Hi everyone,
I hope February has got off to a good start, despite what has felt like endless grey skies. When the sun has made an occasional appearance, it makes such a difference to my view of life.
I am starting to hear the birds singing in the morning and watching the blanket of darkness that sweeps across the skyline at four o’clock now moving to five o’clock helps. Little buds coming up in London’s green spaces also make me feel warmer days are coming.
I hope this prescription brings you some comfort as we turn a hopeful corner into the very early signs of spring.
Mind & Body
Saunas
It’s not groundbreaking news, we know that saunas have great health benefits. Although, I have always found them quite intimidating. I visited BeachBox in Brighton with some seasoned sauna friends and was aware of having my body as close to the exit as possible, darting in and out of the sauna what felt like every five seconds. Everyone else chatting away happily, seemingly oblivious to the heat, like lizards basking in the sunshine.
Since the BeachBox experience, I have slowly built up my sauna staying power and I think I am now a convert to the benefits of such intense heat. I still can’t stay in as long as everyone else but I try not to see it as a competition! Sessions definitely help with the winter blues and the stiffness we experience during the winter months.
According to the British Sauna Society, the number of public saunas in the UK doubled between 2023 and 2024, from 45 to 90, and is predicted to exceed 200 by the end of 2025. I have just had a sauna experience as a birthday treat from my friend Jules Banya No.1.
It’s a traditional Russian Thermal Experience. You are given a little booth to sit in when you need a break from the heat, cold plunge and cold showers. You can order tea, vodka shots, delicious beetroot soup and dumplings. It’s funny how hungry you become despite not moving around very much. I had a salt scrub treatment, lying on a stone table scrubbed by a therapist who if he had revealed his other job was as a Russian champion weightlifter I would not have been surprised. Trying to get him to crack a smile was a (fun) challenge! You can book the traditional Parenie treatment—you get whacked with birch branches in the hot banya room, followed by a cold plunge or shower. I mentioned to one regular that I thought the sauna and plunge pool should be prescribed on the NHS for people suffering from depression and she said in France this actually happens which seems very progressive if that’s the case. So many high street shops are vacant so it’s good to see new health businesses popping up. You can book a one-off session rather than having to commit to an expensive health club membership. On long, dark cold days, when you are in need of some TLC or you need a pick me up then having easier access to these kinds of treatments can only be a good thing.
To Read
Women Living Deliciously
The Sundays Time bestseller
Florence Given
I have just started reading Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given. A birthday present from my friend Fi. Florence writes in a compelling way, you could describe her as a Caitlin Moran figure for Gen Z. What she says in the first chapter of the book about a woman’s relationship with her physical appearance is spot on.
The book describes itself as ‘unpacking the many barriers women face when trying to access joy.’ The back cover blurb summarises it as: ‘Florence wants to restore your lust for life and your sense of agency, giving you the courage and permission to inch closer to the wildly expansive life that you fully deserve, not in the future, not when you’re perfect, not when you’re prettier – but now.’
It’s the kind of book you can dip in and out of -chapters include ‘Forced Positivity Feels Like Crap’, ‘Not A Victim’ and ‘Your Rest Is Your Responsibility.’
I can see this book really appealing to younger women. My daughter saw it on the kitchen counter and said ‘Ooh, I have heard about that book! Please can I read it next?’
We need more books like this from writers encouraging us to think about our relationship with our bodies, our minds and the way we are seen by the outside world. It’s a thought-provoking book, and it will hopefully reach women who need, more than ever, to cut through the so-called ‘perfectionism’ displayed on social media. If you haven’t read Caitlin Moran’s book How To Be A Woman. I highly recommend it for you and all the women in your life.
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-be-a-woman-caitlin-moran/746701
To Listen
© 2022-20225-
The New Four Seasons: Vivaldi Recomposed by
Max Ritchter
Bea Lovejoy, who is a friend and a professional violinist, described to me how she was invited to perform in an orchestral recording at the studio of Max Richter.
Max is a well-known composer and conductor who was not on my radar. I started to listen to his compositions, Recomposed By Max Richter: Vivaldi The Four Seasons, is one of my favourites.
Here’s a link to Spring which I totally fell in love with.
I am pleased many of you are enjoying the
chilled play list – link below and as promised to all you runners out there, here’s the list of some of my favourite clubbing bangers to get those feet pounding the streets. Don’t be alarmed by the duration of the playlist as it’s much longer than an average run!
To Investigate
It can be overwhelming trying to work out which is the best and most competitive car insurance, house insurance, travel insurance, energy provider. The list is endless!
I struggle with comparison website fatigue and it’s only when you speak to the companies that you discover a clause that might not be listed on the website—which means (after all that research) you end up deciding to stick with your original company for another year.
Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, highlights all the latest issues in his regular consumer news. He’s currently advising customers to check out comparison energy providers to lock in a rate now and save on energy bills, as from April 1st, the Ofgem price cap is poised to surge by 6 percent. This could mean a sharp increase in your utility bills.
If you would like to do comparison checks with fellow members, then do post in the Home & Building Group on the website. Last week, I was chatting to my siblings about energy bills. (scintillating I know.) But it was great to get the low down on who they have found to be the best provider and how good the company customer service is.
As a result of that chat, I am now in the process of switching energy providers.
It’s not the most exciting subject matter but if we share our knowledge and experience on who is offering the best house insurance, car insurance, energy provider, and travel insurance it will save us all time and, hopefully, money!
To Entertain
Copyright
© 2024-2025 Rivals Disney +
My niece’s boyfriend gave my son very good advice as he started his university freshers’ experience. He said, ‘You need to find a series that will be your comfort TV, so when you are feeling homesick or just a bit down in the dumps, you can cheer yourself up by watching your favourite show.’
Here’s my comfort TV prescription for February.
Rivals – Disney+
Jilly Cooper’s book Rivals adapted for TV. Fabulous script, great casting and characters, set in the ’80s with a brilliant soundtrack from my teenage years. A real joy to watch—lighthearted and somehow life affirming! Thank you to my sister-in-law Leeanne, who encouraged me to keep going when I stalled after a couple of episodes.
Amandaland – BBC iplayer
Everyone seems to be talking about Amandaland on BBC iplayer. I watched four episodes in one sitting. Another dose of comfort TV for fans of Motherland.
Kitty Baker – YouTube
Kitty is a family friend, and this short film, Bakery life-24 hours in my little bakery, is as comforting as it gets. If you want to feel calm and happy, avoid the news for a day or two and click on Bakery Life for a little dose of comfort. P.S. Don’t watch it when you are hungry.
EG Member: Emmie Hope
Textile Designer specialising in Needlepoint
Co-Founder of Hunt & Hope
| What inspired you to set up Hunt & Hope? I had always wanted to create a business from scratch. I love textiles, I always have done but there is something particularly wonderful about needlepoint. It lasts for generations. It is also stitched in wool which means it’s immensely tactile and brings warmth to any room and it has a three dimensional texture which adds that extra interest and depth. What piece of needlepoint have you been most proud of producing? That’s a hard one. They are all so different because everything we stitch is bespoke and each commission has a story. That’s the joy of needlepoint because it’s hand stitched and lasts an exceedingly long time. Clients think very carefully about why they’re commissioning it. We do get a lot of beautiful chairs that clients have inherited. The needlepoint gives the chair, already jam packed with memories, a new lease of life. We’ve just finished a tiny commission which is going to be sewn onto the lining of a weekend bag with the words, “May you always explore”. Not sure what the story is but the weekend bag is clearly loved! What advice would you give to a founder starting out? Very simple. Love what you do as you’re going to have to do it every day and worry about it at night! When you have time off from the business, what do you like doing to unwind? Walking my dog, swimming & browsing in charity shops What do you enjoy about being an EG member? First and foremost, I love the sense of community. Hugely valuable on so many levels and I love the randomness of the requests too – from verruca advice to builders and everything in between. |
| Get in touch with Elena You can contact Emmie at info@huntandhope.com And check out more designs at www.Huntandhope.com, as well as Hunt and Hope’s instagram. |
| Get in touch with Bea Lovejoy Bea Lovejoy also performs at private events and has a large network of musicians she works with. You can contact Bea at beachappell@aol.com |
I hope you have a fantastic rest of the month. Do drop me a line with any comments or feedback on what you have read. I really do love hearing from you.
If you would like to invite a friend to receive the monthly prescription then please click the box below. To register to be an emily’s group member click onemilysgroup.com