Emily’s Group June 2025 Prescription

Hi everyone,

I hope the sunshine this month has helped your mood despite the tumultuous times we are living in.

The weather has been wonderful, however the flip side is having to cope with long hot nights so restorative sleep can be hard to come by. We tend to imagine life will be calmer in the summer months but it can be the busiest time of year at work and at home. I hope you find something in this prescription that helps you to slow down a little.

Mind & Body

My female coaching clients in particular, discuss the constant challenges of prioritising themselves over work, the responsibilities of bringing up a family and/or caring for elderly relatives. There’s also the endless life admin.

I work with them on ways to find small pockets of time to do what they want to do, rather than what they think they should be doing.

My pocket of time last week was ( unusually big!) but that was because it was with a friend who I only see once a year when she comes over from Sydney.

We started the day with a swim at Parliament Hill Lido. It’s a 53 metre unheated pool, near Hampstead Heath. The great thing about swimming in an enormous pool is that when you return to your local one, 25 metres feels like a doddle. After our swim, we had an all day breakfast at Arvo and then staggered to the top of Primrose Hill and slumped happily under a tree for a couple of hours. We then jumped on the tube to Gelupo in Soho for ice cream and sorbet.

 There was something strangely liberating about seeing where the day took us rather than the temptation to rush around. Have you built in a weekly (manageable) pocket of time to switch off?

I really like Gabby Logan’s interview with Dr. Sally Harris. Sally has a
no-nonsense approach to looking after your health and offers excellent advice on the tests you should ask your GP for. As well as discussing how important health screenings are, based on your own risk factors (family genetics) rather than just testing for gathering health data.

I recently came across Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom podcast series. In this episode he interviews psychiatrist and author Dr. Daniel Amen. There is a lot to unpack here and some click bait grabbing responses from Dr. Amen, so listen with caution. However, there are some interesting take aways from the research he has conducted. It may seem obvious but the positive impact of looking after our brains is huge. When we discuss what alcohol and drugs do to our bodies, the focus tends to be on the damage to the liver, heart, and kidneys and never about the damage to the brain. Worth a listen.

To Read

The Courage To Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga

I was intrigued by this book title and I bought it for my kids to read and then pass back to me. One of my sons (he’s nineteen) has finished it but doesn’t want to pass it on.  I asked him what it was about the book that’s made him want to hold on to it. 

His words: ‘In a world full of self-help books that boss you around, this is a very simple conversation between a student and a philosopher and I never felt bored.  It covered so many different aspects of life and you can read a page or two a day. It’s just really enjoyable’.

To Listen

I no longer have a regular commute, which means I miss catching up on podcasts. However, one of the benefits is I have discovered new radio shows that have been around for years but I have never heard before. I found myself in the car mid afternoon last week.  I turned on the radio to listen to what turns out to be one of Radio 4’s longest running programmes A Good Read. The format is simple, the presenter Harriet Gilbert invites two guests in each programme to discuss their favourite books. It’s like being in a book club but you don’t need to worry if you haven’t read the book. It’s comfort listening at its’ best. 

 The other series I recently discovered is The Bottom Line with Evan Davis. You may enjoy the episode How To Avoid ‘Death By PowerPoint’ if you spend your working life dreading delivering presentations.

To Investigate

My house is a sauna in this hot weather. I keep thinking I must invest in a fan. It’s the classic scenario where I contemplate buying one when it’s very hot. Then the temperature drops and I forget about how uncomfortable I was until the next time it happens a year later!

If you are in the market for one, here is a list of highly rated fans to consider. 

To Entertain

Summer Musicals

Copyright 
© 1996 Rome + Juliet

I find it hard to go to the cinema at this time of year, although it’s one of the few places that is air-conditioned!

Watching a musical at home doesn’t require too much concentration, and yes, I have continued to avoid dual screening which was a challenge I set myself in the March prescription.  It’s no exaggeration to say it’s been a game changer. I just wish that everyone in my house would follow my lead!

Here are five of my favourite summertime musicals.

1. Romeo +  Juliet

2. Mamma Mia!

3. La La Land

4. Grease

5. Guys and Dolls

EG Member: Pat Giddens

Q&A

Could you tell us about your business Pat Giddens Ltd? I’m proud to be the fifth generation of the Giddens family involved in curtains, upholstery, and drapery, a legacy that began in the 1870s. I learnt the trade during my teenage years and university holidays as well as hanging out in my father’s workshop. In 1993, I started my own business on Golborne Road in London. Before launching my venture, I worked at the Gallery of Antique Costume and Textiles and later as a buyer and merchandiser at River Island. These experiences gave me valuable skills that helped shape the direction and success of my own company. Now, over 30 years later, we’re based in a bright, open studio on Regent Street in Kensal Green. We’re proud to have a long-serving, highly skilled team of curtain and blind makers, upholsterers, and fitters. Together, we design, produce, and install curtains, blinds, cushions, and upholstery for private clients, interior designers, architects, and commercial properties. Our projects range from historic restorations to contemporary spaces, and we’re often the go-to curtain makers for the National Trust’s Southern Division.    What do you enjoy most about running your own company? I deeply value and enjoy working with my team, many of whom have been with me for years. Training and mentoring the next generation of curtain makers is something I find especially rewarding. I also treasure the long-standing relationships we’ve built with our clients—it’s a real privilege to work with families over the years and then be invited to help with the homes of their children and grandchildren. We often are awarded the more challenging jobs or historical projects. I get a big kick out of seeing these materialise. The more challenging, the better.  What do you do to switch off from the business? Outside of work, I’m completely obsessed with aqua aerobics. I go five times a week, and I add in weight training twice weekly for balance and strength. Managing arthritis has taught me the value of good support and I’m well known for sharing the best health and wellness recommendations I’ve discovered over the years! At home, I have the best companion in my daughter. We unwind together with a mix of guilty-pleasure tv and shared love for opera, musicals, and theatre.   What does your dream day involve? I’d have to start the day with aqua aerobics, followed by a quick sauna, and then a training session to get me feeling lively. My favourite spot for a late breakfast is Fischer’s in Marylebone, they serve a great Austrian breakfast in beautifully authentic Viennese surroundings. An ideal shopping trip would take me to Marylebone High Street, Selfridges, or Liberty. I love a good one-stop shop and truly lament the decline of the department store. I adore The Wallace Collection, it’s the perfect-sized museum, with stunning rooms. We especially love seeing Fragonard’s ‘The Swing.’ For an early evening dinner, I enjoy a glass of wine with friends at Villa Mamas on Elystan Street. Outdoor seating, Bahraini, Middle Eastern, and Persian flavours and always a relaxed atmosphere. And if I can fit it in, theatre is a must. Next stop: looking forward to Evita.   What do you love about being an Emily’s Group member? I love Emily’s Group as the perfect exchange of reliable information. I was introduced by a friend, Mairead, a long time ago, and spread the word whenever I feel it would be useful to friends or clients.  I’m personally always dipping in and out of home and building and holidays.  I love posting about people who I really value who do a great job.

Get in touch with Pat You can contact Pat at: 020 8969 8291 pat@patgiddens.co.uk

  Drop me a line with any comments or feedback on what you have read. I really appreciate 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 on emilysgroup.com