Book online with OpenPlay.co.uk
Test Page
Leave a reply
The A to Z of Sports Facilities in Dulwich
Dulwich and Sydenham Golf Course. Image by M@
Athletics
Inspired by the London Olympics and thinking of dusting off your athletics spikes or perhaps just getting a bit fitter? If so, you are in luck as the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has both indoor and outdoor athletics facilities and is round the corner from Dulwich. Friendly South London Harriers use the main track as their training ground and welcome new members. Otherwise Dulwich College Sports Club also have a 300m athletics track, but it is usually reserved for club members only.
Badminton
Surprisingly badminton is one of the fastest racquet sports in the world and Badminton England have recently introduced a friendly ‘No strings’ format allowing anyone to get involved. In Dulwich sessions take place on Tuesday nights and Sunday mornings at Dulwich College Sports Club. You just need to bring a fiver, equipment is supplied. Non-members can also get involved in their Monday evening Badminton Club Night (£8).
Basketball
There are several options for Dulwich Basketball with free concrete outdoor courts at Dulwich Park and just next to West Dulwich station. Alternatively you can play indoors at some of the local Dulwich schools as at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club and the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, subject to availability.
Bowls
Contrary to popular belief you do not need to be over 65, called Maureen and have dentures to play bowls. Furthermore Bowls England are keen to promote their sport to a younger audience and in Dulwich there are two main options. Dulwich Park has a private members bowling green towards the centre of the park (call 020 7525 2000). Slightly further away in Hilly Fields (Brockley) is the very sociable Francis Drake Bowls Club which is always looking for new members.
Cricket Nets
Dulwich is inundated with cricket pitches and naturally cricket nets often accompany them. Your first port of call should be Dulwich Sports ground which has three cricket nets available on a pay and play basis throughout the summer months. Dulwich Park also offers two crickets to the public for free which gets popular during summer evenings. Finally Dulwich College, Alleyn’s School, Lloyds Cricket Ground and Streatham & Marlborough Cricket Club also offer good cricket nets but you will need to enquire about availability.
Cricket Pitches
Dulwich not only has cricket pitches, it has exceptionally good cricket pitches. You really are spoilt for choice. The main picks are Dulwich Sports Ground (four pitches), Streatham & Marlborough Cricket Club (two pitches) and Dulwich Cricket Club which are the best quality Dulwich cricket pitches. Alternatively Dulwich Park (two pitches), and Belair Park (two pitches) offers pitches for lower budgets, the only sacrifice is the quality.
Croquet
Often combined with Pimms and cucumber sandwiches, croquet is a relatively rare sport in London. This is why Dulwich is lucky as Dulwich Croquet Club and Sydenham Tennis and Croquet Club have excellent croquet greens. You will need to become a member of either of these clubs or butter up a friend who is a member. The alternative is to buy a simple set from Dulwich Sports Shop and grab some grass in either Dulwich or Belair Park.
Darts
Unlike any other sport, a decent pot-belly and regular sessions in pubs are highly encouraged and will serve you well. Darts in Dulwich can be played at several of the pubs such as The Castle, The Ember and Crown and Greyhound.
Equestrian
Dulwich Riding Centre is the place for all your riding needs with an excellent selection of lessons available to all members of the public. Hourly Horse Riding Lessons are on offer for adults and children whether you are a complete beginner or highly experienced. Excursions around nearby Dulwich Park are a particular attraction.
Football
One of the best football initiatives in Dulwich is ‘Freedom Football’ run by Dulwich College Sports Club every Monday and Wednesday evenings. No commitment is needed and you can simply turn up and play for a fiver (or pay monthly for £17.50). Otherwise grass 11-a-side football pitches are available at Dulwich Sports Ground, Belair Park and Dulwich Park. Indoor sports halls are available at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and all these venues offer Astroturf football pitches too.
Golf
Dulwich and Sydenham Golf Course is certainly the signature golf course in Dulwich with stunning views over London from the clubhouse. The only bad news is that is strictly members only and the high quality course justifies its premium. But do not despair as pay and play golf is available at Beckenham Place Park, only 15 minutes’ drive from Dulwich. A round at Beckenham Place Park is inexpensive, the quality is perfectly reasonable you can often just turn up and play too. If you just want to smash some balls, head to World of Golf Croydon which is the nearest Golf Driving range to Dulwich.
Gym
If you are looking to pump some iron you have several options. Pay and play gyms are available at Hamlets Health Club, Dulwich Leisure Centre and Crystal Palace National Sports Centre with all the cardio and weight equipment you could possible need. Others options available to members only include Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and La Fitness Sydenham. These all require a monthly fee.
Hockey
If you are looking to play regularly then look no further than Tulse Hill & Dulwich Hockey Club who consider themselves to be South London’s ‘Friendliest Hockey Club’. Dulwich also has an extensive selection of Astroturf pitches available which are often used for hockey such as at Dulwich College Sports Club, Alleyn’s School, JAGS Sports Club and Kingsdale Foundation School. It is worth contacting these specific venues to see if there are any open community groups playing such as Rush Hockey which is a shorter format of the game promoted by England Hockey.
Indoor Cricket
Indoor Cricket is a growing sport, mainly because the English weather is so miserable. Cricket nets are available for hire at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club and Dulwich Prep London. These sports halls can also be used for Indoor Cricket which is typically played with two teams of eight players and is currently being widely promoted by the English Cricket Board.
Indoor Football
Dulwich College Sports Club offers drop-in Freedom Football every Wednesday from 9pm to 10pm in their sports hall for only £5 per session if you are time-strapped and want to avoid committing to a team. Otherwise you can hire indoor sports halls at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and Dulwich Prep London.
Jogging
Dulwich is an excellent area for running given its inherently leafy and open area and abundance of parks. However motivating oneself is difficult which is where Parkrun in Dulwich Park is ideal. Well organised, timed 5km runs start at 9am every Saturday throughout the year. However if you don’t need the motivation then Dulwich Park is a fantastic jogging location either way and has an open air gym too.
Judo and Ju-Jitsu
If you want a combination of self-discipline, exercise and focus then head to Dulwich Leisure Centre every Friday from 4pm to 6pm for their judo class. Ju-Jitsu is also on offer which is slightly more physical and takes place every Saturdays from 1.15pm – 2.15pm.
Karate
Karate is a striking martial art which uses punches, kicks, knee strikes and elbow strikes, making it ideal for helping you get on the train in the morning. It was made famous by Wesley Snipes and the Karate Kid and Saizen Kai have a variety of classes at the Trevor Bailey Sports Ground every weekend.
Lacrosse
The English Lacrosse Association has a useful Lacrosse Club Finder and a good example of a friendly lacrosse club is Blackheath Lacrosse Club.
Muay Thai
Dynamite Gym have a variety of Muay Thai classes (main form of Kick-Boxing) available throughout the week at venues such as Dulwich Constitutional Hall and the Goose Green in Dulwich. Furthermore they offer a free trial for their first lesson.
Netball
Thanks to Netball England’s aptly named ‘Back to Netball’ initiative Netball has seen an explosion in popularity as it essentially for women what 5 a side football is for men. The Rosendale Playing Fields have two excellent and seldom used netball courts. Alleyns School and JAGS Sports Club also have excellent courts available outside of school hours. You should also check out local clubs such as the King Griffen Netball Club
OAP Exercise Classes
We’ve always been told to respect the elderly, especially if there is a chance of inheriting something. Seated exercise sessions for the elderly take place relatively near to Dulwich every Tuesday from 12:15 to 1pm in the Ackroyd Community Centre Main Hall, SE23 1DL.
Pilates
Pilates is incredibly good for your posture and involves body weight exercises using specialist machinery. Push Studios in East Dulwich offers Pilates classes to suit all abilities. Whilst predominately popular amongst women, increasingly men are beginning to forget social stigma amongst their peers and reap the benefits and Dulwich Leisure Centre is another good Pilates venue.
Quad Roller Skating
Considered fairly ‘old-school’ and very 1980s, the best place in Dulwich for quad roller skating is Dulwich Park which has a suitable network of concrete paths and provides a picturesque visual backdrop too.
Rock-Climbing
Again you are spoilt for choice as Dulwich has two places to go. First there is an indoor climbing wall at the JAGS Sports Club and secondly the even more impressive Crystal Palace National Sports Centre which has an excellent indoor climbing centre. Both are open to anyone with beginner sessions available. All equipment is available to hire too and experienced instructors will show the ropes…
Roller Skating/Blading
This is an edgier version of quad roller skating and Dulwich Park again should be your port of call due to its extensive network of paths combined with tranquil, pleasant scenery. Otherwise you should head to Belair Park where there is a Skate Park with a range of ramps and rails. However space is fairly limited so a final suggestion is Crystal Palace Park slightly further afield.
Rowing
Yes, it is Dulwich Park again. Boats can be rented during the summer months on the fantastic Dulwich Park Boating Lake. It is worth combining with a bottle of wine and a picnic and boats are usually hired for half an hour to an hour at a time.
Sailing
Believe it or not this actually possible but you will need to head to relatively nearby South Norwood lakes and grounds. This is where you will find Croydon Sailing Club who make use of the boating lake throughout the year (predominately in summer). Member fees are very low and racing takes place every Sunday throughout the year.
Squash
Squash is incredibly good for your fitness and is weather proof. However pay and play courts are rare and in general you will need to become a member of a squash club in order to book. Examples of Dulwich Squash Courts include Hamlets Health Club, Dulwich College Sports Club and Dulwich Squash Club.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the only sports which gives you a full body workout and can make you look seriously good with your clothes off. Public swimming pools are available at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and Dulwich Leisure Centre. The Crystal Place pool is Olympic size (50m) and also offers diving boards. For members only swimming head to Dulwich College Sports Club.
Table Tennis
Outdoor table tennis courts are available for free in Dulwich Park, just bring your own bats and balls. You can also use the JAGS Sports Club Sports Hall for Table Tennis and if you are a member the tables and equipment are included.
Taekwondo
This modern martial art focuses on self-defence and has become increasingly popular on the back of a GB silver medal in London 2012. Mazuki offers classes to children of all ages and adults at Goodrich Community Primary School every Tuesday evening.
Tennis
With summer finally here (famous last words), tennis is one of the most sociable and fun sports to get into. Furthermore Dulwich has plenty of public and club tennis courts available. Examples of Dulwich tennis courts include Rosendale Playing Fields, Belair Park, Dulwich Park and Sunray Gardens. Members only clubs on offer include Camber LTC, Dulwich LTC and Old College Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
Trampolining
The question is how can you not like trampolining? It is Invigorating and makes you feel like a child again. It is available at Dulwich College Sports Club every Wednesday from approximately 7:30pm to 9pm and is around £8 for non-members.
Unfound. We have to hold our hands up and say we genuinely couldn’t find a U, nothing, nada. Unicycling, unihockey and underwater hockey proved fruitless sadly. Unless you own a unicycle in which case you should head to Dulwich Park…
Velodrome – Herne Hill is home to one of London’s only Cycling Velodromes and has seen an increase in popularity on the back of Sir Chris Hoy and his team mates’ success at the Olympic Games. It is open to all ages with various sessions available for beginners. Further information is available here.
Volleyball – This was made popular by the Olympics, particularly the bikini-clad Brazilians in the beach volleyball. Furthermore Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has two beach volleyball courts available. Indoor options are also available at Alleyn’s School and Dulwich College Sports Club, however surely beach volleyball is far more exciting?
Walking – The answer is hands down Dulwich Park. With its winding paths, boating lake and pleasant grounds, Dulwich Park is the best place for a Dulwich walk. Otherwise Belair Park in West Dulwich provides a short stroll around the mansion, but difference between the two venues is the same as comparing steak to hamburgers. Get Walking can also help you find suitable routes around Dulwich.
X-training – Certainly a tricky letter so cross-training is clutching at straws somewhat. However Dulwich College Sports Club, JAGS Sports Club and La Fitness Sydenham all provide cross-training machines in their gyms which are available for members only. Pay and play gyms in Dulwich with x-training machines include Hamlets Health Club, Dulwich Leisure Centre and Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
Yoga
Popularised by Ryan Giggs who is still playing Premiership football aged 57, Yoga is surprisingly challenging and incredibly good for you. Types of Yoga vary enormously from Hatha, Iynegar to sweaty Bikram Yoga so it is worth familiarising yourself with this Yoga Guide. Yoga classes are available at Push Studios, Dulwich Leisure , and Dulwich College Sports Centre and most are pay and play.
Zumba
This is an increasingly popular Brazilian sport providing both the happy and sweaty factor. Dulwich Sports Club offers drop-in Zumba Classes throughout the week with no membership or commitment needed. Shake That Zumba have classes at the Charter School in North Dulwich every Wednesday from 7:45pm and 8:45pm and Brixton at various other times during the week.
By Sam Parton
Guide to Yoga – Which Class Should I Choose?
Choosing a yoga class is like a choosing a haircut. The options available are enormous and slightly overwhelming. You look at your friends for inspiration yet somehow you cannot always trust their judgement.
This is why we have tried to create a simple guide to the types of yoga available. If you are stiff as board, can’t touch your toes and think that it may be time to do something about it then this yoga guide is for you.
ASHTANGA or POWER YOGA
Often conventional yoga methods such as Hatha and Iyengar can focus on breathing techniques that avid fitness enthusiasts might find a bit wishy-washy. Power Yoga is the answer to this. It offers a more dynamic form of yoga based on Ashtanga Yoga where you receive the typical flexibility and posture benefits but also work up a sweat due to its fast flowing, aerobic style. The Power Yoga Company in Parsons Green labels itself as London’s first power yoga studios and offers a suitable range of classes. Yoga London also is a good source for power yoga class information and centres.
BIKRAM/HOT YOGA
Sometimes referred to as ‘hot yoga’, Bikram yoga is a unique series of 26 Hatha yoga postures. The difference is that it takes place in a hot, sweaty room with the thermometer cranked up to 40 degrees. Sounds unpleasant perhaps, yet it is extremely popular due to its ‘cleansing’ and calorie-burning properties. The heat is also meant to help you stretch beyond your usual capabilities. Bikram yoga centres are constantly springing up, such as aptly named Bikram Yoga, Bikram Yoga Primrose Hill and Yotopia. Other popular centres include Fitness on Fire near Old Street and Bikram Yoga Wimbledon. Daily deal sites such as Groupon and Living Social also regularly offer Bikram Yoga discount deals, so keep your eyes out for those.
HATHA
This is one the gentlest and most basic forms of yoga, and will suit complete yoga beginners. Most Hatha yoga classes tend to involve slow-paces stretching with simple breathing exercises and seated meditation. Yoga centres are now everywhere in London and the vast majority should offer Hatha yoga. Notable examples include Hatha Yoga London, Yoga Place in Bethnal Green and Shanta Yoga in London Bridge. Most major gym chains and London leisure centres also tend to offer yoga classes. Furthermore, hatha yoga tends to be one of the most common classes and good examples can be found at the Fusion leisure centres such as The Ladywell Leisure Centre and Dulwich Leisure Centre.
IYENGAR
Iyengar is a popular form of yoga that emphasises posture and breathing control. The key is performing different positions slowly and precisely using aids where necessary, rather than working up a huge sweat. So if you like attention to detail, this is certainly for you. The Iyengar Yoga Association has a class finder to save time finding a local session. Further help finding classes is available through the North East London Iyengar Yoga Institute and South West London & Surrey Iyengar Yoga Institute. They both help promote the provision and development of this unique form of Yoga around the capital. Other popular Iyengar yoga centres include Southbank Yoga, Inner Heart Beat and The Iyengar Yoga Studio in East Finchley.
By Sam Parton
Finding the Trophy – The Power of Social Media
Nothing exemplifies the power of social media more than a recent event which caught our attention.
The Old Carthusians 3rd XI had recently won the prestigious Arthurian League Junior League Cup and were out celebrating in notorious night-spot, Clapham Grand in South London. Several tequilas later and they had a problem on their hands, the 50-year old trophy they had just won disappeared and no one was in a fit state to do anything about it.
This escalated over the follow few days and the immediate laughter from the fallacy of the situation transcended into panic as they realised the value of the trophy. Being so old it was impossible to replace the league organisers were not going to be in the least bit impressed.
So what to do? Well this is the interesting bit. One of their tech savvy players set about creating a social media campaign using Facebook and Twitter. They started with this Facebook group stating ‘he’s 1ft tall, got big ears and shiny complexion – help us find our trophy
They assembled an emergency team and started to tweet to everyone they knew. They even produced the spoof video below starring Liam Neeson.
Taken 3 – Finding the JLC Trophy
However ultimately what helped connect these desperate players was Twitter. By tweeting to everyone they new it eventually transpired that there were links to influential Twitter users such as Peers Morgan, Gary Lineker and Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Laing.
In Fact it was Laing’s 560,000 Twitter followers who proved to be the decisive factor. He tweeted:
“This cup went missing in #clapham on the weekend, please DM me if you can offer any help towards its return.”
Amazingly a friend of a friend if a friend of the girl who had ended up with the trophy saw this tweet, watched the video and a quick handover was organised just a few days later. Without the power of Social Media, this simply would never have been possible and the cup would have faded into oblivion.
James Kibbey, 33, a player who helped set up the campaign, said: “Some of our younger members were celebrating and went home without the trophy. It seems we’d won it one minute and lost it the next. But now we we’ve got it back, it’s almost like we have won the cup all over again”.
The moral of this story is simple. If you have just won a 50 year old cup, it’s perhaps best not to bring it out drinking with you even though it is powerful babe magnet. Secondly if you do end up losing the trophy, leverage the power of the Social Media as it’s awesome power can be used to full effect.This applies to your business too.
By Sam Parton
Where to Play Sport In London – Sports Beginning with Q and R
Image by @Doug88888 in the Londonist Flickr pool.
Continuing our journey around the capital’s sporting opportunities, alphabetically.
Q
Quad Roller Skating
This is a fantastically easy sport to get into and considered fairly ‘old school’ compared to its edgier inline version. Just strap on a pair of skates and hit London’s many parks. For slightly more advanced skaters,London Friday Night Skate organises a mass session around London departing from Wellington Arch in Hyde Park at 8pm. Cheap roller skates can be bought from the likes of Sports Direct and Skate Asylum and for a seriously entertaining evening, head to the Roller Disco at the Renaissance Rooms in Vauxhall. Mixing alcohol and roller skating, what could possibly go wrong?
R
Roller Blading & Roller Hockey
Whether roller blading is cooler than quad roller skating is hotly contested; however, it is undeniably more popular. Roller blades have four, all-aligned wheels and can be purchased from most sports shops, and specialists such as Slick Willies. The best place for roller blading in London is Hyde Park, and London Skatersoffer lessons to complete beginners, particularly throughout the summer, and including Roller Hockey. Another advantage of roller blading is that skate parks come into play, with aerial tricks performed by the brave. London Skateparks offers a large database of skate parks in London with photos, details of ramps available and size. OpenPlay also contains a good list of skate parks.
Rounders
Considered one of the most sociable, relaxed and enjoyable sports, Rounders can be played anywhere with a bit of open space. Think baseball without the needs for helmets, tight trousers and hot dogs. Although predominately played by women, it often unites tods and vixens together, and is therefore an excellent opportunity for flirting. There are many dedicated Rounders pitches in London’s parks such as at Clapham Common, Hyde Park and Parliament Hill and there are also plenty of pitches available at London schools (particularly at female schools). Rounders England offer a useful selection of information relating to teams, clubs, schools and universities stating that there are over 190 Rounders teams across England.
Rowing
Rowing is a popular Olympic sport and can be extremely competitive, with many enthusiasts devoting large chunks of their life to this sport. Aside from the popular outdoor rowing clubs usually clustered along the Thames, more casual versions can be found in many of London’s big parks, including Battersea Park, Hyde Park, Dulwich Park and Finsbury Park. All hire out rowing boats and in most cases pedalos too and tend to be open from March until October.
Rugby
Rugby is popular throughout the world, particularly in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and of course Western Europe. The object is to use brute force and speed to get the ball over the opposing team’s line. However there are four formats of this game which should be distinguished:
- Union
This is probably the most common format, with two teams of 15 trying to out-muscle each other. Although there are plenty of London rugby pitches, the logistics of assembling 30 players mean you’ll probably need to join a club. To help you, Rugby in London offers details of many of London’s rugby clubs, such as Belsize Park Rugby Club, Hampstead Rugby Club and London Exiles.
- League
Rugby league prevails in the north of England and involves two teams of 13 players. It is considered more physically demanding than rugby union and one of the toughest team sports in the world, with its stop-start nature. Examples of rugby league clubs in London include Hammersmith Hills Hoists, South London Stormand the London Skolars.
- Sevens
This is a seriously physically demanding version of rugby, which is played with two teams of seven on a full size rugby pitch. The rules are virtually identical to rugby union and there are calls for this to be made an Olympic sport. Most sevens matches tend to be tournament-based and Find Rugby Now has details of upcoming events. Notable examples include the National Surveyors Sevens Tournament taking place at Richmond Rugby Club. For an international twist head to Poland for the Piotrowice Nyskie International Rugby Festival.
- Touch Rugby
This is the most casual version, and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has actively promoted this through ‘tag rugby’. Rather than full contact, the object of the game is to ‘tag’ another player which equates to a tackle (and hurts a lot less). Tag and touch rugby are played throughout London with Try Tag Rugby and Go Mammothorganising local games throughout the capital. Otherwise just head down to one of the large parks in London such as Clapham Common, Eel Brook Common and Hyde Park and you will find a plethora of games taking place, which can you probably join in.
Running
On the back of the recent London Marathon, there is no better event to catalyse dusting off your trainers and making the most of London’s iconic running routes. The Good Run Guide shows you some of London’s best running routes, and Parkrun organises runs all over the capital in over 30 London parks, particularly on weekends. One of the most famous running routes is around Richmond Park in South West London and Run Club London organises a weekday running event open to all as well as other London Park Running Events. If you just want straightforward athletics check out this directory of London Athletics Tracks.
By Sam Parton
Sam is the co-founder of Open Play, which takes the pain out of finding and booking sports facilities such as Wandsworth Tennis Courts.
Where to Play Sport In London – Sports Beginning with P
Continuing our journey around the capital’s sporting opportunities, alphabetically.
Padel
This is a racquet sport and described as a shorter format of tennis, with essences of squash thrown in. It is the most played sport in Spain and Argentina and, according to many sources, the fastest growing sport in the world. Its arrival in the UK is relatively recent and London is home to the UK’s largest Padel club, unsurprisingly called Padel Club London and located in Canary Wharf. Four courts are available and it is possible to hire the necessary equipment. Padel is set for explosion in the UK in the next few years (you heard it here first) and the Padel England Association offers a useful Padel club finder with courts springing up left, right and centre such as at the Harbour Club Chelsea.
Paintball
This has simply got to be one of the best sports ever invented, combining laughter and extreme pain with the objective of shooting one another with balls of paint travelling at speeds of well over 100mph. Naturally, finding suitable space for paintballing in inner London is virtually impossible; however, there is one fantastic exception, Bunker 51 in North Greenwich. This is a themed, decommissioned Cold War Nuclear bunker with two paintball playing fields where you have to battle to save the world from impending disaster. How can it get any better than that? Otherwise you will need to head out to London’s suburbs to find a suitable paintballing space. Delta Force is arguably the best with two paintball centres located within the M25 at Orpington and Upminster. These offer astonishingly innovative landscapes with scenarios such as ‘D-Day Landing’, ‘Flight DF777 – Jet Hijack’ and ‘Afghan Village’.
Image by 5imon in the Londonist Flickr pool
Pétanque
Petanque is France’s answer to bowls and is also known as ‘Boules’. It is particularly popular in the South of France and can be played anywhere where there is a patch of grass. It was covered in Where to Play Sport Part B; however, just to recap, the London Petanque Association has a list of all the petanque clubs operating in London parks and Jaques London sells exquisite petanque sets.
Image by jessicastjohn in the Londonist Flickr pool
Polo
Often referred to as the “Sport of Kings” and popular among the royals and upper echelons of UK society, polo is a combination of hockey/croquet played on horseback. The object is to score goals against an opposing team made of up four players over the course of two hours. It requires considerable space (300 yards by 160 yards) and pitches in London are therefore rare. However, Ham Polo Club near Richmond Park is the last remaining polo club in Greater London. It offers beginners lessons from £95 and learn-to-play days for corporates. Outside of London, Ascot Park Polo Club have ‘learn to play polo days’ and ‘discover polo’ lessons, only 40 minutes from London. If you just want to watch polo, pose in your aviators and drink Pimms, head to Mint Polo in the Park which takes place in June every year at Hurlingham Park near Parsons Green.
Power Yoga
Often conventional yoga methods such as Hatha and Iyengar can focus on breathing techniques that avid fitness enthusiasts might find a bit wishy-washy. Power Yoga is the answer to this. It offers a more dynamic form of yoga based on Ashtanga Yoga where you receive the typical flexibility and posture benefits but also work up a sweat due to its fast flowing, aerobic style. The Power Yoga Company in Parsons Green labels itself as London’s first power yoga studios and offers a suitable range of classes. Yoga London also is a good source for power yoga class information and centres.
Parkour
Parkour is a method of physical training where the goal is to overcome both physical and mental obstacles. It originated in the forests of France, where it was known as ‘Le Parkour’ or ‘PK’ and participants, known as ‘traceurs,’ would imagine they were running for their lives. Nowadays, it usually involves leaping around urban landscapes, buildings, park benches, cars, dustbins or whatever you can get your hands on. Southfields-based Parkour Generations has good-value classes catering to anyone from complete beginners to advanced enthusiasts. Furthermore, it offers a free class on the last Sunday of every month. Good spots for Parkour include London’s Southbank and Vauxhall Walls with a variety of structures to negotiate. Parkour Generations also has a Parkour Hotspots Map to help you find your ideal location.
By Sam Parton
Sam is the co-Founder of Open Play which takes the pain out of finding and booking sports facilities such as London cricket pitches.
Where to Play Sport In London – Sports Beginning with N and O
This week merges sports beginning with N and O to show where to get involved in London sport.
Netball
Netball is currently one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. Participation levels have increased 34% in the past four years alone. This new lease of life is thanks to new schemes from England Netball such as ‘Back To Netball’, designed to make it easier to play casual games. It is essentially the equivalent of 5-a-side football (except that it is usually 7-a-side), and games and clubs are springing up around the capital. To find your nearest netball session, Netball England has a weekly timetable of games showing you how to get involved. If you want to find a netball venue in your area, use this sports finder from Open Play. Go Mammoth andTopcorner also offer netball leagues for both individuals and teams. However, if you want to play to a high standard, your best bet is to contact you nearest England Netball Regional Coordinator, who can help you find a local club.
Nordic Skiing
This is a fancy term for cross-country skiing, which is traditionally carried out on snow and is very popular in Nordic countries. Unfortunately, much of London is flat and only receives occasional snow, and therefore isn’t conducive to traditional formats of this sport. However, there is a solution – roller skiing. This involves skiing around London parks using what amount to elongated roller blades and poles. The attraction of this unique sport is that it is a low-impact, full body work out and very sociable. Rollerski.co.uk offers one-day to four-week courses in Hyde Park and Windsor, with all equipment supplied. The London Region Nordic Ski Club is also open to new members and sends out a monthly email keeping you up to speed on its roller skiing sessions around London. Otherwise, you can easily teach yourself, especially if you have roller-bladed before. RMA Sports and Euroski supply all the equipment you need, such as skis, boots and poles.
Orienteering
This popular outdoor endurance sport involves navigating a course full of control points. Your mind and body must work in unison to complete the route in the shortest possible time. You will need your legs, trainers, a compass and your brain. Orienteering races are held every week, mainly in the forests and countryside surrounding London. Courses normally range from 1km to 10km. British Orienteering has an excellent list of the latest events and orienteering courses around Britain. South London Orienteers (SLOW) is London’s largest orienteering club, and holds regular events around London parks such as Bethnall Green, London Docklands and Richmond Park. A final, smaller organisation is London Orienteering Klubb, who hold events around North London such as in Hampstead Village.
Outdoor Rowing
While extremely good for you, rowing indoors on a concept II rowing machine is nowhere near as fulfilling as full scale outdoor rowing on the River Thames. Why have a hamburger when you can have steak? London has a plethora of rowing clubs. British Rowing has an excellent rowing club finder, which shows the majority of London rowing clubs. Most are clustered in West London, particularly around Putney, Barnes and Hammersmith, and they tend to use the River Thames. Good examples open to new participants include London Rowing Club, Furnivall Sculling Club and Thames Rowing Club. If you have never rowed before, check out Barn Elms Boathouse, which offers adult courses throughout the week for complete beginners.
Outdoor Swimming
This is a sport for the very brave, particularly since London seems to be in perpetual winter at the time of writing. Yet there are hundreds of swimmers around London who battle wind, rain or snow to hit the ponds, lakes and lidos dotted around the capital. Perhaps the most famous is the Serpentine in Hyde Park, which has a dedicated swimming area and club with membership from only £20 per year. Lidos are also an iconic feature of London. While mainly used in summer, there are still die-hard fans literally breaking the ice in the heart of winter. Some of the best examples are the 90m Tooting Bec Lido, Brockwell Park lido, Parliament Hill lido and Charlton lido. Even in summer these outdoor pools are a bit on the chilly side, but still make for a fantastic afternoon ,when (if) the sun decides to actually shine. A recent book, Taking the Waters, offers a guide to the various ponds and pools on Hampstead Heath, and their long association with outdoor swimming.
By Sam Parton
Sam is Founder of Open Play which helps you find and book London Cricket Nets and other sports facilities.
Naming a Tech Startup – Difficulty in Simplicity
“Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius.” — George Sand, Author
Choosing a name for a tech startup is surprisingly difficult. It is like naming a child and seems to occupy your entire mind. We’ve been to that dark place and know just how difficult it can be getting it right. The challenge is that you don’t want to be too specific as startups by nature pivot, but you’re wary of being too generic as your brand can become dull and meaningless.
We actually started OpenPlay with a different name (Matchtea.com) and always knew it wasn’t quite right. Customers used to say “Do you serve Matchteas?” Why not Matchteam? Or perhaps our favourite “Your name is sh*t”. Whilst we’re convinced that businesses with fairly plain names can certainly succeed (Craig’s List, Money Saving Expert), having a great name will make your life a lot easier. If customers get what you do just by hearing your name, yet it remains catchy, that is the holy grail and a place you can certainly get to.
So how do you start the naming process? What make good names?
There isn’t an exact science to this and the first rule to naming a startup is that there are no rules. Successful tech startups have had an enormous variety of names and there hardly seems to be a clear logic or correlation to names versus success. However we have the following advice based on our experience and there are certain aspects to look out for.
1. Start by being systematic
A good way to begin the arduous naming process is to make a list of names of other companies that are popular and successful. Try and work what you do and do not like and why you think their names are successful. The list we created was as follows:
Airbnb, Google, Moonpig, Huddle, Shiply, Parkatmyhouse, Payasugym, Dropbox, Eventbrite, quantcast, Twitter, Crowdcube, Kickstarter, Onefinestay, Hailo, Shutl, Blottr, Blippar, Conversocial, Zeebox, Myparceldelivery, Marketinvoice, Adzuna, Brainient, Fundingcircle, Artfinder, Gocardless, Toptable, Opentable, Seatwave, Homeaway, Housetrip, Payasugym, Ebay, Zopa, Zipcar, Groupon, Mysinglefriend, Secretescapes, Escapethecity, Wonga, Firebox
There are plenty of better names out there, but those helped our thinking and you soon start recognising a pattern with the names you like. It could be that they include an emotive word such as ‘brite’ ‘happy’ or ‘good’ with a stem word from your particular industry e.g. sport, holiday, adventure, shoes etc. They could be really random such as ‘Moonpig’ or a clever play on words like ‘Onefinestay’. A hard method is inventing a new word such as ‘twitter’ or ‘google’ which becomes a verb e.g. ‘to google’, ‘to tweet’ which can be very successful but difficult to execute. Or you could got for the ‘Ronseal’ approach such as ‘Myparceldelivery’ and ‘Marketinvoice’. It mainly comes down to personal preference but choose something you love as it will make your life much easier. Your natural passion for what you are doing will resonate around the name.
2. The shorter the better (to some extent)
We also found that there seems to be a vague correlation between successful tech startups and having a relatively short name. To some extent it’s the shorter the better as people are inherently lazy, especially when remembering your name. Ideally 6 to 10 characters would be perfect but you’ll find it difficult to buy a url with a short name unless you go for the dyslexic spelling, which is of course fantastic if all your customers are dyslexic. ‘Feedr’ ‘Strydr’ ‘Lyft’ ‘Stylr’ – they can all work and are considered trendy in Web 2.0. Again it comes down to personal preference and to be honest we’re not convinced by these but these days with most names already taken, you may have no choice if you have limited funding. However it is worth noting that longer names can certainly work too such as Iwantoneofthose.com, parkatmyhouse.com, MySingleFriend.com and MoneySavingExpert.com. They’re often abbreviated to help you remember them e.g. MySingleFriend (MSF) and Money Saving Expert (MSE).
3. Don’t have a brainstorming session
We found that it was a complete waste of time. You spend a lot of energy getting absolutely no where and it will end up just frustrating you. It’s good to bounce ideas from other people, but sitting around in a group writing down names is not the way forward. Your name will come to you, probably when you least expect it so don’t sit there and force it, you’re wasting your time.
4. Ask everyone, even your first customers
Get others thinking. Start with your friends and family to get the ball rolling as your name could come from anyone, even your grandmother. Most of your friends and family will just tell you what you want to hear, rather than the truth so it may help to select a few favourite names from your short list and ask people involved in the industry. Use your network too, you may find you know some creative types in Advertising agencies. A poll on Facebook and Twitter may also help you, it certainly helped us validate named which wouldn’t have worked (Sportdesk, Sportangel, Sportplaces, Sportspace in particular). Asking your customers could also be good idea but it is worth testing it out on a select handful who you communicate often with.
5. Always have a notepad handy
It’s amazing when flashes of inspiration can come. Ours came in our sleep whilst dozing at 2am. The subconscious brain was still ticking and suddenly it came to us. Seize the moment and write it down. If you need the url do not hang around as if it is any good, it will go. If it is going for thousands of pounds start negotiating as domain parkers (aka scumbags) can certainly be moved on prices.
6. Be patient
Getting a good name should not take you too long. Finding a GREAT name almost certainly will and you will need to be patient. It could take months so in the interim keep plugging away with your business and try not to get too distracted. Ultimately your product and market need will be the decisive factors, but a great name just makes things a little bit easier.
Those are our tips, if anyone has any other advice please add it below! Naming a startup is an incredibly difficult (and stressful) part of the process but getting it right is yet another hurdle overcome on your path to success.
By Sam Parton (Founder of OpenPlay.co.uk)
From Fat to Thin – After Week 8
“Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.” John Bingham,
After a week of rest and recovery and having achieved my goal in the Tunbridge Wells half marathon, I was aware that re-motivating myself to find an extra three minutes was going to be difficult. Searching for three minutes over 13 miles is tough so the receipt of an email on Monday morning from Realbuzz.com entitled “want to get faster?” was just what I needed to inspire me.
I don’t pretend to know the first thing about running 10 km, half marathons or marathons even though I have run my fair share. For me, training historically revolved around putting one foot in front of the other and increasing weekly mileage. It seemed that would make me as fast as possible. Deep down I know this is not the case. Getting faster revolves around three things:
1. Weight loss
2. Endurance Training
3. Interval Training.
The article’s opening paragraph was enough:
“Interval running is the single best form of running activity you can do. A runner who always runs at a steady pace will only ever be good at running steadily. By steady running you improve your endurance capacity, tone-up and often lose weight, but you don’t get faster….” Realbuzz.com
Like anything in life, I needed guidance to reach my goal and receiving advice from a running specialist gave me the inspiration to “give it a go”.
The phrase “Give it a go” is something I never used to know. I would be the first to say no and the last to try something new. Over the last two months “giving it a go” as become my ultimate phrase and applies to everyone in every walk of life.
SPRINT, JOG, SPRINT, JOG, SPRINT FOR LONGER… WALK…. AND ON AND ON…
How on earth was this going to make me get faster?
This email was received at a crucial time, for I had started losing interest in plodding the streets at the same pace, day in day out. Buckingham Palace was more of a nuisance than a landmark, Big Ben was more of an ugly tower than an amazing piece of British history. The boredom factor of training was starting to grind, so finding something different and useful was just what I needed.
Oh and by the way – I have felt my ribs for the first time in a year and a half, now just the small order of finding an extra three minutes!
Week 8 – Three minutes to find – SPEED
Interval Training, Interval Training, Interval Training….
Whilst new, it was not rocket science. I would take my 10 km runs and split them up into 2 km chunks. I was to run one km fast and hard, the next I would jog to recover. It was easy to do at the start and by Wednesday I felt very good for having done it.Sprinting past people is fun. On Friday and having felt like the master of Interval training, I wanted to keep running fast and finish with the intervals. Slowing down in the first 4 km was like giving in to running. The beauty of pushing your body in this way is that the body will always have the last laugh and sure enough 6km of running fast was met by 4km of jogging to a walk.
Week 8 was a good week- I wanted to find three minutes so was ready to give anything a go to help me get there, which I did. Three interval training sessions and a 10 mile run on Sunday saw 32 miles covered and a new found edge to training.
The one thing I do know and I am real about is that managing myself into week 9 is imperative in achieving my goal of 145. It will be a quiet week, but I want it. I want it more now than I have ever wanted it.
Running has helped me and hopefully through another hard week, my goal will come true. Reading here I come!
In the red Corner, with less of a double chin, and feeling a rib for the first time in a year and a half.. weigh in at 14 stone 5, the one the only……..
Height 6ft 1
Weight 14 stone 5 lbs (92.5kgs.)
Weight Loss/gain Week on Week: -0.6kg
Total weight loss since start: 3kg
Miles: 32
“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves…The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.” Sir Roger Bannister
By Sam Parton
Previous Posts
From Fat to Thin – The Beginning
From Fat to Thin - After Week 1
From Fat to Thin - After Week 2
From Fat to Thin – After Week 3
From Fat to Thin – After Week 4
From Fat to Thin – After Week 5
From Fat to Thin – After Week 6
From Fat to Thin – After Week 7
Dulwich College Sports Club Review
Overall Condition 9/10
Availability 9/10
Price/Cost 9/10
Customer Service 9/10
Overall Rating: 90%
Dulwich College Sports Club is situated in West Dulwich, South East London and lies opposite Dulwich College, one of the most historical and prestigious schools in London. Famous former Dulwich College boys include ex England rugby players such as Andrew Sheridan, Nick Easter and David Flatman who were all regularly users of the Dulwich College Sports Centre gym.
Nowadays the Dulwich College Sports Centre is used by both the school and local members and has an excellent range of sports facilities. Most of these are reserved for members, which represents very good value for money. Facilities on offer include a fully equipped gym, indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, squash courts, multi-use sports hall, AstroTurf and athletics track.
However even if you are a non-member, there are still plenty of activities which local Dulwich residents can join in. A good place to start is the extensive range of fitness classes on offer including Butts, Legs and Tums (BLT), Pilates, Yoga, Trampoline, Circuits and Zumba . You can find out further information about the Dulwich College Sports Club Classes here which take place throughout the week.
Aside from the Dulwich College fitness classes, another popular activity for non-members is Freedom Football which takes places every Monday from 7pm to 9pm on the AstroTurf and indoors every Wednesday from 9pm to 1opm. You can join in these very friendly football sessions for £5 on a pay and play basis or can sign up for approximately £17.50 a month. In our opinion £17.50 for eight to nine sessions of football month is incredibly good value and it is open to all standards.
The Dulwich College Indoor Swimmin Pool is treated with ultra-violet light
Another popular community activity is No Strings Badminton which takes place in the Dulwich College sports hall from 6pm to 8pm on Thursdays and 9am to 12pm on Sundays. This relaxed badminton session is open to everyone for only £5 a session and is an initiative from Badminton England who are keen to promote their increasingly popular racquets sport. The format is open games, usually on rotation so you can turn up by yourself or with others and start playing. Furthermore there’s no need to worry about committing as each session is drop-in for around £5 a go and fits easily around your schedule. Hopefully some other sports bodies will follow suit as really is an excellent initiative.
Getting to Dulwich College Sports Club
By Car: There is a car park directly outside the sports centre, however spaces are at a premium and club members get priority. You should also be wary that balls can fly over the top from the adjacent AstroTurf. The sports centre lies opposite Dulwich College along Dulwich Common (up Pond Cottages) and is just off the South Circular (A205) so it is difficult to miss.
By train: The nearest train station is West Dulwich which is approximately 5-10 minutes’ walk away at the other side of Dulwich College
Overall Dulwich College Sports Club represents excellent value for money and has superb sports facilities to offer Dulwich residents and beyond.
By Sam Parton