They say that two pairs of hands are better than one, and that’s certainly proved to be true for twin sisters Valerie Ward and Linda Kelham.
The identical pair, who are both qualified masseuses, have seen their business boom after joining forces.
They now work together on clients at the home they share in Winton, offering luxury massages treatments under their new name Valindas.
“It seems like most people prefer to have four hands working on them than two,” says Linda.
“Most of the clients say we have the same touch and that they cant tell us apart – it makes the experience much more intense.”
I was invited to try a treatment to see if many hands would make light work of the knots in the shoulder muscle.
My Swedish neck and back massage took place in the front room of the house which had a comfortable bed in the middle and was surrounded by burning candles, crystals, compilations of soothing music and pictures of angels on the walls. (It is still used as a living room as there is also a TV and sofa in situ.)
It felt strange at first because it really did feel as though I was being massaged by the same person as I couldn’t tell one pair of hands from the other.
The beauty of having two therapists working on you at the same time is that every ache and pain is quickly and seamlessly kneaded away.
They also specialise in different areas. Linda is qualified in Indian head massage whereas Valerie specialises in necks and backs.
After 20 minutes I felt relaxed but refreshed and ready to face the day.
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“Because we know each other so well we also work so well together and it just seems to come naturally to both of us,” Valerie explains.
The red-haired sisters are clearly very close and its difficult to tell them apart. They even sound the same and frequently finish off each other’s sentences.
“All our children are very close too and are more like half brothers and sisters than cousins,” says Valerie (although it could have been Linda).
Apparently the sisters often have the same thought and dreams too.
“The other day we bought the same two birthday cards within a few hours of each other. The poor woman in the shop was
very confused!”
But the twins, who have both been married and divorced and now have grown-up children, say they are closer than ever.
“Our partners did find it quite threatening and never liked the fact the my sister and I are so close,” says Linda.
“We both have experienced lots of ups and downs in our lives but have emerged feeling stronger and in control of our lives.”
Linda, who moved in with Valerie after she separated from her husband, says they are now enjoying a new lease of life.
“We have had singing lessons, sung on stage, painted pictures and taken up Flamenco dancing – and we also practice yoga and exercise regularly.
“I can honestly say we now have more energy and both feel and look younger than we did 10 years ago!”
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