New gym on LL - do you need to subscribe?

[Crepe Suzette]

Does anyone know if you can use the new gym on LL for single sessions (just weights/cardio without a trainer)? I think the monthly fees are rather steep and would probably only go there once a week. Would therefore rather pay per session than per month...

[maxsharp]

Hi Crepe Suzette,

The gym is geared towards monthly membership but you can pay as you go if you want. We also have a weekend rate and will be happy to conisder a daily rate for you too. Why don't you pop in and tell us what you want and we'll see what rate we can do?

Best wishes,

Max

[Crepe Suzette]

Will do this weekend, thanks Max!

[Mark]

... and see this thread 10% off esph gym membership to forum users, if you mention the forum you'll get 10% off

[maxsharp]

Should have mentioned the discount myself really....Apologies crepe suzette. 10% discount for the whole year. If you wanted we could give you a trial one month membership which comes with the full screening with one of our physios and you could see if you like it and take it from there.

Max

ps love the user name by the way.

[karter]

Hi Max, How much is it per daily session?

[maxsharp]

Hi Karter,

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. Standard daily rate is ?15. 10& discount for forumites.

Come and have a look around and see if you like us.

Best wishes,

Max

[James]

?15 a day! What kind of person can pay that!?

(Is it of a similar kind to the sort who might have an ?11 sandwich at Le Chandelier afterwards?)

[peckhamasbestos]

Those who want the flexibility of turning up when they feel like it and not paying a monthly subscription which (imho) is fair for the quality and service etc etc!

pa

[iclaudia]

I've been doing a search on this forum on the subject of esph and I have been quite disturbed by how many people have dismissed it because of the price.

Having moved here from SW London, I'm probably one of the irritating poshos that several people like to smugly refer to when dismissing new ventures like this in ED. I've now lived here for 3 years and was overjoyed to finally have a decent gym open up - at *shock* yes, it's true - competitive prices for the service. I have been a member of Holmes Place gyms (now Virgin Active), on and off, for over ten years. At the end I was paying ?81 a month to be a member of Virgin Active on the Strand. Since moving here I've definitely bemoaned the lack of a decent place to go and work out - at the very least, somewhere where you don't have to turn up with a towel, toiletries, and a pair of flip flops to prevent you from getting a hairball of unknown provenance stuck between your toes when you're in the shower. I've joined JAGS and thought the gym was laughable, with a school-age and disinterested "trainer" to show you around. Great pool but ridiculously archaic service levels and not really geared towards the customer at all. I joined Fusion - better gym but trainers with pretty basic knowledge. The person who inducted me gave me nutritional advice which included such gems as "try having brown bread instead of white" (oh yes - I must write that one down!). Terrible changing facilities which I always dreaded using.

Unless it has escaped my notice that we live in a communist state, it is entirely justifiable for certain businesses to exist that *again, SHOCK!* not everyone can afford to make use of. While I can afford to pay circa ?80 a month for gym membership, I certainly can't afford to have 1-to-1 pilates lessons. But it doesn't bother me that other people CAN afford to do that. I don't get all huffy and insist that those lessons shouldn't be offered. There are cheaper options in the area if you want to join a gym - and may I politely suggest that those people who have delighted in criticising ESPH do just that. You should all be grateful that a local business is staying in the area - and that ED hasn't had to endure yet another utterly soulless Virgin Active, which would be more expensive again than the local Fusion, but (in my experience) not be buzzing with highly-qualified and motivated staff either.

A note to ESPH - I went to look around your LL premises yesterday - and despite being a regular at Franklin's didn't even know you existed until then! I was extremely impressed with the services you offer and will be joining just as soon as I can disentangle myself from my Fusion membership. I was paying ?40 a month for that, and never enjoyed going there (see aforementioned hairball sentence). One question - on the forum it says there is a 10% discount for members - is that a 10% discount for every month that you're a member? When I was there yesterday Rebecca, who showed me around, said that the first month's membership was half-price..? Can't decide which offer is better! Or do both apply?? ;)

[maxsharp]

We have a few offers on at the moment. The 10% offer for forum members is for all of 2008. The 50% is for the first month. So if you apply your discount to the full gym membership, it comes down to ?71.10 per month for the year which is a better deal than 50% off the first month's membership. I'm afraid you have to chose one of the offers.

Hope that helps.

[Muttley]

You make some fair points, IClaudia. For those who claim ?15 day rate is expensive, let's put it in perspective FFS. There are hundreds of thousands who pay that much and far more to go and watch a football match every week. (Leicester City v Crystal Palace ?23 anyone?). If the prices at esph are too high, people will go elsewhere, there is a choice.

I also agree with IClaudia that esph is probably too low profile for its own good. Walking past the building or gazing out of the top deck of the 176, you could easily miss the fact that it's a gym. As I've said before, the signage looks more like a notice for forthcoming building work.

Incidentally, I've not stepped inside a gym since I was 16 - and I only went then because it was detention otherwise.

[maxsharp]

I completely agree with your comments about the visability / lack of it. We have had a few problems presuading the landlord and the local authority to allow us to put up signage, partly because the entrance to the building is in the side street (Bassano St). We think we have approval now (although we are still waiting for official consent from Southwark). And so the signage should be sorted soon.

Thanks for the feedback.

[edenial]

Any chance you can put the class timetable online? The links on your website are broken it seems (as are the ED membership links). Thanks

[Nero]

I joined the gym earlier this week and had my stats checked today. It was very thorough and the physio who 'did' me certainly knew what he was doing. It smacks of professionalism and can-do and I can't wait to get my programme written up on Monday so I can start exercising. Nero

[Em]

I've been going for a month now and I think it's great- definitely worth the money!

[maxsharp]

Hi Edenial,

Class timetable will be on the website by the weekend. Really sorry for the delays but we've had a bit of a nightmare with the site. The company we commissioned to do it went bust and screwed up the code and it's taken us ages to unravel. Thanks for your patience.

Regards to all.

Max

[landellite]

Can only echo the positive praise above.. Have been going for a few weeks now, and this place is very good. Particular praise to the staff, who really know their stuff, and don't fit the usual ignorant "just pedal faster if you want to get fitter" mentality you get at the chain gyms..

[fractionater]

I'm luvin' it... classes are great. Staff know their stuff too.

going to investigate the pilates too.

[pebbles]

Does anyone know if there is a gym around ED that provides a creche?

[Pickle]

There's a creche facility at Fusion (ED Leisure Centre) - I've never used it, so can't tell you what it's like, but I think it's mornings only.

[pebbles]

Thanks Pickle, i'll check it out tomorrow

[maxsharp]

We (esph East Dulwich)are starting a creche after the half term holiday (Week beginning February 18th). Tuesday and Thursday 10-12 initially but we will extend it if there is the demand.

Come down and have a look (membership discounts for forumites) - 116 Lordship Lane.

[fractionater]

Max - when is the timetable going on-line?

and can you post the link if it already is?

cheers

[woodie]

amazes me people wanting to pay all this money. There are fanatastic long running fitness forms around where you can get real fit for half/ quarter the price. Full on ashtanga will do the trick (total challenege)more than anything.,pilates (zz) will do the trick, Asian martial arts, parks for walking running, local hatha/iyengar classes everywhere for the not so full on, swimming pools. Believe me Fusion does not like you. They pay the teachers zilch so they have no good ones and have often unclean rooms. You want to try the harbour club chelsea. super expensive real big con that. More often than not its about finding 'a partner'who is loaded. So when people kinda dont, they drop out. New place ll, what about it? half erect harbour club pretentsion. sorry maxsharp. rope em in eh?

who cares.

Your local sweathalls hard working teachers trying to keep the price down, know your name, like you ,care about you, do the job well.You only have to look in local coffee bars ,health shops and youll find people dedciated to making you well and fit,live longer and so on. Then you can party harder eh?

gyms suck. money machines,only. do not respect their staff behind the scenes. Seen it.

(sorry, in a mood this morning)