Newcastle Upon Tyne

[scottish-guy]

Oh God - place is dying on its feet - The Bank pub closed, The Barking Dog turned straight - all the remaining bars totally dilapidated - RIP

[scottish-guy]

Scratch that - Bank still open - location memory fade

:D

[Blacktouch]

Oh God - place is dying on its feet - The Bank pub closed, The Barking Dog turned straight - all the remaining bars totally dilapidated - RIP

Mojorty of gay bars around the Country are closing.

What could be the reason? Interesting to hear what people thoughts are?

I think the internet, online chat, high rents/lease?

Also gay people are more accepted in mainstream bars now. The pink pound, the bars charing to much for drinks?

In my area of North London, over 8 local gay bars all closed.

What do you all think?

[goji]

Sauna 52 in Newcastle seems to have spent money upgrading facilities, as the Jacuzzi has moved into a much more spacious area.
I also note there's a second sauna, although am not sure if it's new or I've been oblivious to it's existence over the years. Although, on my last visit to Sauna 52, it was not exactly busy.

As for gay bars, well when people can hook up on the phone apps, what exactly is the purpose of UK gay bars ? They tend to attract a mixed crowd anyway, so if the dating is done on line we might as well go off to the bar we like. I can go to a gay bar & drink some poxy lager, or a pub with some very nice ales just up the road.

On my rare trips to Newcastle, I try my luck in the sauna, check the phone apps, go for a meal, then go for a pint at one of the bars that sells a decent real ale.

Moving down south, I remember going out in London with 2 straight friends. Well one is married & to be honest, I've not seen the other one bat for either side. We went into what looked like a proper real ale pub. I clocked that it was gay half way between the door & the bar. After a few pints, one of my colleagues said...."do you think this is a gay bar ?".

UK gay bars are often not exactly distinctive.

Some of the cruising bars or rent boy bars to be found in Germany are much less like regular bars.

[Nirish guy]

Surely there's still life in Powerhouse - I have a soft spot for the particular club as is was the place where I fully and unashamedly came out loudly and drunkenly ( to myself) and several friends many years ago after sitting watching two gay asian twin brothers dancing on the dancefloor and my realising I wanted them more than anything else on earth in that particular moment in life :) Damn those Asians, they got me then and it seems they've gotten me ever since ! :-)

Funnily enough I then many years later had a very enjoyable few drinks in Telephone bar in Bkk with a guy who after hours of chatting turned out to be the ex owner of the Powerhouse and who had just sold up and was enjoying his own gay time away in thailand - it's a small gay strange old world eh ! :)

[scottish-guy]

Powerhouse certainly seems to still be going - but as we started boozing at 3pm and were still doing so at 11pm we didn’t make it to P/H

To be fair, things perked up as the night progressed - but not a shadow of how things used to be in the days of Rockshots, The Village, Rockies etc - I even go back as far as the old Casablanca club!