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 Affordable fitness |
25 Pond Street Hampstead London, London NW3 2PN United Kingdom +44 20 7431 2263 http://www.jubileehallclubs.co... |
Part of a small chain with its sister club in Covent Garden, this fitness club offers reasonably priced activities for people of all ages. (The disabled and the over 60's get free membership and pay only £1.60 for each session.) The large gym is well equipped and personal trainers are on hand. There are two dance studios which put on classes including Pilates, yoga and salsa. A small range of alternative health therapies are available. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 For budding Picassos |
172 West End Lane London, London NW6 1SD United Kingdom +44 20-7794-0800 http://www.art4fun.com |
Whether artistic or not, child or adult, you'll love painting and decorating pre-made items at the Creative Cafe's workshop. You can choose to decorate any item, be it pottery, wood, glass or fabric. It can be a whole day of inspired artfulness or amusing experimentation with materials and items for decoration can be purchased. Kids parties and hen nights are well catered for (you can even take your own alcohol to the latter). Art 4 Fun can even come to your home if you want and all paints are water based, so you needn't worry about spillages. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Run free |
West Heath Avenue London, London NW11 7QP United Kingdom +44 20 8455 5183 |
Next to Anna Pavlova's house and attached to Hampstead Heath is this delightful park. The large expanse of gentle rolling verdure is one of those places where you just have to kick off your shoes and feel the grass between your toes. It's a great spot for picnics, but there is also a cafe near the park entrance. At the bottom of the park there are several tennis courts; perfect for if you want to do something a bit more energetic. Half way down the park is an animal enclosure with an aviary and a selection of goats, deer and wallabies - a sort of mini zoo that will delight children. Each section has a brief write-up of the animal and its origin. Flamingos perch around the pond, ducks dive in and geese fly overhead, and the beautiful flower garden behind it is well worth a detour. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Tony Burbage |
 Photo: Jon Spence |
 Photo: Neil Smith |
 Photo: Laura Nolte |
 Photo: Jon Spence |
 Photo: Paul Lawston |
 Photo: Rachel Coldbreath |
 Photo: Sean Wallis  |
 Photo: Daniel Lurie |
 Photo: Lewis Foti |
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Causing a splash |
East Heath Road Hampstead London NW3 United Kingdom +44 20 7485 4491 |
When the heat is on in London, come to Hampstead Heath to cool down in the old-fashioned bathing ponds. One of three, Hampstead mixed bathing pond is literally a large pond with a silt bottom so there's no nasty chlorine but it is a bit murky. Bathing is free for all competent swimmers over eight years old, and the pond is open from daylight till dusk during the summer. Beware, the pond can be heaving when it's hot, but take a picnic to the heath to lay back and enjoy the sunshine. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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Bargain summer splash - men only |
Millfield Lane Hampstead Heath London, London N6 United Kingdom +44 20 7485 4491 |
Enjoy a swim in the fresh air at this men-only bathing pond. As it's all natural water, there's no chlorine to sting your eyes, and it's free, so there's no sting to your wallet either. Open all year round, although you'd have to be tough to brave the weather in the winter months, the ponds are open for a refreshing dip anytime between daylight and dusk. Boys over eight who can swim confidently can join in the fun, while ladies can swim at the nearby Kenwood Bathing Pond. Set in a beautiful verdant spot, it is a wonderful oasis that takes you back to the Victorian era. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Loz Flowers |
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Ladies only |
Millfield Lane (Hampstead Heath) London, London United Kingdom +44 20 7485 4491 |
Open daily from daylight until dusk, a visit to the pond makes for an enjoyable, alternative afternoon, especially if you bring a picnic along to make the most of the time on the Heath. The bathing pond contains only natural water and is unheated - perfect for the Spartan, the purist or the adventurous. Girls over age 8 can swim all they like, but the boys are banned to the Highgate Bathing Pond a short distance away. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Niamh Shields |
 Photo: Shane Stankard |
 Bring a Picnic & Champagne |
Hampstead Lane (Kenwood House) London, London NW3 7JR United Kingdom +44 20 7413 1443 http://www.picnicconcerts.com/... |
This is a highly civilised way to enjoy classical music during the balmy evenings of summer (June-August). Come along on a Saturday night with a picnic and bottle of Champagne in tow, hire a deck chair or two, and enjoy both the extensive grounds of Kenwood House and the wonderful classical concerts. Concerts vary from being a purely Tchaikovsky evening with fireworks to a programme of favourite composers. The setting is perfect - sit on one side of the lake and watch the orchestra on the other, as dusk descends. Admission for adults (on the lawns) is £11 and £13-£18 for deck chairs. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
 Sport on Hampstead Heath |
Highgate Road London, London NW5 1QR United Kingdom +44 20 7435 8998 http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk... |
Once the venue of choice for Roundhead political meetings during the Civil War, Parliament Hill at Hampstead Heath now boasts a 400-metre running track, ten tennis courts, the Lido swimming pool and open-air bathing ponds. Chock-a-block in the summer, the Lido is famed for its hardy winter swimmers. After all the exercise, a walk on the wildlife-rich heath will show why it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature, and why poets and novelists such as Keats, Coleridge, and D.H. Lawrence chose to live nearby. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Jon Spence |
 Photo: Michael Reeve |
 Photo: Dick Pountain |
 Photo: Melanie Jane |
 Photo: James Nolan |
 Photo: BristolRE2007 |
 Photo: Cynthia S. Taylor |