What’s New
B-Board from West Coast to West London
If you’re looking for a new workout to spice up your exercise regime - check this out.
Eric Vandendriessche, a Level 4 Personal Trainer with 18 years of experience in the Fitness Industry, spent the last 4 years in Los Angeles where he created the B-BOARD®, a new inflatable Balance Board on which all exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups, crunches, yoga combinations, stretching etc) can be performed. Eric told us that the B-Board workout is “super effective for core engagement, balance and overall fitness. Inspired by paddleboarding it mixes different types of training including HIIT, Yoga and Pilates”. Kids classes are also available.
Before Eric got in touch with Urban Village LDN we spotted a purple inflatable on Eelbrook Common and were intrigued so it was great to hear more about B-Board. Eric kindly offered us a personal training session which we haven’t taken him up on yet, yes we should have guinea pigged it for you and written a review; after getting the September issue out we’ll have no excuses! Caroline T has tried it out and said “Eric is a fab and encouraging instructor that invented this amazing B-Board that will help you with your core in no time. Highly recommend him and the outstanding B-Board”.
Eric is offering Urban Village LDN readers 30% off their first 1-2-1 personal training session which can be taken in the comfort of your own home or outdoors in one of Fulham’s green spots/parks. Eric assures us no experience is needed. Get in touch on 07518 476640 or email info@bboardworkout.com to hear more and try it out. Let us know how you get on; still intrigued. https://www.instagram.com/bboardworkout/?hl=en
Parsons Green PA
Genevieve Collett set up Parsons Green PA after being made redundant from her senior assistant role at Knight Frank at the start of the pandemic; seizing the moment as an opportunity to finally set up her own business.
Genevieve told Urban Village LDN “my focus with Parsons Green PA is on helping busy professional women with their personal admin and household tasks. Jobs that they could do themselves perhaps but don't have the time, inclination or skill set. It is for women who don't need a full time assistant but do need regular help in maintaining a good life/work balance. They have someone like me who can work from their home, office or virtually a day a week say. I can also work on an ad hoc basis on a specific project, like a house renovation or house sitting while they are away on holiday. It can be something workaday like popping to the post office for them with a package, organising new passports, or vetting a carer for their mother. I've got the experience not to get phased by anything!”
After some chalet seasons in Austria and Switzerland Genevieve’s first proper job was working for Sarah, Duchess of York no less as her private chef and household manager. “It taught me first hand the pressures of a busy, high profile family in the public eye and I learnt quickly how to work under pressure whilst maintaining a calm exterior! Most of the rest of my career has been spent supporting CEO's and Chairmen as their assistant. I've worked in publishing, design PR, luxury fashion retail and high end real estate. I genuinely liked helping my bosses be the best they could be whilst retaining a sense of fun.”
Genevieve has different plans to suit different needs from a custom (£35 per hour) to advanced (24 hours a month £720) or why not try a 3 hour taster session for £99. https://www.instagram.com/parsonsgreenpa/
Quirky Gadgets founder opens second shop
Edumundo’s, a new shop launching this month, comes to you from Omar Khan the founder of Quirky Gadgets. Located on the Fulham Road (668) opposite his fabulous emporium of gadgets, toys and all things quirky, Omar told us that this second venture is a cigar shop that will also offer customers luxury gentlemen’s grooming products from Truefitt and Hill, the St James’s gentlemen’s barbers, board games and other lifestyle products. We wish Omar every success with his new venture and can’t wait to visit! In the meantime we’re loving seeing the shop come together especially the gorgeous aubergine coloured shop front and awning. So good to see at least one “to let” sign come down along the Fulham Road.
Agewell Plan
In April last year Urban Village LDN ran a piece about The Agewell Project, a book written by Fulham residents Annabel Abbs and Susan Crook Saunders, a wealth of health advice for those in mid and later life including information on what to eat, how to exercise and sleep better. It was an Amazon bestseller and their blog https://agewellproject.com also has a loyal following.
Susan Crook Saunders has now gone on to create The Agewell Plan out this month (3 September). Susan told Urban Village LDN. “I wanted to take things one stage further: discovering how to age well has transformed my life so completely and I wanted to help others gain the same benefits. I qualified as a health coach and now help people all over the world enjoy the years to come feeling fit and fabulous. The Age-Well Plan is an extension of my coaching experience, helping others to enjoy healthy longevity.”
In The Age-Well Plan, Susan draws on almost a decade of extensive research into healthy longevity and her experience as a health coach to give you the tools you need to live your own age-well life. Her simple, clear and easy-to-follow six-week plan will show you how to make changes - small and large - to support healthy ageing, and prioritise the changes most appropriate for your body, lifestyle and circumstances.
“The new book is a six week programme to kickstart a longer, healthier, happier life. It provides do-it-today strategies to including the right foods in your diet, easy ways to introduce more movement and exercise into your daily routine, the actions to take to get more and better quality sleep, how to maintain a positive mindset towards ageing and steps to reduce the impact of pollution (very important in Fulham, sadly!). The book is packed with practical resources including recipes, meal plans, journal space and check lists to help you chart your progress, stay on track and prioritise the actions that will change the way you age. For me, that's the most important element of ageing well: understanding that we can change the way we age. Our destiny isn't written in the stars, or in our genes (although they play a role). The actions which make the biggest difference are often the simplest ones, it's doing them every day, or every week that makes the difference to how we age”.