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The Secret History of English Spas

Author: Melanie King

Publisher:

Published: 2021-09-24

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9781851244539

English spas have a long and steamy history, from the thermal baths of Aquae Sulis in Bath to the stews of Southwark, the elegant pump rooms of Cheltenham and Buxton to the Victorian mania for hydrotherapy and Turkish hammams. 'The Secret History of English Spas' is an informative but light-hearted social and cultural history of our obsession with drinking and bathing in spa waters. It tells the stories of the rich, the famous, the poor and the sick, all of whom visited spas in hopes of curing everything from infertility to leprosy and gonorrhoea. It depicts the entrepreneurs who promoted these resorts - often on the basis of the most dubious scientific evidence - and the riotous and salacious social life enjoyed in spa towns, where moral health might suffer even as bodies were cleansed and purged. And yet English spas also offered an ideal of civility and politeness, providing a place where social classes and sexes could mingle and enjoy refined entertainments such as music and dance - all part of the fashionable pastime referred to as 'taking the waters'.

The English Spa, 1560-1815

Author: Phyllis May Hembry

Publisher: Associated University Presse

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 9780838633915

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Beginning in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, members of the English nobility and gentry made a practice of taking relaxation at the country's inland spas. This account shows the spas to have been not only centers of healing and recreating but also venues of intrigue extending to political, religious, economic, and social issues.

British Spas from 1815 to the Present

Author: Phyllis May Hembry

Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 9780838637487

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Phyllis Hembry, author of The English Spa 1560 to 1815, wrote about the origins and development of the spas and their flowering in the eighteenth century. Her book deals not only with their healing and recreational aspects, but also with their status as political, religious, social, and economic gathering places. Hembry had intended to produce a second volume, taking the story further, but died before being able to do so. She had gathered a considerable amount of material and written several draft chapters for this volume. Dr. and Mrs. Cowie have made use of this, revising and supplementing Hembry's text to create a study that continues to the present time and is extended to include Welsh, Scottish, and Irish spas as well.

Spas and Spa Visiting

Author: Ian Rotherham

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-02-10

Total Pages: 57

ISBN-13: 0747814740

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The British spa came into its own in the Georgian period, with thousands flocking to take the waters at Bath, Cheltenham and Tunbridge Wells as well as numerous other towns. As these towns grew, their reputation as fashionable destinations became as or more important than the benefits of bathing, which in any case often involved immersion in water tainted by dirt and diseases from fellow bathers. Ian D. Rotherham here traces the story of the British spa back to Roman and medieval times, through their heyday in Georgian and Victorian Britain and right up to their decline in the twentieth century and recent revival. With a wealth of colourful illustrations, this book is a perfect introduction to changing attitudes to public bathing and health, and describes the rise of some of Britain's most famous towns.

Health, Hedonism and Hypochondria

Author: Ian Bradley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-08-20

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0755626664

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Delve into the history behind the glamorous baths and spas of Europe to reveal the hidden past of alternative treatments. Popular with people from Romans to royalty and hypochondriacs to holiday-makers, natural water spas have been a common feature in society since the first century. Even today, we periodically abandon the cities to 'take the waters'. In their heyday, Europe's spas were the main meeting places for aristocracy, politicians and cultural elites. They were the centres of political and diplomatic intrigue, and were fertile sources of artistic, literary and musical inspiration. The spas epitomised style and were renowned for their cosmopolitan atmosphere in a glittering whirl of balls, gambling and affairs, as much as for their healing waters. Health, Hedonism and Hypochondria reveals the hidden histories of traditional spas of Europe, including such well-known resorts as the original Spa in Belgium; Bath, Buxton and Harrogate in Britain; Baden-Baden and Bad Ems in Germany; Vichy and Aix-les-Bains in France; Bad Ragaz in Switzerland; Bad Ischl and Baden bei Wien in Austria and Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázne in the Czech Republic. At once luxurious sanctuaries of relaxation and resorts of the upper classes, these spas were also the haunts of melancholics, scoundrels and those seeking escape and excitement.

Free Time

Author: Gary S. Cross

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2024-02-13

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 1479813079

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"In a sweeping historical analysis, Gary Cross explains why affluence in America has not freed more time from work and why free time is often frustrating"--

Secrets of the Spas

Author: Catherine Bardey

Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal

Published: 1999-04-01

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 9781579120634

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Introducing a new series of clever little boxes with tops that slide off to reveal a deck of 52 cards inside. Each card features a recipe and detailed instructions on one side, and a rich, full-color photograph on the other. Sumptuous spa treatments don't have to cost a fortune when you follow these simple recipes for revitalizing, deep cleaning, moisturizing and relaxing your body and mind--all illustrated and packaged in a convenient pack of individual cards.

Health, Hedonism and Hypochondria

Author: Ian Bradley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-08-20

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0755626664

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Healing with water

Author: Jane M. Adams

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Published: 2015-05-01

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0719098068

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Healing with water provides a medical and social history of English spas and hydropathic centres from the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries. It argues that demand for healing rather than leisure drove the growth of a number of inland resorts which became renowned for expertise and treatment facilities. These aspects were actively marketed to doctors and patients. It assesses the influence of these centres on broader patterns of resort development, leisure and sociability in Britain. The study explores ideas about water’s healing potential and the varied ways it was used to maintain good health and treat a variety of illnesses. Water cures were endorsed by both orthodox and unorthodox practitioners and attracted growing numbers of patients into the twentieth century. It examines how institutions and skilled workers shaped the development of specialist resorts and considers why the NHS support for spa treatment declined from the 1960s.

FabJob Guide to Become a Spa Owner

Author: Jeremy McCarthy

Publisher: Calgary : FabJob

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 9781894638838

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The FabJob Guide to Become a Spa Owner shows how you can successfully start a day spa business. The authors share their own experiences plus expert business advice from more than two dozen spa business owners and other spa industry experts.