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August 2019 | REDONLINE.CO.UKself
I
am grinning because I’m going away, toute seule. Whizzing through country
lanes in my red Mini with absolutely no kids in the car. And I’m grinning because
my destination is only 10 minutes from where I live, in Bruton, Somerset.
I’m off to The Hub at No.3, a holistic healing destination run by legendary
PR guru Lynne Franks. In the 1980s and 90s, Lynne Franks PR was a big
deal; she helped set up London Fashion Week, she managed the PR for
Live Aid, her first client was eponymous fashion brand Katharine
Hamnett and, of course, she was the inspiration for Absolutely Fabulous
(though she would like to move on from constant reminders of it).
Always ahead of the wellbeing curve, since selling her PR agency Franks has
run women-centred holistic retreats in Los Angeles and Mallorca, and focused on female
empowerment through her SEED movement (Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment
Dynamics), which teaches women how to use the principles of femininity in business. In
short, it means she is totally in tune with the current rise in both feminism and the trend
towards one-stop wellness havens, which bring self-care spa therapies, gentle movement,
nutritional advice and spiritual and alternative healing together under one roof.
What Franks has created embodies her own unique sense of creative woo-woo.
The minute I walk through the door, I feel a sense of homely calm: the room is warm
and light and the walls are decorated with empowering messages (such as ‘Be all you
are born to be’ and ‘Manifest abundance in all areas of your life’), plus murals of Franks
and friends. Franks is there to greet me: friendly, direct, immediately welcoming.
Her long, purple hair and wide-leg trousers give off a wise-woman-spiritual vibe.
The space feels innovative because it combines the spiritual (astrology workshops,
storytelling and chanting) with pampering (a treatment room on site) and female
entrepreneur networking (monthly ‘in conversation’ dinners). There are also four
‘eco’ bedrooms (so called, because they have natural-fibre, Fairtrade mattresses;
organic cotton sheets; and ‘magical’ alpaca duvets), an on-site vegan cafe and a gorgeous
gift shop (selling oils, duvets and clothes). The idea is that women (or men) come for
pampering and soulfulness, and leave feeling refuelled in both mind and body.
So why I do I need refuelling? Over the past five years, I’ve built my brand, Selfish Mother,
into a seven-figure business that employs six people, has its own HQ and has raised a million
pounds for charity. This was all done while raising my three kids, aged eight, five, and two.
So, let’s just say, daily life is pretty full-on! When I heard about Franks’ hub opening
a stone’s throw from my front door, it felt like it was calling me. My life feels like
work/kids/work/kids on rotation, but I’m inspired by the idea of spending
some time by myself in a supportive, female-led environment.
Ahead of my stay, Franks emails a questionnaire so that she can
design a bespoke programme for me, something she does with all her
clients. I love this idea, as it means no two retreats will be the same.
The questions ask what I’d like to gain, what areas I’d most like to
focus on (professional, personal, wellbeing) and if I have any fears
or blockages. I’m wondering if Franks can add another question: ‘How
woo-woo are you-you?’ with a tick box or scale of one to 10. I’d say I’m ‘semi-spiritual’,
but pretty open to trying new things. Instead, I simply say I want to feel restored.
However, talking to Franks over a lunch of sweet potato cakes and organic white wine
after I arrive, I realise that I’m at a crossroads in my life. My youngest child, Liberty,
has just turned two and suddenly I feel like I’m ‘out the other side’ of the baby years.
I started trying for a baby when I was 30, and now I’m 41. So, for over a decade, my
life has been about conceiving, having and raising babies. I’m still very much in the
thick of having young children, but suddenly my horizon is different. I want to get
my ‘self’ and my body back. ‘Where am I going from here?’ I wonder out loud.
Franks says I might discover some new goals during the retreat.
But first, the pampering part: a hot stone massage. I’m set on zoning out, so I firmly
close my eyes the second I’m on the bed and enjoy the bliss of hot stones and a light but
firm kneading on my back. A post-massage pedicure instantly makes my toes look
sandal-ready, and I realise I haven’t had any varnish on them for six months, so this
‘I WANT TO GET
MY “SELF” AND MY
BODY BACK’
Franks (left) has
created a truly
wonderful
holistic retreat