‘All I want is a room somewhere
Far away from the cold night air
With one enormous chair
Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly’
My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe’s timeless show, has a special place in our hearts here. Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) who inspires our name - and a lot more besides - created the iconic set and costumes for the 1956 Broadway production. You may have watched My Fair Lady as a film, or seen a local amateur dramatic society produce it. Nearer to you where you’re sitting, listen carefully to our music selection and you may hear some of the fabulous tracks playing in the background.
‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ and ‘The Ascot Gavotte’ – a jaunty trot of piece – have extra relevance to us. And, surprisingly, the latter may mean more to you by the end of this feature if you’re looking to improve your brain function and co-ordination (Aren’t we all? Ed)!
As you may know - returning to Cecil Beaton and My Fair Lady - our interiors nod their head to the quintessential elegance of both. Take a pause and look round the tearooms. You’ll see that we have at least ‘one enormous chair’ for today’s Eliza’s and Professor Higgins to relax in, furnished in a Beaton floral fabric. And, of course, the walls showcase classic reproductions of Beaton’s most famous photographs. Want to learn more? We have the best biographies about Beaton on our bookshelves.
But how does The Ascot Gavotte help us improve our brain function? And how could it help you or your children? Think driving tests or finals!
Well, we’ve just started using The Ascot Gavotte in our new franchisee training sessions. We also suspect some of our team members may start employ this tip on occasions too! We kick off by walking an ‘infinity walk’ – a figure of eight – to a piece of music which plays at one beat per second.
Guess what? The Ascot Gavotte happens to have exactly the right timing. It’s able to create what is commonly known as The Mozart Effect which prompts optimum learning receptivity in the brain. Walking an infinity walk has similar, and additional benefits, including improving hand to eye co-ordination, and connecting the left and right brain (just what you need before learning, taking an exam or embarking on some Beatons franchisee training). It was developed in the 1980’s – along with other walks for wellbeing – by clinical psychologist Deborah Sunbeck. I’ve used infinity walks successfully for twenty years and so I know it works.
It’s also great fun! It adds to the ways we can maximise attentiveness which we believe is vital to operating a successful Beatons. In fact, we’d say it’s vital to life in general.
Whether you’re an ‘Eliza’, a ‘Professor Higgins’ or a mum preparing her teenagers for University, you’re always welcome here. Why not treat yourself to ‘The Ashcombe’, our Beaton inspired Afternoon Tea (Beaton’s house was called ‘Ashcombe’)?You’ll find it’s ‘loverly’!
Liz Darcy Jones