The first pedicure of the season is always a reason to be cheerful.  And, cheerful is the order of the day at Village of Beauty.

I walked in to sunshine streaming onto the plumply cushioned window seats.  Instantly at home I felt the need to lie down on one, like a kitten about to be pampered to within an inch of its life.

“Oh, our clients often want to do this” Kamila told me, “In fact one of them did, she fell asleep right there.”

I could just imagine. What’s not to love about a comfy sofa-like seat, sunshine on your face and the gentle hum around you of ‘me’ time being relished.

Downstairs I lay back on the therapist’s bed and thought of beaches and waves, sea salt and sangria that a treatment of this nature usually precludes. Kamila’s voice softly spoke to me, and any pain was minimised.

I noticed a photograph of Marilyn on the wall and asked where it came from.  “I’ve never seen that picture of her in my life before” I said, astonished.
“Ah, I pick it up at a car boot sale – it was just £1, somewhere in Wimbledon I think.”

I gazed at Marilyn reclining in her dressing gown on a pink silk eiderdown throw and wondered, as one does about Marilyn, what sort of a day she’d been having when the photo was taken.  Was she also having some me time, about to have a facial perhaps?

A short time later, I sat calmly in a large armchair ready for my pedicure, foot jacuzzi at my feet, jasmine green tea to my right and a stack of this week’s magazines to my left.  Beyond Carolina, the flames of a fire glowed, candles gently flickered. I felt like I was on holiday, precious moments suspended in time, just the sensation of being cared for, looked after.

“Would you like a massage?” said Carolina.
“I would, but I’m not sure you could do it at the same time.”
“No, no, just switch on the chair – you see – you have the remote control beside your cup of tea?”

Could things possibly improve?  A soft whirring of this magnificent seat began. Gently my back relinquished any tension, my head caressed so softly that I felt myself begin to drift off.

My feet enjoyed warm jets of water, Carolina’s firm but soothing kneading, a pumice scrub and all sorts of loveliness.

“I’m just going to put the heated booties on you now” she told me as I opened my eyes slowly.
“Really?” I said, as she placed my already relaxed tootsies into two large socks.
Warmth cocooned them, TLC comforted. It turned out things indeed, could get better.