Look out for toilet attendants and other users. Head to the last cubicle and quietly cough to see if anyone’s inside. If you’re in the cubicle and want some company open the door. You can also head to the surrounding dudes for some outside fun.
Look out for toilet attendants and other users. Head to the last cubicle and quietly cough to see if anyone’s inside. If you’re in the cubicle and want some company open the door
Unofficial nudist beach. Miles of dunes and you’re unlikely to be disturbed! Walk northwards about 700 metres towards the dunes behind the beach.
Look out for toilet attendants and other users. Head to the last cubicle and quietly cough to see if anyone’s inside. If you’re in the cubicle and want some company open the door
Look out for toilet attendants and other users. Head to the last cubicle and quietly cough to see if anyone’s inside. If you’re in the cubicle and want some company open the door
Dear Uncle,
My life has been spiralling down the drain. I hate the way I look, I don’t like my attitude or my mood swings. I’m not doing very well in college and I think I’m going to fail my course. I want to move aboard, but doubt this will be able to happen as I’ve no money and no qualifications.
On top of all that, I’ve not had a boyfriend and really can’t see it happening for me. Who’d want to go out with someone like me?
I feel like such a loser and I feel like I’m at the end of my tether.
Brandon, 21
Dear Brandon.
I want to thank you for reaching out to me.
Recognising that you’re unhappy or that you’re reaching the end of your tether is so powerful. It’s so seemingly simple yet can feel like the most difficult thing in the world to admit.
First off, some practical things you can do for yourself. Booking an appointment with your doctor / GP, is something you should seriously consider doing. You may have some underlying depression which they can help you with. When the doc asks you why you’re there to see them, don’t hold back. Tell them everything you’ve mentioned here today.
Secondly, talk to your course leaders. They can help you and go through some of your options with you particularly important if you think you’re going to fail.
I am very, very sure they’ll be understanding. Also while we’re on the subject of college or Uni, book to see the campus counsellor. Believe me, they are a beacon of light. When I had issues when I was at uni, my counsellor really helped me work stuff out. Something I will never forget and something I will be eternally grateful for. Those 45 minutes with her were, at my lowest, the most treasured 45 minutes of my week.
Thirdly and I know this sounds weird, but make sure you’ve got food in your fridge (it doesn’t have to be lavish or expensive) or fruit in your fruit bowl. Make your bed every morning and carry a pen and paper everywhere you go, to write down notes and make lists.
Sometimes, especially at the moment because of Coronavirus and all the mounting pressures on us all, life can creep up on us and unless we’re dealing with problems or issues right away, they can feel like massive mountains that we can’t climb. A tidy bed, a good meal and a place to organise your thoughts could really help iron out some of the bumps you’re feeling right now.
As for love and the possibility of someone ever loving you. It’s such a cliché but you got to love yourself first and the next step to loving yourself is making sure you’re still with us.
You may feel dark right now, but even the longest night must eventually give way to the morning.
Who knows what the future holds, but I really hope you’re around to experience it.
Please reach out to the Samaritans if you need to talk to someone. They are available online 24/7 or calling 116 123.
Also, you can reach out to TheMix who specialise in supporting people under the age of 25.
Got a dilemma you’d like us to answer? Click here
Suzuki’s entry in the adventure bike fraternity is the V-Strom, previously also known as the DL.
This latest 2020 incarnation is known as the 1050.
It’s a 1000cc v-twin adventure-tourer although actually, it’s a 1037cc v-twin.
This is a good engine that has been around for a while now, first making an appearance in the TL1000R in 1997, a legendary bike. It also featured in the SV1000 which was a surprisingly good bike. A friend of mine had an SV1000. He fell off it in front of us all once, wheelying it. His excuse was he had just polished it and the seat was slippery.
Now, the engine takes pride of place in the V-Strom 1050, making 106bhp and 100Nm torque. This is an increase of around 6bhp on last year. Peak power is now at 8,500 rpm and peak torque is at 6,000 rpm, which is 2,000 rpm higher up the rev range than the previous model.
Suzuki has played with things like the cam timing and pushed the torque further up the rev range which makes this new incarnation of the V-Strom a lot of fun.
There’s a 6-speed gearbox but no fancy quick shifter. There is a slipper clutch of sorts thanks to Suzuki Clutch Assist System (SCAS) which also makes the clutch very light in operation.
The throttle is fly by wire and is very smooth. I didn’t experience any snatchy or jerky behaviour, it’s very polished, which leads us nicely into the electronics. There are a host of sensors, from lean angle sensors to crank sensors, wheel speed sensors, gear position sensors, gyroscopic sensors and more, which provide information for the various electronic systems on the bike. This information is used by systems such as the ABS and traction control.
You can choose between 3 rider modes, 3 traction control settings and 2 ABS settings. You can’t actually turn ABS off which may be an issue for more serious off-roading, but honestly, this is probably more of a touring bike than a hardcore adventure bike.
The suspension is 43mm, USD, fully adjustable KYB forks, and a KYB shock with rebound and preload, which all works very well, the suspension is great. There’s also a remote preload adjuster just behind your left thigh, great for adding some preload if you’re carrying a pillion.
It’s surprisingly fast when you consider it only has 106bhp, and there’s a satisfying rush of power in the upper rev range. It’s great fun to ride.
Brakes are excellent with 310mm discs at the front with four-pot radial callipers and outback is a 260mm disc with a single-piston calliper. They offer great feel and really are superb brakes.
At 247 kg it’s not a featherweight but it carries the weight well. Pushing around the workshop it felt pretty big, but as soon as you are on the move, the weight disappears. On the move, the V-Strom 1050 feels agile and handles really well.
I’m a fan of the old V-Strom, I remember I had one on test in 2018 and loved it. I even took one around Bruntingthorpe which was fun, scraping the pegs on a V-Strom on track.
The range is a positive attribute with this bike. Suzuki has fitted it with a 20L tank. When I picked the bike up, it was full and the range was showing as 201 miles. With just under half a tank left, the range was showing as 99 miles.
Overall, this is a great bike. It’s fun, it’s pretty fast and it handles really well. It’s comfortable enough to be able to ride long distance with no trouble too.
If there was a criticism, it would only be that the V-Strom lacks some of the toys that some of the heavyweights in the adventure bike sector have; electronic suspension and the like.
Whether you love or loathe the idea of anonymous outdoor gay sex, it’s hard to escape the fact that gay cruising grounds are all around us.
You probably don’t even know, but from where you’re sitting or standing right now there’s probably a cruising or dogging ground just metres away from you in Norwich, and they’re a hangover from more homophobic times in the UK. At our last count, there were at least 22 known cruising grounds in Norwich and over 27 cruising grounds in Norfolk.
Gay cruising is not a new phenomenon. It dates back to when sex between men was illegal in the UK. Finding a place where two men could be intimate with each other without too many questions being raised was tricky until it was realised that men’s public toilets were a perfect place.
These were named cottages because they actually used to look like quaint little cottages.
The act of finding sex in these public conveniences became known as “cottaging“.
The sex between men who would frequent a cottage would usually be anonymous. Gloryholes, a hole drilled between stalls in public toilets became a way in which this sex could remain faceless.
To this day there are loads of cottages and cruising grounds in Norwich and in wider Norfolk.
Generally speaking, not a lot of talking goes on when cruising. A series of looks and gestures would let others know what you were up to. At urinals, guys would stand, playing with themselves subtly to let others know that they were up for some play. Then if the feeling is mutual the pair could make their way to a cubicle for more privacy.
At cruising grounds, much of the same would happen, except the action took place away from public footpaths.
Cottaging is illegal in the United Kingdom under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and applies to both heterosexual and homosexual acts.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 doesn’t say however that sex in a public place is illegal. Cruising grounds and cottaging are two different spaces. Cruising grounds are defined as open spaces, where men can hook up with men, or straight couples can meet for sex (often referred to as dogging), as long as no members of the public can see you.
You risk being arrested if reported by a member of the public. If this happens you have the right to legal advice from an on-duty solicitor at the police station. If convicted you could be sentenced to 6 months in prison and /or a fine.