1 cover_APRIL2010.indd - Out In The City

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PAGE 20
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
HUDSON’S LETTER
This month we carry
interviews with four
Prospective Parliamentary
Candidates. I can’t
remember a previous
General Election in which
members of every major
political party were
falling over themselves to
promote their gay-friendly
credentials. All the parties
now appear to be singing
from the same song sheet
when it comes to LGBT
issues... or are they? Read
the interviews on pages
36-40.
Despite the fact that all
the main parties now
boast of their pro-equality
stances, it was a genuine
pleasure to meet and
interview four gay men
who all appear committed
to and passionate about
their respective causes.
Equality issues may have
played a part in attracting
some of them to politics,
but each were able to
talk authoratively about
the whole spectrum of
issues that matter to the
electorate – from the
NHS and transport to
housing and employment.
All were energised
about their upcoming
election campaigns and
the opportunity to do
something for the greater
good of society. I’d be
surprised if at least one of
them isn’t successful in his
desire to enter Parliament.
Gay men are often
stereotyped as being
shallow, vain creatures.
It’s a stereotype that
we, as a community,
are sometimes guilty of
perpetuating ourselves. In
doing so, we do ourselves
a disservice. Increasingly,
gay men are rising to
prominence in all areas of
life – whether it is politics,
banking (see Robert Taylor
on page 78), or even
fighting on the front line.
The world is changing. It’s
time some old stereotypes
were laid to rest.
hudson@outmag.co.uk
CONTENTS
PAGE 04
LETTERS
Send your
correspondence to
letters@outmag.co.uk
PAGE 06
MY LONDON
G-A-Y’s Jeremy Joseph
gives us his capital
highlights
PAGE 8
SHOPPING
AussieBum’s new
Banana pants and Fat
Punk sunglasses
PAGE 11
DIARY
April’s cultural
highlights in and
around London
PAGE 20
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
The acclaimed singersongwriter
talks about
his new album and
debut operatic work
PAGE 24
MUSIC
New albums from
Shakespears Sister and
Kate Nash
PAGE 26
FILM
Whip It, Kicks and The
Ghost reviewed
PAGE 44
SUPERMARTXÉ
PAGE 30
THEATRE
Private Lives reviewed
plus theatre news
PAGE 32
FOOD
The Princess of
Shoreditch and Bedford
& Strand reviewed
PAGE 36
PARTY POLITICS
Ahead of the General
Election, we quiz
representatives from
the four main political
parties about what
PAGE 90
HONG KONG
each of them have to
offer LGBT voters
PAGE 43
OUT THERE
Upcoming scene
highlights for April,
plus coverage of
Supermartxé, The Cave
at BarCode, S.L.A.G.S
at the Royal Vauxhall
Tavern and the Black
Cap
PAGE 67
OUTREACH
The Naz Project and
community listings
PAGE 70
OUTNEWS
All the gay news from
home and abroad
PAGE 74
CAREER
The Workplace Equality
Conference and
Newham College
PAGE 80
PROPERTY
Living in Dulwich, and
the latest products for
the home
PAGE 88
MOTORING
We test drive the new
Fiat Punto
PAGE 90
TRAVEL
The delights of Hong
Kong and Thomson’s
new gay package
holidays
PAGE 96
HOROSCOPES
PAGE 97
HEALTH
Spa luxury in Spain
and HIV news

SWAN LAKE PHOTO © BILL COOPER
ON FIRE
STAR LETTER
M, Dulwich
WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT
THIS MONTH’S RISE AND FALL
ON ICE
LOVEBOX
Taking place in Victoria
Park from 16-18 July, this
year’s festival is headlined
by Grace Jones, Roxy Music
and Hot Chip… with Jonny
Woo hosting the main
stage on the Sunday night.
DANIEL RADCLIFFE
The star has become the
new face of The Trevor
Project – a US-based
phoneline to help troubled
gay teens. The heterosexual
star said that it was a cause
he feels passionately about.
SCOTT CAPURRO’S
POSITION
Returning to the Royal
Vauxhall Tavern this month,
with guests including Matt
Lucas, Dame Vivienne
Westwood and Being
Human’s Russell Tovey.
6 MUSIC
The cult BBC radio station
is threatened with closure,
along with the BBC Asian
Network, as part of a costcutting
exercise by the BBC.
WHITNEY HOUSTON
Both fans and critics alike
have been less than kind
in their reviews of her
comeback shows. Judge for
yourself when she come to
the O2 Arena this month.
MALAWI
Authorities have been
holding a gay couple in
prison since December and
have charged them with
indecency after the two
men staged a traditional
wedding ceremony. They
face up to 14 years in jail.
PRESS GANG
Paul Harper, E15
GAY FOR PAY
A DIFFERENT CAMP
Chris, WC1
WIN!
THREESOME
E, SW9
GOOD WORK
Russell, N1
Everyone who had a
letter published this
month won a copy of
new CD Big Tunes: Back
To The 80s.

MY LONDON

SHOPPING...
SHADEY INK
We’re liking the new limited-edition ranges of sunglasses from Fat Punk – specialists in skatewear and
sunglasses. If you’ve got a thing for tattoos and are looking for something to offset your own sleeves of ink,
there’s the tattoo-adorned Studio Taurus Eden model. For those not wanting the ink-inspired art, you
can also get a plain black version – the Studio Taurus Eve. They cost from £64.99 and are available from
www.fatpunkstudio.com
OYSTER ART
The Terrence Higgins Trust is offering you the chance to purchase a limitededition
piece of art. Artists Gilbert & George have designed an Oyster shell (the
plastic slip for holding your Oyster card), and the HIV/AIDS charity is selling all
500 of the slips to help raised funds to help continue its vital services. The Gilbert
& George oyster shell is available to order exclusively from THT’s website (www.
tht.org.uk ). They cost £20 plus 25p postage and packaging.
The Gilbert & George oyster shell is available to order online at
www.tht.org.uk
STICKY MOMENTS
The highest-grossing tour of
last year, Madonna’s Sticky
& Sweet tour (to promote
her Hard Candy album) broke
records around the world. The
extravagant show has now
been captured on film, and
will be released on DVD, Blu-
Ray and CD this month. Filmed
over four days in Buenos
Aires – when Madonna performed to a crowd of over 256,000 screaming fans
(particularly for her special rendition of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’), the package
includes the full concert and extras – it’s released by Warner Bros on 30 March.
www.madonna.com
GET OUT THERE
A new, bi-annual, gay international arts,
culture, style and travel magazine hits
the shelves this month. Out There,
a luxurious, high-end read, will be
available across the world, and amongst
this month’s in-depth articles you’ll find
a New York photo shoot and 50-page
feature on New York State, plus exclusive
interview with Alan Cumming.
The magazine costs £10 and can be
ordered online at:
www.outtheremagazine.com
BANANA BUNCH
Those AussieBum folk have gone bananas. Literally. The antipodean underwear giant has developed
a range of pants made from banana fibre. In their quest to explore new fabric technologies, they’ve
discovered that banana fibre is characteristically soft, lightweight, offers strong moisture absorption and is
considered one of the most eco-friendly fibres in the world today. The ‘Banana’ range is 100% Australianmade,
and retails from £20 upwards for a pair of briefs. The range is available exclusively from Selfridges for
one month only, or online: www.aussiebum.com

CALENDAR EVENTS//APRIL 2010
12-17 APR:
Rufus Wainwright has never shied away from musical
experimentation, and his latest offering is probably his
boldest experiment yet. Following a lifelong love for opera,
Wainwright has produced his first full-length operatic work.
After a successful world premiere in Manchester, he now brings
the production to London for a four performances (12, 14,
16-17 April) at Sadlers Wells. Prima Donna is simply described
as “an opera about an opera singer”, telling the tale of a fading
Paris-based opera singer in the 1970s. It was rated by NME as
“bleak, overblown, and dazzingly brilliant”, while The Times
summed up the Manchester premiere performance as “a love
song to opera, soaked in the perennial operatic themes of loss,
betrayal, delusion and nostalgia, and saturated in the musical
styles of opera’s golden age.”
www.sadlerswells.com
Rufus Wainwright
PHOTO ©JOAN MARCUS
01 APR
Following a successful revival in New York, the entire
Broadway cast of Hair will be crossing the Atlantic and
setting up camp at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury
Avenue. The Tony-award winning production will be running
from 1 April onwards, and features such well-known tunes as
‘Let The Sunshine In’, ‘Hair’ and ‘Aquarius’.
www.hairthemusical.co.uk
01 APR-22 MAY:
02-08 APR:
SAT 3 APR:
8-9 APR
Paolo Nutini, whose Sunny Side Up was the biggest selling
album by a male artist in 2009, comes to the Royal Albert Hall
for two gigs in April. www.paolonutini.com
MON 12 APR:

CALENDAR
EVENTS//
APRIL 2010
Heiko (left) and The Cost Of Love (above)
22-30 APR: The annual East End Film Festival
returns to London this month. Reflecting the
cultural and sexual melting pot that is the
East End of London, the festival has always
been proud to support diversity, and always
includes a few features of particular gay
interest. One such highlight is the premiere
of Carl Medland’s feature drama The Cost
Of Love. Filmed on location in and around
Canary Wharf and Greenwich, the story
follows Dale (Christopher Kelham), a rent boy
who specialises in fulfilling sexual fantasies,
although his own dreams of a happy ending
are complicated by the fact that he secretly
loves his soon-to-be-married straight best
friend, Raj. The film co-stars Michael Joyce,
better known on the gay scene as flamboyant
drag artiste Estee Applauder – who sadly died
in a car accident in December last year – and
Brazilian beefcake model Israel Cassol.
The East End Film Festival will also screen a
selection of gay-themed shorts in conjunction
with Peccadillo Pictures. Comprising six
acclaimed short films, the programme will include
Protect Me From What I Want, a gripping
British short that sees Elliott Tittensor of TV’s
Shameless woo a young lad in an underpass,
only to be threatened with a break-up the
following morning. Also featured will be ode
to foot fetishes Heiko, Icelandic grapple-fest
Wrestling and Oscar-winning short film Trevor.
These will subsequently be released on DVD by
Peccadillo as part of Boys On Film 4.
For further information and details of the full
festival line-up visit
www.eastendfilmfestival.com
PHOTO © ANDREW ZUCKERMAN
14-17 APR
The Bite festival aims to bring the best in international
dance, music and theatre to London. One of its highlights
will be Delusion, which will be coming to the Barbican from
14-17 April. Fusing violin, electronic puppetry and music,
Delusion has been created by the acclaimed Laurie Anderson.
Conceived as a collection of short mystery plays, Anderson
will be exploring a tale of longing, memory and identity,
“Jumping between the everyday and the mythic, in a world
full of nuns, elves, golems, ghost ships, archaeologists and
dead relatives.” Expect an intriguing and magical theatrical
‘happening’. www.barbican.org.uk
WED 14 APR:
15-27 APR:
THURS 15 APR:
THUR 15 APR
With her debut album, Lights, picking up critical praise, and
after winning the BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll, the much-vaunted
Ellie Goulding shows whether she can cut it on stage with an
intimate gig at Heaven. http://elliegoulding.co.uk
16-24 APR:

CALENDAR EVENTS//
APRIL 2010
STILLNESSATTHESPEEDOFLIGHT1
MON 26 APR: The unique,
the special, the iconic… the
one-and-only Grace Jones
will be performing a one-off
date at the Royal Albert Hall
on Monday 26 April. Ms Jones
always puts on amazing
live shows, so expect her to
fully rise to the occasion.
Tickets cost £45-£90. www.
royalalberthall.com
If her headlining gig at the
Royal Albert Hall was not
enough of a thrill for Grace
Jones fans, you can catch
more of the iconic Ms Jones
at the Vinyl Factory Gallery
(51 Poland Street, W1). From
29 April, it will be hosting
Stillness At The Speed Of Light
– consisting of three portraits
of the singer by light artist
Chris Levine (who directed the
video for Grace’s new single,
‘Love You To Life’).
17 APR-26 SEPT
Grace Kelly: Style Icon is the name of a new exhibition
coming to the V&A over the spring/summer season. The show
will feature over 50 outfits from her wardrobe, tracing the
evolution of her style from her days as one of Hollywood’s
most popular actresses to her life as Princess Grace of Monaco.
Included will be outfits from the film High Society, the dress
that she wore to accept an Oscar in 1955, and 35 haute couture
gowns from the 1960s and 70s by her favourite couturiers;
Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Yves St Laurent.
www.vam.ac.uk
THUR 22 APR:
23-25 ARP:
26 APR-6 JUN:
26-28 APR:
TUE 20 APR
With a new line-up, new sound and new album in the pipeline,
The Pipettes return to the live circuit with a gig at the Hoxton
Bar & Grill. New single, ‘Stop The Music’, is out 19 April.
www.thepipettes.com
WED 21 APR
Underrated Scottish rockers Idlewild brings their UK tour to
London, with a date at the Forum (near Kentish Town Station).
The lads are promoting last year’s album Post Electric Blues.
Tickets cost £19 (including all fees). www.idlewild.co.uk
IMAGE © SIMON MURPHY

CALENDAR EVENTS//
APRIL 2010
3-4 APR: Star Wars in
Concert returns to the O2
Arena this Easter, following
its world premiere a year ago.
This massive, multi-media
event (currently on a worldwide
tour) includes music
from all six of John Williams’
epic Star Wars scores.
Anthony Daniels, who played
CP3O in all six films, is the
show’s narrator, and the
show will be accompanied
by an exhibition including
costumes, artefacts and behind-the-scenes
videos from
Lucasfilm Archives. Tickets
cost £30-£95.
www.starwarsinconcert.com
25-28 APR
Despite receiving a less than lukewarm reception during
recent dates in Australia, Whitney Houston’s comeback dates
remain hot tickets this month. Has she truly ruined that once
iconic voice or can she just about still belt out the hits? Judge
for yourself when she swings in to the O2 Arena for four
nights. www.whitneyhouston.com
28-30 APR:
28 APR-3 MAY:
30 APR-02 MAY:
THUR 22 APR
Siobhan Fahey has resurrected Shakespears Sister (minus
Marcella Detroit), with a new album, Songs For The Red
Room, out this month. Catch her playing a one-off London gig
(part of a short UK tour) at the Bloomsbury Ballroom.
www.shakespearssister.co.uk

I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU
THE BARMAN ONCE
POURED US SHOTS
OF BLEACH TO GET
US TO LEAVE

THE DARK NIGHT
I APPRECIATE LADY
GAGA FOR HER
FASHION SENSE AND
HER ASTUTE READING
OF THE PULSE OF THE
PUBLIC, BUT THE
SONGS ARE CRAP

THERE’S A SIDE OF ME
THAT WANTS TO HOLD
ON TO THIS HYPER-
ROMANTIC VERSION
OF HOMOSEXUALITY
Rufus Wainwright’s new album, All Days Are Night: Songs For
Lulu, is out 5 April. He will perform on Tuesday 13 April at the
Sadlers Wells theatre. www.rufuswainwright.com

ALBUMS OUT IN APRIL
KATE NASH
My Best Friend is You (Fiction)
Didn’t Lily Allen threaten to retire from music recently?
Strange that, because on first listen to Kate Nash’s latest
album it sounds like Allen’s snuck her way into the wouldbe
usurper’s opening track, ‘Paris’. The second album from
Allen’s fellow Londoner, My Best Friend Is You doesn’t
initially indicate new territory, with ‘Paris’ following in the
footsteps of all those girls who can strum a guitar and
sing a few cheeky couplets. But the track is not entirely
representative of what’s to come. Initially straddling a line
between being blandly formulaic and pleasantly inoffensive
MBFIY quickly gains momentum with tracks like ‘Kiss That
Girl’ and ‘Do Wah Doo’ masking confrontational, challenging
lyrics behind Nash’s songbird voice and chipper delivery.
But there’s more. ‘Mansion Song’ sees Nash dive into the
Riot Grrrl movement, launching a sexually charged diatribe
against… well, it’s hard to know for sure, but she sounds
pissed. Sample lyrics such as: “I can get fucked like the best
of men” sit incongruously with some of the more innocuous
murmurings that precede it but it’s an invigorating change
of pace that sounds provocative rather than purposelessly
trying too hard. ‘You Were So Far Away’ is similar. Ostensibly
a lazily drawled lullaby, it sounds
like it should be used to advertise
package holidays, until the lyrics seep
into consciousness. “I can taste the
metal feel the gun in my mouth” isn’t
something we can see appealing to
Thomas Cook but it does show that
Nash isn’t afraid to speak her mind. It
makes for a surprising and arresting
second album. JO’C
Out: 19 April
PAUL WELLER
Wake Up The Nation
(Island)
The Modfather rolls on and on
and on. Wake Up The Nation is
– incredibly – Paul Weller’s tenth solo studio album, and it
follows the number one success of 22 Dreams. At this stage
in the game, it would be foolish to expect any revelations
from Weller, but dismiss him at your peril. Wake Up The
Nation presents Weller at his sharpest and most angular. It’s
a beefy and taut collection, with 16 short tracks squeezed
into 40 minutes. To say that this is the album Weller fans
have been waiting for would – for once – not be a cliché,
given that former Jam bassist Bruce Foxton plays on two
of the tracks. It’s the first time the two have shared studio
space in 28 years. Elsewhere, Weller’s recruited the help
of My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields and The Move’s
Bev Bevan. The result is a foot-stomping array of punchy,
confident rock gems. ‘Fast Car/Slow Traffic’ is a woozy,
amphetamine-charged stomper that fades in and out in
less than two-minutes. Opener ‘Moonshine’ sounds like
Jools Holland joining the Kings Of Leon for a boogiewoogie,
while the psychedelic 60s are channelled on
‘Andromeda’. Instrumental track ‘In Amsterdam’ conjures up
a forgotten 70s theme tune (or something Blur might have
stuck on Parklife). Most impressive of all, ‘No Tears To Cry’
could be a long-lost Dusty Springfield number, while ‘Find
The Torch, Burn The Flag’ must surely be a future single.
So, no revelations, just the Modfather doing what he does
best. At a time when some would have expected him to
slow things down, Weller proves his sense of urgency has
never deserted him. DH
Out: 19 April
SHAKESPEARS SISTER
Songs From the Red
Room (Cargo)
Siobhan Fahey’s pop
credentials aren’t in doubt.
As a founding member of 1980s girl group Bananarama
she was instrumental in the success of the group, writing
many of the songs that led to the trio being recognised
(even now) as the most successful girl group of all time.
They’ve achieved over 40 million record sales to date.
The ‘90s saw Fahey retreat from the group to develop
Shakespears Sister. Initially a solo project, it was when
Marcella Detroit joined that the act released its signature
track ‘Stay’, one of the most successful songs of the decade.
Now, following her considerable hiatus, Fahey has exhumed
Shakespears Sister (sic) as a solo project in order to release
her latest album, Songs From The Red Room. Almost ten
years in development, a first listen seems to confirm that
this body of work was in gestation a long period of time
– many of the tracks already sound dated. Indistinct and
unassuming opening track ‘Pulsatron’ fails to set a good
tone for the album while ‘It’s A Trip’ is a repetitive, rambling
filler. Disappointing stuff… but glimmers of hope and
occasional flashes of ingenuity do surface. ‘Hot Room’ is a
genuinely atmospheric number. Disconcertingly ominous
and omnipresent, Fahey’s vocals are quietly aggressive
and powerful, while her collaboration with Terry Hall
on ‘Was It Worth It?’ and ‘Cold’ are similarly compelling,
being simultaneously sultry, louche and defiant. All in all,
however, it’s an inconsistent release, with a scatter of tracks
too over-cooked to match the spontaneity and originality of
Fahey’s earlier works. J’OC
Out: 12 April
MEATLOAF
Hang Cool Teddy Bear
(Mercury)
It’s interesting to contrast
latest offerings from Mr Weller
(reviewed far left) and the artist formerly born Marvin Lee
Addy – both of whom have been knocking out the hits
since the late 70s. However, whereas Weller’s album is
packed full of two-minute packets of soul-infused punk,
Meatloaf’s is – typically – all lengthy, overblown rock epics.
Of course, ever since Bat Out Of Hell (43million sales and
counting), that’s what the big ole’ bear has been famed for
churning out, but by golly… the man does go on a bit.
Hang Cool Teddy Bear is his 11th studio album, and this
time he’s embarked on a new working relationship with
producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance).
However, the sound is exactly what we’ve come to expect,
with endless piano riffs, bombastic orchestral arrangements
and the sort of squealing rock guitars that – depending
on your taste – have been sadly missing from rock music
of late. In fact, it’s little surprise to find that Queen’s Brain
May provides axe-work on ‘Love Is Not Real’ and ‘Song Of
Madness’. Elsewhere, Meatload duets with Jack Black on
the cringe-worthy ‘Like A Rose’ and – bizarrely – recruits
Britain’s own Hugh Laurie (a trained classical pianist) to
tinkle the ivories on album highlight ‘If I Can’t Have You’.
Apparently, they met on the set of US drama House.
Besides that, big ballad ‘Did You Ever Love Somebody’ could
do the business chartwise, but the rest is probably for fans
only. DH
Out: 19 April
REVIEWS: DAVID HUDSON AND JOHN O’CEALLAIGH

FILMS OUT IN APRIL
WHIP IT
CHERRYBOMB
THE BEST DVDS
APRIL ’10
WRECKED
Eighteen-year-old Ryan is
trying to carve out a career as
an actor until his ex, Daniel,
turns up on his doorstep,
bringing with him sex
addiction and a fondness for
drugs. Will Ryan resist being
sucked into the same vortex
of destruction? This is a lowbudget
gay indie film that pulls no punches in its depiction
of teen male sexuality. The plot is ultimately skimpier than
a stripper’s thong, but actor Forth Richards (who plays
Ryan) makes for an engaging lead and a talent to watch.
OUT: NOW
WHERE THE WILD
THINGS ARE
You never know quite what
to expect from director Spike
Jonze. His take on Maurice
Sendak’s classic children’s
book, Where The Wild
Things Are, certainly divided
audiences. This is not an
action movie as such, and is
definitely a bit slow, long and arty for young audiences.
However, it remains both a visually stunning celebration of
childhood and a autumnal-hued lament to its passing.
OUT: 5 APRIL
CLANDESTINOS
What is it about the Spanish
and their melodrama?
Clandestinos is a slight but
engaging 80-minute feature
centred on wild child Xabi.
Desperate for a father figure
in his life, he finds himself
involved with Basqueseparatist
terrorist group ETA,
after falling in love with one of its headmen. The end result
is a gritty, absorbing piece of work, even if it all becomes
somewhat farcical in the final five minutes.
OUT: 19 APRIL
SHERLOCK HOLMES
Robert Downey Jr and
Jude Law star as Holmes
and Watson in director
Guy Ritchie’s big budget
and successful re-booting
of the detective franchise.
Full credit to the special
effects department in vividly
bringing Victorian London to
life, and to the two leads. Their chemistry and banter – as
a pithy, crime-busting duo – contribute significantly to the
enjoyment factor of this surprisingly action-packed and
enjoyable yarn.
OUT: 26 APRIL
REVIEWS: DAVID HUDSON AND JOHN O’CEALLAIGH

FILMS OUT IN APRIL
THE GHOST
KICKS
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF
ALICE CREED

PHOTOS © NOBBY CLARK
GOING PUBLIC
www.vaudeville-theatre.co.uk
PHOTO © TOBY DIXON PHOTO © CAROL ROSEGG
BOOK NOW
KRISTINA
English audiences can finally experience Swedish hit
Kristina when it hits the Royal Albert Hall for a one-off
show on 14 April. It’s another masterpiece by former ABBAmembers
Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who are not
only responsible – obviously – for all the songs in Mamma
Mia, but also the classic musical Chess. The Swedish version
(Kristina Från Duvemåla) had its premiere in 1995 and is
the most successful theatre-piece in the country’s history.
The lyrics have been translated into English by Ulvaeus in
collaboration with Herbert Kretzmer (Les Misérables) and
there’s a mixed Swedish/English cast - with ‘People’s Tenor’
Russell Watson as the main male singer. With 30 performers
and a 50-piece symphony orchestra, this is sure to be a
spectacular. Tickets cost £36-£47.50.
Box office: 0845 401 5045
www.kristinathemusical.com
THE WILLY RUSSELL
SEASON
The Menier Chocolate Factory
is to host revivals of Willy
Russell’s two most famous
plays; Educating Rita and
Shirley Valentine. Educating
Rita, about a working-class
hairdresser who wants to better herself through education,
was made world-famous through its 1983 film adaptation
starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. Shirley Valentine
was also been made into a BAFTA-winning film in 1989.
The play is a monologue by a housewife (here played by
Meera Syal) who is experiencing a mid-life crisis. The plays
run 26 March-8 May and cost £15-£25 (meal deals for £24-
£34). See both plays on either a Saturday or Sunday and
a get a £2.50 discount (not applicable to previews 26-28
March and only bookable by phone).
Box Office: 020 7907 7060 www.menierchocolatefactory.com
HOLDING THE MAN
Australian box-office hit
Holding the Man comes
to the Trafalgar Studios this
spring. It’s based on the
celebrated autobiography of
late Australian writer Timothy
Conigrave, which he finished
just before he died from an AIDS-related illness in 1994.
The play looks back on Conigrave’s life, and, in particular,
being young and gay in 1970s Melbourne. That’s where
he fell in the love with the football team’s captain at an
all-male Melbourne High School. This award-winning
stage adaptation was loved by both audiences when it first
opened in Sydney in 2007. It features the West End debut of
comic actress Jane Turner (writer and star of Kath and Kim).
It opens on 23 April and tickets cost £26-£44.
Box Office: 0844 871 7632 – www.holdingtheman.com

UPSTAIRS
DOWNSTAIRS
DAVID HUDSON REVIEWS
THE PRINCESS OF SHOREDITCH
76 Paul Street, EC2A 4NE
020 7729 9270 www.theprincessofshoreditch.com
Taken over early last year by business partners Scott Hunter
and Maria Larsen, the Princess of Shoreditch was
relaunched late last autumn as a high-end gastropub. Just
a stone’s throw from Old Street roundabout, the ground
floor of this historic corner pub now offers more of a bar/
brasserie feel. Ascend the wrought iron, spiral staircase and
you will find yourself in the first floor dining room, which is
a slightly more formal affair.
The décor offers moss-green walls, contrasted with small,
deep-red lampshades and retro glass chandeliers. There
are wooden floorboards and chairs, with crisp white linen
and silverware. Colour-tinted, giant black and white
photographs of turn-of-the-century Victorian ladies and
music hall performers add a bohemian feel in keeping with
the Shoreditch location. We were the only dining room
customers when we arrive at 7pm on a Wednesday evening,
although it did fill up as the evening progressed. It would
probably be sensible to book at weekends.
The menu is compact, with five starters and main courses
plus a daily special. I opted to start with a simple confit of
salmon with lemon and cucumber (£7). This came jumbled
within a watercress salad and dressed in a lemony-foam. It
was good, even if the foam-flecks did remind me of cuckoo
spit.
My companion went for pan-fried Shetland scallop with a
borlotti bean purée and Parma ham (£12), which he made
quick work of demolishing. I followed this with poached
DO THE STRAND
JOHN O’CEALLAIGH REVIEWS
BEDFORD & STRAND
1A Bedford Street, WC2E
020 7836 3033 www.bedford-strand.com
Nestling slap bang in the middle of London’s theatre land,
Covent Garden may be an agreeably atmospheric and
occasionally dramatic part of the city but anyone in need
of refuge from the tourists and tour groups that descend on
the area is advised to head below ground. Finding ourselves
in the locality but wishing to avoid the limited pre-theatre
menus of the numerous WC2 restaurants, we made our way
to the basement venue Bedford & Strand, inconspicuously
located a few minutes from Trafalgar Square.
Entering the surprisingly light and airy interior, Bedford &
Strand immediately makes a good impression. Well-worn
wooden flooring runs underfoot, while the venue’s simple
monochrome décor indicates its lack of pretension.
Bustling with after-work drinkers on the evening we visited,
we chose to sit behind the glass-topped partition that
divides the bar from the restaurant and set about studying
the menu of classic British and French dishes. To start,
we chose the fillet steak tartare with quail’s egg (£9.50)
and potted crab with sourdough toast (£7.50). Tasty, but
indistinct, the crab was pleasant without making any major
impression and paled in comparison to the steak tartare,
cod served on a baby gem lettuce with tomato dressing
(£15.50). The fish was excellent, but the baby gem couldn’t
decide whether it was supposed to be wilted, pan-fried or
crunchy. Under the dim lighting, it just looked a bit grey
and soggy, and I was left unconvinced by its addition to
the dish. My partner had slow-cooked pigeon breast with
truffle mash and wild mushrooms (£16.50) – the meat was
provocatively pink but remarkably tender. We shared a side
portion of red cabbage cooked with star anise (£3.50). We
finished the meal with a gooey, warm chocolate fondant
(£6) and a delightfully thick and solid vanilla crème brûlée
with gooseberry compote (£6).
The Princess of Shoreditch is a beautifully designed dining
space, and plenty of thought has been put into the menu.
If we had a criticism, then portions were a little bit on the
which was exceptional, the succulence of the meat enriched
further by the quail’s egg.
To follow, the braised rabbit with mustard (£14.50) arrived
on a cushion of fluffy mashed potato, while the sea bass
with lemon and thyme butter (£13.25) was served whole,
the head’s sunken eyes seemingly imploring me to order a
side of hand-cut chips (£3.50) to accompany it. Both dishes
were excellent but in this instance the fish triumphed.
Butter that had been liberally coated over it – limiting any
‘healthy-eating’ allusion the dish may originally have had
yet ensuring every morsel was beautifully seasoned and
fantastically tasty.
Despite the abundance of mains, side orders and drinks
Babbo
skimpy side. If you want a good stuffing, you might prefer to
eat in the ground floor bar. On leaving, I noticed customers
tucking into very generous plates of beer-battered fish
and chips (£12). If you want a more rarefied, intimate
atmosphere, head upstairs.
that had – by this time – accumulated on our table we did,
however, have something to gripe about. Our table was so
small that navigating our way around the dishes became
somewhat uncomfortable and we had to place our bottle
of water and other sundries on a nearby shelf. Quickly
noticed by our waitress, who was friendly and competent
throughout our meal, dishes were quickly removed and
we were able to move on to dessert. Somewhat too sweet,
the treacle tart (£5) was nonetheless enjoyable, while the
apple and almond tart (£5.50) was a satisfyingly crumbly,
fruity conclusion to an underground meal that generally
stood high above some of Covent Garden’s more predictable
offerings.

EATING OUT
OUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS AND
GAY-FRIENDLY DINING OPTIONS
CENTRAL
Aqua, fifth floor, 240 Regent
Street (entrance on Argyll
Street), W1. 020 7478 0540.
Big, signature restaurant from
Hong Kong’s Aqua group
– split into two halves; Spanish
themed Aqua Nueva and
Japanese-inspired Aqua Kyoto.
Around £40 per person. www.
aqua-london.com
Balans, 60 Old Compton Street,
W1. 020-7439 2183. The nearest
Soho has to a gay restaurant,
busy throughout the week and
open throughout the day and
night. Traditional British dishes
with Meditteranean and Asian
flourishes. Approx. £28 per head.
See also the nearby Balans Café
at 34 Old Compton Street. www.
balans.co.uk
Bocca di Lupo, 12 Archer
Street, W1. 020 7734 2223.
Gay-run, hugely-acclaimed,
upmarket Italian restaurant,
opened November 2008 and
running Monday-Saturday.
Approx. £29 per head. www.
boccadilupo.com
Bodeans, 10 Poland Street,
W1. 020-7287 0506. Cheap and
cheerful barbecue restaurant,
with counter service upstairs and
restaurant down below. Popular
with visiting Americans, plus the
odd bear from the nearby Kings
Arms! Branches also in Clapham,
Fulham and Westbourne Grove.
www.bodeansbbq.com
Cha Cha Moon, 15-21
Ganton Street, Soho, W1.
020 7297 9800. Very popular
noodle restaurant from Hong
Kong-born restaurateur Alan Yau
(Hakkasan). Great selection of
soup-based dishes, wok-fried
noodles and sides.
Ed’s Diner, 12 Moor Street, W1.
020 7434 4439. Delightfully
kitsch, American-style 50s diner,
at the Shaftesbury Avenue end
of Old Compton Street, great for
burgers and milkshakes. www.
edseasydiner.co.uk
First Out, 52 St Giles High
Street, WC2. 020-7240 8042.
Long-running, gay-run café
and bar, serving homemade
vegetarian dishes, coffee and
cakes. Lots of gay magazines,
community info and flyers.
www.firstoutcafebar.com
Floridita, 100 Wardour Street,
W1. 020-7314 4000. Large,
glamorous Cuban-themed
restaurant and bar, with regular
music acts and even occasional
drag. Approx. £36 per head.
www.floridita.co.uk
The Landau, Langham Hotel,
Portland Place, W1. 020 7965
0165. Grand and glamorous
hotel restaurant, offering a
pricey but imaginative modern
European menu. Approx. £60 per
head. www.thelandau.com
L’Autre Pied, 5-7 Blandford
Street, Marylebone Village, W1.
020 7486 9696. Chic, stylish,
upmarket restaurant from the
same team that created the
Michelin-starred Pied-à-Terre on
Charlotte Street. Approx. £40 per
head. www.lautrepied.co.uk
Profile, 84-85 Wardour Street,
Soho, W1. Daytime gay bar
and diner. Upmarket and smart
surroundings, with gorgeous
yellow leather banquettes.
Offering food and drink
from 11am till 11pm. www.
gaydarprofile.com
Ristorante Biagio, 189
Piccadilly, W1. 020-7434-1921.
Great, authentic Italian food
in contemporary and smart
surroundings, spread over four
floors. Approx. £32 per head.
www.ristorantebiagio.co.uk
Stef’s, 3 Berners Street, W1 020-
3073 1041. Huge, gay-friendly
Italian – formerly Linda’s Pasta
Bar on Poland Street – moved to
the other side of Oxford Street in
2007. Pizza and pasta heaven.
St Pancras Grand, Upper
Concourse, St Pancras
International, NW1. 020 7870
9900. Old-fashioned, art-deco
glamour at this stunning, all-day
restaurant from Searcys (who
also operate the neighbouring
Champagne Bar). Approx. £40
per head. www.searcys.co.uk
Wagamama, 10a Lexington
Street, Soho, W1. 020-7292
0990. Our favourite branch of
the noodle chain, offering cheap,
healthy Japanese delights!
£16 per head. Check website
for other branches - www.
wagamama.com
NORTH
Gilgamesh, Camden View,
Camden Stables Market, Chalk
Farm Road, NW1. Huge, ornate
and lavish pan-Asian restaurant
with one of London’s most
stunning interiors. Food good
rather than outstanding, but
worth a visit for the décor.
Cheaper at lunchtime than the
evening. www.gilgameshbar.com
La Porchetta, 141-142 Upper
Street, N1. 020-7288 2488.
Great value pizza and pasta
restaurant, with possibly some
of the biggest pizzas in London!
Sister branches in Finsbury Park
and Bloomsbury. Approx. £17
per head.
Little Bay, 228 Belsize Road,
NW6. Wonderfully down-toearth
and charming restaurant
serving Modern European
cuisine at very reasonable prices.
Excellent value for money.
Spotted Dick, 292 Caledonian
Road, Islington, N1. 020 7607
5577. Gay-friendly café/bar/
restaurant offering modern and
traditional British grub. Open
from breakfast till late. www.
spotted-dick.co.uk
EAST
Bistrotheque, 23-27 Wadeson
Street, Bethnal Green, E2.
Modern, contemporary, classy
restaurant with basement bar
and cabaret room, and fine
dining upstairs – modern British
cuisine and French bistro dishes
– approx. £35 per head. www.
bistrotheque.com
The Easton, 22 Easton Street,
WC1. 020-7278 7609. Cool
gastropub just off Exmouth
Market. Sunday lunch is packed
with Clerkenwell-istas and
the food is top notch. www.
theeaston.co.uk
Green and Red, 51 Bethnal
Green Road, E1. 020 7749 9670.
Fiesta-style restaurant with
Mexican food and a huge tequila
selection - with basement
bar and dancefloor area for
afterwards. www.greenred.co.uk
Kenza, 10a Devonshire Square,
EC2. 020-7929 5533. Delightful
and sumptuous subterranean
Middle Eastern restaurant a
stone’s throw from Liverpool
Street station. Arabic interior and
mezza menu – approx. £35 per
head. www.kenza-restaurant.co.uk
Les Trois Garcons, 1 Club Row,
Whitechapel, E1. 020-7613
1924. A former Victorian boozer,
stuffed with baroque decor
and antiques, creating a camp,
culinary haven near Old Street.
British/French menu. www.
loungelover.co.uk
The Luxe, 109 Commercial
Street, E1. 020 7101 1751. Large,
recently-opened Spitalfields
venture offering several dining
areas – including takeaway
kiosk, ground-floor café and fine
dining restaurant. It offers a wide
selection of classic British and
European dishes, and is great for
breakfast, lunch or dinner. www.
theluxe.co.uk
Saf, 152-154 Curtain Road,
Shoreditch, EC2. 020 7613
0007. A stylish and upmarket
vegan and raw food restaurant.
Approx. £24 per head. www.
safrestaurant.co.uk
The National Dining Rooms will – appropriately enough – be coming over all patriotic for
St George’s Day this month. Part of Oliver Peyton’s food empire, the Dining Rooms will be
offering a special menu in honour of England’s patron saint. On offer between 19-26 April, and
featuring locally sourced produce, dishes will include John Dory with marsh samphire, Beef
Wellington with Lincolnshire Poacher potato gratin, and rhubarb fool with butter biscuits. It
will cost £26.50 for two courses and £29.50 for three.
Fly the flag at the National Dining Rooms, The Sainsbury Wing, The National Gallery, Trafalgar
Square, WC2N 5DN. 020 7747 2525 www.thenationaldiningrooms.co.uk
Tinseltown, 44-46 St John
Street, Farringdon, EC1. Want a
double cheeseburger and Mars
Bar Milkshake at 5am? Then
24-hour, subterranean American
diner Tinseltown is the place to
head. Popular with late-night
clubbers – very near Fabric.
Cool when quiet but avoid if
there’s a queue for entry. www.
tinseltown.co.uk
Volupte, 7-9 Norwich Street,
EC4. 020 7831 1622. Trendy,
popular supper club offering
avant-garde cabaret and
burlesque performance. Approx.
£37 per head. www.voluptelounge.com
SOUTH
Bonnington Café, 11 Vauxhall
Grove, SW8. Cheap, cheerful
and very gay-friendly cooperatively
run vegetarian café
in Bonnington Square. Pig out
on three courses for £10! http://
s208303316.websitehome.co.uk
Donna Margherita
Restaurant, 183 Lavender
Hill, SW11. 020 7268 2660.
Traditional, Southern Italian
restaurant that’s very gay-friendly
– even offering a ‘Pizza Gay’ on its
menu! Pizzas from £5.90. www.
donna-margherita.com
El Panzon @ The Dogstar,
389 Coldharbour Lane, SW9.
Authentic Mexican and Tex-mex
restaurant and fantastic prices
in the trendy Dogstar bar. Don’t
miss the burritos or the taco
plate to share. Approx. £14 per
head. www.elpanzon.co.uk
The Loft, 67 Clapham High
Street, SW4. 020-7627 0792.
Upmarket and stylish restaurant,
bar and late-night haunt.
Classic British dishes and lots of
cocktails. Approx. £40 per head.
www.theloft-clapham.co.uk
The Riverside, 5 Hamilton
House, 5 St George Wharf,
Vauxhall, SW8. Great pub food
in upmarket, riverside gastropub
that boasts terrific views of the
Thames.
Roxy Bar and Screen,
128-132 Borough High
Street, SE1. 020 7407 4057.
London’s unique, gay-friendly
cinema restaurant. Free film
screenings – everything
from recent blockbusters to
arthouse documentaries. www.
roxybarandscreen.com
Royal Teas, 76 Royal Hill,
Greenwich, SE10. 020-8691
7240. Delightfully charming café
offering tea, scones, cakes and
other delights for an eclectic
crowd. Brit camp fabulousness.
www.royalteascafe.co.uk
Upstairs Bar and Restaurant,
89b Acre Lane, SW2. Hidden
gem and local secret. Critically
acclaimed, eclectic European
menu, with emphasis on French
cuisine. Limited choice but menu
changes daily. Open Tue-Sat.
www.upstairslondon.com
WEST
Balans Chiswick, 214 Chiswick
High Road, W4. 020 8742 1435.
Gay-friendly service and British
and Meditrerranean dishes.
www.balans.co.uk

PINK POLITICS: WHO
Andrew Pakes
IT’S WRONG TO
SAY THAT ALL
PARTIES ARE
THE SAME
ANDREW PAKES
INTERVIEWS: DAVID HUDSON

GETS YOUR VOTE?
David Gold
THE
CONSERVATIVE
PARTY HAS
CHANGED
DAVID GOLD

Jonathan Fryer
THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE
THE MOST ADVANCED POLICIES
ON LGBT ISSUES
JONATHAN FRYER

Christopher Warleigh-Lack
THE GREEN PARTY IS NOT ONLY
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT;
WE STAND FOR A FAIR SOCIETY
CHRISTOPHER
WARLEIGH-LACK

CLUBS>BARS>FASHION>GOSSIP>NEWS>TRENDS>SCENES>QUEENS>FACTS>
PHOTO © CHRISJEPSON/LONDONCLUBLAND.COM
PAGE 48-49
ROYAL VAUXHALL
TAVERN
Sundays at the RVT are
an institution, thanks to
S.L.A.G.S, Chill-Out and
fabulous dragster The
D.E. Experience...
PAGE 50
THE CAVE
The Ursus Planet boys
descend upon BarCode
Soho every Friday night
for some bear-sized
fun and hard dance
action...
SUPERMARTXÉ
PAGE 53
THE BLACK CAP
Where better to launch
this year's Drag Idol
competition than at
north London's cabaret
stalwart, the Black Cap?
...and it once again attracted some of the hottest guys in the city. This month's bash was a Japanese-inspired 'Samurai'
spectacular, with plenty of Geisha drag and Eastern-flavoured stage action. Check out our full review on page 44...

SUPERMARTXÉ SAMURAI
While the original Spanish Armada
of 1588 tried to invade us by force,
recent Iberian invaders – in the
form of clubbing mega brands
Matinée, SuperMartXé, Space et
al – have taken the more friendly
approach and are wooing us with
their superb house music and
super-hot boys.
We rocked up at The Coronet for the
latest SuperMartXé outing from ‘Logan
Presents’. The thing that makes Logan’s
parties stand out from the crowd is the
production, and this Samurai-themed
bash was no exception. The stage
was designed as a Japanese garden,
complete with waterfall, river, bridge
and staircases, while the auditorium was
festooned with lanterns. In a spectacle
worthy of the Beijing Olympics, a band
of some 20 performers opened the show
with Chinese acrobats, drag Geisha,
go-go Ninja and Samurai warriors with
flaming swords springing, jumping and
dancing across the stage, and for the next
five hours there was a constant parade of
showmen and go-go's. The crowd was
made up of a hot selection of sexy studs,
with (sadly) almost everyone unable to
afford a vest and going shirtless.
Music came courtesy of local talent Steve
Pitron, Tony English and Marlon Jones
with imported spice in the form of the
lovely Hugo Sanchez. Between them,
they offered a fine selection of cracking
house tunes.
SuperMartXé is still the mother of all
parties and we are almost wetting
ourselves with the excitement of Easters
‘Viva Las Vegas’ megabash at the Brixton
Academy. Time to dust off that showgirl
costume!

WORDS AND PHOTOS © CHRIS JEPSON/LONDONCLUBLAND.COM

The D.E. Experience
WORDS AND PHOTOS © CHRIS JEPSON/LONDONCLUBLAND.COM

S.L.A.G.S AND CHILL-OUT
Spring has sprung, and with the
sun high in a blue sky, we recently
trolled across the poof-packed
grassy knoll to the Royal Vauxhall
Tavern for the legendary Sunday
tea dance and gathering of the
South London Action Girls Society
(S.L.A.G.S.). As always, the venue was
packed to the rafters with homos paying
homage to the legend that is the D. E.
Experience. As if at a religious encounter,
they dutifully and exuberantly mouthed
back all the words as if scripted. As the
house lights dimmed and the stage
lights came up, D.E.’s antipodean twang
started ad-libbing to ‘Shower You With
Kisses’, a bejewelled mic appeared
through the red velvet tabs and we were
off on a rollercoaster of current affairs,
comedy, classics and club anthems. Her
twist on the week’s news (‘rent boy at
the Vatican scandal’) featured strongly,
brilliantly set off against a version of
Alanis Morissette’s ‘Ironic’. There was
also a special duet of ‘Something
Stupid’ with her partner in crime,
Simon Le Vans (who was celebrating
his birthday). Next up was part 2 of the
evening, the ‘Chill-out’ section, with
dance anthems and commercial house
from DJs Andy Almighty and Sean Sirrs.
Don’t forget that there will be extra
S.L.A.G.S and Chill-Out sessions over
the coming bank holidays, with an
extended party on Easter Sunday (4
April), followed by further anthems on
Monday 5 April.
www.rvt.org.uk

THE CAVE
Carving out a niche as the bar
for men, the Barcode group is
always full of hot and happy
homos, and with different
events on every night, both
in Vauxhall and Soho, there is
always something different
on the roster. We popped along
recently when Ursus Planet and
Barcode Soho presented The Cave,
a men-only dance party for bears,
cubs, muslcebears and all round
butch blokes. Hosted by Ursus, they
aim to support and promote the bear
community from within by providing
friendly, fun spaces for the entire
bear community to come together.
The crowd were a fun, funky diverse
bunch of hotties unafraid to take
their shirts off (which we love!).
Bournemouth-based DJ SiCub was
back by popular demand with his
soulful, funky, melodic house and
deep bass lines helping the packed
basement to find its groove. Clad
only in über tight shorts and pants,
butch and sexy go-go dancers
Roger and Ari provided hot visuals
before working the room with their
free Tequila shots, which helped to
lubricate the crowd. If you love to
dance, listen to great house music
and meet sexy guys then The Cave
is every Friday at Barcode Soho.
Barcode Soho, 3-4 Archer
Street, W1.
www.bar-code.co.uk
WORDS AND PHOTOS © CHRIS JEPSON/LONDONCLUBLAND.COM

SPEAKING IN TONGUES
WHEN IT CAME TO
READING BODY
LANGUAGE, WE WERE
BOTH SURPRISINGLY
LITERATE...
GET ON THE
GUEST LIST
This Easter Sunday (4
April) the DTPM crew
return to celebrate their
birthday at Paramount,
this time extending the
mayhem across two
floors. DJs for the night
include special guests
Dirty Vegas, plus regulars
Steve Thomas, Fat Tony
and Nick Tcherniak. Expect
DTPM’s cutting-edge
hi-octane sound laced
with panoramic views
of the city at this unique
penthouse venue.
DTPM’s birthday is this
Easter Sunday (4 April) at
Paramount, Centre Point,
101-103 New Oxford
Street, W1. Doors 10.30pm
till 6am and entry’s £18
in advance, more on the
door. www.dtpmevents.
co.uk
Perverted Beyond
returns to Area on
Saturday night/Sunday
morning 28 March
for another dazzling
instalment of late-night
theatricality. DJs for the
night see Milan’s latenight
guru Obi Baby join
London residents Steve
Pitron, Mikey D, Gonzalo
and friends in mixing up
Latin-infused dance beats
and deep progressive sexy
house vibes.
Perverted Beyond
(in conjunction with
Italian night Pervert) is
28 March at Area, Albert
Embankment, Vauxhall.
Doors are open from 6am
till 1pm and entry’s £12 in
advance.

THE BLACK CAP
Following in the footsteps of
television’s current penchant
for ‘search for a star’ style
programming, Drag Idol – the
nationwide search for cabaret/
drag artistes – is back. Now
in its sixth year, this annual talent
competition is open to all aspiring
performers. Heats are held across
the country for the next couple of
months and culminate in the final
here in London in the summer. The
launch night took place in early
March in north London’s Black
Cap, and a right star-studded and
glittering affair it was too! Hosted by
the fabulous Titti La Camp, a whole
drag bag of previous winners and
contestants trod the boards. Tanya
Hyde, 2008’s winner, sang a ditty
and popped back in a new frock
every 10 minutes. Duo CK (Crystal
d’Canter and Kelly Mild – runner
up and winner from four years
ago) gave us three numbers, while
Scottish slapper Scarlet Diamanté
shimmied her way through the
Eurythmics and Tina, amongst
others. Hostess Titti did three of her
fabulous numbers… Susan Boyle,
Wicked and the new 'Hallelujah' by
Alexandra Burke –complete with a
magnificent 12ft pair of wings! The
night again proved that London
has one of the best cabaret scenes
in the world. If you wanna be a
part of it, check 'Drag Idol 2010' on
Facebook and dust off that frock!
WORDS AND PHOTOS © CHRIS JEPSON/LONDONCLUBLAND.COM

HIGHLIGHTS
Francois Sagat
CIRCUS TURNS FOUR
Jodie Harsh’s acclaimed club night Circus returns to London this month. The team will
be celebrating the club’s fourth birthday party with an extra special extravaganza at the
gorgeous Paramount club – at the top of Centre Point (on the junction of Charing Cross
Road and Tottenham Court Road). Besides hostess Jodie and residents Scottee and Kris
Di Angelis, the very special guests for this birthday extravaganza will be r’n’b popster Mr
Hudson, famed model and actor Francois Sagat, and up’n’coming band Chew Lips.
Circus has proved a success since its first threw open its doors at the old Soho Revue
Bar four years ago. In that time it has often made the gossip columns with its unrivalled
selection of celebrity guests.
“We have welcomed Amy Winehouse, Roisin Murphy, Peaches and Ladyhawke to the decks.
We convinced Amanda Lepore to try entering the UK withaout being deported, Sam Sparro
to don drag and William Orbit to return to DJ’ing a decade after he stopped!”
The fourth birthday party looks sure to be another memorable night, with DJ sets from Mr
Hudson (‘Supernova’ and ‘Forever Young’) and Chew Lips, and a special performance from
one of the adult entertainment industry’s most recognizable figures; France’s Francois
Sagat.
Advance tickets cost £12 (www.ticketweb.co.uk or http://thisiscircus.com/), or £15
on the door. The party takes place Saturday 3 April from 10.30pm till 4.30am, at Paramount,
level 31, Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, WC1.
WIGOUT GOES
PUNK
We were sorry to hear that long-running trash pop
session WigOut recently closed its doors at East Bloc in
Shoreditch. Therefore, we were overjoyed to receive Gabriella the Cilmi
news from head honcho Tommy Turntables that the
night is due to return, and will be moving back to Soho
– the area that it successfully ran for many years at the
old Ghetto nightclub. Ghetto, of course, has now been
demolished, but WigOut will be back on Sunday 4 April at the awesome club Punk!”.
This fabulous venue on Soho Street (a few doors from The Edge) is one of central London’s
hippest and most stylish basement spaces, and the WigOut team are looking forward to
taking it over for a selection of bank holiday parties – the first night falls on Easter Sunday,
so most people won’t have to worry about rising for work the next morning. A good thing
too, as WigOut has a well-earned reputation for getting very merry and messy!
On the decks will be Lady Lloyd, Tommy Turntables and DJ P (pictured) plus some special
guests, spinning classic pop from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s – everything from Blondie
to Britney. Doors will be open from 10pm till 4am, and you’ll find Punk at 14 Soho
Street, W1. Check the ‘I Love WIG OUT @ Punk’ group on Facebook for updates
and the chance to get on the free guestlist.
FUSION FRENZY
Besides the weekly XXL parties down at the London Bridge Arches, the XXL crew also
promote the bank holiday Fusion bashes. The first Fusion of 2010 is scheduled to take
place on Easter Bank Holiday weekend, on Sunday 4 April. Continuing the night’s tradition
of showcasing some top DJ talent (with past guests including the like of Freemasons,
Wayne G and Moto Blanco), the guys promise that this Fusion will again boast another
big DJ exclusive – this time in the
shape of David Audé. Making his
UK debut, David – who is a favoured
remixer for Beyoncé and Lady Gaga
– is flying in especially from LA for
this gig. He’s also the man behind the
amazing remix of Kellis’ ‘Acapella’ and
a forthcoming Mary J Blige single. He
received a Grammy nomination this
year, and has scored 18 US Billboard
Chart hits. Check out more about him
at see http://www.daveaude.
com/epk/
He’ll be starring alongside Christian
M on the main floor, while other DJs
names are still to be revealed for the
other arches. For more information
and tickets, check www.xxllondon.com/fusion
XXL – the world’s biggest club for big
guys, bears, rugger buggers and their
many admirers – continues to pack
them in every Saturday night between the hours of 10pm and 6am. The smaller Wednesday
night gathering runs from 10pm till 3am. The team are also promoting new raunch session
Oink on Thursdays (www.cluboink.com). Another future date for your diary is Bear Pride,
which is scheduled to take place at the Arches between 28-31 May. We’ll bring you more
details next month.
XXL and Fusion at The Arches, 51-53 Southwark Street, SE1. www.xxl-london.com
CLUB QUEEN
The Easter bank holiday weekend is one of the biggest in London’s clubbing calendars.
Following the success of the last SuperMartxé, promoter Logan will be throwing another
huge bash – again taking over the Coronet in Elephant and Castle (28 New Kent Road,
SE1 6TJ). This event, taking
place on Saturday 3 April,
will mark the debut London
appearance from superstar
DJ and producer Offer
Nissim. Internationally
renowned for both his
dance releases (‘First Time’,
‘I’m In Love’ and ‘Alone’)
and his highly energetic
DJ performances, Offer
Nissim is one of the most
sought-after artists on the
gay party circuit. Offer
Nissim: Queen Of Clubs
will showcase Nissim,
plus Michael Mizrahi and
London’s own Paul Heron.
The event will be part of
the ‘London Full House
Weekend, which consist of
four mega-sized parties over
David Mills
Dave Audé
Offer Nissim
the Easter Bank Holiday. These will be Offer Nissim (Saturday Night), Beyond (Sunday
morning), SuperMartXé (Sunday night), and the return of As One (Monday morning).
Doors for Offer Nissim: Queen Of Clubs will be 10.30pm till 6am. Advance tickets
are available from all the usual outlets (Clone Zone, DV8, The Box, BarCode, www.
clubtickets.com and www.FULLHOUSEWEEKEND.com
Weekend passes allowing VIP entrance to all four events cost £75 and are available from the
above websites.
WORDS BY LOREM DELOREM | PHOTOGRAPH BY MAET IPSUM

PHOTO © CHRIS JEPSON
GOING
ONE MORE TIME
Following the success
of its debut outing on
New Year’s Day, mega
afterhours club As One
is set to return to London
this Easter – when it
will again unite six of
London’s biggest club
promotions. Taking place
at Fire in Vauxhall on
Monday 5 April (from
3am till 11am), the
clubs taking part in this 2,000-capacity Easter extravaganza include Lovechild, Logan
Presents, Orange, Lo-Profile, Megawoof and Trannyshack. DJs featured will
include Paul Heron, Alessandro, Mattias, Dusty O, Tasty Tim, Stewart Who? Phil Marriott,
Brent Nicholls, Paul Martin, The Oli, the Sharp Boys, Daz Saund and David Eph, amongst
many others. There will also be a special PA by diva Janis Kay, performing her storming
track ‘Feeling’s Getting Strong’, plus performances and animation by Chris Geary (www.
chrisgeary.com). DV8 will be taking care of the VIP Lounge.
Limited £15 early bird tickets are available from Barcode, Box, Clone Zone, DV8, Prowler,
and Chariots Vauxhall and also online from www.clubtickets.com . Ticket price will
increase closer to the event. There are also a limited number of full-house weekend
package passes costing £75, which will entitle you to entry to Offer Nassim, Beyond,
SuperMartXé and As One – check www.fullhouseweekend.com
www.AlexErfan.com
VENUES:
CENTRAL LONDON
79 CXR, 79 Charing Cross Road,
WC2. 020 7734 0769. Leicester
Square tube. Mon-Sat 1pm-3am,
Sun 1pm-10.30pm. Cover charge
after 11pm. Large, cruisy, late-night
bar - always busy after 10.30pm
with those who don’t want to head
home too early.
ADMIRAL DUNCAN, 54 Old
Compton Street, W1. 020 7437
5300. Leicester Square tube.
Friendly, famous, traditional gay
pub - just look out for the purple
and pink exterior!
BARCODE, 3-4 Archer Street,
W1. 020 7734 3342. www.
bar-code.co.uk. Piccadilly Circus
tube. Mon-Sat 4pm-1.30am. Sun
until 10.30pm. Dance bar on three
floors, with club-style basement.
Comedy Camp stand-up night
each Tuesday, and more danceoriented
sessions at weekends.
THE BOX, 32-34 Monmouth
Street, Seven Dials, WC2. 020
7240 5828. Leicester
Square tube. 11am-
11pm.
Stylish and award-winning gay café
bar popular with scene and muscle
queens. Frequent exhibitions on the
walls and great food.
CANDY BAR, 4 Carlisle Street, W1.
020 7494 4041. Tottenham Court
Road tube. Mon-Thu 5-11.30pm. Fri
& Sat 5pm-2am. Sun 5-11pm. Longrunning
and famed lesbian bar.
COMPTONS, 52 Old Compton
Street, W1. 020 7479 7961.
Leicester Square tube. Noon-11pm.
A Soho institution. Large, traditional
gay boozer on two floors, attracting
a butch and manly crowd. www.
comptons-of-soho.co.uk
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON,
77 Wardour Street, W1. 020 7439
1274. Piccadilly Circus tube.
Mon-Thu noon-11pm, Fri & Sat
noon-midnight, ‘til 10.30pm
on Sun. Traditional and fun gay
pub over two floors, attracting a
good cross-section from across
the scene.
THE EDGE, 11 Soho Square,
W1. 020 7439 1313. Tottenham
Court Road tube. Noon-1am, Sun
2pm-11.30pm. Stylish, hip gay bar
spread over four intimate floors,
with regular nights from top DJs,
regular piano bar and tasty food.
ESCAPE, 10a Brewer Street, W1.
020 7734 2626. Piccadilly Circus
tube. 5pm-3am. Cover charge after
11pm. Every night’s a party at this
late-night video dance bar.
FIRST OUT CAFÉ, 52 St Giles
High Street, WC2. 020 7240 8042.
Tottenham Court Road tube.
10am-11pm. Sun 10.30pm. Over
20 years old and still going strong.
Long-running community café bar.
FREEDOM, 66 Wardour Street,
W1. 020 7734 0071. Piccadilly
Circus tube. Opulent style bar, with
late-night club promotions for a
mixed, metrosexual crowd.
www.freedombarsoho.com
FRIENDLY SOCIETY, 79 Wardour
Street, WC1. Trendy and unique,
intimate basement bar with
quirky decor and fun atmosphere
– attracts a mixed crowd.
G-A-Y BAR, 30 Old Compton
Street, W1. 020 7494 2756.
Leicester Square tube. 12pm-
12am. Huge, poptastic gay bar,
with a multitude of video screens,
pop tunes and drinks promotions.
www.g-a-y.co.uk
G-A-Y LATE, 5 Goslett Yard,
off Charing Cross Road, WC2.
Tottenham Court Road tube.
11pm-3am. Late-night sister
venue to G-A-Y Bar – more video
screens, camp pop fun and cheap
drinks.Gets very busy most nights
of the week.
THE GREEN CARNATION, 4-5
Greek Street, Soho, W1. 020-7434
3323. Stylish, three-floored
late night gay venue, with
bar, dancefloor and nightly
promotions. Attracts a mixed
crowd. www.greencarnationsoho.
co.uk
HALFWAY TO HEAVEN,
7 Duncannon Street, WC2. 020
7321 2791. Charing Cross tube.
Mon-Thu noon-11pm, Fri & Sat
12pm-12am. Old-style gay pub
spread over two floors.
HEAVEN, The Arches, Villiers
Street, WC2. Charing Cross Road
tube. Huge, world-famous gay
club, which is now home to
G-A-Y, along with mixed/studenty
Monday nighter Popcorn. Check
www.g-a-y.co.uk for details
THE KINGS ARMS, 23 Poland
Street, W1. 020 7734 5907.
Oxford Circus tube. Mon-Thur
12pm–11pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-12am,
Sun 12pm-11.30pm. London’s bar
for bears and blokes. Traditional
atmosphere plus pool table.
Sunday night karaoke very popular.
KU BAR, 30 Lisle Street, Leicester
Square, WC2. 020 7437 4303.
Leicester Square tube. Large,
award-winning, upmarket gay
bar spread over three floors, open
till 3am daily and always busy
throughout the week. www.
ku-bar.co.uk
KU BAR SOHO, 25 Frith Street,
W1. Leicester Square tube. New,
smaller sister venue to Lisle Street
Ku Bar, with entrances on Old
Compton Street and Frith Street
- open till 11pm daily. The first floor
houses a Gay Tourist Office from
noon-6pm throughout the week
(www.gaytouristoffice.co.uk).
www.ku-bar.co.uk
KUDOS, 10 Adelaide Street, WC2.
020 7379 4573. Charing Cross
tube. 3pm-11pm, Sat noon-11pm,
Sun noon-10.30pm. Beautiful and
stylish café bar, with clubbier vibe
and video screens in the basement.
Popular with Asian crowd upstairs,
plus a basement women’s bar.
LO-PROFILE, The Basement,
84-85 Wardour Street, W1. Swanky,
sophisticated, 400-capacity
late-night
basement
bar and club space
– from the people that
bring you gaydar.co.uk. Open
10pm-4am on Fridays and
Saturdays. www.loprofile.com
LONG YANG CLUB, long-running
social group for East Asian gay
guys and friends. Regular parties
and social events. Check website
at www.lyclondon.com for full
details.
MADAME JO JO’S, 8-10 Brewer
Street, W1. Long-running, late
night gig venue, nightclub
and cabaret bar - open to very
mixed crowd. Home to popular
Wednesday nighter Trannyshack.
www.madamejojos.com.
MOLLY MOGG’S, 2 Old Compton
Street, W1. 020 7434 4294.
Tottenham Court Road tube. Small,
intimate little gay pub, with regular
drag shows attracting a mixed
crowd of theatre folk and tourists.
PENDULUM, 56 Frith Street, Soho,
W1. 0207 734 8300 . Tottenham
Court Road tube. Stylish, big gay
bar – spread over three floors,
BRIGHTON PRIDE FUNDRAISER
On Saturday 24 April, Pride and No Prejudice
events group, in association with Brighton and
Hove Pride, will be hosting Pride’s 18th ‘Bright and
Beautiful’ Birthday Party. The event will take place at
Bar 211 (adjacent to the Honey Club on the Kings
Road), between the hours of 8pm and midnight.
Tickets will cost £10 each, and all those attending will
be able to enjoy free entry to the Honey Club after the
party closes at midnight. You can expect a Champagne
reception, DJs, face painting, a ‘hypnogician’, plus drag
comedy from hostess Lady James. As the night will
be celebrating Pride’s 18th year, there will be a retro
theme to the evening – so expect plenty of classic
tunes. The suggested dress code is ‘Bright and Beautiful’.
The organisers want the night to reflect Pride’s aim
of uniting all strands of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender communities, and all money raised from
the evening will go to Brighton and Hove Pride.
Tickets are available now from Brighton Pride’s office
(6 Bartholomews, Brighton), Prowler Store (112
St James Street, Brighton) or Resident (28
Kensington Gardens, Brighton).

PHOTO © CHRIS JEPSON
pendulumsoho.co.uk
PROFILE, 84-84 Wardour Street,
W1. 020 734 3444. Piccadilly Circus
tube. Upstairs bar above Lo-Profile,
owned and run by the team behind
Gaydar. Stylish gay bar/diner,
open for food and drink from early
morning through till 11pm – when
the action moves downstairs.
www.profilesoho.com
THE QUEBEC, 12 Old Quebec
Street, WC1. 020-7629 6159.
Marble Arch tube. Long-running
and huge pub, on two floors,
attracting an older crowd. Open till
3am at weekends. Off the beaten
Soho track but well worth checking
out. www.thequebec.co.uk
THE QUEEN’S HEAD, 25 Tryon
Street, SW3. 020-7589 0262.
Sloane Square tube. Popular, very
long-running, cosy gay pub –a
Chelsea institution.
BOOTY DOUBLE BILL
The Bootylicious crew have two parties taking
place this month. Their regular Bootylicious
gathering will take place as usual on Saturday
17 April at Club Colosseum (1 Nine Elms Lane,
Vauxhall, SW8). The night will play host to the
annual Bootylicious Next Top Model contest.
Last year’s event proved a big hit, with 28
contestants battling it out to win a modelling
contract plus a free trip to New York. Expect this
year’s contest to be equally fierce. The night will
also play host to an early celebration of South
Africa’s Freedom Day in the Lounge area.
Bootylicious is dedicated to the best in urban
music, and offers three rooms of old-skool, slow jams, r’n’b, hiphop, dancehall, UK funky
and house. Admission is £10 before midnight and £12 after (with reductions for students
or those with flyers). www.bootylicious-club.co.uk
However, before that, the team will be throwing a Velvet Room Reunion bash
on Good Friday (2 April). Harking back to the Velvet Room’s 1999 heyday, expect a
soundtrack boasting everything from Shola Ama and Beverley Knight to Mary J Blige,
Snoop and Jay Z. This is a one-off collaboration between the people that brought you
Lowdown in Oxford Street (every Friday), Off The Hook at The Velvet Room and
Brandy Promotion’s De JaVu. Music will come from MC Tyron and DJs Sugarbear and
Biggy, plus guests. This is an over-21s event, with ticket prices £3-£8. Doors from 11pm-
4am at the Long Room, Club Colosseum (carpark entrance), Vauxhall, SW8. More
details from Lowdown@dircon.co.uk or via Facebook.
RETRO BAR, 2 George Court,
WC2. 020 7321 2811. Charing
Cross tube. Mon-Fri noon-11. Sat
5pm-11pm, Sun 5pm-11pm.
A traditional boozer for the gay
scene’s indie, alternative and
student-types – Tuesday’s pop quiz
is an institution.
RUPERT STREET, 50 Rupert
Street, W1. 020 7292 7141.
Piccadilly Circus tube. 12-11pm, Sun
10.30pm. Large, designer style bar,
popular with professional gay boyz
and post-work drinkers.
SHADOW LOUNGE, 5 Brewer
Street, W1. 020-7287 7988.
Piccadilly tube. Exclusive, gorgeous,
late-night bar and club for A-list
gays and celeb-spotters. Open from
late each evening.
www.theshadowlounge.com
SWEATBOX, 1-2 Ramillies
Street, Soho, W1. 020-3214 6014.
Exclusively gay gym (ground
floor) and sauna (first floor), with
occasional late-night parties. Open
Sun-Thurs noon-2am, and till
7am Friday and Saturday. www.
sweatboxsoho.com.
VAULT 139, 139 Whitfield Street,
W1. 020-7388 5500. Central,
daytime and evening intimate
cruise club, for a men-only crowd.
Open 4pm-1am seven days a
week. www.vault139.com
VILLAGE, 81 Wardour Street, W1.
020 7434 2124. Piccadilly Circus
tube. 12-1am, Sun 11.30pm. Late
night door charge. Soho’s original
gay café bar, spread over four floors,
and now with basement dancefloor
and discos. Popular with a youngish
crowd of boys and girls.
THE YARD, 57 Rupert Street, W1.
020 7437 2652. Piccadilly Circus
tube. Mon-Thur 4pm-11pm, Fri
& Sat 1pm-11pm, Sun 1pm-
1.10.30pm. Busy gay bar with
hugely popular courtyard area,
outdoor balcony and cosy loft bar.
TRAILER TRASH
RUMBLE
Trailer Trash returns
to the scene on Easter
Sunday (4 April) for a
special sixth birthday
bash at the spacious
Bocking Street
Warehouse, E8 3RL.
Yes, it’s now been half
a dozen years since
the Trailer Trash
team made their East
End debut, and they’ll
be celebrating with a
special ‘Rumble In The Jungle’, pitching noted East End
DJs against each other behind the decks. Look forward
to Hannah Holland vs Mikki Most, Joe & Will Ask vs Ian
Robinson, Per QX vs We’re Not Cool, Skull Juice vs Rokk,
and the Lovely JonJo vs Dan Beaumont. Ringside support
will come from Jonny Woo, A Man To Pet and Ma Butcher,
and the team tell us that they’ll even be building a
big boxing ring for all the action to take place and
encouraging crowd voting. The whole shebang will run
for ten hours, from 10pm till 6am, and is sure to attract
club kids and fashion freaks from far and wide. If you’re
looking for underground gay London, this is where it’s at!
Tickets cost £8 (limited early bird), £10 advance
or £12 on the night. Advance tickets are available
from ticketweb.co.uk and Dalston Superstore.
www.clubtrailertrash.com

PHOTO © CHRIS JEPSON
CENTRAL STATION,
37 Wharfdale Road, N1. Tel: 020
7278 3294. Kings Cross tube. Big,
late-opening gay bar on three
floors, with ground floor cabaret
and infamously cruisy cruise nights
in basement. Upstairs restaurant
offering gastropub menu, plus
B&B accommodation. www.
centralstation.co.uk
CLUB KALI, The Dome, 1
Dartmouth Park Hill, Tufnell Park,
N19. World’s biggest lesbian and
gay Southern Asian music night,
running every third Friday of the
month. Always busy and rather
unique. www.clubkali.com
700 1231. Intimate, King’s Cross
sleaze club – basically a basement
darkroom. Open Thur-Sat 9pm-
3am, Sun 3pm-1am. Take your
own booze. www.londonplaypit.
co.uk
SOUTH LONDON
AREA, 67-68 Albert Embankment,
SE1. Gorgeously-designed, hard
dance club and cabaret rooms, with
eclectic roster of different gay nights
and one-off promotions, including
Jason’s Jukebox on Thursdays,
and Friday nighter Onyx, amongst
others. www.areaclub.info
BARCODE VAUXHALL, Arch 69,
Albert Embankment, SE11. 0207
734 3342. Vauxhall tube. Open 7
days a week. Mon-Thu 4pm-1am,
Fri-Sun 4pm-4am. Very popular
club bar, with dancefloor and
mezzanine chill-out space - gets
busy at weekends.
CABLE, 33a Bermondsey Street,
SAUNAS
CHARIOTS WATERLOO
101 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, SE1.
020 7401 8484. Waterloo tube.
Well-presented, popular sauna,
open 24/7. www.gaysauna.co.uk
PLEASUREDROME
124 Cornwall Road, Waterloo, SE1.
Waterloo tube. Big venue Robert with
lots of different areas – open Owens 24
PROFILE/
LO-PROFILE
One of the more
unusual promotions
we’ve come across
on the scene over
recent weeks has
been Pyschic Sundays at Profile in Soho. This hip and
stylish bar and diner has established itself as a popular
Sunday hangout, with plenty of guys and gals popping in
for a spot of brunch or an afternoon cocktail. Now, every
first Sunday of the month, from 6pm-9pm, you can have
your cards read by a psychic tarot reader, courtesy of www.
mysteries.co.uk. He or she will aim to answer questions
pertinent to your life, and give concise and direct readings.
Simply turn up, put your name down, and await your
future. Readings are complimentary, and bear in mind that
there’s also a two-for-one happy hour between 5-7pm.
The psychic tarot will be reading his cards every second
Sunday of the month, so will be back at the bar on Sunday
11 April.
Profile Soho, 84-86 Wardour Street, W1F 0TQ.
www.profilesoho.com
hours, 365 days of year. www.
pleasuredrome.com
SAUNABAR PORTSEA
2 Portsea Place, Marble Arch, W2.
020 7402 3385. Marble Arch tube.
Small and friendly gay sauna with
masseurs. www.gaysaunabar.com
SAUNABAR COVENT GARDEN
29 Endell Street, Covent Garden,
WC2. 020 7836 2236. Covent
Garden tube. Basement sauna with
pool, sauna and rest rooms. Check
website for discount entry. www.
thesaunabar.co.uk
SWEATBOX SOHO
Ramillies House, 1-2 Ramillies
Street, Soho, W1. 020 3214 6014.
Oxford Circus tube. Gay-owned and
run gym and basement sauna.
www.sweatboxsoho.com
NORTH LONDON
THE BLACK CAP, 171 Camden
High Street, NW1. 020 7485 0538.
Camden Town tube. Shufflewick
Bar: Mon-Thu Noon-1am, Fri-Sat
12noon-2am, Sun Noon-10.30pm.
Club: Mon-Thu 10pm-2am, Fri-Sat
10pm-3am, Sun 10pm-1am. Longrunning,
famed gay pub – probably
the most famous cabaret pub in
London. www.theblackcap.com
EGG, 200 York Way, King’s Cross,
N7. 020 7609 8364. King’s Cross
tube. Bespoke club space on three
floors, hosting occasional gay club
nights and after-hours sessions
(mixed afterhours every Saturday
night/Sunday morning). www.
egglondon.net
THE GREEN, 74 Upper Street,
N1. 020-7226 8895. Angel tube.
London’s first ‘gay gay-stropub!’
Stylish, Islington bar, serving full
food menu and wide range of
cocktails. Mixed, chilled crowd
- now run by the same team as The
Edge in Soho.
KING EDWARD VI, 25 Bromfield
Street, N1. Tel: 020 7704 0745.
Angel tube. Sun-Thu 12noon-
12midnight, Thu 12noon-1am,
Fri-Sat 12noon-2am. Very
long-running gay pub, with ‘local’
atmosphere and character, plus
popular beer garden.
KW4, 77 Hampstead High Street,
NW3. 020-7435 5747. Large, cosy,
traditional old gay pub, with regular
entertainment, beer garden and
food. One of London’s longestrunning
gay establishments. www.
kw4.co.uk
THE LOAD OF HAY, 207 Pinner
Road, Watford, 01923-441113.
Watford’s only gay pub, with
big beer garden and regular
entertainment. www.loadofhay.
co.uk
THE OAK BAR, 79 Green Lanes,
N16. 020-7354 2791.
Manor House tube. Friendly,
diverse gay bar with late-night
club promotions, and open ‘til 3am
at weekends. Very popular with
lesbians and male friends. www.
oakbar.com
PLAYPIT, 357 Caledonian Road,
N7. Caledonian Road tube. 0333
SHADOW TURNS GOLD
The exclusive and decadent Shadow Lounge has had
a revamp of its weekly line-up of nights. The swanky
members bar offers a late-night haunt for London’s
discerning gay clientele, attracting a mixture of
professionals, celebrities, media types and A-gays.
Thursday nights now offer ‘Glitz and Glamour’, with DJ
Mark Bambach spinning the current chart and club hits
from 10pm till 3am. Admission is free before 11pm and
£5 after.
Fridays offer ‘Shadow Therapy’, with Kris Di Angelis and
Paul Heron spinning the tunes, alongside some special
guest appearances each month. It’s free before 11pm, then
£10 after.
DJ Andrew Elmore takes care of the tunes at Saturday’s
‘Shadow Inferno’, while Nick Mariano and his guests
take care of the professional choreography and dancing.
Admission is free before 11pm and then £10 after (and it’s
again open until 3am).
It’s free entry on Monday nights for ‘Shadow Couture’
with DJ Kevin, and 25% off all drinks for non-members
and 50% off for members. ‘Shadow Salon’ takes place
on Tuesdays, with £5 Bellini cocktails and free entry
before 11pm (£5 after). Finally, there’s ‘Shadow Boxer’
each Wednesday – a joint promotion with The Box bar in
Covent Garden. Anyone who visits The Box first will get a
wristband allowing them free entry to Shadow Lounge
and discount on bottled house Champagne. Andrew
Elmore will spin the retro sounds. Admission is free before
11pm and £5 after.
On top of this, Shadow Lounge will be celebrating its
birthday with two nights of parties on 23-25th March
(‘The Gold Party’), and it will also be open for extra hard
partying over the Easter weekend. It will stay open to the
later time of 5am on Thursday-Saturday 1-3 April, and will
also open on 4 April for a special Easter Sunday date. Catch
a special White Rabbit party with DJ Guy Williams on
Thursday 1 April, plus the return of Scandal on Sunday 4
April, with Salvation DJs and hostess Madam Alekssandra
Ceciliato.
For booth reservations & guest list email info@
theshadowlounge.co.uk
The Shadow Lounge, 5 Brewer Street, Soho, W1F 0RF.
www.theshadowlounge.co.uk

SE1 2EG. 020 7403 7730. London
Bridge tube. Huge, purpose-built
clubbing venue in railway arches.
Host to occasional one-offs and
monthly promotions such as
Matinee. www.cable-london.com
CLUB COLOSSEUM, 1 Nine
Elms Lane, Vauxhall, SW8. Huge,
late-night venue for after-hours
crowd – hosting various monthly
promotions.
THE EAGLE, 349 Kennington
Lane, SE11. 020 7793 0903. Mon,
Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 9pm-late,
Tue 9pm-2am, Sun 9pm-late.
Vauxhall tube. Large, club-bar
with nightly promotions. Tonker
(Fridays) and Horse Meat Disco
(Sundays) are particularly popular.
www.eaglelondon.com
EXILIO, Bar Rez, Club Colosseum,
1 Nine Elms Lane, SW8. Vauxhall
tube. Long-running, Friday night
gay Latin and salsa night. Open
11pm till 4am. www.exilio.co.uk
HORSE MEAT BLOODBATH
Joining forces for Easter, Vauxhall’s Horse Meat Disco
will be teaming up with East End club Disco Bloodbath
for a special “gang bangin’ Easter Love-In!”
The event will take place on Thursday 1 April (the
day before the Good Friday bank holiday) from 10pm
till 6am. For this special event, expect special guest
appearances from Canadian DJ duo Azari & III (‘Hungry
For ThePower’ and ‘Reckless With Your Love’) and Tim
Sweeney, who has been broadcasting his influential
Beats In Space radio show out of New York City for the
past ten years. One of the Big Apple’s most in-demand
DJs, the Horse Meat crew are very excited about his guest
slot at the club. They’ll be joining the resident DJs from
both HMD and Disco Bloodbath, including Jim Stanton,
James Hillard and Luke Howard.
The event is due to take place at a secret East End
warehouse, and at the time of going to press, already
had 600 confirmed guests on Facebook. Earlybird tickets
cost £10, while there will also be a limited number of
£15 advance tickets online and at Dalston Superstore
and the Eagle in Vauxhall. Check www.myspace.
com/horsemeatdiscolondon for more details, or the
Facebook groups for each club.
FACTORY, 65 Goding Street, SE11.
Stylish, railway arch Vauxhall venue,
hosting occasional dance and
cruise nights.
THE FORT, 131 Grange Road,
SE1. 020-7237 7742. Small cruise
club, open till 11pm throughout
week, with regular boots-only
and underwear parties. Check
website for full listings. www.
thefortlondon.com
FIRE, South Lambeth Road,
Vauxhall, SW8. Vauxhall tube.
Infamous, late-night gay venue
beneath the Vauxhall railway
arches, host to the likes of Orange,
A:M, Later and Juicy. Open
around the clock at weekends.
www.allthingsorange.com or
www.myspace.com/firelondon or
www.clubtickets.com
THE FRIDGE, Town Hall Parade,
Brixton, SW9. 020 7326 5100.
Brixton tube. Large and legendary
venue - formerly a theatre. Now
home to occasional gay club nights
such as Love Muscle. www.fridge.
co.uk and www.lovemusclexx.co.uk
THE GEORGE & DRAGON, 2
BlackheathHill, Greenwich, SE10.
020 8691 3764. Deptford Bridge
DLR. Mon-Thu 4pm-1am, Fri &
Sat 4pm-4am, Sun 4pm-2am.
Late-night pub with nightly
entertainment and cabaret. www.
gandd.org.uk
HIDDEN, 100 Tinworth Street,
SE11. Railway arch venue, home
to infamous Hard On night once
a month (www.hardonclub.co.uk),
and now also Megawoof (www.
megawoof.com) and popular urban
night Work on Wednesdays.
THE HOIST, Arch 47c, South
Lambeth Road, SW8. 020 7735
9972. 10pm-late. Door charge and
strict dress code. One of London’s
most famous dress-code and cruise
clubs - busy with a men-only
crowd. Open Friday-Sunday and
occasional Thursdays (SM Gays
every third Thursday of the month
- www.smgays.org). www.
thehoist.co.uk
JACKIE’S JUKEBOX, Rivoli
Ballroom, 350 Brockley Road,
SE4. First Saturday of the month,
7pm-midnight (£7). Gay ballroom
and Latin dancing night, attracting
up to 300 dancers a month to the
glam 1950s-style Rivoli Ballroom.
Crofton Park BR. www.therivoli.co.uk
KAZBAR, 50 Clapham High Street,
SW4. 020 7622 0070. Clapham
North tube. Mon-Thu 4pmmidnight,
Fri 4pm-1am, Sat noon-
1am, Sun noon-midnight. Clapham
video bar, popular throughout the
week, with DJs at weekends.
LITTLE APPLE, 98 Kennington
Lane, SE11. 020 7735 2039.
Kennnigton tube. Open 7 days a
week. Small, traditional gay boozer
for local gay boys and girls - open
till 1.30am Fri-Sat.
PARIS GYM
73 Goding Street, Vauxhall, SE11.
020 7735 8989. Vauxhall tube.
Huge, well-equipped men-only
gym with large, devoted following.
Regular classes. Tourists welcome.
Check website for entry details and
membership. www.parisgym.com
ROYAL VAUXHALL TAVERN,
372 Kennington Lane, SE11.
020 7840 0596. Opening times
vary. Vauxhall tube. Door Charge.
Huge, traditional and historic gay
pub, with long history of hosting
cabaret. Packed to rafters on
Saturday (Duckie) and Sunday
(S.L.A.G.S/Chill-Out). Check
www.rvt.org.uk or the facebook
group RV Taverners for information.
THE STAG, 15 Bressenden Place,
SW1. 020 7828 7287. Victoria
tube. Mon & Tue midday-midnight,
Wed-Fri midday-2am, Sat 5pm-
2am, Sun 4pm-midnight. Dark and
atmospheric gay bar in Victoria,
with occasional cabaret and DJs
at weekends, and now an upstairs
theatre space.
286, 286 Lewisham High Street,
SE14. 020-8690 7648. Large, lateopening
gay venue, with regular
entertainment, DJs and cabaret.
Open till 2am Sun-Thur and 4am
Fri-Sat. www.two8six.co.uk
THE TRAFALGAR ARMS,
148 Tooting High Street, SW17.
020-8767 6059. A spacious, lively,
attitude-free pub. Excellent food
served all day. Weekly DJs on Friday
and Saturday nights. Karaoke on
Wednesdays.
THE TWO BREWERS,
114 Clapham High Street, SW4.
020 7819 9539. Clapham Common
tube. Mon-Thu 5pm-2am, Fri & Sat
5pm-4am. South London’s most
famed gay cabaret venue. Large
bar and separate dancefloor room.
An institution for over 20 years.
www.the2brewers.com
UNION, 66 Albert Embankment,
A BIT OF DICK
Those with a taste
for the underground
will be marking
Saturday 10 April
down in their diaries,
for that is the date
that occasional East
End club night Dick
& Fanny returns
to The Star Of
Bethnal Green. This will be the third instalment of “the
quarterly club night for homosexuals of all persuasions”,
following another successful date last January. The night
will feature guest appearances from New York’s Lauren
Flax (who has worked with Fischerspooner, Sia and Zero
7), France’s Jerry Bouthier (Boombox/Kitsune), Polanski
(Hunted/NYC Downlow) and the fabulously-named Gay
For Disco! Between them, expect an eclectic selection of
classic house and techno, Italo house, hi nrg and disco
for a mixed crowd of “dykes, fags, trannies and their
admirers” (Dick and Fanny, geddit?).
Dick & Fanny will run Saturday 10 April from 9pm till
3am at the Star of Bethnal Green, 359 Bethnal Green
Road, E2 6LG. Admission will be £5. Check the Facebook
group ‘Dick And Fanny’ for further details.
SE1. 020-7793 9262. Cruisy
dance club which hosts regular
promotions. Plays areas and hot
go-go’s. www.clubunion.co.uk and
www.ma1.co.uk
XXL, The Arches, 51-53 Southwark
Street, SE1. www.xxl-london.
com. London Bridge tube. Huge
world-famous club for bears, big
men and admirers, on Saturday
and Wednesday. Pulls in 1,000+
customers each Saturday with
uplifting dance anthems and
occasional guest DJs.
SAUNAS
CHARIOTS STREATHAM
292 Streatham High Road, SW16.
020 8696 0929. Streatham station.
Large sauna, with weekly theme
nights (bears, men of colour, etc).
www.gaysauna.co.uk
CHARIOTS VAUXHALL
63-64 Albert Embankment,
Vauxhall, SE1. 020 7247 5333.
Vauxhall tube. Large, modern
sauna in converted railway arch.
www.gaysauna.co.uk
RAPIDO’S AMSTERDAM EASTER XL
Following some storming parties in London last year,
international circuit party Rapido returns on Monday
5 April 2010 (Bank Holiday Monday) for a super-sized
bash at Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam. Kicking off
in the afternoon at 3pm, and running until 4am the next
morning, this hedonistic dance frenzy will feature DJs
Rosabel (otherwise known as Ralphi Rosario and Abel),
Giangi Cappai and London scene stalwart Pagano. There
will also be a special performace from singer Kristine W.
The event will be followed by an afterparty from 3-10am
at the Exit club, again featuring Pagano behind the decks.
This massive Rapido XL party is definitely worth
travelling for if you fancy escaping to Amsterdam for
your Easter weekend. Early bird tickets are available from
the website for €32. You can also check the website for
video clips, giving you a good idea of exactly what to
expect. www.clubrapido.com

THE LOCKER ROOM
8 Cleaver Street, Kennington,
SE11. 020 7735 6064. Kennington
tube. Long-running, intimate
gay-owned and run sauna. www.
the-lockerroom.co.uk
STEAMWORKS
309 New Cross Road, New Cross,
SE14. 020 8694 0606. New
Cross/New Cross Gate station.
Small, long-running establishment.
www.steamworkslondon.co.uk
EAST LONDON
THE ANGEL, 21 Church Street,
E15. Tel: 020 8555 1148. Stratford
BR and tube. Big gay pub, always
popular at weekends, with regular
cabaret, DJs and disco nights.
GAY LICK, Club Lick, 58 Hoe
Street, E17. Walthamstow tube.
Twice-monthly gay promotion at
a cruisy club space. Every first and
third Friday from 9pm-4am. Entry
£4 before midnight and £7 after.
www.gaylicke17.co.uk
THE JOINERS ARMS, 116
Hackney Road, E2. Tel: 020 7739
9854. Debauched decadence
– old-skool boozer popular with
post-club crowd at weekends. Gets
busy later in the evenings.
KINGS HEAD, 11 Church
Street, E15. Tel: 020 8534 0197
Stratford BR and tube. Intimate
and welcoming East End gay pub
– regular cabaret. Open till late
throughout the week.
www.theculvert.com
ESCAPE, 184 London Road,
Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, KT2.
020 8549 9911. Revamped, longrunning
gay club open Wednesday-
Sunday. www.therclub.co.uk
THE HOPE & ANCHOR, 20
Macbeth Street, Hammersmith,
W6. (020 8748 1873). New
gay pub for Hammersmith and
Chiswick. Traditional boozer with
nightly entertainment – open
noon-11pm throughout week,
with popular karaoke at weekends.
INFINITY, 294 Old Brompton
Road, SW5. 020 7370 3494.
Earls Court tube. Big gay pub
and disco, formerly Bromptons.
Open late throughout the week,
with weekend cabaret. www.
infinityclubs.com
THE RICHMOND ARMS, 20
The Square, off Princes Street,
Richmond. 020-8940 2118. Longrunning,
traditional gay pub, with
regular cabaret and entertainment.
One of gay London’s better locals.
TED’S PLACE, 305a North End
Road, West Brompton, W14. 0207
385 9359. Earls Court or West
Brompton tube. Mon-Fri from 7pmlate,
closed Sat & Sun. Small, West
London cruise club. Dark and sleazy.
www.tedsplaceuk.co.uk
WEST 5, Popes Lane, South
Ealing, W5. 020-8579 3266. Large,
popular gay pub with Piano Room
and cabaret bar, open till late at
weekends with entertainment
and DJs. Attracts a big local crowd
- particularly at weekends.
www.west5ealing.com
WINDSOR CASTLE, 152 Bath
Road, Hounslow, TW3. 0208577
6590. Large, local gay pub with
regular cabaret and entertainment
throughout the week. www.
winz.co.uk
TO UPDATE LISTINGS, PLEASE
SEND INFORMATION TO
EDITORIAL@OUTMAG.CO.UK
THE BACKSTREET, Wentworth
Mews, off Burdett Road, E3.
020-8980 8557. Over 25 years
old – small but legendary East
End dress code leather club, open
Thur-Sun. Very strict rubber and
leather dresscode, ensuring a
wide and loyal following. www.
thebackstreet.com
BISTROTHEQUE, 23-27 Wadeson
St, E2. Tel: 020 8983 7900.
Bethnal Green tube. Very mixed,
gay/straight crowd of trendy
metrosexuals. Great bar, restaurant,
plus separate cabaret room. www.
bistrotheque.com
CHARLIE’S BAR, 124 Globe
Road, E1. Tel: 020 7790 1007.
Whitechapel tube. Recently
refurbished, Moroccan style
– friendly, local gay bar.
DALSTON SUPERSTORE, 117
Kingsland High Street, E8. 020
7254 2273. Highbury & Islington
tube. New, two-floor mixed
gay-straight venue - café by day
and fashionable performance
space and club promotions at
night. Open noon-2am seven days
a week.
DANDY BOYS, Visage, 442
Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill, IG2.
020 8554 003. www.Visage80sBar.
co.uk. Gay club night running
every Wednesday night at a fab
80s-themed venue. Open 8pm-
1am. Regular entertainment. Email
DandyBoysClub@googlemail.com
EASTERN BLOC, 58 Old Street,
EC1. 020-7287 3726. Trend-setting
gay club venue, spread over two
floors. Bar upstairs with small
dancefloor, and grond floor dance
space. Regular promotions at
weekends.
THE OLD SHIP, 17 Barnes
Street, E14. Tel: 020 7790 4082.
Limehouse DLR. Small, local,
traditional gay pub, with regular
cabaret - five minutes’ walk from
BJ’s White Swan (see below).
BJ’s WHITE SWAN,
556 Commercial Road, E1. Tel: 020
7780 9870. Limehouse DLR. A
large, legendary, long-running gay
pub and club, open throughout
the week. Wednesday’s Amateur
Strip is an institution. www.
bjswhiteswan.com
SAUNAS
CHARIOTS LIMEHOUSE
574 Commercial Road, E14. 020
7791 2808. Limehouse rail station.
Multi-level, well-established
sauna. Themed parties such as
‘Big and chunky’ each Monday
evening, amongst others. www.
gaysauna.co.uk
CHARIOTS SHOREDITCH
1 Fairchild Street, Shoreditch, EC2.
020 7247 5333. Liverpool Street
station. Biggest gay sauna in UK,
with a maze of rest rooms. www.
gaysauna.co.uk
E15 CLUB
6 Leytonstone Road, Stratford, E15.
020 8555 5455. Stratford tube.
Deceptively large sauna behind a
discreet facade. www.londonnoise.
com/e15
WEST LONDON
THE CULVERT, 54 Cowley Mill
Road, Uxbridge. 01895 256 690.
Uxbridge tube. Mon-Wed 4pm-1am,
Thu noon-2am, Fri & Sat noon-3am,
Sun 3pm-1am. Regular discos,
cabaret, karaoke and one-off events.
Established, local gay venue.
LUCAS AND WESTWOOD FOR RVT
Matt Lucas
It’s been confirmed that Little Britain star Matt
Lucas and iconic fashion designer Vivienne
Westwood are to grace the stage of London’s
famed Royal Vauxhall Tavern. They will be the
guests of comic Scott Capurro, who is returning
to the venue for another run of his on-stage chat
show, Scott Capurro’s Position.
Following a successful run last year – which
included such guests as Graham Norton, Julian
Clary and Ken Livingstone – Scott’s new series of
shows will kick off on Thursday 1 April 2010, and
will run each Thursday through until to 6 May.
Scott will mix up stand-up and music with live
interviews of some household names. Confirmed
appearances include Matt Lucas (1 April),
politician George Galloway and actor Russell Tovey (8 April), Jane Turner (from
Kath & Kim) and Dame Vivienne Westwood (15 April), Ivan Massow and Nicholas
de Jongh (22 April), Brit Ekland and Victor Spinetti (29 April) and Jimmy Carr
and Stephen Merchant (6 May), amongst others.
All the shows are sure to be popular, so if you wish to attend, you’d be wise to book
tickets in advance. These cost £9 and can be obtained by calling 020 7820 1222.
Other special RVT events to keep an eye out for in April include the bank holiday
S.L.A.G.S and Chill-Out sessions. You’ll find the Sunday night institution open until
the later time of 2am on Sunday 4 April, and back again for an extra session on Monday
5 April (2pm till midnight). Get there early to take advantage of the Spring Drinks offers
- £2 for a pint of beer and £2 for vodka and a mixer between 2-4.30pm each Sunday.
There’s the Fitter London’s Lolalicious Charity Ball on Wednesday 7 April – a
special event to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Research and St Luke’s Hospice
featuring DJ Ant Nichols and performances from Dame Doreen Cumquick and Miss Lola
(LaLa) Lambrini (tickets £5).
Dr Sketchy’s art masterclass returns on Wednesday 14 April, with burlesque life
models adding a rather saucy edge to a comical evening. There’s more burlesque on
Wednesday 21 April, when ‘Twisted Cabaret’ comes to the venue as part of the
London Burlesque Festival. The event will be hosted by Dusty Limits, and will feature
appearances from Empress Stah, Hedo Luxe, Lexi Sexx and VJ Spankie, amongst others.
Wednesdays in April are rounded off with another special fundraising evening – the
‘Hands Of Our Homes’ show will be a Crown Estate Tenants Legal Funds Benefit night,
and will feature jazz entertainment from the legendary Barb Jungr, alongside Sarah
Moule, Eve Ferrett, Roddy Matthew and Ben Bowling. Friday nights at the venue offer
The Magic Faraway Travel Agency (Friday 2 April – early slot) and Fire Island
(Friday 2 April – late slot), Kimono Krush (9 April) and Splosh-A-Rama (16 April).
Finally, the next instalment of the quarterly Queer Question Time will take place on
Friday 30 April. Following the packed house and controversy when QQT last took place
(when journalist Julie Bindel appeared in January), expect more heated debate and
discussion with host Stewart Who? and a panel of “opinonated politicians, journalists and
scenesters.” Anyone wanting to submit a question for the panel can email them now to
askqqt@gmail.com
www.royalvauxhalltavern.co.uk

THE NAZ STEPS UP
SERVICES OFFERED BY NAZ PROJECT
LONDON INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Portu-Gays is a new peer support group for Portuguese
speaking men who have sex with men. As part of our
Naz Vidas prevention programme, the group provides much
needed accessible support and health care referral to an
underserved community. Portu-Gays has a membership
of over 50 men and is fast becoming a key focal point for
Portuguese speaking MSM in London.
South Asian and Middle Eastern MSM work has grown
significantly in 2009 with one-to-one case work, two peer
support groups, nightclub outreach sessions, presentations
and workshops, counselling and sexual health screening
referrals. NPL’s presence in the London Pride Parade 2009
saw a strong visibility of South Asian and Middle Eastern
MSM taking part. Many service users were participating
for the first time and required support from their peers in
order to gain the confidence to face the internalised fear
they held which prevented them from attending previous
Prides festivals.
Grupo Amigos is a long-established monthly support
group for Spanish-speaking MSM (from both Latin America
and mainland Spain), and is a part of the Naz Latina project
at NPL. As well as the group, there are regular Nightclub
outreach sessions, case work and workshops.
The Monya Project was set up to provide prevention
services for African men who have sex with men.
Successful partnerships to date, include UK Lesbian and
Gay Immigration Group and The Metropolitan Community
Church.
The Catalyst Project is an exciting new peer education
programme that focuses on improving and assisting in
the sexual health and personal development of young
black men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 18-30 in
Greater London. A main component of the programme is an
accredited training course, which consists of three taught
modules that cover sexual health, social, cultural, and
identity issues of young black MSM. In addition, a fourth
module allows programme participants to gain credits
while leading on projects and interventions that deliver
culturally competent sexual health, anti-stigma and same
sex affirming messages to their peers.
For more details about the Naz Project London, and the
groups and services that it offers, check www.naz.org.uk
Naz Project London, 30 Blacks Road, London, W6 9DT.
020 8741 1879.

GAY OUTINGS
Gay Outings is a group for
gay men who want to meet
new people and socialise
away from the traditional
gay scene. It’s primarily a
dining society and arranges
meetings in both London
and Brighton, and members
are welcome to go to events
in both cities. It also offers
social get-togethers such
as cinema visits and picnics.
Subscription costs £20, and
you are welcome to visit an
event before joining.
www.gayoutings.co.uk
GROUPS//ORGS
Albert Kennedy Trust: 020
7831 6562 (London). Housing
advice for under 21s.
Antidote: 020 7437 3523.
Counselling, Thursday drop-in,
complementary therapies
around alcohol and drug issues.
BKY - Alternative Jewish
Community: www.bkylondon.
org.uk
Croydon Area Gay Society:
Friendly social group in Croydon.
020 8645 0943 - www.cags.org
ELOP: 020 8509 3898. Support
and community events in
Walthamstow. Youth, advice,
counselling and groups.
Gay and Lesbian Humanist
Association, (GALHA): 01926
858450, www.galha.org.
Outrage!: 020 8240 0222.
Political campaiging group.
Islington LGB Forum:
Rachael: 07989 747824. An
initiative between local police,
the council and victim support.
Jewish Gay and Lesbian
Group: 020 8952 0137.
Kairos: 020 7437 6063, www.
kairosinsoho.org.uk. Soho project
promoting health and wellbeing
among LGBT community.
Lesbian Gay Christian
Movement: 020 7739 1249,
lgcm@lgcm.org.uk/www.lgcm.
org.uk.
Lesbian & Gay Immigration
Group: www.uklgig.org.uk
– 020 7922 7811. Every Mon
2-6.30pm, Tue 10am-5pm
and Wed/Thur 10am-1.30pm.
Helpline and meetings.
LGBT Choir: 07980 023578. Call
Michael for more information.
London Friend: 020 7837
3337. Groups in Islington.
Quaker London Lesbian &
Gay Fellowship: Religious
group – 020 8675 6740.
Metro Centre: 020 8265 3311,
www.metrocentreonline.org.
Greenwich-based LGBT support.
Mosaic: 0800 0433 411. www.
mosaicyouth.org.uk. Youth group
based in Brent.
One-Up: LGBT under-18 youth
group, meets every Monday
4-7pm (based in Hendon - North
West London) - contact Theresa
(PACE) 07504226793 (mobile).
OutZone: London-based social
and support group for gay and
bisexual young men under
25. Every Friday 6.30-9.30pm
- info@outzone.org - www.
outzone.org
PACE: 020 7700 1323.
Counselling and support groups.
Quest LGB Catholics: 0808
808 0234.
Regard: Regard, BM REGARD,
London WC1N 3XX, secretary@
regard.org.uk/www.regard.org.
uk. Disabled LGBT group.
Step Out Tower Hamlets:
Social & support group for LGBT
and questioning young people.
5-8pm Tues 079 4633 7160
South London Gays: 020 8672
5268/020 8674 5191.
www.slago.org.uk/slg. Friendly
social group.
Stonewall: 020 7593 1850.
Campaign group for LGBT rights.
HATE CRIME
Gay Police Association:
Action Line 07092 700 000
(24hrs), info@gpa.police.uk.
Galop: 020 7704 2040. www.
galop.org.uk. Advice and support
for victims of hate crime.
HIV//AIDS
Crusaid: 020 7539 3880,
www.crusaid.org.uk.
GMFA: 020 7738 6872. Gay
men’s health charity.
National AIDS Trust: 020 7814
6767, www.nat.org.uk.
Terence Higgins Trust: 020-
78121777. Counselling Services.
SPORTS
Cruisers basketball: 020 8960
0750 (Debbie)/ 020 7582 7009,
www.cruisers.org.uk (Jordi).
Mixed basketball.
Frontrunners: 07092 346340,
www.londonfrontrunners.org.
Gay running group.
Goslings Swimming: 07814
258 055. Gay social swimming
group, Thur 8.30pm-9.30pm.
www.goslingssportsclub.com
Grace’s Cricket Club: The
THE LONDON SPIKERS
Volleyball is a team sport that can be played throughout the year, both indoors and
outdoors. The London Spikers are open to both options, playing the indoor season at
Bethnal Green Sports Centre (September to April) and the outdoors in Hyde Park (May to
August). Founded in 1994, they are UK’s first volleyball club for gay men. They welcome
players of all ages and experience levels, from complete beginners to premiership level.
Don’t get scared away by the fact that the London Spikers are one of the best teams in the
Premier Division in London, having won the league as recently as two years ago (they are
also among the favourites to win this year) – the club has something for you, whatever
your skill level. Being based in Shoreditch, it also offers you the opportunity to experience
the rich culture of east London and, with more than ten nationalities represented amongst
its membership, the club boast a truly international flavour. The outdoor season starts in
May and the LSVC will hold free sessions in Hyde Park near Speaker’s Corner. Being open to
everyone makes it a perfect occasion for you to try it out! www.londonspikers.org
world’s only gay cricket club!
www.gaycricket.org.uk or 020
8376 0630.
Irons: www.ironsgolf.org.uk .
Gay golfing, events for all levels.
King’s Cross Steelers Rugby
Football Club: 07090 421 367,
www.kxsrfc.com. Gay men’s rugby.
London Amateur Wrestling:
www.law-wrestling.org
The London Royals Hockey
Team: Mixed hockey for all
levels. www.pinkhockey.com
or email iainkimmins115@
hotmail.com
Out to Swim: 07090 422
526, www.outtoswim.org. Gay
swimming group.
London Raiders: Gay and
lesbian softball club – both
beginners and experienced
players welcome. www.
londonraiders.com
Stonewall Football Club:
07090 422 390. Sunday soccer.
HELPLINES
Broken Rainbow: LGBT
Domestic Violence Helpline.
08452 60 44 60 (Mon and Thurs,
2-8pm/Weds, 10am-1pm).
www.broken-rainbow.org.uk.
Dazz-elle: 020 8257 3068.
London drug/alcohol support.
London Lesbian & Gay
Switchboard: 020 7837 7324
London Friend: 020 7837
3337. Counselling service.
PACE: 0808 1807 223. Helpline
open Monday 9.30am-12.30pm
and Thursday 6.30-8.30pm,
offering structured telephone
counselling or 30-minute
counseling sessions. Or email
pacehelpline@pacehealth.org.uk
POSITIVELINE: 0800-1696806.
HIV info and counselling
(weekdays: 11am-10pm and
weekends: 4pm -10pm). www.
eddiesurmantrust.org.uk
Stonewall Housing Advice:
020 7359 5767.
Stonewall infoline:
Information on all LGB rights
WANT TO GET LISTED?
Please send listings to
editorial@outmag.co.uk
PHOTO © JOHANNA WARD
EVENT FOR STONEWALL
Following the success of a
similar such event in 2009, party
organiser Tom Winchester is
to host a swanky fundraiser at
the Paramount Club in aid of
Stonewall’s ‘Education for All’
campaign – an initiative targeting
homophobic bullying in schools.
The Paramount Club is situated at
the top of the Centre Point Tower
(Tottenham Court Road, WC1)
and offers 360-degree views of
London. It’s not an overstatement
to describe it as one of the
capital’s hottest private clubs. An
exclusive evening cocktails and
dancing, with music from some of
London’s coolest DJs, is promised.
There will also be a charity raffle
later in the evening (details will
be announced on the event’s
website). Last year’s party was
hosted by Stephen Fry and raised
over £10,000, which helped to
finance Stonewall’s ongoing
strive to eliminate of homophobic
bullying in British schools. Tickets
cost £25 and can be purchased
on the website. The organisers are
also happy to receive donations
even if you are not able to join the
party. The simply titled ‘Event For
Stonewall’ takes place on Friday
23 April from 8pm till 2am.
www.event4stonewall.co.uk

NEWS FLASHES
UK NEWS
CHURCH CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS BAN LIFTED
In a bill reading held 2 March, Stonewall’s latest amendment
to the Equality Bill – to permit civil partnerships to be held
in religious premises – was passed in the House of Lords by
95 votes to 21. Lord Alli tabled the amendment for Stonewall
and peers across parties supported the measure, including
Norman Fowler, former chairman of the Conservative Party.
For faith groups willing to hold civil partnership ceremonies
at their religious premises – including Quakers and Liberal
Jews – this amendment is an important step towards
realising that goal. The bill now clears the way for civil
partnership ceremonies to take place in such places of
worship, although it does not compel any faith group to host
such ceremonies if that group chooses not to do so.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall expressed
delight at the passing of the amendment. However, he was
critical of the Government’s opposition to the amendment.
“Sadly, the Government continued to oppose the amendment
although offered its backbenchers a free vote after the
Conservative Party had offered the same. Ministers have
known for some months that we intended to table this
measure and we regret that the Government didn’t stand up
to the bullying it had faced from both the Church of England
and the Roman Catholic Church on this issue.”
JASON WOOD:
1972-2010
The openly gay comic and
TV personality Jason Wood
passed away on the evening
of Saturday 20 February. He
was aged just 38. It’s believed
that he died in his sleep. In
a statement, his agent said
that there were no suspicious
circumstances surrounding his
death, but that an autopsy still
had to take place to determine the precise cause.
His passing has come as a shock to his fans and all who knew
him. Wood began his entertainment career on London’s gay
cabaret circuit as drag queen Cher Travesty, before dropping
the drag and re-launching himself as a stand-up comic.
He performed on many occasions at the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival, eventually carving out regular appearances on
the comedy circuit both in the UK and abroad, and making
numerous television appearances. His most high-profile
showcase was as one of the contestants on the first series
of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, where he became the first
celebrity to be voted off.
Jason Wood
AGE CONCERN HOLD LGBT CONFERENCE
Age Concern Camden’s Opening Doors project in Central
London, which was set up to help older members of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, held a
successful conference on Friday 5 March to discuss its work,
services and future. The conference was attended by around
140 people from across London including commissioners,
service users, funders, NHS staff, and voluntary organisations.
The meeting included a presentation of the evaluation
report, also attempted to gather ideas on how to move the
project forward once its planned funding comes to an end in
December 2010.
For anyone wanting more information about Opening Doors,
please contact Nick Maxwell, LGBT Co-ordinator (men) or
Stacey Halls, LGBT Co-ordinator (women) on 020 7121 3331 or
020 7121 3335.
www.ageconcerncamden.org.uk
DOWNING STREET HOSTS
SECOND LGBT RECEPTION
Prime Minister Gordon Brown addresses the LGBT reception at Downing Street
Personnel from across the British armed forces
Out In The City editor David Hudson (centre)
An invited selection of LGBT charity workers,
campaigners, politicians, journalists,
celebrities and gay military personnel were
among those invited to a special prime
minister’s reception held at 10 Downing
Street on the evening of Wednesday 24
February. The event was held to acknowledge and
celebrate LGBT History Month, which took place across
the UK throughout February, and followed the success of
a similar such reception held last year.
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, personally greeted
many of those present, before giving a speech detailing
Amy Lamé and PM’s wife, Sarah Brownhhghghghghgh
The PM delivers his addresshghghghghgh hghghghghgh
the many law reforms that the Government has
introduced since coming to power in 1997 – including
the abolition of Section 28 and the introduction of civil
partnerships. He also offered warm congratulations to
James Downey-Parkes and his new civil partner, Thomas
Downey-Parkes. A policeman from Liverpool, PC Parkes
suffered a horrific homophobic attack last October, but
has since made a full recovery and returned to work.
He and his partner had their civil partnership ceremony
a week before the Downing Street reception, and Mr
Brown congratulated the “husband and husband” couple
on tying the knot.

KRISTIAN DIGBY 1977-2010
BBC TV presenter Kristian Digby was discovered dead at his east
London flat on the morning of Monday 1 March 2010. Aged 32, his
early death has shocked his family, friends, colleagues and fans.
Digby was raised in Torquay, Devon, where his parents still live. Born into a family of
property developers, he became famous for hosting shows such as To Buy Or Not To
Buy and To Build Or Not To Build, and also worked on Living In The Sun and House
Swap. He was also a budding filmmaker, winning a junior BAFTA in 1997 for his
short film Words Of Deception. Openly gay, he was well known for his support of
charities such as Stonewall and the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Digby’s agent, Jo Wander, issued a statement saying, “I am devastated by the loss. He
was a lovely guy and a very talented presenter and director. I will miss him hugely
and my thoughts at this time are with his family and his many friends. He will be
sorely missed.”
...AND FINALLY
NEWS FLASHES
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
AMSTERDAM
Dutch gay rights
activists have staged a
demonstration against the
Roman Catholic Church,
after a local priest in
Reusel refused to serve
holy communion to an
openly gay man. The
demonstration took the
form of a mass church walkout.
Gatherers attended
a mass, but when the
priest decided not to serve
communion, the protestors
– many dressed in pink
wigs and clothing – left
the church, shouting and
singing as they departed.
SLOVAKIA
The Eastern European state
of Slovakia is to hold its
first Pride festival later
this year. Until now, the
country was the only one in
Europe not to hold any such
LGBT celebration. Dúhový
(Rainbow) Pride will take
place in Bratislava on 22nd
May. Romana Schlesinger,
a spokesperson for the
event, said: “Rainbow
Pride Bratislava 2010 is a
celebration of who we are,
our identities, our presence
and our civic participation in
Slovak society.”
ALISON GOLDFRAPP RESPONDS TO “OUTING”
Singer Alison Goldfrapp has talked about being “outed”, after her relationship with a woman was
revealed recently in a newspaper. In late December 2009, in a feature titled ‘The Rise of Mid-Life
Lesbians’, The Sunday Times announced that the 43-year-old singer had recently started dating
hip film editor Lisa Gunning. The Goldfrapp singer, in a follow-up interview with The Times on
26 February, said that the piece had been “a bit of a shocker” and she had not known in advance
that she and Gunning were to be mentioned. “Suddenly your life is seen in a completely different
context,” she said about being labelled lesbian. “I’m not very comfortable with that sort of thing,
because I don’t like to court any attention other than if it’s really to do with the music.”
However, although open about her relationship with Gunning, Goldfrapp resisted pigeonholing her sexuality.
“I don’t know why people would find it surprising. Everything we’ve ever done – the music, the looks, the shows – has all been
quite ambiguous and undefinable, and that’s how I am. I don’t like to be defined by my sexuality, which swings wherever I like to
swing. I’ve had lovely, long relationships with men as well. I just happen to be in a relationship with a lady at the moment.”
BLOC PARTY SINGER SPEAKS OUT
Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke has given his most candid interview yet to Butt magazine.
The rock star has previously alluded to being bisexual. However, in the current issue of Butt,
he speaks out about how his “super-Catholic” parents struggled to accept his homosexuality.
“My parents are super-Catholic and they come from a culture in Nigeria where there weren’t
any visible gay people who were out and were happy... My parents are getting older and I
didn’t like the idea that they could possibly die without knowing something that is a big part
of my life. This interview is actually an important step in my relationship with my parents.
The reason I’m doing it is whenever I go out, I’m always stopped by young, gay kids who
say it’s really refreshing and encouraging to see someone like me being out in a relatively
mainstream band… It’s good to show that gays come in all shapes and sizes.”
OUTSPOKEN:
DEBORAH GOLD,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF
GALOP, CALLS FOR AN
URGENT CHANGE IN
THE LAW’S ATTITUDE
TO SOME FORMER
OFFENDERS...
The law relating to LGBT rights has changed
almost beyond recognition in the last 40
years, including the legalising of gay sex, the
equalisation of the age of consent, and the
abolition of gross indecency laws that only
applied to gay men.
You might expect that following these changes, gay
men are no longer penalised for convictions under
these previous rules. However, Galop (London’s LGBT
community safety charity) works with scores of men
whose lives are still blighted by the ongoing effects
of these old laws, which force them to reveal past
convictions of buggery, gross indecency and under-age
sex (even where their partners were the same age) to
potential employers.
One such man,
John Crawford, has
agreed to stand
up and challenge
these unfair
practices, and Galop
is seeking others
who are willing
to join the legal
action and help to
end this leftover
discrimination in
the law.
ONE SUCH MAN,
JOHN CRAWFORD,
HAS AGREED TO
STAND UP AND
CHALLENGE
THESE UNFAIR
PRACTICES
John was
convicted of
buggery in 1959, after being subjected to horrendous
treatment by the police at the time, all in order to extract
a confession from him. John came to Galop for support
because his conviction – for an offence which is no
longer illegal – kept appearing on his enhanced criminal
records bureau check when he applied for volunteer
positions working with vulnerable clients. John is also
forced to reveal his conviction on job applications when
asked about previous convictions.
With Galop’s help, John challenged the police for keeping
this record, and discovered that following a recent legal
judgement, the police have changed their practice and
will no longer agree not to reveal past convictions, even
where they are no longer offences. Galop supported John
to get legal representation, and we are now looking for
others who may have had similar experiences, and who
may be interested in joining a potential legal action.
We strongly feel that the enforcement of this law is
effectively re-criminalising John and others like him,
forcing him to repeatedly re-live his worst experiences,
and causing him to have to out himself to potential
employers. Galop demands that the police and the Home
Office change the rules so that no one else is forced to
suffer in the way that John has suffered.
Galop provides advice and support to anyone in this situation,
including providing detailed advice on our website about
how to challenge the police on revealing your information.
Anyone affected is urged to contact us on our Shoutline on
020 7704 2040. www.galop.org.uk

PHOTO © SAM MILFORD/
WWW.REALPRIDE.COM/NATIONAL STUDENT PRIDE
NEWS FLASHES
NEWS
VATICAN HIT BY ESCORT SCANDAL
The Vatican has removed two men from their posts following
allegations that they were involved in a gay prostitution ring.
Angelo Balducci, an usher for the Pope known as ‘a gentleman
to His Holiness’, was having his phone tapped by police,
who were investigating charges of corruption. However, the
wiretaps revealed that Balducci was also in regular contact with
29-year-old Ghinedu Thomas Ehiem, a long-standing chorister
with the Giulia Choir, which regularly performs at St Peter’s
Basilica. It’s believed that Mr Balducci used Ehiem to procure
male prostitutes.
Excerpts from the phone taps have been printed in Italian
newspaper La Repubblica, and Mr Ehiem told the Italian
newspaper Panorama that he would find men on the Pianeta
Escort (Planet Escort) website and set up encounters between
them and Mr Balducci at his apartment in Rome.
“He asked and I executed. He would give me 50 or 100 euros,
never more than 1,000 or 1,500 euros a year,” Mr Ehiem added.
The transcripts suggest that Ehiem procured at least 10 contacts
for Mr Balducci, including a male model and a rugby player. Mr
Balducci’s lawyer has not commented on these new allegations,
while a spokesman for the Vatican has said that Pope Benedict
XVI was aware of the matter.
THAMES FUNDRAISER
Pictured here is openly gay
Lambeth mayor Christopher
Wellbelove (third left), fellow
dignitaries and supporters at a
recent fundraising event that
the mayor organised to raise
money for charity. The evening featured a trip on the London
Eye, followed by a boat cruise down the Thames. Cabaret
performers The Boy George Experience, Sandra, Voodoo Mick,
Jacqui Cann and rock’n’roll band Tempus Flight entertained
the mayor and guests from across the capital aboard the Silver
Sturgeon, and the evening raised over £7,000 for the Clapham
Youth Centre, Trinity Hospice and Lambeth Women’s Aid.
STUDENT PRIDE A
BIG SUCCESS
Student Pride 2010, which
took place in Brighton over
the weekend 5-6 March,
proved to be the most
successful such event yet.
Tickets sold out in advance, and an estimated 1,000 students
from all over the UK attended the various Pride-related events.
This year’s event, which again spanned two days, featured a
pre-pride party that began on Friday 5 March in Revenge. This
included a live performance by JLS support act, Stevie Hoang
and the conclusion of the ‘Face of Student Pride 2011’ model
campaign.
The daytime event was held at Oceana Nightclub on Saturday
6 March and was officially opened by the Mayor of Brighton &
Hove, with written messages of support being read from Prime
Minister Gordon Brown, the Leader of the Opposition David
Cameron and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg.
Highlights of the day included a hugely successful Women’s
Room (organised by the Women’s Tent at Brighton Pride and
in association with DIVA magazine), film screenings sponsored
by TLA Releasing, live comedy and cabaret and two discussion
panels featuring participants such as Green Party Leader
Caroline Lucas, Peter Tatchell, local Labour MP Des Turner and
Shadow Minister Nick Herbert.
For further details, or to keep informed of next year’s event,
log on to www.studentpride.co.uk
NEW NAZ PREMISES LAUNCHED
Naz staff
Deputy London Mayor Richard Barnes and Alex Karmel
Youth Peer Educators
FOREIGN OFFICE SEEKS RECOGNITION
FOR UK CIVIL PARTNERS ABROAD
Working to improve the
of Civil Partnership laws in
rights of the UK’s LGBT
EU member states. The FCO
citizens has long been
itself, as an employer, has
a priority for the Labour
consistently proved itself as
Government, but now
a gay-friendly organisation,
they wish to support and
and has regularly featured
encourage the rest of Europe
in Stonewall’s Workplace
to fall in line with the UK.
Equality Index.
That was the message
Mr Bryant, who is himself
sent out at a recent press
Minister Chris Bryant (left) answers having a civil partnership
conference given by MP
questions at the Foreign Office soon, said that he felt
Chris Bryant, Foreign
immensely proud of the
Office Minister for Europe, and Ben Summerskill, work that the Foreign Office was doing in this area, and said
Chief Executive of Stonewall, at the Foreign and
that he felt some people were selective in their approach to
Commonwealth Office (FCO) on Thursday 24 February. human rights, preferring to gloss over LGBT issues.
The event highlighted the ways in which the Foreign and “Human rights are a seamless garment. You can’t talk about
Commonwealth Office is continuing to campaign for LGBT some human rights and not others... When someone else’s
rights across the EU and to promote mutual recognition human rights are abused, so are mine.”

WORKPLACE
LEADERS
Sir Alan Massey
PEOPLE PERFORM BETTER WHEN
THEY CAN BE THEMSELVES...
Laura
Doughty
“This year’s Stonewall Workplace
Conference was the best and
biggest yet. Listening to feedback from
previous conferences, Stonewall created
additional breakout sessions, focusing
on specific employment sectors, giving
delegates even more opportunity to
identify solutions for their workplace
issues. Delegates came from private,
public and third sectors, highlighting
that diversity isn’t just nice to do, it’s the
right thing to do – for employees and
employers alike.
The conference, now its seventh year,
continues to be innovative and offer
practical ways to improve workplaces
throughout the UK. In the 10th
anniversary year of the ban being lifted
on gay personnel serving in the armed
forces it was particularly poignant that
the second sea lord, Sir Alan Massey was
one the key note speakers.”
Laura Doughty, Deputy Chief
Executive, Stonewall

STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD
Newham College of Further Education
ADVISORY GROUP LEADS WAY
Clive Ansell
TOP RESULT IN STONEWALL SURVEY
In 2009, when Newham College was placed
39th in the Stonewall league table for top
employers, it leapfrogged 67 places from the
preceding year and overtook a significant number
of major corporations. In 2010, it has climbed
even higher – up to 32nd place. But how are the
rankings worked out?
Stonewall use a survey and evidence-based
approach to their research. They are looking for
evidence of employers demonstrating a public
commitment to LGB employees, customers
and service users. It’s also important that any
business or institution seeking a listing is willing
to constantly review its policies to ensure that LGB
employees and learners feel safe and are truly
valued.
Staff provide feedback during the survey process,
giving an objective view of their employer and
the day-to-day experiences of life within the
organisation.
www.stonewall.org.uk
NEWHAM RATED HIGHLY BY OFSTED
Ofsted rated Newham College as ‘Outstanding’
after an inspection during the summer of 2009.
“Achievement and standards are good. Overall
success rates have improved significantly since
the last inspection… The college’s response to
educational and social inclusion and to meeting
the needs and interests of learners is outstanding.
An extensive, innovative
and inclusive curriculum
successfully widens
participation in education
and training.”
Ofsted Report, July 09

CAREER
MINDED
Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe is the founder of Ari Consulting,
and is one of the world’s leading diversity professionals,
having been the Global Head of Diversity at Barclays Group.
MARK PALMER-EDGECUMBE REFLECTS ON
THE EXPERIENCES OF TWO TOP CITY CEO’S…
Kleinwort Benson’s CEO - Robert Taylor
2010 BRIGHTON
EQUALITY WALK
To find out more about the 2010
Brighton Equality Walk, and to
register, call the Equality Walk
team on
020 7593 2294 or visit
www.equalitywalk.org.uk
Amy Lamé and walkers on a
previous Stonewall Equality Walk

PHOTO © STUART LEECH
GOING OUT
TOP HANGOUTS
We find the most popular
hotspots in Dulwich
Dulwich Picture Gallery
DULWICH PARK
COLLEGE ROAD, SE21
Flanked by ancient oaks and
housing a boating lake, the
29-hectare Dulwich Park is
popular with locals.
PLACE TO BE: DULWICH
DULWICH PICTURE
GALLERY
GALLERY ROAD, SE21
Named by many as Dulwich’s
most important cultural
amenity, the gallery’s
permanent collection is
impressive, while its current
Paul Nash exhibition is
enjoying good reviews.
BEAUBERRY HOUSE
GALLERY ROAD, SE21
Formerly named Belair
House, Beauberry House
was built in 1785. Recently
modernised, it houses an
excellent restaurant and can
also host civil partnerships.
DULWICH
WHAT YOU CAN
BUY IN THE AREA
01 LORDSHIP LANE, SE22
£205,000
Offering good value is this
two-bedroom, flat
www.foxtons.co.uk; 020
8613 6200
02 DEVONSHIRE ROAD, SE23
£329,950
Located in Forest Hill, this
two-bedroom, split-level
fl a t ( pictured left) boasts a
spacious interior and stylish
fittings. Both Garthorne
Road Nature Reserve and
local amenities are easily
accessible.
www.foxtons.co.uk; 020
8613 6200
03 ASHLEIGH MEWS, SE15
£419,950
Looking for something a bit
different? Securely located
within a gated development,
this innovative and imposing
three-bedroom house
(pictured left) is newly built
and features a large back
garden.
www.foxtons.co.uk; 020
8613 6200
LE CHANDELIER
161 LORDSHIP LANE, SE22
A stylish tea shop with
gorgeous decor. Enjoy a wide
variety of teas and cakes
beneath the chandeliers.

01
02
03
04
WE WANT
01 CUBIC CUTLERY
Build up your appetite with Snack
& Stack. It’s not just fun but also
practical as the handles snap
together, which make it ideal for
picnics or other excursions. The
cutlery is just the right size to suit
both adults and children. It’s part
of the latest addition to the cutlery
range at Purves.
£12.50
www.purves.co.uk
02 V&A QUILT STOOL
The V&A archives are a fantastic
source of pattern inspiration,
holding more than three million
designs for textiles, decorations,
wallpapers and prints. The V&A
shop’s new spring/summer
collection draws upon this archive
with a wealth of patterned items,
including this simple Quilt Stool,
exclusive to the museum.
RRP £50
www.vandashop.com
03 RON RADIATOR
Feature Radiators prove that
radiators needn’t be dull. This UKmade
model, apparently inspired
by 1950s aircraft technology,
doesn’t just look stunning but
is also practical – as it literally
shoots heat into the air through its
double-barrelled chimneys.
From £322 (exc. VAT)
www.featureradiators.co.uk/
WORDS BY MAX SKJÖNSBERG

06
05
07
08
04 BBQS FIRE BUCKET
Make the most of the outdoor
season with this portable
Barbecue/fire bucket. It’s both fun
and functional and allows you to
take your party to the park, beach
or anywhere else you fancy. The
enamel, Pillar Box-red bucket was
designed by Adrian Allen and is
on sale at Purves.
RRP £29
www.purves.co.uk
05 NEMO BATH MATS
Th0ere’s nothing that can’t be
improved upon with a little bit
of funky design, so add some
colourful, piscine chic to your
bathroom with these Nemo Bath
Mats. They’re available from
ziggizggi.com, which also offers
a wide range of eye-catching
shower curtains.
RRP £18.95 each
www.ziggiziggi.com
06 PL3 STORAGE SYSTEM
London design company Pearson
Lloyd has designed this sharp but
neat storage system. It’s made
from wood from renewable
sources, and is available in a range
of different coloured lacquers,
with mirrors along selected faces.
With its soft-close drawers, it
truly combines functionality with
outstanding modern design.
RRP From £1,689
www.leighharmer.co.uk
07 DUCATOON CUSHION
Winter’s Moon is a new online
store selling vintage, recycled or
handmade furniture. Check it out
for 70’s-style enamel teapots and
re-upholstered chairs. We also like
this Ducatoon cushion, which was
designed by iconic British designer
Lucienne Day.
RRP £44
www.wintersmoon.co.uk
08 SPUNLIGHT
This neat lamp from TFU design is
created from a spun metal frame
– hence its name: Spunlight
– and a sandblasted, glass
diffuser shade. It is available in
four different colours, and there’s
also a floor-standing version.
RRP From £624
www.tfudesign.co.uk

NOT A WHITE ELEPHANT
For more information, visit www.espritapartments.co.uk or call:
020 7254 6019
THE ANNEXE AT LADYWELL
IN LEWISHAM
For more details, email Jessica.peters@affinitysutton.com
or call 020 7378 5622

CRUISING
CHILLED OUT CUBE ON SOUTH BANK
EVOLUTION OF THE SPECIES
CLEVER CONNECTIVITY
PASSENGER COMFORT
ENTERTAINING AND SPORTY
WOULD WE BUY ONE?
On the road price: from £10,995
For information visit: www.fiat.co.uk/PuntoEvo
With a focus on design, it was only a matter of time
before the Nissan Cube was transformed into some
sort of art project. And that’s exactly what legendary
tattoo artist Henry Hate has done, creating an ice
sculpture that encompasses the edgy design of Nissan’s
econobox with tattoo art.
Located on London’s South Bank, a real Nissan Cube
was encased in ice which Hate then etched using an
industrial power tattoo gun. Not only is this Hate’s first
sculpture, but it is possibly the world’s first ever ‘ice
tattoo’, with tattoo designs carved into the large ice
blocks that enclose the Cube. Colourful lighting has
been placed around the base of the car as well, giving
it a glowing effect that looks pretty darn cool at night.
Celebrity inker Hate – who runs Prick! Tattooists on
Old Street – has worked with Amy Winehouse, Pete
Doherty, comedian David Cross and Paul Thompson of
Franz Ferdinand.
Visit: www.autoevolution.com/news
www.henryhate.com
TAKEN TO INFINITI
The Infiniti FX performance crossover is already one
of the rarest and best equipped cars in its class, but that
hasn’t stopped customers demanding an even more
exclusive version.
The FX Limited
Edition will
be ultra exotic,
featuring either
the striking
Black Obsidian
paintwork or
the Moonlight White
pearl metallic paintwork available as an option. Special
21-inch ‘Turbine’ alloys are finished in dark Graphite
and the radiator, side air vents and roof rails are nicely
coordinated. On the inside there are illuminated
‘Infiniti’ entry guards, Graphite leather upholstered
seats, carbon-fibre dashboard, centre console and
door panels. Infiniti’s state-of-the-art Connectiviti+
technology package provides an integrated navigation,
communication and entertainment system including
an 11-speaker Bose® Premium Sound System, full iPod
connectivity and a 10GB music box with Gracenotes
database. An option on the standard FX37S, this is
joined on both the V6 and V8-engined Limited Editions
by Infiniti’s unique ‘Around View’ monitor.
Price: from £55,855
Visit: www.infiniti.co.uk
WORDS BY ADRIAN FOSTER/DRIVELINES

HOLIDAY IN

HONG KONG
A traditional Chinese Junkboat sailing
across Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour
ghghghghghghgh-

ILGA - INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS AND INTERSEX ASSOCIATION
EN
FR
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CRISIS IN KENYA: MUSLIM &
CHRISTIANS LEAD "WITCH-HUNT"
KENYA | 10-March-2010 |
In Kenya a public witch-hunt against homosexuals. False rumors
about a gay wedding circulated in the coastal resort of Mtwapa,
and soon religious leaders were calling on their followers to be
ILGA AFRICA,
the African region of ILGA
men in jail or punished for same sex activity criminal infection lgbt
anti discrimination law (sexual orientation) in employment
promoting lgbti rights as
empowerment
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TRAVEL NEWS
Langham Hotel
A statue of local hero Bruce Lee
HONG KONG
Award-winning airline of the
year, Cathay Pacific operates four
flights a day from Heathrow to
Hong Kong with inter-connecting
flights to over 117 destinations
worldwide including 40 in Asia, 18
in China and seven in Australia and
New Zealand. Flights to Hong Kong
cost from £499 including taxes.
www.cathaypacific.co.uk
For holiday ideas and
comprehensive, up-to-date
information on Hong Kong
please visit http://www.
discoverhongkong.com/
For gay-related Hong Kong
information http://dimsumhk.com
provides up-to-date
listings while www.fridae.
com is a popular LGBT socialnetworking
sites.
Aqua
QUEEN’S DAY - AMSTERDAM
Amsterdam’s wildest weekend is undoubtedly the Queen’s
Day weekend – the official birthday of the Queen of
Holland (Friday 20 April). Every year, you’re guaranteed
non-stop parties and celebrations in the streets and along
the canals. For the past five years, iconic rock-temple
Paradiso has played host to the weekend’s hottest gay
dance event – Rapido. This atmospheric, former church
offers two balcony levels overlooking a main dancefloor,
along with a dark’n’sexy area hosted by famed fetish
store RoB and featuring DJ Jack Chang. The basement
area will be a chill-out space with live performances.
Upstairs, expect some of the hottest guys on the planet to
be strutting their stuff, shaking their booties to the tune
provided by special guest DJs Abel, alongside Fabio
White, Giangi Cappai and others. The event will run from
3pm on Sunday 2 May till 10am the next morning (with
London’s own DJ Pagano taking care of the afterhours
slot). If you’re heading to Amsterdam for this famed
weekend, you’d be wise to purchase tickets in advance to
guarantee entry. All details at www.clubrapido.com
THOMSON HOLIDAYS
It’s been a difficult time
for the travel industry of
late, but positive news for
gay travellers comes with
the announcement that
Thomson has recently
Torget Bar
launched the Freedom Collection. A range designed
specifically for gay and lesbian travellers, it’s the only
holiday line of its kind to be offered by a high street
tour-operator and another indicator that more mainstream
businesses are taking the gay market seriously. Currently
offering packages to seven gay-friendly destinations, such
as Mykonos, Tenerife and Sitges, all properties on offer
through the range are either exclusively gay (or lesbian) or
gay-friendly, while all frontline staff on site have completed
a ‘GayComfort’ online accreditation programme to ensure
they’re sensitive to gay travel needs. Further information on
the range can be accessed by calling 0871 230 8777 or by
visiting www.thomson.co.uk/freedom
ILGA’S ONLINE TRAVEL
ESSENTIALS
BT and the International
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans
and Intersex Association
(ILGA) teamed up during the
recent LGBT History Month to
launch a website that aims to
revolutionise the way LGBT-people
approach international travel. The website (ilga.org)
provides information about the laws, services and social
climate in countries across the globe. It aspires to ensure
the safety of all LGBT-travellers – particularly as there
remain 80 countries across the globe where homosexual
activity is still illegal. http://ilga.org
hiv/aids

To take advantage of our fabulous advertising
opportunities, contact Dan Goodban on
0207258177 or dan@outmag.co.uk

To take advantage of our fabulous advertising
opportunities, contact Dan Goodban on
0207258177 or dan@outmag.co.uk

23 AUG-22 SEP
VIRGO
I hate to tell you Virgo, but
there is no big lottery win on
the cards for you this month.
So, instead of sitting back and
waiting for everything to fall
into your lap, you may have to
put in a little hard work. If you’re
smart enough and cut some
corners, that extra money might
just appear of its own accord.
22 DEC-19 JAN
CAPRICORN
19 FEB-20 MAR
PISCES
Your ability to remain in control
all the time is quite remarkable
Pisces, but every now and again
you need to let your hair down
and let someone else worry
about things. Allow yourself to
have fun for once. It’s not often
you get the chance to do it so
relish these times while you
can. Treat yourself!
23 SEP-22 OCT
LIBRA
All this indecision is doing you
no favours. This is the time to
choose instead of measuring
each detail to the nth degree.
Yes, weigh up the pros and cons,
but not to the extent that you
confuse yourself further and hold
off from making a call. You need
to take action now so that you
can build upon it for the future.
Confusing signals from
someone you want to get
closer to is going to drive
you mad this month Capricorn. All that ‘are they or aren’t they
interested?’ stuff, which is both in delicious and frustrating in equal
measures, is going to drag on until someone plucks up the courage
to ask the bloody question. Guess who it has to be?
21 MAR-19 APR
ARIES
Although you like to be a bit of
an enigma Aries, it will be to
your own benefit to open up a
bit and share more of yourself
this month. You can’t expect
people to always accept you on
face value – you have to reveal
a bit more about your thoughts
and true feelings to allow people
to get closer to the real you.
ARIES
Ewan McGregor
31.03.71
Pictured here in Roman
Polanski’s new thriller, The
Ghost, the Scotlandborn
Ewan McGregor
turns 39 this year. Aries
are typically fiery and
impulsive. They don’t like
to compromise and strive
to be the first in whatever
they do – traits that have
certainly helped Ewan’s
career on the silver screen!
He recently played Jim
Carrey’s gay lover in I Love
You Phillip Morris, while
The Ghost hits screens on
16 April.
20 APR-20 MAY
TAURUS
Facing the world with an
unflinching, cynical viewpoint
is proving detrimental to your
personal life just now. You need
to allow yourself to be a little
more positive. Being constantly
negative is wearing everyone
out and, as a consequence, they
may be tempted to distance
themselves from you.
21 MAY-21 JUN
GEMINI
You may feel as if your
personality is constantly being
stomped upon and, as such,
you can’t express yourself as
much as you’d like. Be more
forthright and don’t allow
yourself to be overshadowed
by certain people. You need to
show that you have a strong
personality with valid opinions.
23 OCT-21 NOV
SCORPIO
Cautious baby steps are what
you need to take this month
Scorpio. Don’t go blundering into
situations full of bravado and
bluster. No, if you want things
to go your way, be prepared
to listen to people closely and
observe the situation before you
make your stand. Fools rush in...
so don’t be hasty.
20 JAN-18 FEB
AQUARIUS
Being as glamorous as
you are is not without its
shortcomings, Cancer.
Jealous types are always out
there, just waiting for their
opportunity to cut you down
to size because you’ve got the
attention and adoration that
they wish to have. Rise above
their pettiness.
You may not see it but you’re
dangerously close to irreparably
damaging a relationship due
to your blinkered point of view.
Taking people for granted and
not appreciating those close
to you is a sure-fire way of
upsetting people. Stop for a
minute and, for once, consider
others before yourself.
You may feel life’s pressure
bearing down on you at this
moment but don’t worry
– you won’t buckle under the weight. You’ve got too many friends
and family that adore you for that to happen so remember it’s just
a temporary situation and it will be over soon enough. Relax a little
bit more and have faith that everything will work out for the best.
.
22 JUN-22 JUL
CANCER
22 NOV-21 DEC
SAGITTARIUS
23 JUL-22 AUG
LEO
It’s time to have a spring clear
out and not only rid yourself of
all the clutter that lurks in your
house but also throw out all
those sad and bad memories
that you’re still clinging to. Why
do you keep dwelling upon
the same painful recollections?
Doing so will not change the
past – it’s time to start afresh.

TOTAL BREAK
For more information visit www.shawellnessclinic.com

PRIDE ANGEL
For more information visit
www.prideangel.com
POSITIVE LIVING
U+ HEALTH
CUTTING THE RISK