Family affair at new hydrotherapy salon

It is a family affair at Hydrojetz, the new aqua massage therapy salon in Fore Street, Ipswich.

The new salon, which uses an American hydrotherapy machine to provide relaxing and therapeutic massage, is a venture by Margaret Walcott and her two daughers, Lorenda and Shemmie.

Margaret, who went to school and grew up in Ipswich, said: “I have two daughters and a son.

“The girls are involved with me in the business.

“This is the massage of the future; touchless and fully clothed.”

It is a completely new venture for Margaret.

“I was made redundant from Ipswich Borough Council after 25 years service, and I was finding it difficult to find jobs really.

“We looked around to see what we could do for ourselves. We came across these spa capsules.”

“These water massage machines were still quite rare in this country, and more common in America and in Europe.”

“We went up to Carlisle to try it out. “We liked the idea of something we would use, where there weren’t any here in Ipswich town centre.”

Shemmie said: “We have worked on this for quite a while to get it right.”

Margaret’s two daughters Lorenda Bradshaw and Shemmie Nicholas are both mums, and can fit working at the salon around their childcare needs.

To experience the machine you just have to remove your shoes (but not your clothes), I found.

Treatment to the back is like a manual massage, said Margaret, while on the front it helped with weight loss to the midrift.

Shemmie is a big fan. She said: “I absolutely love it. It is a fantastic experience.”

Margaret added: “It is so relaxing. People can bring their own music to play for 25 minutes.

“It is a chance to be quet, and alone.

“You can go in there for 25 minutes and enjoy wherever you want to be - then the lid opens up and you are back in this space.”

Hydrojetz is at 4a Fore Street, Ipswich