This trip was the result of finding the many two-for-one and other offers for spa afternoons and experiences on lastminute.com, especially if you're able to take up offers available only during the week. Friend Jess and I went for an afternoon – being a teacher she was able to do this during half term, and being a freelance writerI can just work weekends and take time out during the week. This offer worked out at about £28 each for use of the spa and for a 45 minute treatment, with both of us going for the back, neck and shoulder massage. Bannatyne's is a nationwide chain so the offer is available pretty widely.
The Quay Street Bannatyne's – which is also a gym and fitness centre – has a pleasant enough if slightly odd spa. The many corridors can be a bit baffling, and the changing rooms are a bit big and draughty – more school gym lesson than luxurious spa. The sauna and steam room were fine and enjoyable, and situated next to a decent sized, if bizarrely shaped and slightly under-lit, swimming pool. Apparently this used to be a big, well-known pool with art deco decorations, diving boards etc, but a mezzanine has now gone in to extend the space available for the gyms etc. There could have been more loungers and chairs and you really need to take your own drinking water if you don't want to have to shell out for bottles from a machine, but for the price I wasn't complaining. The vouchers sent for the offer were ambiguous as to whether we'd be supplied with things like towels and robes and I think the Bannatyne's website implied that these would not be included. But they were, although slippers weren't.
The massage itself was, to put it bluntly, surprisingly good. After my experiences at the Radisson I'd come to expect that what I'd get somewhere like this would be an adequate but uninspiring beautician-with-a-bit-of-massage-training kind of deal. But I was lucky enough to get Tash. Now, she's not Jutika – but she might be in 5 or 10 years' time, if she stays in the profession.
From chatting to her, I got the distinct impression that she knows her stuff and has a genuine interest in massage and relaxation therapies. Her main training was, she said, in massage, and she's topped it up with skills in things like facials and manicures because it makes her more employable. The setting she's working in isn't ideal for setting off her talent – it's very much the kind of place where you walk in and are overwhelmed with a range of overpriced (if nice-smelling) potions in bottles and millions of shades of nail polish and lipstick. I'm guessing the staff are either on commission or that selling the contents of those various bottles is a major part of their role. But nevertheless, Tash gives a damn good massage – in-depth without being painful, and asking the right kind of questions about needs, pain levels and sore spots - so anyone finding themselves here should try asking for her. Having said that, Jess was pretty happy with her experience too, so maybe this place is lucky with its staff.
Contact details: Bannatyne's Health Club, Sunlight House, Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3JU , 0161 832 3227
Monday 27 April 2009
Friday 24 April 2009
Sienna spa at the Radisson Hotel, deep tissue massage, June 2008
I got married in September 2008, so this was a road test for the Sienna Spa at the Radisson in Manchester as a possible hen expedition venue. Also, friend Ruth was in the country for her one-and-only break from a year managing a diving conservation project in Madagascar, living in a village with very little in the way of creature comforts, so a little pampering was in order.
The Sienna Spa is, I think, a good bet for an afternoon off or a group thing like a hen night, because the spa itself – which has a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and decent sized swimming pool – is free to use with treatments costing £40 or more, or is £12 for the spa alone. This means it's reasonably affordable for groups where some people are a bit more flush than others. There's also a gym, but let's not go there, and a full set of towels, robe and slippers is supplied, which is nice. And the spa is well-supplied with loungers and chairs where you can fall asleep, read fat trashy novels or do other things that might be lovely and relaxing.
Although there's no real chat about what you need or want from a massage, you do have to fill in medical conditions form, which is a little mechanistic and can feel like their main objective is to cover themselves in case they damage you, rather than actually understanding what the purpose of your treatment might be. But the little lounge overlooking the pool where you wait for treatments is nice enough, with jugs of water and complementary apples. Very healthy.
I have to say my experience of the deep tissue massage I went for on this visit wasn't terrific. It was satisfactory, but for £60 a pop I want pretty damn good, to be honest. I don't remember the name of the massage therapists Ruth and I had that day, but my overwhelming impression was that the therapists there tended towards the young, blonde beauty-therapists-who've-done-a-bit-of-massage-training type, rather than people interested in the more in-depth aspects of wellbeing and relaxation. I normally really enjoy a proper deep muscle massage – as I said in my review of Jutika I'm happy to have my back and shoulders worked on with elbows and knees as well as hands – but my experience at the Radisson was actually quite painful, especially on the calves, and when I tried to convey this to my therapist I didn't get the impression that what I was saying was really getting across. I felt I was in the hands of someone with fairly limited experience and a small repertoire, who had little skill or flexibility to adapt what they were doing to the client's needs. I needed the sauna and steam afterwards to recover from the massage! Which is a pity, especially at that price.
Contact details: Radisson Edwardian Manchester Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester M2 5GP, 0161 835 8964. Email sienna[at]radisson.com
The Sienna Spa is, I think, a good bet for an afternoon off or a group thing like a hen night, because the spa itself – which has a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and decent sized swimming pool – is free to use with treatments costing £40 or more, or is £12 for the spa alone. This means it's reasonably affordable for groups where some people are a bit more flush than others. There's also a gym, but let's not go there, and a full set of towels, robe and slippers is supplied, which is nice. And the spa is well-supplied with loungers and chairs where you can fall asleep, read fat trashy novels or do other things that might be lovely and relaxing.
Although there's no real chat about what you need or want from a massage, you do have to fill in medical conditions form, which is a little mechanistic and can feel like their main objective is to cover themselves in case they damage you, rather than actually understanding what the purpose of your treatment might be. But the little lounge overlooking the pool where you wait for treatments is nice enough, with jugs of water and complementary apples. Very healthy.
I have to say my experience of the deep tissue massage I went for on this visit wasn't terrific. It was satisfactory, but for £60 a pop I want pretty damn good, to be honest. I don't remember the name of the massage therapists Ruth and I had that day, but my overwhelming impression was that the therapists there tended towards the young, blonde beauty-therapists-who've-done-a-bit-of-massage-training type, rather than people interested in the more in-depth aspects of wellbeing and relaxation. I normally really enjoy a proper deep muscle massage – as I said in my review of Jutika I'm happy to have my back and shoulders worked on with elbows and knees as well as hands – but my experience at the Radisson was actually quite painful, especially on the calves, and when I tried to convey this to my therapist I didn't get the impression that what I was saying was really getting across. I felt I was in the hands of someone with fairly limited experience and a small repertoire, who had little skill or flexibility to adapt what they were doing to the client's needs. I needed the sauna and steam afterwards to recover from the massage! Which is a pity, especially at that price.
Contact details: Radisson Edwardian Manchester Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester M2 5GP, 0161 835 8964. Email sienna[at]radisson.com
Thursday 23 April 2009
The Hammam al-Shifa
Ok, I know that this blog was meant to be about Manchester, but I recently came back from the amazing city of Nablus and a quick visit to the Hammam al-Shifa, one of the few remaining traditional Turkish Baths in use in Palestine, and a very beautiful space. It was built in 1624 by the Tuqan family. So here are a few gratuitous photos...
Saturday 18 April 2009
Manchester School of Massage, Whalley Range, June 2004?
I'm not sure how I arrived here. I think Jutika was away for the summer and I was desperate for a good kneading of my shoulders muscles. I think I was also skint and horrified by the price of the various city centre spa-type-places, and I found the Manchester School of Massage. It was cheap and close to home, did courses (which suggested to me that they should know what they're doing) and offered a bewildering array of different massages.
The Manchester School of Massage building itself was a little unprepossessing – an inter-war suburban house. Inside, the hallway-turned-waiting-area was a bit dingy and the absence of much in the way of a reception meant I wasn't sure where to wait or who I should be talking to, or indeed who was going to be actually performing my treatment.
I don't remember the name of the therapist I ended up seeing. She was capable, if rather the brusque. I think I'd booked something like a Thai massage, which sounded relaxing from the description on the website, but was firmly informed that from the questions she's asked me a sports massage was more appropriate. Far be it from me to disagree! The massage room itself, as I remember it was a fair-sized suburban living room, which meant that it was a bit big and draughty.
All in all, this was a very reasonably-priced and capable therapeutic experience, but with none of the pleasant or relaxing environment or interactions which make a massage a physically enjoyable and psychologically useful exercise. Looking at their current website, the prices are still some of the most reasonable I've seen in the city.
Contact: Manchester School of Massage, 77 Russell Rd, Manchester, M16 8AR; 0161 881 7171 or 0161 881 3863 or 0845 4582302 or 0845 4582303; dfranks[at]btinternet.com or lucy.j1[at]btinternet.com
The Manchester School of Massage building itself was a little unprepossessing – an inter-war suburban house. Inside, the hallway-turned-waiting-area was a bit dingy and the absence of much in the way of a reception meant I wasn't sure where to wait or who I should be talking to, or indeed who was going to be actually performing my treatment.
I don't remember the name of the therapist I ended up seeing. She was capable, if rather the brusque. I think I'd booked something like a Thai massage, which sounded relaxing from the description on the website, but was firmly informed that from the questions she's asked me a sports massage was more appropriate. Far be it from me to disagree! The massage room itself, as I remember it was a fair-sized suburban living room, which meant that it was a bit big and draughty.
All in all, this was a very reasonably-priced and capable therapeutic experience, but with none of the pleasant or relaxing environment or interactions which make a massage a physically enjoyable and psychologically useful exercise. Looking at their current website, the prices are still some of the most reasonable I've seen in the city.
Contact: Manchester School of Massage, 77 Russell Rd, Manchester, M16 8AR; 0161 881 7171 or 0161 881 3863 or 0845 4582302 or 0845 4582303; dfranks[at]btinternet.com or lucy.j1[at]btinternet.com
Jutika, Manchester Buddhist Centre, several times a year since about 1999
The Bodywise natural health centre is to be found a couple of floors up a beautiful old wooden staircase at Manchester Buddhist Centre in the Northern Quarter. I found out about it when a friend and I decided to do a 6 week introductory massage course in about 1999 and I encountered Jutika, who's been my favourite person to get a massage from ever since. Bodywise itself exudes a sense of calm – delicately scented with aromatherapy oils and with curving pastel walls, I relax just walking into the corridor. The one great pity is that the place only has treatment rooms and a larger space used for yoga classes and the like, and that it doesn't have a full spa on offer. I'd probably move in there if it did...
I'm not one to talk about auras and similar hippy things, but Jutika herself is one of those people who just seem to give off a calming, warm vibe. Maybe it's just that I've had so many good experiences at her hands, but my shoulders seem to loosen up as I sit in the chair in her treatment room. She always asks a range of questions about a client's physical and mental wellbeing, evaluating not just whether there are areas of their body that should be focused on or avoided, but also the kind of treatment they will benefit from. Although her massages aren't advertised as 'aromatherapy' or anything else fancy, she usually uses one or more essential oils according to what she's just heard. She's also completely open to focusing on whatever areas of the body a client asks for – so when my back and shoulders are a big ol' mess from sitting hunched over a keyboard for stupid amounts of time, she's happy to concentrate on those, skipping completely or doing a quick once-over on arms, legs etc.
Jutika is a highly experienced therapist who seems to have an enduring interest in her craft and in continually improving the service she offers. I've often visited her and heard about the new course or technique she's learnt, and many of the most effective and innovative techniques I've experienced have been at her hands – or elbows, or knees, since she's been known to employ these in getting deep into the muscles of my back and shoulders. She also introduced me to the joys of the eyebrow massage – I didn't used to like have my face, especially around my eyes, touched at all, but under Jutika's care I've had the pleasure of finding just how calming this can be.
Unusually in central Manchester nowadays, a full hour's massage from Jutika still comes in at just under £40. Bodywise also offers gift vouchers which can be bought for specific amounts or for named treatments.
Contact: Bodywise Natural Health Centre, ( 2nd floor, Manchester Buddhist Centre ), 16 - 20 Turner Street, Manchester M4 1DZ, 0161 833 2528, health[at]bodywisenaturalhealth.co.uk
I'm not one to talk about auras and similar hippy things, but Jutika herself is one of those people who just seem to give off a calming, warm vibe. Maybe it's just that I've had so many good experiences at her hands, but my shoulders seem to loosen up as I sit in the chair in her treatment room. She always asks a range of questions about a client's physical and mental wellbeing, evaluating not just whether there are areas of their body that should be focused on or avoided, but also the kind of treatment they will benefit from. Although her massages aren't advertised as 'aromatherapy' or anything else fancy, she usually uses one or more essential oils according to what she's just heard. She's also completely open to focusing on whatever areas of the body a client asks for – so when my back and shoulders are a big ol' mess from sitting hunched over a keyboard for stupid amounts of time, she's happy to concentrate on those, skipping completely or doing a quick once-over on arms, legs etc.
Jutika is a highly experienced therapist who seems to have an enduring interest in her craft and in continually improving the service she offers. I've often visited her and heard about the new course or technique she's learnt, and many of the most effective and innovative techniques I've experienced have been at her hands – or elbows, or knees, since she's been known to employ these in getting deep into the muscles of my back and shoulders. She also introduced me to the joys of the eyebrow massage – I didn't used to like have my face, especially around my eyes, touched at all, but under Jutika's care I've had the pleasure of finding just how calming this can be.
Unusually in central Manchester nowadays, a full hour's massage from Jutika still comes in at just under £40. Bodywise also offers gift vouchers which can be bought for specific amounts or for named treatments.
Contact: Bodywise Natural Health Centre, ( 2nd floor, Manchester Buddhist Centre ), 16 - 20 Turner Street, Manchester M4 1DZ, 0161 833 2528, health[at]bodywisenaturalhealth.co.uk
What's this blog about?
Manchestermassages is simply a personal review site for the various massage therapists and spas I've been to in the Manchester area over the years. It's intended to be a little resource for people looking to find a really good massage in Manchester, whether as part of a day out from the world, luxuriating in a spa, or just as a one-off massage session to iron out some tired muscles.
My benchmark massage experience is always, unless a miracle occurs, going to be Jutika at Manchester Buddhist Centre's Bodywise. I've been going to Jutika when the world (and my back pain) get too much (and budgets allow) for around ten years now and she's never let me down. She also taught the introductory massage course at Bodywise which I attended about 10 years ago, which not only gave me some basic massage skills which various friends and lovers have benefited from over the years but also taught me something about how to appreciate a good massage – what techniques to look out for, and how to ask for a better experience.
So she's the subject of my first review.
Otherwise, anyone with comments, other massage experiences, links and tips, information on spa and massage courses, guides or directories or anything else they want to add is very welcome to use the comments function (as are any massage providers wishing to invite me for complementary treatments in return for impartial and unbiased reviews!!)
My benchmark massage experience is always, unless a miracle occurs, going to be Jutika at Manchester Buddhist Centre's Bodywise. I've been going to Jutika when the world (and my back pain) get too much (and budgets allow) for around ten years now and she's never let me down. She also taught the introductory massage course at Bodywise which I attended about 10 years ago, which not only gave me some basic massage skills which various friends and lovers have benefited from over the years but also taught me something about how to appreciate a good massage – what techniques to look out for, and how to ask for a better experience.
So she's the subject of my first review.
Otherwise, anyone with comments, other massage experiences, links and tips, information on spa and massage courses, guides or directories or anything else they want to add is very welcome to use the comments function (as are any massage providers wishing to invite me for complementary treatments in return for impartial and unbiased reviews!!)
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