Search results for: “ ”

TRAVEL REVIEW | Glamping In Yorkshire

A million stars looked down upon my boyfriend and me, as we gazed into the endless night sky. If you’re looking to get out into the wilderness and can’t quite pull off that Bear Grylls’ ruggedness, then perhaps Glamping should be your next holiday idea.

Right in the middle of rural Yorkshire is the stunning Camp Kutur, miles from any city. The days are still and silent and the nights are awe inspiring. As you gaze into the night sky, with the fire’s embers glowing softly as you sit on your private decking, you’ll feel like you’re at one with nature, but not too at one. Set in hundreds of acres of private land of the Camp Hill estate, Camp Kutur has just a handful of different accommodation options including Teepees, Unidomes, Hobit Pods and Geodomes. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the gorgeous Geodomes for two nights at the tail end of September.

The Geodomes are a spacious tented space, set on the forest’s edge, with a clear front overlooking the rest of the site. They are self-contained units, with a comfy double bed and seating area as well as a log burner. It’s all very very cosy. Outside there is a kitchenette and it’s own private toilet and shower. At the front of the Geodome is your own private decking area, complete with bar-b-que and a warming wood burner for those nights with a chill in the air.

On the site, there’s also an eco spa and sauna, although these come at an extra cost.

Glamping has almost become synonymous with hen parties, let’s face it. There probably isn’t a girlfriend of yours that hasn’t been on a glamping weekend and gone on and on about the rugs, the tea lights and the overall cosines of their yurt. Well, boys, I’m here to say it’s everything they said it was and we whole-heartedly approve.

A quick word of warning, despite it being glamping and there are the comfort extras over and beyond an ordinary campsite, it is still back to basics where tech is concerned. There is no electricity and no WiFi. So if you’re a techno junkie, you won’t be able to charge your devices or log onto the web. You may want to check with your phone’s network provider to see if there is 3 or 4G in the area. But if you’re looking to cut off be truly DND (do not disturb) then this is your haven.

Geodomes start at £80 (Oct/Nov) per night and a minimum of two nights booking is required.

10th January 2017
Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong are not a gay couple

The co-hosts of the BBC’s Pointless aren’t together as a gay couple despite fans of the shows insisting that they act like they’re in a relationship together.
(C) Remarkable, part of Endemol Shine Group – Photographer: Mark Yeoman
It seems fans of Pointless cannot get enough of the bants between Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong. Fans absolutely love the relationship so much they’re reading it like the duo are a gay couple.

However, speaking Radio Times, Richard Osman said, “We’re not lovers. Try as I might, it has just never happened.”

So it looks as though the pair are just living a bromance.
(C) Remarkable, part of Endemol Shine Group – Photographer: Mark Yeoman
Richard has, in the past, written about the joking between the presenters and that it added to the “Brokeback Mountain-style sexual frisson of the show”.

Both presenters identify as straight and recently, Richard was said to be dating radio DJ and deputy editor of InStyle magazine, Emily Dean. He split with the mother of his two children a number of years ago.
(C) Remarkable, part of Endemol Shine Group – Photographer: Mark Yeoman
Alexander is married to Hannah Bronwen Snow, an events organiser; and together they have four sons.

Pointless is on daily on BBC 1 at 5.15PM.

10th January 2017
The Gay UK Motoring Hounours list of 2016

What a year 2016 was. Over 30 new cars reviewed ranging from city cars, hatchbacks, pick-up trucks and big and small SUVs.

In the last year I have enjoyed what I have been given, been dismayed at what I had been given, annoyed and elated all at the same time. Well sort of. Some cars annoyed me in their stupidity of things while some I was full of admiration for how they did things. Sometimes it was because they didn’t do things that made me enjoy them all the more.

I have sat down and whittled it down to my top 3 of 2016. Let me know if you agree in the comments below.

3) Nissan Navara NP300 Tekna

Despite my local authority not liking the Navara as I was prevented from entering the dump with garden waste in it, I happened to love the Navara. Its sheer size and car like cabin made it a joy to be in. The fact that with its 360 degree camera made parking a breeze, it was really easy to live with. And you wouldn’t want to damage the Navara. It’s one ruddy handsome bastard.

Admittedly I did find it a bit wayward in 2 wheel drive mode because I was always unladen. Inner rear wheel spin was always there in the wet. Put it into 4 wheel drive and its manners became impeccable.

The interior was well thought out and well put together. The price was also enticing and possibly one of the many reasons as to why there are so many on the road. For wall that you get in the Tekna double cab package, it is so very cheap in price.

On the road it was smoother than an empty pick-up should be. It was also surprisingly quick. Apart from some vocalised engine noise, overall it was never harsh even over poor roads and it was macho. All that was missing on the options list was a testosterone package to make the interior smell of sweat and hard graft. That might have just elevated it to second place.

2) Peugeot 208 GTi Sport

Second places goes to a car that did nothing to annoy me. The simple fact that I could pull away without my seatbelt on was refreshingly nice. I know that sounds quite bad and is illegal, but when you want to move the car off the drive way it was so simple to do. The 208 put YOU back in control of decision making. If you so wanted you could also start the engine with it in gear. None of this foot on clutch or brake pedal nonsense.

What the 208 lacked in niceties and overall refinement it more than made up for it with its sheer brilliant chassis packaging and entertainment ability. A Peugeot this good as a road going go-kart has been a long time coming. The 206 and 207 lacked so much that l thought Peugeot had given up on making fun cars.

The point and squirt ability of the car made it a hoot to drive fast. It would get a bit hair raising if you pushed it to within an inch of its incredible abilities with a touch of over steer though unlike its great ancestor, the 205, it was all so much more easy to control.

Yes refinement over long journeys was an after thought in some ways. However if you want comfort in a GTi then don’t buy the Sport edition. And don’t buy it either if you want to carry people in the rear. Personally l don’t really care about rear leg room. I loved the 208.

1) Jeep Renegade Trialhawk

If I am honest I didn’t hold out much hope for the Jeep. In the past they had always been a bit hit and miss. Poor build quality and road going dynamics were sometimes in short supply. Enter Fiat who quickly changed that. The Renegade looked good, was well specced and throughly enjoyable.

There were a few things I didn’t like. Well 2 if I am honest. It didn’t look good in red and the mud splatter on the rev counter still haunts me probably more because it looked like poop and reminded me too much of my day job.

On the plus side the other little touches and attention to fine details were rewarding and pleasant. It was logical. It is big enough for what you need and yet small enough to make it easy to park. The long drive to Birmingham was a walk in the park and it handled a sudden lane change at speed like a sports car. Something I didn’t expect it to do.

At first I thought it wasn’t cheap at £31,765 (then) however when compared to its Fiat 500x sibling at £25,935, that extra £6 grand doesn’t seem a lot for what you got. Go the other way and spend another £6000 and you get the Cherokee M Jet we also tested. Suddenly for what you get it all starts looking like really good value.

And the fact that this has won “Best small 4×4” by 4×4 Magazine for two years in a row says it all. I wasn’t able to test its 4×4 ability but I won’t argue with 4×4 Magazines decision on this one. They know a few things about off roading.

So there you have it, my top three of 2016. There were some that were close to coming into my top 3 but they just missed it. If I were allowed a 3.5 then l would award that to ‘Giggles” the Renault Twingo. I grinned from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat with that one. That was one car I was very sad to see go back.

9th January 2017
FILM REVIEW | Retake

★★★ | Retake

An unusual love story takes place in the new film ‘Retake.’

But is it really a love story? Handsome businessman Jonathan (Tuc Watkins) has returned to San Francisco to relive a trip from his past – a trip that was with his late lover Brandon. So Jonathan picks up hustlers on the streets and pays them to play the role of Brandon by adding a few squirts of cologne and a black wig. One of the hustlers fails miserably at the task, however, another one, Adam (Devon Graye), who looks a bit like Brandon, easily settles into the role, enough so that Jonathan takes him on a car ride to the Grand Canyon, a trip that Jonathan and Brandon were never able to complete because of Brandon’s death from a drug overdose on the trip.

Jonathan has Adam totally re-enact Brandon’s persona – from having him wear his actual clothes to making sure he drinks Brandon’s favorite drink – and Jonathan also has Adam copy Brandon’s gestures. Lines are blurred when Adam starts acting like himself and Jonathan appears to be falling for Adam and not Adam’s Brandon. But will their relationship survive the road trip after Adam confronts Jonathan about photos he has found in his briefcase that all too weirdly mirrors the exact places and poses Jonathan had Brandon pose for on their ill-fated trip?

‘Retake,’ aptly named because of the re-staged photos with Adam, literally takes us on a journey of a man who tries to relive his past. Watkins is a bit stiff as Jonathan, however, Graye is everything you would want him to be; sexy, charming, flirty, fun, and after he cuts his hair to look like Brandon, handsome.

Writer and Director Nick Corporon brings us an original story that, though at times falls flat and and is a bit unbelievable, ultimately win our hearts and becomes one we can identify with for those of us who have suddenly lost a partner.

VOD/DVD release is on Jan. 10th

8th January 2017
LOOK AT ME | Chris Steed explains why he’s a zip down rather than a zip up

They are arguably the funniest thing on Channel 4. Affectionately dubbed the “Gogglebox Gays”, Chris and Stephen won the hearts of the nation in that first series and despite chops and changes to the programme they’ve managed to prove they’ve got staying power. We caught up with Brighton local Chris Steed to talk Space Docking, Cher’s retirement to a garden centre and the strangest thing he’s ever heard about himself.

CREDIT: Channel 4

DUO: CHRIS is on the right.

JH: What should Cher do next?
CHRIS: Oh, god. Oh well, Finally retire. She’s been retiring for the last ten years! I mean what do most people do when they actually retire from something? Join the National Trust and start going to garden centres like most people that retire do.

JH: Okay, which one of the Village People, do you think would be best in bed?
CHRIS: Oh, I would probably say the policeman. I’ll tell you why they’ve got a bit of authority, haven’t they? I always like a man in uniform. Maybe they could get the handcuffs out.

JH: How do you feel about men in onesies?
CHRIS: Oh I love a onesie. I’ve got a onesie. I definitely like a man in a onesie. One zip and it’s all off.

JH: Are you a Zip Up or A Zip Down?
CHRIS: Ooh, I think a zip down is nicer actually because you kind of work yourself down to the main bit. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I’d say a zip downer. It’s nice to see the chest first and then sort of down to, you know, the main bits.

JH: What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever bought, apart from a house or a car?
CHRIS: I did go on a shopping spree to Paris. I went shopping in Louis Vuitton and I ended up spending an absolute fortune so that was quite outrageous and then after I’d finished shopping at Louis Vuitton, because they gave me so much champagne, I decided to go get into a French taxi and they took me to Dolce and Gabbana and I ended up spending a fortune in there. That’s quite outrageous. I’ve worn everything and I’ve used everything apart from a three thousand pound suit that I bought. It’s teal. I’m going to use that for my wedding. I’m going to get married.

JH: Is there actually a date planned for that yet?
CHRIS: Yes, it’s July the eighth.

JH: Will the hubby to be, be wearing something that matches the teal?
CHRIS: He did turn around and say to me, “Because you just spent three thousand pounds on a Dolce and Gabbana suit, does that mean I get a Dolce and Gabbana suit for the wedding?” I said, “If you pay for it, of course.”

CREDIT: PR Supplied

JH: Tell me, do you know what space docking is?
CHRIS: Space docking. No, idea. Is it something to do with iPads or something? I have no idea what space docking is. Are you going to tell me what space docking is?

JH: I’ll tell you what it is. Do you want me to tell you what it is? I mean you can’t unhear it (we explain what space docking is)…
CHRIS: Basically one man would insert his helmet into the other man’s foreskin? That’s horrible and pointless.

JH: What’s the strangest thing you’ve read about yourself?
CHRIS: The strangest thing, well I wouldn’t say the strangest thing, I would say the most problematic thing was the fact that Wikipedia phoned up Stephen one time and said, “Oh we just wanted to check, because we’re doing your stuff for Wikipedia, and we wanted to know what your ages are?” He made out that I was older than him. Cheeky f**ker. Because I’m five years younger than him and then I’m sure he said that he was like forty and that I was forty-six or something. I don’t really know if they’ve changed it on Wikipedia because it’s a lie. That’s probably the most outrageous thing that I’ve been made out to be older than I actually am.

JH: We’re going to have a bit of a marry, snog and avoid situation, forgetting obviously that you’re going to get married. Boy George, George Michael and Elton John.
CHRIS: Oh, god. I would snog Boy George, I would marry George Michael and I would avoid Elton!

JH: Well that’s you o the Christmas card list, isn’t it? When he reads that.
CHRIS: Funny that you say snog, marry, avoid cause me and Stephen play a game and it’s called, Lick, Suck, Screw.

JH: Okay, well let’s try that then. Let’s see, let’s pick the leaders of the political parties in the UK. We’ve got Theresa May, we’ve got Jeremy Corbyn, and the other one is Tim Farron for Lib Dems.
CHRIS: Oh my god.

JH: Well, you brought it up!
CHRIS: Oh no. I don’t want to do any of them.

JH: Go on, Theresa May needs to know!
CHRIS: Oh we have to lick Theresa May, probably screw Jeremy Corbyn…

JH: and suck Tim? Brilliant! You see, you’re never going to bring that up again are you!

This interview was taken from Issue 24 out November 2016.

The boy’s new book We Need To Talk is out now available from Amazon from £7.48

8th January 2017
8 things you probably didn’t know about will.i.am

He’s become the mainstay of The Voice UK – pretty much like Louis Walsh is to X Factor but what do we know about the talent judge that is will.i.am

Is will.i.am gay?

Will.i.am is extraordinarily private about his love life and has complained that he’s too busy with work to find love. He has spoken up for gay rights in the past. He was pro-gay marriage saying, “People should be able to marry and be with who they want, and let’s focus on the real issues… which are education, health and the things that kill people.” He once released a song which included lyrics about same-sex love. He said, “That song is for all types of people… People have been showing love.”

Who is will.i.am married to?

He’s not married.

One of his companies is called The Future

Apparently, this is so that when anyone comes to his offices he can say “welcome to The future“. Pretty cool. He loves technology and when he’s not making music he’s making tech products like a camera phone and wearable tech like a watch.

How much is will.i.am worth?

So he’s a pretty big earner and some sources have his net worth down for $75 million. He will have earned his money through TV appearances, but also from song royalties. He had a writing and producer credit for the massive worldwide hits, “Where Is The Love”, “Shut Up” and of course “I Gotta Feeling” which is one of the world’s biggest selling singles of all time.

Most awkward selfie moment

According to The Mirror a man once took a selfie with the star when they were in the toilet… peeing. He said, “I’ve been in the restroom, the dude next to me is peeing and he takes one hand off to get his phone out for a selfie. Yes, that’s happened.”

How old is will.i.am

will.i.am is 41-year-old in 2016. He was born on March 15th, 1975.

Is will.i.am British?

He was born William James Adams in Eastside California, USA. He was brought up in the Estrada Courts housing projects in the Boyle Heights neighbourhood. He never knew his father, he was raised by his mother. Although he spends a lot of time in the UK, William is American. In fact, he’s a bit of an international being. Apparently, according to the man himself he flies around 1,9200,000 miles a year and is never in a place longer than 10 days – even when he’s filming The Voice.

He apparently has over zealous PR people!

In a feature in The Telegraph in April 2016, Harry Wallop said that he was handed three sides of a4 paper, by will.i.am’s PR people entitled ‘Tips for maximising your interview time with will.i.am’. The tips informed Harry that he shouldn’t discuss the musician’s income or net worth and included the advice, “If he asks you to repeat or restate a question, this indicates that you need to ask crisper, more direct questions”. When Harry told Will about the tip sheet, Will had no idea!

7th January 2017
20 things you know if you’re a gay boy from the 90s

Ahh the nineties…

1) Your first visit to “the scene” was a huge huge deal. And once you got there it was like heaven.

2) You had to, had to, have the curtain hair style and if your Mum was cool you were also allowed a step.

3) You screamed when Britney came on.

4) You screamed when Take That came on.

5) HIV and AIDS were scary AF and the memory of this advert still haunted us…

6) You had to watch Will And Grace.

7) You had to watch Queer As Folk – the UK.

8) Fila. That. Is. All.

View this post on Instagram

9) You knew all the moves to Vogue… and then some.

10) You knew all the moves to Wannabe and then some.

11) Bleach was your go-to hair product.

12) Double denim was okay and socially acceptable.

View this post on Instagram

13) You knew that Spice Girls and All Saints was a full-blown war.

14) B*Witched was a thing and it was cool AF.

15) You drank this… for some reason.

16) Your music news came from Smash Hits and CD:UK.

View this post on Instagram

17) You probably had a Gaydar account.

CREDIT: GayDar

18) You listened to Banarama on one of these.

19) Kylie had a weird patch… but you still loved her.

20) Beautiful Thing gave you life goals

7th January 2017
WILLIAM BAKER | Turning 40 I felt invisible over night

William Baker has had one of life’s dream jobs. He’s the celebrated artistic director to the stars and can call Kylie his BFF but in a revealing interview, he speaks about how he felt invisible when he turned 40.

CREDIT: PR Supplied

William Baker has revealed that turning 40 was a difficult moment for him because he felt he turned invisible almost overnight, despite being in one of the most enviable positions any gay man could be in. After all, he has Kylie on speed dial.

Speaking to THEGAYUK.com about his new project Book of Igor, a picture book of beautiful, thoughtful photos of a 20-year-old man called Igor, whom he found on Instagram. The conversation turned to age and ageism.

“Such a big part of doing the book was how I felt. I can say this now, from a distance about how I felt as a gay man at 40. It’s so funny that you literally just become invisible overnight.

“Probably to the wrong people…”

The book, which was released in December, explores the beauty of youth through a series of candid shots of William’s muse, Igor. William followed Igor, who identifies as heterosexual, for over a year, forming a strong friendship with the 20-year-old, but also found an even stronger love from behind the lens.

CREDIT: William Baker

SUBJECT IN SIGHT: The book, which is William’s fourth, features 115 glossy pages, with images of Igor, whom William spent 18 months photographing.

Speaking about his love life, William revealed,

“I’m single. I haven’t found a kind of life-partner or whatever. When you walk down on Compton Street you kind of turn heads at a certain age. Even on those apps. You become invisible.

“That’s why everyone lies about their age, isn’t it?”

Together, William and Igor travelled from Ilford in Essex to Los Angeles to Fire Island to create images for the book. It is available to purchase from William’s shop.

The full interview will be released late January.

7th January 2017
Milo Yiannopoulos just got named as Person Of The Year by LGBTQ Nation

Milo Yiannopoulos has been named by LGBTQ Nation as “Person of The Year”, a vote which was decided by the publication’s readers.

CREDIT: Milo Yiannopoulos / Instagram

The controversial right-wing figurehead for America’s youth, Milo Yiannopoulos, has been named a “Person of The Year” by the popular online publication LGBTQ nation.

It said,

“After a concerted effort to drum up votes via social media, conservative media gadfly Milo Yiannopoulos has won the title” causing uproar amongst some of its readers.

He topped the poll which saw the Pulse Victims, Mike Pence and Ellen Degeneres also named as nominees for the honour.

An article explaining the win said,

“The LGBTQ Nation Person of the Year contest is a reader driven poll to select the year’s top newsmaker. While the poll was intended for our regular audience, there were no stipulations on who could or couldn’t vote. Therefore, Milo Yiannopoulos won fair and square.”

The news did not go down well with the magazine’s readers, who blasted the publication for Milo’s inclusion.

One wrote,

“So you put this monster in your poll, ignore your regular readers saying that the poll has been hacked by breitbart and 4chan trolls and must be taken down and now give it more attention by interviewing it.”

Whilst another said he’d be unfollowing,

“I said I would unfollow you if this hateful transphobic racist got awarded for his ignorance, hope anyone else who has a problem with this does the same”

LGBTQ Nation is owned by Q Digital who also own Queerty and GayCities.

Milo took to Facebook to thank his fans for their support, simply saying “nick work, gang”.

Milo recently revealed that he had signed a book deal with a Simon and Schuster imprint. The book, Dangerous, will be released in March and has already topped the Amazon best sellers list. The announcement caused the Chicago Review of Books to denounce the publisher and refuse to feature any of the publisher’s books in 2007.

6th January 2017
So which Celebrity Big Brother star just had their sex tape leaked (again)

Well, that didn’t take long did it? A video which purports to show Celebrity Big Brother star Calum Best naked has leaked onto the web.

Yesterday we were really quite taken with some pictures that Calum Best had uploaded to a site that is popular with gay guys, today, entirely more x rated footage has been unearthed and republished on the web.

It looks as though he might be the latest male celebrity to be a victim of an online hack or leak. Following the leaks of Sam Callahan, Jake Quickenden and Shayne Ward.

The images allege to be those of Calum Best and it shows him to be fully erect… and actually massive.

He’s not the only Celebrity Big Brother celeb to have a Skype sex session leaked onto the internet whilst in the house. In 2014 Lee Ryan became a victim of a hack.

We recently spoke to Phil Gorski at Blacks Solicitors about what steps you can take to protect your data and your private pictures if you become a victim of hacked data or revenge porn. Read his tips here but number one is to not TRUST anyone over the internet and don’t get naked in front of a camera attached to the internet.

6th January 2017
7 things you probably didn’t know about Jedward

The ever bubbly Jedward have been making headlines since their discovery on X Factor in 2009… But what do we know about the twins?

Are the Jedward brothers gay?

In 2011 brothers Edward and John insisted that they weren’t gay and they are attracted to women. They hit out over speculation that their OTT and flamboyant performance style made some fans think the duo were gay. The brothers maintain that they “like lots of girls” revealing that they don’t care what people think about them or about their sexuality.

What is Jedward’s net worth?

The brothers had a combined net worth reported to be €6 million in 2013. Of course, it’s impossible to know exactly how much they’re worth. In 2016 it was reported that their company Planet Jedward was in debt to the tune of hundreds of thousands of euros. It has been suggested that they are the fifth most financially successful X Factor finalists after Leona Lewis, Little Mix, JLS and Alexandra Burke,

Did they fall out with Louis Walsh?

Louis has stated that he considers Jedward his most embarrassing career move. Speaking to Woman’s Own the music manager said the twins who appeared in 2009’s series of X FACTOR were his most embarrassing career move, despite championing them and praising them highly on the show. They came sixth on the show and have had a relatively successful career. They’ve released three albums and even represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. They hit back saying, “We are always striving forward, he’ll be in the old people’s home soon so it’s all good.” OUCH!

Where did Jedward place in Eurovision

Jedward represented Ireland in the 2011 and 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, with the songs “Lipstick” and “Waterline”. It has to be said that “Lipstick” was pretty darn catchy. They placed 8th in 2011, compared to the UK’s entry by Blue which came 11th. In 2012 the boys came 19th with just 46 points.

How old are Jedward?

The twins were born in 1991 in October which makes them in their mid-twenties. They were born in Dublin.

How can you tell Edward and John apart?

So this a big cause of debate among their fans, however, it seems as though John has a rounder face and scar on the left side of his nose he has overlapping front teeth. Edward apparently smiles with his eyes and has a scar on his lip and is slightly taller than his brother. They released a video to help viewers work out the differences.

What did Simon Cowell think about Jedward

Simon branded the twins “not very good and incredibly annoying” and they divided the viewers at home too. They appeared in the same series as Danyl Johnson.

6th January 2017