Wax On, Wax Off!

Apologies boys, I drew you in with the Title, but you need to stop reading now...

I haven't done a huge amount of research, but in the last 12 months alone, I have been to 5 different ladies in 2 establishments whilst getting my wax done.

I used to go to Holistic, which was fine (and closest to my flat). I then thought I would try the place I see on the way past the tube, the originally titled, "Hair & Beauty Lounge". Lulled in by the offers that they show on the window, I assumed they were newly opened. Turns out that they have been there years but did a make-over a couple of years ago.

Both salons are hairdressers upstairs with beauty rooms below. This can be slightly disconcerting the first time you go as you are uncertain what is down below. I can report that both are nice, clean salons. The Lounge wins out though, as it is quite large downstairs, looks more beauty salon like and opens out into a garden, so has a nice welcoming feel. It is also marginally cheaper - and on an offer day is really quite good value.

But the real find is Santina. This lady is now my heroine. She does a great (and relatively pain free) job using her own tea tree oil wax special concoction which seems to work very well on my hypersensitive skin. She has also worked at the salon for 7 years, so you get the feeling that a) she must be good, b) she will still be there the next time you go - and I find that heartening - the only reason I have seen 5 in the last year is that the girls keep moving on.

So she really is my hot tip - and I feel I should share her with you.

Thinking about it - boys, if you are still reading - you know those sprouty bits on your shoulders - the bits that scare us and are nothing like as cute as they were on Gizmo - Santina may be able to help you...

Underground, Overground?

A real bonus of living in West Hampstead is the excellent travel links. The downside, this week, has been being on the Jubilee line. The further downside for me has been that I work in Canary Wharf which has rather poorer transport links - and is also on the Jubilee line.

So how do you go when the Jubilee line is down?

There is no consensus. I take the Overland to Stratford, pray that the Jubilee Line is working from that end or take the DLR. There are a number of problems with this (not least that I stray into Zone 3, thereby costing me money as well as time). This Tuesday, I couldn't get on the first Overland train and the next was delayed (and there are only 4 an hour). When on the train, it was jam packed - and generally the Overland customers don't seem to understand how to cram themselves into a carriage the way us tube dwellers do... And it feels so slow. But you do get a fun view of the rear end of people's houses and the Olympic site. I am very supportive of Ken's plans for the Overground (this is the line that I used to name Scarylink), but we will need a lot of patience and that will be hard if the Jubilee line keeps up its 2008 track record. Time to Canary Wharf: 1hr 10.

Returning on Wednesday was even more problematic. With the Jubilee out, the DLR packed to bursting and boiling points, I took a bus. Canary Wharf is actually a great place to get a bus. Noone knows where they are or where they could possibly get to. I bus'ed to Mile End. Took two tubes to Farringdon, then the Thameslink home. Time home: 1hr 20.

OK, so the timings aren't great - but I did it! And my guess is that lots of you did it somehow different.

Choice. No bad thing.

Tesco - Every Little Helps?

Does it bollocks.

So, we are to get a Tesco Express. Having only just blogged about our new delis and their need for local support a few weeks ago, it turns out the big boys are wading into the pine shop site. When I heard, my heart sank. I am trully saddened.

I have to say that it didn't at first dawn on me that the furniture shop was actually closing down. What with the fact that it always seems to have a sale on. Although I was (and still am) suspicious about the temporary Paramount estate agents offices next door that haven't had a 'To Let' sign outside for months now.

Truthfully, I have never liked Tesco at the best of times, not cheap and cheerful enough to really help those on a tight budget and not qualitative enough to appeal to the chattering classes. (I did laugh out loud at Sandi Toksvig's line in the Stephen Fry version of Cinderella: "You do like Tesco. It keeps the chavs out of Waitrose.")

Ham & High reports that "Leader of Camden Council and West Hampstead councillor Keith Moffitt said: 'People who are less well off will probably welcome a shop on their doorstep where they can buy things at a reasonable price.'" Right! Because Tesco's 'Finest' ready meals and bags of rocket salad are just what you need when you are budgeting.

But my dislike of Tesco aside, we do not need another convenience store and we have long liked the fact that we were not another high street. Our shops (if not our coffee ones) are unique and local to our area and what makes West Hampstead what it is. Realistically there will not be enough custom for those shops and the lower prices of a new multi store chain.

I had always thought that there was a reason we were chain free. West End Lane is single carriageway and twisty. Far from ideal for delivery trucks. Have they seen the corner with Lymington Road?

I have come across a Lib Dem blog dealing with the issues arising from the opening of the Belsize Park Express store. Apparently morning deliveries now leave between 7.15 & 8am. Well the photo above was taken at ten past eight and those vans were stationary. Could local politicians not have done something before the store opened?

There is an interesting site out there called 'Tescopoly' that highlights concerns with the negative impacts of supermarket power. Maybe there is hope. I for one, certainly hope so. This will be the end of our high street.

Fancy a curry?

I was going to blog about the 2 curry houses that face off on West End Lane- Bengal Spice, which always seems to be packed and the subterranean Spice Plaza, which generally seems empty. A fact that never ceases to amaze me as it seems conversely proportional to the quality of the food. (I have been to Bengal Spice twice in the 7 years I have lived in the area and been impressed by the consistency of the food on both occasions....)

As you may guess, I am the kind of girl who comes out of the tube and turns right, but with a friend in tow on Monday night I decided to turn left. Turns out that Monday night is not the best night to turn left, as my first two suggestions were shut. My friend however was very keen to sample the Sri Lankan restaurant that we had already passed and hence we ended up in Elephant Walk - just us two and the staff at 7.15 on a Monday night. But I am glad we did.

The staff were eager to please (not just us - but also the other clientele that arrived later!), the decor is fine in a minimal way but the food is the real highlight - which is exactly what you want in a local. I know very little about Sri Lankan food, however what we tasted was very good. Quite complex spices lead to a different taste to the usual curries that you get at an Indian. The curries we had were relatively light although the sauces were a little salty to the taste. Matched with a cabbage and cumin dish as well as lovely lemon rice and paratha, this really did not deter from the overall taste of the meal.

In fact we were so eager with the menu that we went for a full 3 courses and coffees. Maybe more places should be open on a Monday!

lovefood? Love Gustoso's?

Having long been over-endowed with estate agents, charity and coffee shops, we seem to have recently become overrun by deli's and grocers.

That Organic Place started in the unlikely position on Mill Lane and apparently does free delivery over 25 quid. The optimistically named North West Deli provides a useful array of fruit and veg, organic meat and Middle Eastern spices by the fire station.

But deli-wars seems to have come to fruition at the Dennington Park Road crossing. lovefood opened late last year in the heart of the main drag of West End Lane taking over a rather forlorn looking cafe. Green in colour and philosophy I thought it a welcome addition to the area. Then Gustoso's opened hardly a month or two later. More posh deli this time, it is a second branch to a popular Maida Vale store which provides deli delights and upmarket ready meals at Maida Vale prices. It should also be heralded for cleaning up that particular shop unit.

Numerous and loyal customers will be what will make them a success. So, go shop & support your local businesses.

lovefood does a good coffee btw!

Idea of heaven?

I went for a wander today around Hampstead Cemetery at the top of Fortune Green Road. This is often commented on as a good place to go for a walk around and it has taken me many years to get round to it. Sight of this lovely photo posted on flickr by 'outblissed' spurred me into action (and lets face it, in January - it is good to do something that doesn't cost anything!).

As I walked up the hill past the monstrous building site for the new flats, I turned into the cemetery gates. The place is - well, it is like a cemetery. But the view is significantly better if you cock your head slightly to the right.

To the left, the flats, sorry "updated mansion block" (the architects words, not mine) are even more overwhelming than they are from the road. CZWG are the architects and the flats are already up for sale with Goldschmidt & Howland although they won't be ready till September.

The website states that there will be a central pavilion "in ziggurat form to obviating the overlooking of nearby graves". Great use of the English language.

Although the cemetery is surrounded on most sides by residential housing, which to the north includes some sizable houses, nothing encroaches like the new flats. My viewpoint isn't from a dislike of modern vs 100 year old housing stock. I love modern architecture for both living and commerce, but any architecture should fit in with its surroundings - complementing rather than detracting from the area.

I'm sure the flats will do much to raise the profile and amenities of that stretch of road - for good & bad no doubt, but they aren't for me and I doubt I'm alone.

West Hampstead on eBay!

Playing around the other day, I thought I'd look up West Hampstead on eBay. Turns out there were a few items. One was an old railway ticket, another a bill from Witham & Co Ltd, Motor Engineers and Carriage Builders, 219 West End Lane (now Ladbrokes!). Quite a history lesson.

I wonder how much the whole place would go for?