Altrincham Duck

A pampered duck is a happy duck

Ladyzone – tea, cake and a bit of pampering at the Macmillan coffee morning
by Clear Duck, the Altrincham Duck Team
 

Nestled in the heart of Goose Green in Altrincham is Ladyzone, home of women’s only fitness, health and beauty.  And Clear Duck of the Altrincham duck team paid a special visit on Friday 30^th September, to not only get her duck feathers pampered but to join in the charity coffee morning and sample some cake.  And there was plenty on offer – but more about that later.

Having never visited the facility before, Clear Duck was given a tour by the lovely Lizzie who meets and greets visitors as well as assisting the lady members with their weight loss or fitness plans.  It’s deceptively well-equipped inside with a circuits gym, nail bar, tanning studio, brow beauty room, changing room and shower on one level.  

Then up another level, with fantastic views over Altrincham is the chill out area complete with sofas, TV and drink facilities, the stunning and spacious studio where all the fitness classes take place and the massage therapy room.  All in all, a true haven of tranquillity and calm – a one-stop shop for all your fitness and beauty needs.        

It was a busy Friday morning with plenty of ladies working on their circuits.  Lizzie explained that each lady member is given a tailored fitness plan, depending on their goals.  This is reviewed every two months to either change or remain as is, depending on comfort and progress.  
And of course the staff and members had all been just as busy the night before, as right there when you walked in the door was a stunning array of cake.  From fairy cakes, to scones to big cake – even some amazing chocolate brownies were hand delivered while there!
 

There was just enough time before Clear Duck’s scheduled relaxation treatment to have a brew and sample one of the lovely baked treats.  A butterfly bun won the choice, deliciously moist sponge and heavenly butter icing melted in the mouth.  Both were enjoyed over a chat and giggle with some of the ladies.  In the background, the noise of those working hard on their fitness session made us a feel only a little guilty of our indulgence.  But we reminded ourselves, it’s all for a fantastic cause.  And later in the day there was the option of a free class for anyone wanting to burn off the extra calories.

It was Lisa, Ladyzone Altrincham’s resident beautician who took Clear Duck for a relaxing aromatherapy massage – back and shoulders.  And let me tell you, life’s just as stressful for us ducks as it is anyone else, so this was a real treat!

The massage room, being spacious, light and airy makes you feel relaxed as soon as you walk into it.  Elegant décor; neutral tones accented with lime greens and a dark wood floor are reminiscent of a Scandinavian escape.  The soothing music playing in the background is enough to send you into a dreamy reverie.  But before all that, are the practicalities and Lisa made sure to go through a thorough consultation before the massage.  That’s important so she knows any underlying health conditions and you know what’s expected of you over the course of the treatment.  She also takes the time to discuss the right choice of aromatherapy oils for your massage, depending on how you hope to feel afterwards.  The different oils have different properties, so if you have a long drive home afterwards, you may want to avoid camomile as it’s known to send you to sleep!  

We agreed a blend of geranium with grapeseed oil would work perfect for Clear Duck, so it was time to get on the bed.  Lisa makes sure you are comfortable lying in your position before she sets to work, and then asks whether the pressure she applies is right for you before she continues.  It was all good for Clear Duck and how quickly thirty minutes flew by as Lisa went to work.  The smell of the oils with the wonderful feeling of all those stresses being expertly rubbed away was just bliss.  Everything felt lighter, calmer and very, very, relaxing.  And just at the point where you could lie there forever, Lisa gently tells you it’s over and gives you enough time to come around, steady yourself and get ready to go.  And yes, a good relaxing massage can really leave you that disorientated! 

Before letting you leave, Lisa gives you advice on how to take care afterwards, most importantly advising to stay hydrated with lots of water. 
So sipping a glass of water, Clear Duck went back to the cakes and bought a few more to take away – they were disappearing that fast!  Some of the ladies were sampling cake and gathering ready for the next part of the Macmillan fundraising day, waiting for the Stella & Dot jewellery to arrive.  Proceeds from the sale of the jewellery and accessories were also being donated to Macmillan.

Clear Duck spent a wonderful morning at Ladyzone.  So much more than just a gym, there’s a fantastic friendly atmosphere inside as much as there’s ample space to relax and unwind.  With all tension soothed after such a relaxing massage, Clear Duck left Ladyzone literally gliding down the streets of Altrincham.  Quaaaack! 

So, tell us a bit more about your back ground? 

Fi & Becs are a couple of creative sisters who provide flexible branding, design and copywriting for businesses of all sizes. Our service is friendly, approachable, bespoke and creative.

With a diverse client portfolio ranging from bookshops to fashion retailers, farm shops to beauty salons and well-known UK brands - we pride ourselves on being adaptable and easy to work with.Our services include: logo design, website design, copywriting, branding, graphic design (leaflets, brochures, exhibition stands...) and product design - we will turn our skills to anything (within reason!) if our clients ask us to. 

With an enthusiastic (perfectionist) attitude, we love helping businesses become distinctive, engaging and relevant to their customers. We don't cost the earth, we’re quick to understand what you’re looking for and we’re great at what we do.  

In 2015 we were finalists for New Business of the Year in the prestigious Enterprise Vision Awards and we were also finalists for the National Mumpreneur Boost Award - recognising businesses that have demonstrated high growth. 

Becs is based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester and Fi is based in Halifax, West Yorkshire but we work with clients all over the UK and worldwide.  

You offer many services , which do you find is the most popular? 

That’s difficult to answer, I would say our top three services are branding, graphic design and copywriting… however from my point of view (my sister Fi is the main designer) my most popular service is copywriting - I get a lot of enquiries and it’s surprised me recently how the demand has increased considerably.  

Do you have plans for the future? 

Yes - lots! My business has been going for three years this October and we have gone from 0 clients to over 120 clients… and there is still only two of us. We have lots of plans, but we’re also not people who sit down and write boring business plans so we will probably decide exactly what to do next over a cup of tea or glass of wine.  

Altrincham is going through a period of change, what would you like to see happen to the town? 

I would love to have a cool co-working space for people who usually work from home. Preferably it would be pay-as-you-go, allow (well behaved) dogs, be a cool space/room (not a dreadful and depressing generic business meeting room in a 70’s building) and you would be able to book space for meetings… oh and drink tea.