Tuesday 27 May 2014

Biddy on Broadway

And before I am tempted to burst into a Frank Sinatra number, you will be relieved to know it is The Broadway in Newbury rather than the New York version of which I write.

If you are rounding the corner from Mint Velvet on Parkway, you pretty soon find yourself on The Broadway.  I had a bit of business to attend to at the clock tower end of town – and as I was a little early, it was a treat to sneak in a quick coffee at the delightful Hetherton’s coffee shop.

My meeting was at Broadway House –  once the home of Vodaphone but now owned by Greenham Common Trust , who provide office space here for a number of charitable organizations (for example, Citizens Advice Bureau take over the whole top floor).  Did you know that Greenham Common Trust was formed when they bought the former US nuclear airbase at Greenham Common? How fantastic for something so positive to come out of something once so volatile a topic.

Post-meeting I had a little wander.  Close to Hetherton’s is Multiyork furniture store – to be completely accurate, it is in Northbrook Street but Northbrook Street and The Broadway tend to flow into each other. Anyway, I popped in as my mum wants a smart new armchair and there was the most beautiful button-back velvet affair in the window, which I know she’d love – and there is a huge range of fabrics that you can choose from.  The helpful staff were happy to let me have a brochure to take away and show her. 

There are a couple of jewellers along here with some lovely items: on the left as you look towards the clock tower is Bradley & Willows (who as well as some very special stock also make custom-designed pieces); on the other side of the road is Deacons (again, officially in Northbrook Street) – a traditional family jewellers who originally started in Swindon as long ago as 1848.

This part of Newbury is big on estate agents, perhaps most noticeably Cricketts with their imposing shop front on the corner of The Broadway and London Road, right by the clock tower. They are a local company, so the staff have a great knowledge of the area and specialize in properties within an approximate 20-mile radius of the town. A friend of mine who lives near me, has two young children and works in London is looking to upsize – they may just be the people to help her.

Opposite Cricketts, occupying the fine corner position where The Broadway meets Oxford Street, is Roderick Anthony hairdressers. They have been established in Newbury since 1970 and expanded in to their present premises last year. There are plenty of other opportunities to beautify yourself in this part of town, too – for example, Philola (hairdressers and beauty salon) who offer a 25% discount to new clients and, tucked away in Saddlers Court, you will find Kellie Hair and Beauty. 

Just beyond the clock tower are a couple of Indian restaurants if you fancy some spicy cuisine: the Red Peppers and the Gurka Chef.  

Of course ‘beyond the clock tower’ enters into a whole new world – that of Oxford Street and London Road. More about them another time.  Until then, I just can’t resist it: ‘Start spreading the news …’. (Surely the husband hasn’t got his fingers in his ears AGAIN?!)



Biddy x 

Monday 12 May 2014

Get ‘Strictly Fit’ for Cancer Charity

If you want to get fit, lose those unwanted pounds, raise money for a vital cause and have more fun than you can believe doing it, here’s some great news for you.

It’s time to put on your dancing shoes, even if you can’t dance and head on down to
Park House School, Andover Road, Newbury on Wednesday 14th May and help raise money for vital cancer research.

National award winning teachers Kerrin & Luci Osmond, who run Strictly FitSteps classes are hosting this charity event.  These dance fitness classes have been designed by
Strictly’s Ian Waite who has combined, for the first time, the best known and most popular Latin and Ballroom dances with proven fitness techniques, to develop a dance/fitness programme that is capable of delivering fast fitness results, with a heap of fun thrown in!

Just look at what some of the lucky people who’ve already had the chance to try FitSteps have been saying: 

  •  Do it and you feel like you’re on STRICTLY!!
  •  It was brilliant! Fun and fitness combined.
  •  A workout that doesn’t feel like it, it’s so much fun!!

And for anyone who’s thinking, ‘But I can’t dance’ or ‘I don’t have anyone to dance with’, there’s no excuse – you don’t have to able to dance and you don’t need a partner! You just have to want to get fit and have fun. 

So, if you’re ready to take to the floor and FitStep your way to a new you, all you need to do is be at Park House School on Wednesday 14th May at where Luci Osmond, an accredited FitSteps Instructor, will be waiting to put you through your FitSteps paces! 

There will be 2 classes during the evening.  7pm – lower intensity with basic dance step tuition and 8pm higher intensity.  £5 for either class or £8 for both.  As Park House School and Strictly FitSteps have donated their services for free, every single penny taken will go to charity PLUS they would like to invite you to join them after the classes for a complimentary tea or coffee.  Dress code:  casual/gym wear & trainers.

Get there early, there’s going to be a rush!  

For further details or to reserve your space, please call Luci on 01635 877 253 / 07970 153 518 or visit www.StrictlyFitSteps.com.

Kerrin & Luci Osmond

Platinum Donors for Research into Cancer for the Royal Marsden Hospital – over
£20,000 already raised.