Manna from HeavenANNIE: There is a new little shop

off Kensington Church Street,

which has come straight down from

PMI^MV��[MTTQVO�M`Y]Q[Q\M�Æ]NÅMZ�

than clouds marshmallows and

macaroons. Worth crossing town

(and continents) for.

Anges de Sucre, 1 Holland St, W8.

7937 1998 angesdesucre.com

40 angelsandurchins.co.uk angelsandurchins.co.uk 41

MUMSZONE MUMSZONE

Secret DateANNIE: All the instructions we have

are to arrive at 7.15pm sharp by the

London Eye. We’ll be met by someone

holding a red balloon. I have been

quizzed beforehand over email about

whether either of us had any phobias,

were we happy to use public transport,

how many years have we been together.

I can’t reveal here any details of the

IK\]IT�LI\M��;]NÅKM�\W�[Ia�\PI\�Q\�_I[�

something very different in three parts,

ending up with a completely romantic

and unexpected experience. To use a

word often misused, it was unique. It

was exhilarating and liberating setting

off on an adventure in our home town

with no bias or agenda from either side.

Contact with the club is very discreet

and, whilst we were made to feel special

wherever we went, it was done in a

totally comfortable way. The Secret Date

Club is new to London; there are a few

similar ones in the US. Make sure you

are very clear and forthcoming about

what you like/dislike and answer the

questions expansively to get the best

out of your date. The evenings come in

differently priced packages. For the special

occasion it was, our £180 one was good value.

secretdateclub.com

WORK THAT

CYCLEANNIE: I haven’t felt so energised

in years. Psycle is the latest exercise

craze to hit London. I went to a class

with my 14-year-old son, Josh. If

you’ve ever been to a cycle spin class,

think again. The room is darkened, the

multi-coloured lights turned on, you

could be in a nightclub. It’s all about

the beat, feeling the beat, keeping the

beat. It was hard for all of us but you

can take it at your own space (you

can pretend to up the resistance ...)

but the music and vibe are addictive.

Rhiannon, one of the instructors, keeps

you motivated until you are released

45 minutes later in a sweaty heap. A

shower in the lovely changing rooms and

a refreshing detox juice and you’re ready

for the day or evening ahead. Rhiannon

is also a nutritionist, who has devised

an Active Detox, which has impressive

testimonials.

We will be offering competitions for

free passes on Twitter so do follow us.

Buy single sessions or block booking

(which you can share with your friends).

76 Mortimer Street, W1 0203 728 6990

psyclelondon.com

Emily and Annie bounce and cycle their way to fitness; Annie

and her husband go on a ‘secret’ date and they both join a car

maintenance course. Plus sweet delights to make and discover.

Mumszone

Bouncing bodiesEMILY: Gravity Force is a trampolining park that opened earlier this year just outside Guildford. On the day we visited, the teachers were on strike and the place was buzzing with kids and teenagers free jumping, bouncing off foam-covered walls, playing basketball and flying around a foam pit. We were joining a G-force Urban Rebound class. Apparently you burn more calories bouncing for 10 minutes than you do jogging for 30 without the strain on your joints. We joined 14 other women of all shapes and sizes being taken through their paces by a supremely fit teacher with a backing track of thumping dance music. I had been nervous that post four children my pelvic floor was not going to be up to the job but there was thankfully no high jumping. Like interval training, the hour-long class was a clever mixture of strength building and aerobic exercise. The most exhausting part was a sort of marching squat that was repeated with increasing intensity before a quick water break. The following day my thighs and bum were burning. It’s a bit of a trek for a regular class but it would make a great rainy day outing with kids. They can free jump and you can tone. And they have plans for more sites. Gravity Force, Units 6/7 Admiralty Way, Camberley, GU15 3DT

01276 35850 gravityforce.co.uk

One for the younger mumsEMILY: Annie and I determined that we were too old to try out the latest fad in fitness, pole dancing. We let team member Jill Forbes give it a go, all in the comfort of her own home. Her write up is on our website angelsandurchins.co.uk/mumzone. Here is her youngest, Albert, not sure what to make of the new addition to his playroom. poleprive.co.uk

EVERYONE'S HAPPYANNIE: Looking at this gorgeous

play room, you'd think it was a place

solely for children and yet it is the

creche at the fabulous Blobar in

Chiswick. Mum has her hair blow

dried, whilst child gets stuck in. They

do kids' parties too: nail painting

and intricate hair plaiting among

other fun things (see the pics online

in the Fashion and Parties' tabs at

angelsandurchins.co.uk).

Blow Dry £30 (other beauty treatments too)

b1obar.com

Change a tyre, loveEMILY: There is something about

garages that brings out every stereotype

in me. I walk onto a garage forecourt and

I morph into a ditsy blonde. “Gracious,

the lever to open the bonnet, no I’m

not sure I do know where that is …”

“A puncture? Well that is what my AA

membership is for.” So Kwik-fit’s ‘Ladies

in the Driving Seat’, an initiative to get

women more confident about basic car

maintenance, is for me. A free programme

(apparently instigated at the behest of the

company’s Japanese management), the

sessions generally run in the evenings for

approximately an hour. Annie and I turn up

at the Goldhawk Road branch to be met with

biscuits and tea and large Kwik-fit overalls.

The branch manager is a ‘been there done

that’ type who couldn’t be more friendly as

he shows us how to test the oil levels, fill up

the water coolant and charge a flat battery.

It’s pretty basic stuff but he encourages

us to do it ourselves. Then on to pressure

checking and tyre changing. I am not sure I

would do the jack manoeuvre single handed

on the side of a motorway but I levered the

wheel off and on without too much trouble.

Empowered is perhaps too strong a word but

it was fun, useful and free.

Visit kwik-fit.com/ladies-car-care-home.asp and click

on the ‘Find a Ladies Car Care Evening near you’ tab.

MUG HAPPYANNIE: To make a Mug Cake,

ITT�aW]�VMML�Q[�I�ÅZM�XZWWN�U]O��

microwave and store cupboard

ingredients. I am eating a

*T]MJMZZa�5]NÅV�I[�1�\aXM��6W�OWWL�

for my waist line. Other successes

have been the Carrot Cake and

Rocky Road. Mug Cakes by Mima

Sinclair £8.99 Kyle Books

ElementaryANNIE: A colouring book filled with

line drawings of Benedict Cumberbatch,

not that we are obsessed ...

Colour Me Good Benedict Cumberbatch

£7.50 maidenshop.com

91ANU1403147.pgs 29.07.2014 10:24 BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

ART

PRO

DU

CT

ION

CLIE

NT

SU

BS

REPRO

OP

VER

SIO

N

Mum

szon

e