An American woman who believes Brentwood is as nice as apple pie is to bring a slice of the States to her adopted home town.

Last year Michigan bride Jody Tull extolled Brentwood The Beautiful in a farewell letter to The Brentwood Gazette when she returned to the US because of better job prospects.

But now yoga instructor Jody has crossed the Atlantic again to be re-united with husband Rupert de Salis...and introduce the latest American fitness craze to Essex girls.

Jody has just signed a five year lease on an upper floor studio in Brentwood High Street which she previously praised in print for its 'hustle, bustle and ice-cream merriment'.

She will be using the premises above The Officers Club to launch Curves International - a fitness centre aimed specifically at women.

Curves International is a franchise concept that has taken the US by storm. It is a fitness and weight loss centre where women use hydraulic resistance machines to achieve a complete strength and training workout in just 30 minutes.

Jody, of Crown Street, Brentwood, is planning to open the doors of her fitness centre in early September.

She said: "Since I left Brentwood last year, Rupert and I have been jetting back and forth to see each other. Now it's great to be back long term. Brentwood is a lovely place. I have seen the new heritage column you see as you enter the town and it is lovely."

Published Friday July 23, 2004

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