I spent a lot of time in the city of London during my days in University and started my corporate career there so I have a soft spot for this city. On this trip, I was pleasantly surprised to see London transform into a more health conscious city. There’s a greater appreciation for the outdoors and fitness as a whole, most likely due to the influence of the Olympics, the Barclays bikes and Paula Radcliff! Even though it was very nippy ( 5 degrees and hailing in May!), I saw lots of joggers and cyclists in the wee hours of the morning.
What I also discovered is that there is now an abundance of sports stores in London which makes it a great city to shop for active wear and sports gear. We stayed at a friend’s flat off High Street Kensington and every block had several specialised sports/outdoor stores. If you are around the center of town, there is the North Face flagship store in Covent Garden, Nike Town in Oxford Circus and the Asics flagship store around the corner from Nike.
For those who haven’t heard of Sweaty Betty, I strongly recommend that you pay a visit to one of their many London/UK shops if you happen ever set foot in the UK. Sweaty Betty is a staple activewear brand to the most stylish lot in the UK, akin to Lululemon in Vancouver. I love their style and the variety of fitness wear they offer. They have dedicated lines for yoga, dance, tennis, volleyball and running. Unfortunately, their retail stores have only started going global recently ( 2 stores in NY and Connecticut stateside opened this year). For those of you who can’t get to a retail store and want to get your hands on their stuff can order online as they do offer international shipping. Thank goodness for online shopping! Check them out and let me know what you think.
Runnersneed. They sell everything a runner needs including a comprehensive offering of runners – Asics, Mizuno, Saucony, Brooks, Nike to name a few.
Cycle Surgery at High Street Kensington. Bike specialist store in the UK. They sell all the big names including Trek, Orbea and Giant.
Snow and Rock at High Street Kensington. The most comprehensive store for ski wear in the UK.
Sweaty Betty at High Street Kensington. One of their eighteen locations in London.
Sweaty Betty introducing their volleyball line.
Sweaty Betty’s running/swimming/volleyball lines
Sweaty Betty’s yoga/pilates/dance line
Hello Nike Town!
Niketown is also known to be have the largest collection of women’s activewear in Europe.
My favorite windbreaker this season at Niketown.
Asics Flagship Store near Oxford Circus. I found a new pair of trail runners!
Outside of the city, we attended one of my besties wedding in a gorgeous country home called Babington House. We were given an opportunity to test our skills at archery and clay pigeon shooting which were new experiences for many of us who grew up in Hong Kong. It was a beautiful and heart warming wedding and there were lots of happy quality times with all my childhood friends. Oh do I cherish these moments!
Babington House. The gorgeous modern countryhome in Somerset, Kent, with a spa, movie theatre, bar, restaurant, tennis courts, with impeccable service.
Archery takes more strength than we had imagined.
Another first! Clay pigeon shooting.
The English countryside is beautiful in the Spring.
We managed to spend an afternoon in Cheddar. Yes, this is where Cheddar cheese is from! It is also known for its incredible rock formations so a popular place for rock climbers in the UK.
Need to Knows
Babington House. Beautiful countryhome in Somerset, run by Soho House . 20 mins from Bath . Your bathroom is overflowing with luxurious cowshed toiletries that you may not want to get out of the bath.
Sweaty Betty. You must check them out if you love working out, looking and feeling good.
Niketown, Oxford Circus. Three storey, 70,000 sq. ft. space in the heart of London. Swoosh lovers will go gaga over Niketown and may never leave.
The North Face, Covent Garden. This is the flagship store. You can find anything and everything Northface.
Asics, Oxford Circus. This is the flagship store for the UK so they have a comprehensive collection of Asics, especially for runners. There are also gait assessment and 3D Foot mapping services in this shop.
Runnersneed Everything a runner needs.
Snow + Rock. Ski and snowboard gear
Cycle Surgery. For the cycling enthusiasts out there.
