A pop star in a see-through body-stocking, a camera crew, and a ship full of sailors. What could possibly go wrong?
Well not too much really as it turned out, other than some subsequent difficulties with MTV, and ultimately the US Navy (they never did anything like this ever again), and more than a few differing opinions about taste. But I digress.
It was 1st July, 1989 and the USS Missouri was docked in Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Cher – then a positively youthful 43 years old – was filming the video of her hugely successful Dianne Warren penned hit, “If I could turn back time.” Those famously brassy tonsils belted out each note over the typical 1980s production, the slight rough edge in her voice underlining the regret in the lyrics: “If I could turn back time, If I could find a way, I’d take back those words that hurt you and you’d stay.”
Of course, it’s actually the song we tend to remember, not so much the video. Perhaps it’s because of the music and the performance. Or perhaps it’s because of the sentiment: the cruelty of harsh words to those we love, and the desire to turn back the clock and make things right.
Today, time seems to be our most scarce possession. It flies, it marches on, it and the tide wait for no man (or woman) as we’re often reminded. We are expected to excel at everything – at home, in relationships, in the way we look, in the way we take care of ourselves and those we love, and of course the demands of jobs, careers, and all things in between. All that takes time. Mobile phones and social media, despite their many benefits can also be tyrannical in demanding our attention. Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) abounds and digital overload is never very far away. It’s actually exhausting just putting it into words. So let’s pause.
Here at Alwalton Hall we can’t turn back time, though we love working that anti-ageing magic, but we really can slow it down. Even if you’re on a schedule we want to provide you with the time and space to step away in relaxed comfort.
Whether you come here just for a treatment (lots of people do), or a meal, or you fancy moving in for the day, we want your experience to be special and, most of all, we want you to feel amazing.
And that’s our mission – whether you need some quick maintenance, want to be pampered at leisure, or have just enough time for a bit of both, we want you to feel incredible from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
Come here and treat yourself. It’s about time.
