LIFESTYLE
Originally published on Monday, 30 June 2008
Between credit crunches, environmental hazards, and congestion charges, life can get pretty stressful. Whilst Boris concentrates on reviving London’s hidden rivers à la Time Team, UJ’s been looking to more immediate revival strategies.
SLEEP
The key to feeling refreshed and revived, according to experts, is sleep. Members’ club One Alfred Place offers sleep cabins for the odd power nap, whilst The Sanctuary Day Spa has invested in Low Frequency Sound Wave Therapy Beds, which promise to reduce muscle tension and melt your pains away while you catch some zeds.
The Sanctuary Spa Days from £43, 12 Floral Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DH
SUNSHINE
Avoid SAD syndrome with The Sun Meadow at K Spa , which delivers carefully measured UV sunbeams that mimic natural sunlight over a double bed in an open plan room. Follow up with a session of glowing silence on one of the RelaKs Zone’s 6 cosy beds.
Sun Meadow Session 20 mins, £15, K WEST, Richmond Way, W14 0AX
SUGAR
Sometimes all you need is a bit of sugar to perk you up. The newly opened Parlour at Fortnum & Mason’s specialises in every kind of ice cream treat imaginable, from knickerbocker glories to banana splits. Their most popular flavour – ginger and honeycomb – is about to get a helping hand from the beehives that are being installed on the roof next month.
Fortnum & Mason , 181 Picadilly, W1A 1ER
STROLL
Nothing better to kill that icky feeling than a walk in the fresh air. If you’re easily bored, the London Festival of Architecture is running ‘Unusual Fresh Air Walks ’ on July 12th and 13th, including a Shakespeare, a Dickens, and a Little Tramp tours. Walkit can also calculate routes which avoid areas of high pollution, and airTEXT will send you updates when elevated levels are forecast.
SWIM
A cold splash in the face wakes everyone up. Check out the pop-up Southwark Lido designed by French architects EXYZT from July 3-6th and 10th – 13th, featuring a water deck, sauna, beach huts and mobile garden, with a bar operated by Bistrotheque and staff decked out in House of Holland gear. Events include lunchtime picnics, after-work drinks, and a film club.
Southwark Lido , 100 Union Street, SE1 0NL