New Kid on the Block

In addition to the rumours that have been circulating about a Sainsbury’s Local opening opposite Freshco, there has been some very sad news recently that one of the most loved family owned shops on Wandsworth Bridge Road is closing down, citing ‘tough times’ as the reason. The future is looking pretty bleak for the villagey stretch of SW6 suburbia which is home to so many independent and individual quirky shops and restaurants. 

Normally adopting a happy go lucky- isn’t Fulham Fab- attitude on the blog, I’m sorry to start this post so negatively. I really want to remind local Sands End residents that if we don’t support the independent businesses in the area, they will soon be overtaken by corporate owned, mass producing chains. Wandsworth Bridge Road will begin to resemble some of the less salubrious South London suburbs and not keep the quirky SW6 character and community that we all love. 

                              

Anyway rant over, last week I visited the latest opening on Wandsworth Bridge Road; the very cool and contemporary ‘ThaiPhoon’. Launched by a charming couple, Max and Pye, this Thai restaurant is part of a new generation of Asian dining. Gone is the cat strangling pan piped soundtrack, the bladder bursting water feature and the fogged up fish tank- Max and Pye have kept it simple, combining exotic Asian colours and prints with minimalist warehouse chic furniture. 

                                 

Max is fully aware of the overpricing that is so prevalent in Fulham and has put together a competitively priced and creative menu- with dishes that range from a ‘Hangover Remedy’ to the particularly popular ‘Lamb Shank Massamun’ choosing one dish is virtually impossible. We ordered the ‘Lost in Thaiphoon’ for three people to start and enjoyed a selection of mixed starters, favouring the pork dim sum and chicken satay. To follow we had a Pad Thai, Chilli Basil Kaprow with prawns and a chicken Hangover Remedy, all of which we ‘plattered’ (adding the option of the Thaipoon platter supplement for the extra greedy). 

                                  

The delicious food was the perfect combination of spicy and sweet, the thai flavours were warming and satisfying and we felt very full, fat and happy. Max and Pye have done a great job with the decor, service, menu and branding of this place- it’s unique yet authentic and fun yet delicious. Our bill was by no means eye watering and we even were tempted by the mini supermarket at the back with the ‘make it at home’ curry paste and sauces. Thaiphoon do takeaways but sadly don’t deliver- it really is a fantastic addition to the area and I hope that they find success with their new venture.

                                    

Boxing the bulge at Sands End Ladies ABC

We're always on the look out for new ways to keep fit, healthy and to manage the bulge in Fulham and Chelsea, but I don't think I've had a workout yet like the one I got last weekend at the Sands End Ladies ABC.

Set up by local ladies Jennifer Hunter and Staica Read and sponsored by the Mayor of London's FREESPORT programme, this free class takes place every Saturday from 2 to 3:30pm at the Hurlingham and Chelsea School, Peterborough Road. The session starts with a quick overview of the basic boxing moves: jabs, punches, hooks, parries and blocks. The emphasis is on correct technique as well as building awareness around posture, footwork and keeping your guard. Boxing is much more complex than it looks are there are lots of nuances that will make sure you get maximum power, and avoid hurting yourself! We then paired up to practice simple routines, all non-contact, before hitting the punch bags, weights and a pretty gruelling floor routines of squats, crunches and stretches. The coaches are incredibly supportive and encouraging, making sure we were all pushing ourselves as hard as we could but that the session remained light hearted and fun. There's lots of laughter and joking around, and a pretty awesome soundtrack, but you definitely feel the burn!

Boxing is not the exercise that springs to mind for must of us girls when we're considering our fitness options, but it provides a really full on workout for your whole body, and helps build awareness, coordination, agility and some properly hard biceps and abs. The sessions are non-contact (no black eyes here!) and everyone there was incredibly friendly and encouraging, and a whole mix of ages and abilities. Just remember to do a thorough warm-down before going to bed that evening - my arms were still aching 48 hours afterwards!

The classes are totally free, and it's a fun way to get a really thorough workout in a really friendly group. Take a mate and check it out - you've got nothing to lose!

Sands End Ladies ABC
Sports Hall, Hurlingham and Chelsea School
Peterborough Road
SW6 3ED
Saturday 2-3:30pm. Classes FREE
http://sandsendabc.org.uk/about/

Holistic Happiness: a different take on massage therapy

Most of us dread a visit to the dentist. In fact, some of the last words that come to mind are words like “happiness” and “holistic well-being”. Yet, there’s a dental practice on the Wandsworth Bridge Road which offers exactly that. Karma Dental has been around for the past 20 years, but more recently has branched out to offer holistic well-being treatments too. And we reckon they’re on to a winner.

Ellie Blair is a massage therapist who places the emphasis on therapy. She is a passionate advocate of holistic medicine who firmly believes all her treatments should benefit mind and spirit as well as your body. Having studied various alternative therapies for the past 20 years, progressing from Reiki through to massage therapy and specialised Ayurvedic treatments more recently, Ellie has a keen sense of spirituality that manifest itself in a warm enthusiasm for her work and her patients. Not being a particularly ‘spiritual’ person myself (those that know me would say that’s probably an understatement), I didn’t find Ellie at all “hippy” and all you need to derive maximum benefit is to keep an open mind as the massages do vary slightly from the traditional model. For example, the full body treatment is less focussed on removing knots and more on deriving a holistic balance so the pressure may not be what you are used to. All treatments are started with a 10-15 minute consultation so that Ellie can tailor the procedure to you and make sure she can best meet your expectations.

In a sweet little treatment room on the top floor of Karma’s Wandsworth Bridge Road practice, Sarah and I sampled a full body massage as well as an Ayurvedic leg and foot massage known as Kansa Vatki. Both were incredibly relaxing and for those of you who take an interest, Ellie has both a fascinating story and a vast amount of knowledge about the different treatment philosophies she practices. During my Ayurvedic treatment, she explained why she performs much of the procedure with a small metal dome moulded from copper, zinc and lead. Copper is known for its joint healing properties, and is often used to treat arthritis, where as zinc is beneficial for circulation and tin aids digestion. She also showed me how the nerve endings in your feet essentially provide a map for the rest of your body, and that by stimulating different parts of my soles she was able to treat different areas of my body. After my treatment I certainly felt that my whole body had been affected, and that 5 minutes of head massage at the end definitely ensures full head-to-tea benefits. Ellie says her childhood friends always used to comment on what warm hands she had - they were obviously made that way for a purpose!

Ellie is currently planning her memoirs, so I won’t spoil too much of her life story, suffice to say her outlook to life is pretty inspirational. She believes in constant and positive change and growth, and in her 40s took the incredibly brave step of packing up her flat in London and moving alone to the mountains of New Mexico to work with some of the tribal leaders , and she stayed for 12 years. She still trains to broaden her repertoire of alternative therapies (next up is an Indian abdominal massage treatment) and recently has started writing for UK-wide magazine Kindred Spirit. As she grows older she still believes the best of life remains in store for her, which is an attitude I find very impressive especially when I think of how many friends I have in their twenties who already think it’s too late for a career change/new boyfriend/to move abroad.

If you’d like to sample some of Ellie’s holistic magic for yourself, we’ve teamed up with Karma Wellbeing to offer SouthWestSix readers 50% off a Swedish Massage treatment (usually £50) at their Wandsworth Bridge Road treatment rooms. All you need to do is contact them at wellbeing@karmadentalcare.co.uk and quote ‘SouthWestSix’ when you make your booking. The offer is valid until March 20^th 2012 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

We’d love it if you’d let us know how you found it by leaving a message in the Comments box!

Karma Dental Care

144 Wandsworth Bridge Road

London SW6 4UH

http://www.karmadentalcare.co.uk/

www.karmawell-being.co.uk

Pizza Fit for a Princess

I have visited Bunga Bunga a couple of times since its highly anticipated opening but only for drinks and karaoke on a Friday night and so was beyond delighted to be invited to sample the full Berlusconi themed experience, from cocktails to cabaret. It is imperative to book well in advance as word has spread about this no holds barred Battersea business and queue’s tail around the block to gain entry into this salacious den of dancing and debauchery. Set up by two young ‘it crowd’ entrepreneurs, the attention to detail is similar to their previous ventures- Maggie’s and Barts- it knows no bounds particularly when it comes to taste, in Bunga Bunga the naffer the better.

                                               

The evening we visited could not have been a better night to witness Bunga Bunga at its best. On the table to our right Jess and I rubbed shoulders/gawped unashamedly at Princess Beatrice, James Middleton and the co-owner himself, Charlie Gilkes. The atmosphere was oozing with the best of British breeding and the room soon began to resemble Tatler’s most eligible bachelor hotlist as opposed to Battersea Bridge Road locals. By our second Aperol Spritz Jess and I, fresh out of a 9 hour day at the office and one hour commute on the tube, started to feel distinctly unglamorous. Insecurity aside we soon diverted our attentions to our strikingly handsome waiter and the mouth watering, giggle inducing menu.

                                     

We started with a selection of Aperitivo bites to share, which included a traditional juicy bruschetta, a selection of cured meats and Zucchine Fritti. Full of flavour and unashamedly delicious we started to devour the whole lot whilst enjoying a medley of entertainment, pausing momentarily to feel somewhat guilty whilst watching the extremely svelte burlesque dancers rouse the crowd, we decided that the food tasted too good to worry about the calories. Having spied a group of birthday celebrating girls eating the Parmigiana di Melanzane I opted for that to follow, whilst Jess had the ‘Untouchable Nancy’ Pizza. Feeling fairly full already we worked our way though the dishes over a bottle of Italian white whilst being serenaded by a double act crooner and accordion maestro.

                           

Bunga Bunga is a guaranteed fun evening to lift even the gloomiest of spirits and dispel any winter blues. The food is fresh, fun and delicious, the service feisty, flirty and fast and the entertainment hilarious and cheesy in equal measures. It’s ideal for birthdays, groups of friends and girls nights out, yet has none of the stress or pressure which is often accompanied with ‘clubbing’ and organized fun. Another great addition to Battersea and hopefully a pioneer for many more to come!

                  

PHOTO DIARY: 35,000 Stories at Brompton Cemetery

Some might find the idea of spending your Sunday afternoon at a graveyard a little morbid, but not me. For anyone with even a whiff of interest in local history, a visit is an absolute must. A Grade 1 listed site laid over 40 acres, opened in 1840 and designed to represent an open air basilica Brompton Cemetery not only has an interesting story of it's own, but plays host to over 35,000 monuments, representing the stories of 35,000 human beings who lived, worked, loved and died in the borough. Some of the names you might recognise, if only by association. John Gunter, for example: the man who gave Gunter Grove its name, and after whose daughter Edith Grove was so called. Gunter was one of the orginal shareholders in the company (yes, company) who opened this municipal cemetery. He also ran the famous tea shop Gunter's at Berkeley Square, which gets a mention in Brideshead Revisited.

Brompton's most famous "resident" is probably the leader of the British Suffragette Movement, Emmeline Pankhurst. The cemetery also provides the final resting place for several sporting greats of the last 170 years. "Gentleman" John Jackson, a famous boxer who later opened a self-defence school for the aristocracy, and credited for teaching Lord Byron how to brawl, has a Grade 2 listed monument here. As does Robert Coombes, a famous skiff rower, and Percy Lambert, an early 20th century racing driver who was the first man to drive at 100mph and sustain that speed for one hour. Percy's story is a tragic one: on attaining his land speed record he proposed to his girlfriend, who accepted him on the condition that he give up racing. Two days later, a Frenchman broke his record and she granted him one final chance behind the wheel to try and regain it. He died in the attempt.

The headstone of Robert Coombes

The memorial for Percy Lambert, replete with car steering wheel. A truncated column signifies a life cut short.

Nonetheless, not all 35,000 monuments can represent heroes of the time. There are plenty of ordinary folk here too. The first person ever to be laid to rest at Brompton Cemetery, in the Summer of 1840, was a young woman of Fulham, Emma Shaw, who died in childbirth at the age of 20. Brompton has a long history with the Army too, counting 13 Victoria Cross holders and 2,600 Chelsea Pensioners amongst its numbers. More exotically, until 1992 a Sioux native American Indian, "Longwolf", who died whilst performing at Bill Oddie's Wild West Show was buried here too. He was repatriated to North Dakota 10 years ago, and his grave has now be filled by a young British gentleman. The headstone still bears an engraving of a wolf however.

The site formerly occupied by Sioux tribesman, Long Wolf

For those with an interest in architecture too, Brompton contains many treasures. From the neoclassical central chapel, to the beautiful and symmetrical Collonades that run above the catacombs in the centre of the graveyard. Over 20 of the monuments have listed status too. If you are interested in visiting, you can join a guided tour several Sundays a month, for the bargain price of £5. Organised by the Friends of the Brompton Cemetery, the guides are incredibly knowledgeable: our guide, Nick, could have told us the story behind practically every grave stone had we had more time. So wrap warmly, the advertised tour time of 2 hours often ends up being extended.

You can find the timetable of tours here. You can tour the catacombs by visiting on their Summer Open Day, which usually takes place in July.

The memorial to "Gentleman" John Jackson, and his adopted daughter. Jackson was the man who taught Lord Byron how to box.

Here lies Emmeline Pankhurst

The "gem" of Brompton Cemetery. This is the cemetery's most valuable monument and it carries a Grade 2* Listing.

Me really, really heart sushi

For most mid-range restaurants, passing trade is a really big deal. Customer interest is piqued by walking past a place and seeing it heaving with happy clientele. If you’re off the beaten track, you probably have to work that little bit harder and develop a reputation: the other massive tool in piquing consumer interest. I often feel bad for the restaurants based in Imperial Wharf. Hidden away from Townmead Road in a smart, but slightly apart, housing development, the only passing trade they can count on are residents, and many of those appear to be fairly absentee. However, the one advantage is: those restaurants really have to work harder and develop a reputation. Imperial Wharf newbie Blue Elephant developed a fantastic one over all those years at Fulham Broadway, and can rely on it to tempt customers into their quieter riverside location in South Fulham. Having sampled the delicious food at Yamal Alsham too, it’s clear that restaurant is betting their success on developing word of mouth recommendations about how god damn tasty their dishes are. Today, I’d like to throw in another recommendation. You’ve got to check out the amazing Japanese food at Me Love Sushi.

The restaurant interior is slick and fairly minimalist, but it benefits from a large bar area out front with all the usual cocktails, comfy sofas and a surprisingly decent price point (£6.50 for a mojito is not bad going in Fulham). What it lacks in buzzy atmosphere, my Wednesday evening visit found the restaurant pretty quiet, it certainly makes up for once the food lands on your table. I visited with a strict vegetarian, and our vegetable tempura was beautifully light and fresh tasting – none of the oily, broiled rubbish you often find. We followed with delicious pumpkin fritters, served with a deliciously fresh and sharp dipping sauce and a full variety of rainbow vegetable futomaki. Considering sushi restaurants usually square their offering at fish-lovers (makes sense really) I was pleasantly surprised at the huge variety available for those not so keen on our sea-dwelling friends. There are interesting spicy meat and vegetable salads, noodles and rice dishes, as well as an enormous range of seafood. In fact the range in general was fantastic, and many dishes were exciting and inventive. Soft-shell crab, deep red salmon and fresh tuna all featured heavily and my favourite dish had to be my soft shell crab tempura futomaki, which was a fab mix of fresh, soft and crunchy, all at once.

The prices are fairly high. But the quality is undeniable. I think it would be great for a quick girly catch up with friends, especially if you indulged in a few of the cocktails at the bar first. I took advantage of their 2 for 1 offer with Tastecard: half the price equals twice as nice!

Me Love Sushi
8 The Boulevard
Imperial Wharf
Townmead Road
London SW6 2UB

Very Vintage

Following a recent Vintage themed work trip to Paris I have a new found fascination with all things vintage and jumped at the chance to visit ‘Frock Me’ at Chelsea Town Hall last weekend. Having spent a weekend enjoying Madame Tra la la’s vintage master class I was thrilled to see Tara Munro, founder of ‘Ooh La La Vintage’ again, but this time sadly in the heart of Chelsea and not gay Paris.

The building lends itself so beautifully to the event, the intricately illustrated ceiling enhancing the atmosphere of stature and elegance reminiscent of a deeply sophisticated era. The various rooms were adorned with rails and rails of fabrics ranging from the softest silk to the blindingly embezzled. Tara’s stall featured some beautiful pieces with lace so delicate and colours vivid enough to excite even the most conservative of dressers.

Pieces ranged from the prettiest 1920’s tea dresses to mesmerizing patterned 1960’s dropped waist numbers. Every item had a story, and interestingly the shoppers were just as diverse as the clothes. I spotted girls as young as 16 bustling alongside 70 something vintage aficionados pawing over the bargain booty.

Once we were rail raided out we headed to the charming tea rooms for a traditional vintage tea, complete with bone china and scones. Frock me has a huge cult following and is increasingly popular, so much so that the waiting list for vendors is apparently years long. The next Chelsea Town Hall event is on the 29^th April and runs from 11am- 5.30pm. Whether you are a vintage nut or fancy a culture change on a Sunday afternoon I highly recommend checking it out, but don’t forget to find Tara Munro- if anyone knows vintage it’s her!

Blue Moon, I saw you standing alone...

That dreaded V word has come around faster than usual and soon SW6 will be full of couples holding hands, gazing into each other’s eyes and clutching roses. However, if you are not blissfully loved up you don’t need to hibernate at home stalking your ex on facebook, eating pizza and wondering where it all went wrong.

The Hurlingham Pub on Wandsworth Bridge Road is putting on a ‘Valium-times day Party’ on Tuesday 14^th which promises to be “dating gone mad”. A bevy of “hot people” (this is yet to be confirmed) can enjoy drinks and canapés, a weird fact bingo, speed quiz, board games and entertainment from two comedians.

Prior to attending the sw6 singletons have to send a picture of themselves, a weird fact and buy a £3 present for a blind pick and present mix. Whether you are mingling with David Gandy and his mates or not, it promises to be a hilarious evening that will ensure you’re laughing on Valentine’s Day as opposed to sobbing into your ice cream.

Tickets are £20 and have to be purchased in advance. With every ticket you buy you get one free for a ‘fit member of the opposite sex’ too so perfect for taking a boy mate for some moral support. Tickets also include a free drink and canapes. 

Shaking all over SW6

From my extensive observations, I have concluded this: West Londoners love to dance. It is, after all, one of the key things that keeps the likes of Embargo 59, Raffles and Mare Moto heaving on several nights of the week. I have a secondary observation too: most West Londoners are pretty good at keeping in shape. I frequently experience sharp bouts of tube and pub body-envy, punctuated with stabs of regret at all those evenings when I have skipped the gym in favour of TV, chocolate, or aforementioned pub visit. So, by my not-so-considerable powers of logic, I have concluded this. I reckon there are a few West Londoners out there who would love Zumba.
















































This Monday I got my booty shaking (with varying degrees of success) with ZumbaFunk London, at Eddie Catz, Putney. Zumba derives from Colombian words for "move fast and have fun" and is a really enjoyable and energetic way to burn off some calories, jump about to some really upbeat Latin Pop (Shakira is a firm favourite - I had Waka Waka in my head for days afterwards!) and bust some serious moves. The classes are led by the irrepressible Rebecca Rogoff, possibly the owner of the widest smile in West London. She was great at getting everybody into the spirit, ensuring we all had fun and crucially encouraging us to keep going and enjoy ourselves even when we knew we looked more Comedy Central than J.Lo. I found some of the routines quite hard to master at first, as you move about pretty quickly. However, there is plenty of repetition and Rebecca was great about verbalising what you needed to be doing so by the end of each track I reckon I'd got the hang of it.


There was a real sense of community in the class. The sessions at Eddie Catz had only been going on about 6 weeks but Rebecca knew all her regulars' names and hobbies. Every detail had been considered: there are jugs and glasses of water for those of us too disorganised to pack a gym bag correctly (I'll put my hand up to that) and at the end of the class we were all treated to a moist scented towel to refresh ourselves after a sweaty workout. Little things like that make all the difference and I was pretty impressed.

If you're interested in giving Zumba a go, Rebecca holds classes at Eddie Catz (68-70 Putney High St) on Monday evenings at 7pm, or for parents and babies at 9.45am on Thursdays. Drop in classes are £7or you can buy a block of 6 classes to obtain a discount.
Contact Rebecca at @ZumbaFunkLondon or visit their Facebook page here.

Flex 'em young

As regular readers of our blog and Twitter will know, we've become veritable yogis recently (well, wannabe ones) and I've been particularly taken by Hot Bikram Yoga. With a bit of tenacity and lots of sweat I've really noticed an improvement in my flexibility and I've come to almost enjoy it. I certainly look forward to it.

I always struggled with my flexibility, even when I was little, and so I notice with interest that my local SW6 bikram studio, Hot Bikram Yoga, are offering yoga classes for kids. Bikram yoga teacher Naomi Clark explains on the HotBikramYoga blog, that Bikram Choudray took himself (the founder of Bikram yoga) started yoga at the age of 3 and how her yoga classes in local schools have been a remarkable success, with kids learning to concentrate more deeply and to blow of steam in a fun, expressive yet non-competitive way.

Naomi has been teaching Bikram Yoga for 10 years and kids yoga for 5, and next week she'll be teaching her first few yoga classes at the Fulham Hot Bikram Yoga studio.

Date: Thursday 16th February

Place: Hot Bikram Yoga, Parsons Green: 25 Heathman's Road, London SW6 4TJ

Time: 2.15-2:45pm for 4-8 year olds
         3-3:30pm for 8-10 year olds

Parents will be asked to wait in the reception area and have a cup of tea whilst your kids enjoy the class. Please bring a bottle of water for your child.

Classes cost £7.50 and you booking details are here.

Pizza worth crossing the river for

Ok so Melanzana is not technically in SW6, but is a hop, skip and a jump over the bridge by Battersea Square, or a bus ride if you’re feeling less energetic. My mother lives in Battersea and occasionally I have to pacify her by coming ‘south of the river’ (eek!). Melanzana is in the 'posh' part of Battersea, for those who are not familiar, anywhere between the park and river is fabulous, Battersea Park Road and south...less so. 

                                        

This Trattoria opened relatively recently and has since become a firm local Italian favourite with its neighbours. The decor is rustic chic, tables are packed closely together and the atmosphere is informal and buzzy. It is the perfect place to escape to on a cold winter’s evening and share a bottle of Italian red wine by candlelight. The delicatessen is groaning with cheeses, hams, oils and all things Italian and delicious. If that’s not enough to get you in the mood the olives are to die for, they were so fat and juicy I could have eaten 100. 

                                       

We decided on the prawn and calamari special and grilled vegetables to start. The calamari was really excellent- perfectly succulent, crisp and by no means oily or chewy. The vegetables were grilled in what tasted like delicious truffle oil and were really flavoursome. 

                                       

My mother, somewhat of a truffle fiend opted for the truffle and ricotta ravioli in truffle sauce for her main course. She said it was a little too salty but the ravioli was perfectly cooked. Deciding to ditch the January diet I went for the Capricciosa pizza which was huge and absolutely mouth-wateringly fantastic. 

                                       

Melanzana is truly authentic- the staff are Italian, the wines are Italian and the service is Italian! It’s reasonably priced compared to similar restaurants in Chelsea and the pizza alone is well worth coming South of the river for.