small and intimate.  Although I do love other people to have large houses so that I can visit and enjoy big parties!  
My idea of heaven are the Brambly Hedge houses. I was a teenager when the books were first published, so I can't claim that these books were part of my childhood, and yet I think that I have read all of them.  They are so beautifully illustrated and each time that you look back at a page you find a new detail.

It is in such a house that I would love to live if I ever had to leave my current abode.

The Brambly Hedge mice are all industrious and resourceful, and very ahead of their time in terms of their eco credentials and their recycling.  They work together as a community and produce things of such beauty,  that we have all but forgotten in our fast paced, flat-packed lives.

And then I started looking online, and found that there are communities that exist who work to the same ethos and here are some of the houses that they have created....

and furniture to complement them....

I am not sure how planning works with these, most of them seem to be classed as temporary and are built to be completely self-sufficient in woodland areas, and there is a wood for sale near where I am now, 8 acres planted with over 500 English oak trees, what surroundings could be more beautiful?

There is even a pond.

In my new fantasy there would be a luxury commune with all the community spirit and kindness, but with Frette sheets and good coffee.

There would be a spa where the therapists would receive all the treatment costs.

And a grotto with bubbling hot pools to host parties and serve chilled champagne

What is your most wild home fantasy?

An August trip to Scotland

In August we will be hot footing it to Scotland (near Aberdeen) for a spot of salmon fishing.
For my resident hunter it is an annual trip, for me, it will be the first time.
I am more of a fair weather holiday maker, anything that carries any risk of involving 'cold' was simply never worth taking holiday time.  No longer do I have this excuse and so I am obliged to come.

Our hosts are pretty serious about the fishing, rain or shine, it is up at 6 am and standing in cold water to our waists until sunset.  I have heard of parties who break for boozy lunches and tots of whiskey, which would seem like a good idea if the weather is particularly inclement, but not so for us.

As I don't want to waste a rod by being a lightweight, I thought I would beg a few days off for other activities.  So far I have found only Cawdor Castle which looks amazing and worth a trip.
Any tips regarding good spas, restaurants or any thing to do in the area other than fishing would be gratefully received!

A Spa day at Stoke Park

Stoke Park is one of the most spectacular buildings that I have ever seen.  Approaching the main house down the long drive, with the sunlight bringing the creamy coloured building to life, I would defy any one not to feel a frisson of excitement for what lay ahead.

The main building houses part of the hotel, the tea room and the dining room.  As it is members only, to use any of these facilities, vouchers have to be bought ahead of visiting.  These are not easy to find on the website, there is no 'afternoon tea' option you find it by clicking on to 'gift vouchers' and searching from there.  

The dining room is also open to non members for dinner.  Memberships start from about £600 annually, but this is only to use the amenities in the main building, it does not include the spa, tennis or golf.

The spa and indoor tennis are housed in a separate new building at the side of the main house.  It is very luxurious and beautifully built combining modern and old style seamlessly.  The car park illustrates the clientele, lots of golfing chaps in Bentleys and Aston Martins and spa-ing ladies in Range Rovers and Minis.

I used the gym, which was empty and really well appointed, the pool was quite busy with mainly Russian families.  On a warm summer day it could be fantastic as the floor to ceiling windows all open fully on to the most glorious lawns.

The spa definitely caters for the Russian taste, every thing is perfect and luxurious, no part of it is shabby or indeed tries to embrace the 'shabby chic' look.  The carpets are all 3 inches thick and cover every floor, even the family changing area, where they must need to be changed monthly to keep the wet dog smell at bay which inevitably comes with prolonged damp.

I couldn't take any photos in the treatment and rest area, these areas are behind the pool and are joined by a huge two way aquarium.

I had a Caci facial which cost £110 and lasted nearly an hour and a half, it included  Microdermabrasion and the microcurrent treatment and my skin certainly glowed afterwards.  The therapist was excellent and did not spend the entire session trying to sell me products. 

There is a range of Stoke Park Club products, but I am not sure that they quite live up to the quality of Stoke Park.

There is complimentary tea, coffee, mineral water and biscuits in the relaxation area, but I wanted to have the full Stoke Park experience and so asked the spa reception to organise an afternoon tea voucher for me.  They were incredibly helpful and the tea was £20, good value for the experience. 

This is not a place to wear traditional work out wear when not in the spa area, I wore cream Sportmax trousers, a Zara top and Sergio Rossi boots and blended perfectly with the blonde surroundings.

The famous golf match in Goldfinger filmed at Stoke Park.