The Handbook whole heartedly applauds parties held on a school night and especially a Monday!  Gaucho Piccadilly held a launch party for its Wimbledon fortnight which saw a mini lawn tennis court set up on Swallow Street complete with a plasma screen to watch the action, mate tea daiquiris, mini steak sarnies and strawberry cones from Freggo, the Argentinean ice cream bar launching there at the beginning of July.  

 Then it was a quick hop across Berkeley Square to the Dorchester Ballroom for an Indian Summer – a Piper Heidsieck soaked fashion show by Baljas and Arana and Rocky S, design talent responsible for dressing Beyonce and the Pussycat Dolls.  Suitably fashionable cocktails were provided courtesy of hip New Burlington Street Club, Baroque.

 There followed a charity auction with Sasha Jaffrey prints, holidays in the Maldives and a sexy chauffeur complete with his own Bentley being some of the goodies on offer albeit for a (high) price. You know someone is rich when they sit in the front row smoking a cigar and no one tells them to put it out – even Jade Jagger swung by for a quick shimmy on the dance floor afterwards. Monday is the new Friday after all.

We recommend that any technologically-savvy reader gets down to the Nokia flagship store on Regent Street this weekend to experience the first ever Augmented Reality Exhibition in the UK, completely free of charge.

Until 12pm on Monday all customers are invited to take a journey into the world of the new Nokia N97, which uses revolutionary technology known as Augmented Reality, blurring the line between reality and the computer generated graphics which appear to jump right out of the screen. The latest device has been modelled and approved by  British legend and tech enthusiast Stephen Fry, and features a easy-to-use touch screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, music, camera, and the all-important online access – all wrapped up in a slick silver and white handset.

The Exhibition is open today until 8pm, Saturday 10-7pm, Sunday 12-6pm and Monday til noon.

www.nokia.co.uk

Behind Westbourne Grove, in the quiet mews of Lambton Place, lies a hidden sanctuary for Notting Hill beauty bodies. Body Works West encompasses everything you’re after. The gym itself is full of the latest gadgets; with Pilates and dance equipment- perfect for stretching and core muscles- to private rooms for personal training, or the main studio with running, lifting, cycling machines galore. But, for the days when you just want to relax there is also a sauna, Jacuzzi or swimming pool.

Yet, the best thing about Body Works West is the limited membership. It’s not a packed out muscle flexing scene but a more elite and specialised gym, with classes ranging from boxing and cardio-latino dance, to yoga and pilates. Membership includes a personal trainer once a month with three personal training classes on your first month.

Two doors down, Body Works West manages to pull out a trump card with their spa, Beauty Work West. Offering treatments ranging from endermology, osteopathy to oxygen plasma facials, you can’t seem to go wrong with any. Their facials are even so thorough that it seems no pore is left untended. Each facial manages to plump up and tighten as well as purify and the advanced beauticians are eager to talk about what condition your skin is in. Alternatively, if this seems to painful to imagine, there is even a box on the questionnaire sheet which asks whether you would prefer silence or a consultation.

With talks of even a salon being added to this already tailored gym, the chosen few will not be parting with their membership heedlessly.

www.bodyworkswestlphc.com

www.beautyworkswest.com

Freggo, the first Argentine ice-cream bar is coming to London this Summer. Set to open in Swallow street, Picadilly, Freddo will be offering 17 different flavours to their customers.

Coming in small designer tubs or multi scoop boxes, the decadent ice cream brand will be selling flavours such as Malbec and Berries and Dulce de Leche with chocolate chips as well as many more just in time for our mythical heatwave.

The hugely anticipated Freggo bar will not only be offering icecream but Argentine pastries such as empanadas, medialunas and alfajores as well as smoothies, frappes, coffees and authentic Argentine mate Tea – popular with 92% of the Argentines.

Freggo will be open from 9am-2am every Monday-Saturday and until Midnight on Sunday.

£3.50 for a tub
£9.00 for multi scoop boxes

What a week for Andy Murray. The current star of British tennis has undergone a transformation of late, from a tempestuous teen to the King of Queen’s Club to Wimbledon’s new poster boy.

Murray caused a media commotion yesterday when he unveiled the sophisticated Fred Perry whites which he will be sporting for the two week championships, commencing Monday. The kit consists of tailored white shorts and and a white crested polo shirt, with a cream cable-knit V-neck to ward off the English chill. It’s quite a step-up on his usual sporty attire, and draws great comparisons with Roger Federer, whose on-court style has been notorious over the past few years – the blazer, the watch, the monogrammed treads…

Murray took an active role in the design of the kit, and said at the unveiling that he was “proud to be wearing an outfit inspired by one of my sporting heroes”. Fred Perry marketing director Richard Martin expressed the joint desire to “take the kit back to the original product”, drawing on the “Fifties’ classic shapes” and the “Gatsby-esque looks” of Perry’s own career.

So will Murray be mirroring the late great Perry himself?  He was Britain’s biggest tennis success, and the last native Brit to have won at SW19, way back in 1936. One thing for sure – there will be blood, sweat and tears…