Finally a beauty salon which understands timekeeping. If two hours for a treatment fills you with unease that you might be parted with your blackberry, business calls and urgent emails, then Groom might be about to end that anxiety. Specialising in one hour treatments, Groom London doesn’t undertake just one treatment but several at the same time. With a huge variety of choice, Groom offers ‘the weekly groom’, ‘beach babes groom’ and many more that are equally appealing.

With all grooming there are two therapists at work and multiple beautifying. The weekly groom leaves you walking out with a manicure, pedicure, facial and eyebrow tidy in just one hour. The therapists are efficient yet still manage to work together, combining head and foot massages and then each taking a hand for the finale manicure.

Dubbed as “double the luxury in half the time” it couldn’t have come soon enough. There are also half hour sessions for those of the more important business ilk. A full range of individual treatments as well as those for both men and women are available at their two outlets – Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge and Selfridges department store.

www.groomlondon.com

A quick browse of Net-a-Porter’s Wednesday deliveries brought something new and unexpected to the table. Wool and the Gang is a quirky new find which makes fashion more than a quick-fix buy, selling a kit consisting of all the materials and equipment needed to knit yourself something fabulous.

For the more impatient customer there is a range of ready-to-wear pieces including eco-chic scarves, ponchos, and snuggly accessories for winter made from chunky Peruvian wool. The girls behind the company – Lisa Sabrier and Carolyn Main – found their creative calling in Peru, where knitting is a way of life, as is farming the best animals for quality wool and beautiful cottons.

Knitting took hold of the celebrity world a few years ago now, with the media snapping up photos of loyal fans from Julia Roberts to Russell Crowe – but what with the global money situation and the need to up our eco credentials, it could well be back with a vengeance. Starting from £69 for a legwarmer and glove kit, they make the perfect gift or a luxurious indulgence for a rainy afternoon. Available at net-a-porter.com or www.woolandthegang.com.

Bluebird have launched another season of Smirnoff Black Screenings with even more of a gentlemanly vibe. Each film will celebrate the modern gentlemen of the silver screen and the likes of Jude Law, Clive Owen and George Clooney will be gracing the Bluebird screen for two months. Since starting on 15th July, Bluebird has seen Michael Caine and George Clooney as the leading gentleman of the evening and will continue showing today’s stars through to 2nd September, when it will end with Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale. The Smirnoff Black Screenings have been credited as possibly the most debonair of all the summer screening events and since England fails to show us dry, sunny evenings, it seems indoor screenings are the way forward.

Showing every Wednesday at 9pm, the evening costs £25 and includes entry to the film, a main course and a dessert as well as a Smirnoff Black cocktail. There are a handful of exotic cocktails to choose from, ranging from the Vesper Lynd (vodka, cointreau, mango and lime) to Man About Time (vodka, melon juice and liquer,) or MidKnight (vodka, sambuca, Cointreau and cranberry juice.) However, if you’re keen to enjoy something more intimate and exclusive, Bluebird have also organised private screenings at £55 per person, for groups of 25-60, where you can view the film of your choice along with Champagne, canapés and ice-cream sundaes.

Since its refurbishment in 2007, Bluebird remains one of Chelsea’s most popular spots despite opening almost twenty years ago. Tonight’s showing will see Jude Law take to the screen in arguably one of his best roles in The Talented Mr Ripley.

To book simply call Bluebird on 020 75591000

Summertime is most frequently associated with beachy-chick-lit-romance novels, but let’s break that trend for just a second to check out the sweetest new offering from chic publishers Jane & Jeremy. Photographer Miho Miyachi has taken a camera to the site of ultimate fashion mayhem – the TopShop flagship on Oxford Street – and by a small miracle and much talent, has managed to portray a sense of calm, almost boredom, within the hectic high-street mecca.

Retailing at £14 plus postage via the publisher the beautiful little book is carefully handsewn and features 18 snapshots of daily life within the store, capturing classic moments such as the lines of bored fathers and brothers on the ground floor sofas, girls plunged into indecision trying on outfits and scrutinising in the mirrors, and a cashier slouching behind the sales desk in a rare moment of calm. For a store which has such a global impact and fanbase, the book is a fitting tribute and makes the perfect gift to any girl keen on her TopShop gladrags.

www.jane-jeremy.co.uk

The Six Senses Spa group are critically acclaimed spas situated in the most idyllic places around the world – Thailand, Vietnam, Fiji and Maldives are just a handful of the prime positions where these resorts have taken home. Now in London, Six Senses has even managed to make Canary Wharf a peaceful sanctuary.

Despite the slightly daunting and serious atmosphere circulating around London’s busiest centre, Six Senses seems to have chosen well, with bankers galore finding their path to treatment heaven, keen to bring some om and namaste back into their lives.

The spa was launched in February and having opened post-crunch it couldn’t be more popular with bankers in the area. With impeccable service and a space of 7,000 square feet, there’s nothing the spa is lacking. For those that are familiar with the spas across the world, there are their signature treatments available as well as holistic lifestyle guidance. Also available are massages, body treatments, foot and hand treatments as well as facials, with a separate open room for manicures and pedicures.

I tried one of the body treatments which manages to stay within the one hour lunch break and at 50 minutes still includes firming, toning as well as eliminating toxins from your body. To begin with, the internationally trained therapist talks to you about which areas you would like her to concentrate on before she begins her commendable work. If you don’t have time for a treatment there are also steam cabins, saunas and a hydrotherapy pool to shake off daily tensions, perfect to head to in your lunch break and sure to leave you suspiciously calm when returning to the office.

For those not quite so local, it might seem too long a haul but unlike so many spas the Six Senses group offer specially tailored signature “journeys” through the spa which have been the reason behind their success, making it definitely worth the trip.

Exclusive spa memberships are available.

www.sixsenses.com

Pan Peninsula

2 Pan Peninsula Square

London E14 9HA

020 7531 2320