Tag: London News

All the latest from London, the capital of the UK, home to the UK’s largest gay community.

RESTAURANT REVIEW | Marquis of Wellington

★★★ | Marquis of Wellington

Who is the Marquis of Wellington and what is he doing in Bermondsey?

The Marquis of Wellington was another name for the 1st Duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley), one of the leading military and political leaders of the 19th century. It’s also the name of a pub in Bermondsey down a lonely and dark stretch of road alongside railroad tracks that go into London Bridge. The Marquis of Wellington is not your typical pub – there’s no fish and chips nor sausage and mash on the menu. It is, however, doing things a bit different – it’s a pizza joint that also serves street food!

First off, let’s mention the pizza. There are eight to chose from, from salami to sirloin steak, porchetta and apple to prosciutto crudo, which is what my Italian dining companion had. It was a beautifully-looking pizza, very large (eight slices), topped with sun-blushed tomatoes, wild rocket and of course prosciutto. It was big enough to feed two people! However, it was very oily, too oily for my dining companion to eat with his hands. The pizzas are very good value and priced between £7 to £9.75 – a great deal considering how big they are! I, on the other hand, had that night’s pop-up street food choice. Lucky for me it was Smokin’ Lotus (smokinlotus.co.uk). I had the option of either the 8-hour smoked char siu pork rib, the 10- hour slow smoked beef brisket or the smoked tofu, so it was suggested to me by the manager to have the pork rib salad box (no more sandwiches were available on a Saturday night at 8 pm). The salad box came with Asian style ‘slaw with a creamy sesame dressing and Japanese style mashed potato salad. All I have to say is that it was delicious. The pork was grilled to perfection, the slaw was absolutely tasty, and the mashed potato salad was simply divine. And at £8 it was an excellent deal!
Fresh garlic bread is also a big part of the menu at the Marquis of Wellington. They are massive and excellently priced at under £4.50 each. My companion had the mozzarella, basil pesto and sun blushed tomatoes – he said it was very good but again, the bottom of the bread was oily. My San Marzano tomato with grilled aubergines and parmesan was perfect – the bread was crispy and the toppings were superb.

The Marquis of Wellington is located on the Bermondsey beer mile – a section of Bermondsey where you’ll find lots of local brewers. I drank the Anspach & Hobday Pale Ale beer – blond, delicious, beautiful and recommended. The Marquis of Wellington has other great selections of local keg and cask beers, alongside quality beers from around the world. And it being a pub, the Marquis of Wellington serves all the usual liquids – wines, spirits, bottled beers, etc.

It was a Saturday night at 7:50 pm when my friend and I walked it. It was extremely loud and rowdy and we struggled to get a table even though we had a reservation. It took a bit to figure out how things worked – if you’re eating from the menu, the menu that is supposed to be on your table (ours wasn’t), you need to tick what you want and then take it to the bar to order. We ordered at 8:10 pm and were told that the street food concession was already closing! Early for a Saturday night – luckily I got their last served meal of the day.

The pub was in a bit of disarray, and the empty table the friendly waitress found us was a bit dirty. The food came out fast and furious, but after our meal we were told they had run out of dessert – by 9:30 pm! Also, the pizza and garlic breads are served on cutting boards – I’ve never been a fan of eating off cutting boards because food tends to get into the wood and, if not properly washed, you might be tasting the pizza a customer might have had the day before. Nonetheless, good things are about to take place at the Marquis of Wellington. Just four months old, they plan to have live music on Thursday nights, will soon have a quiz night, and more street food options are planned. They also have free Wi-Fi.

The locals are lucky to have this pub on their doorstep, and visitors to the area will enjoy it as well, but it might not be worth trek all the way to Bermondsey when the West End will do for any type of pub and food option you want. The food = ★★★★, the pub itself = ★★, so it warrants ★★★.

To find out the upcoming street food traders at the Marquis of Wellington, follow them on Twitter @MoWBermondsey or Facebook – Marquis of Wellington

Telephone: 020 7394 0246

http://www.marquisofwellingtonbermondsey.co.uk

Address: 21 Druid Street, Bermondsey, London, SE1 2HH

Opening hours:

Mon – Thu: 11:00 – 23:00

Fri – Sat: 11:00 – 00:00

Sun: 11:00 – 23:00

Food served: Mon – Sun: 11:00 – 22:00

28th February 2017
Police target two London gay clubs in drug bust

The Metropolitan Police have arrested three men after drug busts at two London clubs following an “intelligence-led operation”.

© jvanderwolf Depositphotos.com

Two gay clubs in London were raided in the early hours of Friday morning by the Metropolitan Police. They arrested three men after a “quantity of suspected Class A drugs” were found on one of the premises.

Officers entered Vauxhall clubs, Fire and Lightbox and searched customers and members of staff. The venues were also searched.

According to police reports two 30-year-old men were arrested at Lightbox on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs. One of the men arrested is a staff member of Lightbox. The other man was additionally arrested on suspicion of breaching a court order. A third man, aged 28 was arrested at the same venue on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

All three were taken into custody at a south London police station where they remain.

No one was arrested at Fire.

Chief Inspector Lance Lamnea, of Lambeth borough, said,

“This operation was based on intelligence that indicated harmful substances were being sold at these nightclubs. We are committed to supporting a vibrant night time economy in the capital, but where we suspect offences are taking place we must take swift action to protect the public.

“In this case, anti-social behaviour – believed to be generated by those attending the clubs – has been having a detrimental effect on the lives of those living and working in the area.

“We will be working closely with both the clubs’ management and our partners to ensure the continuing safety of the public and consider whether there will be any impact on licensing issues.”

26th February 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | The Girls, Phoenix Theatre, London

★★★★ | The Girls, Phoenix Theatre, London

There are several women of a certain age taking their clothes off in the West End.

No, these women are not strippers – they’re in a musical comedy called The Girls based on the famous calendar girls of Yorkshire who took their clothes off for a calendar to raise money. And it’s no surprise that the brave actresses in this show take their clothes off to pose, just like the real women!

It’s a good time for the audiences in a show written by perennial favourite and Take That member Gary Barlow, along with Tim Firth (who co-wrote the movie). It provides lots of music that carry the Take That sound – top 40 middle of the road – enjoyable even at times when the storyline is a bit uneven and a bit too simple.

Almost everyone knows about these girls (well, they are not exactly girls – they are ladies), and if you haven’t seen the 2003 hit movie (which starred Helen Mirren and Julie Walters), then ‘The Girls’ tells their story again. Anna (Joanna Riding) has lost her husband and she wants to raise money for a memorial couch at the hospital where he was treated to replace the broken down couch. Chris (an excellent Claire Moore) comes up with the idea (after seeing a Dutch women’s stripper calendar) that instead of having their usual bake sale, why don’t they pose, not naked, but nude, for a calendar? She rallies her local women’s club – W1 – but of course there’s dissent – especially by leader Marie (Marian McLoughlin) – who vehemently opposes the idea – she’ll have none of that – she doesn’t want to destroy the reputation and image of the club where they are trying to be role models for the younger generation. Of course, as you can guess the women do eventually disrobe for a calendar and the rest is history.

The Girls is a very lighthearted (and very lightweight) musical which combines hummable tunes with a weak storyline. But it’s credit to all of the actresses who actually disrobe on stage – they do it with such grace and elegance (and lots and lots of humour) that I wished the show would’ve stretched this bit even more (no, not just to linger more at the naked women but to celebrate their openness and non-reserve!). The women are all excellent, but Michelle Dotrice as Jessie really shines as the elder woman who takes if off with such candour. Another storyline in the show goes nowhere – Chris’ son Danny (a good Ben Hunter) and his friend Tommo (Josh Benson) try to impress the rebellious Jenny (Chloe May Jackson) but the storyline gets dropped, and Tommo disappears for most of the second act only to come back with one line. The set is a bit confusing (bookcases litter the stage – piled very high, used as a door as well, and an ugly scary tree pops down every now and then). But the catchy tunes such as ‘Yorkshire’ and ‘Dare’ will have you humming for days afterwards. The Girls will put a smile on your face and will remind you that being ‘nude’ is not a big deal!

The Girls is now playing at the Phoenix Theatre until July, 2017.

25th February 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | The Wild Party

★★★★ | The Wild Party

CREDIT: Scott Rylander

Have you ever been to one of those parties where the memory of it makes you shudder and sigh in equal measures? You know the kind: the music’s loud, the people are louder, there’s way too much gin, people are taking drugs like they’re about to become illegal or something, your boyfriend sneaks off and does someone else in another room and you can’t quite even remember what or even who you did. No? Me neither. I’m more of a Bridge and canapés person but I like to dream.

‘The Wild Party’ depicts just such a party but back in the era of Vaudeville, dancing the Black Bottom and blasting out jazz. Based on a controversial narrative poem from 1927, this musical is a rollicking romp and a visual treat. Queenie and Burrs are ageing Vaudeville stars that decide to liven up their flagging relationship by throwing a wild party with a bath tub full of gin and an assortment of bohemian friends with fluid sexuality. Cue the entrance of old friend Kate with her hot gigolo lover, Black and things get messier than expected.

Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie (In the Heights, Bugsy Malone, Jekyll and Hyde) directs the piece and injects it with jaw dropping moves. Limbs flail, jazz hands waggle and a sinister pair of brothers hot-shoe it all over the stage. It’s visually dazzling if slightly overwhelming at times. The music is pure 1920s jazz and has enough oomph to carry the show which is needed as there isn’t a huge amount of plot: there’s a party with sex, drink and drugs and it goes wrong.

Original Les Miserables star Frances Ruffelle is a treat to watch as Queenie. Simon Thomas is painfully handsome as gigolo Black and Dex Lee is a suitably sinister and sexually appealing Jacky, a coke-crazed bisexual rich kid. It’s a show that’s brash, loud and relentless which is no bad thing. What it lacks in plot and delicate characterisation it more than makes up with rousing choreography and, to quote another show featuring Vaudeville stars, ‘razzle dazzle’.

The Wild Party plays at The Other Palace until 1st April 2017

24th February 2017
Neo Nazi homophobe jailed for terrorism offenses

A London man, who believed that Adolf Hitler was God, has been jailed for terrorism offences, including promoting ISIS and writing homophobic and racist posts on social media.

CREDIT: Metropolitan Police

Enfield resident and neo-Nazi extremist Sean Creighton has been jailed for five years following an investigation by the Metropolitan police in London. The 45-year-old was accused of a terrorism offence as well as writing anti-gay and racist posts on social media that were intended to incite hatred.

Creighton, a right-wing extremist, pleaded guilty to seven public order offences and one terrorism offence at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 6 January.

He was sentenced on Thursday, 23 February to four years’ imprisonment for the public order offences and five years’ imprisonment for the terrorism offence, to run concurrently.

The police launched an investigation after a post appeared of Mr Creighton holding an assault rifle, standing in front of a Nazi flag, on social media.

In June 2016 police executed a Section 46 Firearms Act warrant.

The court heard how police found a “terrorism manual” on his laptop, which contained “viable recipes” for making bombs following a raid on his North London home.

He was arrested under Section 19 Public Order Act 1986 – distributing written material intending to stir up racial hatred in relation to material on his social media account. When officers further investigated his activity they discovered he was using various methods to spread hate, including offensive stickers on street furniture and what can only be described as prolific activity on social media. They also discovered he had possession of a manual of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

On 31 August 2016 he was charged with a terrorism offence and public order offences and appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court the following morning where he was remanded in custody to await trial.

Commander Dean Haydon, of the Counter Terrorism Command, said,

“We are as committed to apprehending and prosecuting far right extremists who commit terrorist offences and promote hatred as we are those who support and promote ISIS. Both are intent on destroying communities and pose a real risk if they are allowed to continue.”

24th February 2017
Activists take over London’s landmarks to reclaim LGBT+ history

A number of LGBT+ activists have taken to the streets of London to reclaim LGBT history.

CREDIT: Sexual Avengers

Activists from the campaign group Sexual Avengers have taken to the streets of London to mark various landmarks with special blue plaques to “reclaim radical” LGBT+ history.

The Sexual Avengers have taken over often ignored sites of LGBT history including, The House Of Lords, The Admiral Duncan and the home of Black Pride.

Security guards at the House of Lords were “baffled” as four lesbians scaled the outside wall to affix a specially designed blue plaque with the words “Queer Heritage” emblazoned on it. The move mirror the actions of four lesbians who climbed the building in 1988 during the Section 28 debate.

CREDIT: Sexual Avengers

CREDIT: Sexual Avengers

Speaking about the stunt, Sexual Avenger Lucy Warin said,

“For us, the personal is political. I’ve grown up queer in a straight world that tells me I’m allowed to be gay, but not ‘too gay’.

“As a community we don’t get to celebrate our personal history much – straight people can’t identify the place they ‘come out’, they didn’t lose their virginity ‘in the closet’ and they probably can’t name one of the multiple places on public transport where I’ve lowered my voice or degendered my partner when telling a friend about a relationship.

“There should be no shame attached to these sites. We have to uncover our history to celebrate and learn from it.”

CREDIT: Sexual Avengers

Sexual Avenger Ariana Jordão, 33, attached the plaque to the House of Lords.

She said,

“We did this to celebrate collective acts of queer resistance. The House of Lords represents the powerful who ignore the interests of the few, so this is about visibility, creating something that’s impossible to ignore – a rupture in the impenetrable powerhouse. It felt awesome standing on the shoulders of giants, and of my friends.” Ariana is a biologist, artist and gardener.

Sexual Avenger Dan Glass said,

“Radical queer history is full of hope, full of hard fought campaigns by committed groups and individuals that have won us the rights we now enjoy today. London is unique as a ‘gay friendly’ city with no permanent LGBTQIA+ museum or cultural space: comparable cities such as Berlin, San Francisco or New York all have such a space. We demand a queer cultural space to understand where we’ve come from, and how far we still have to go to achieve equality, especially for the most vulnerable members of our community.”

The activists plan to target a number of spaces in London, including:

The House of Lords, where four lesbian activists abseiled into a debate to protest queerphobic Section 28 legislation, 2 February 1988

The Admiral Duncan gay pub, where three people were killed and 70 injured by a Neo-Nazi nail bomber, 30 April 1999

Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, the current site of the UK’s only pride event organised by and run for people of colour, 2005 to present

and a number of LGBT clubs that have closed in recent years.

The Hoist, 1995 to 2016
The Black Cap, 1965 to 2015
The George & Dragon, 2002 to 2015
Barcode, 1996 to 2015
The Joiner’s Arms, 1997 to 2015
Candy Bar, 1996 to 2014
First Out Café, 1986 to 2011
London Astoria, 1976 to 2009
Ghetto, 2001 to 2008

22nd February 2017
Evening Standard appoints its first LGBT+ correspondent

The Evening Standard has appointed its very first LGBT+ Correspondent.

CREDIT: By Philafrenzy (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
One of London’s most read news outlets, The Evening Standard has appointed its first LGBT+ correspondent, Amy Ashenden, who is also the outlet’s online Assistant Video Editor. The writer is also the editor of The Gay Word, a documentary about the evolution of the word “gay” asking the question, “Is it homophobic or has language evolved?”

CREDIT: Amy Ashenden/Twitter

Speaking to THEGAYUK.com Amy spoke how important the new role way for the LGBT+ community saying,

“I feel it’s an important role because London has a huge queer community.

“There’s so much happening here and being queer myself, I’ve always been keen to make sure LGBTQ voices are heard and that all of London is represented. LGBTQ content is something I’ve been doing a lot of ever since I started at the Standard and I’m delighted the new title will formally recognise that”

Having an LGBT+ correspondent is very rare for mainstream media and Amy suggests that it’s a great way of making content inclusive, representative and a brillaint way to bring more diversity across the media,

Amy continued,

“I think having a LGBTQ Correspondent is a great way of making content inclusive and more relevant to wider audiences. There is a lack of diverse content across many media outlets, and being fair, representative and inclusive is something I think all journalism should strive to be”

“I am very proud to be the Evening Standard’s first ever LGBTQ Correspondent and it goes to show you should never shy away from telling stories you feel passionate about. If there’s something LGBTQ happening, particularly in London, please get in touch! I’m always keeping an eye out for stories”.

You can read Amy’s articles here

21st February 2017
Police are looking for information in connection to an attack on a gay couple in London

British Transport Police is appealing for information from the public after two boyfriends were attacked on a London-bound train after a night out in Reading.

CREDIT: Google Maps 2015/2017

Police are investigating an attack on two men at Ealing Broadway rail station on the morning of 15th February. The two men, a couple, were subjected to an attack, which they said was “for being gay”. The victims say the attack happened on a Great Western Railway train.

Police confirmed that the pair sustained injuries and were transferred to hospital by ambulance.

The police were called at 1.04 AM.

Phillip Poole, 35 and his boyfriend, Zbynek Zatloukal, 26 were apparently brutally beaten on a London-bound train travelling from Reading on Valentine’s day. Mr Poole said that the couple were set upon by a gang of five “for being gay”.

According to Mr Poole, the thugs boarded the train in Ealing, West London and verbally abused the couple with a homophobic insult before physically attacking them. Mr Poole says that he was sleeping on his partner’s shoulder when a punch to the face woke him.

Anyone with any information about the incident should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or 61016 citing reference 30 of 15/02/16.

20th February 2017
Gay couple brutally beaten “for being gay”

A gay couple were brutally beaten in what’s been described as a homophobic attack on a London-bound train on Valentine’s Day.

CREDIT: Phillip Poole

Phillip Poole, 35 and his boyfriend, Zbynek Zatloukal, 26 were apparently brutally beaten on a London-bound train travelling from Reading on Valentine’s day. Mr Poole said that the couple were set upon by a gang of five “for being gay”.

Mr Poole took to social media to share the shocking images of his and his boyfriend’s injuries. The attack has left him feeling anxious and “jumpy”.

HAPPY TIMES: The couple before the attack – a happy Valentine’s night out.

The thugs boarded the train in Ealing, West London and verbally abused the couple with a homophobic insult before physically attacking them. Mr Poole says that he was sleeping on his partner’s shoulder when a punch to the face woke him.

Speaking to the Standard he said,

“I can’t really remember much about what happened because I was in such shock when I woke up. I managed to get up and stumble down the carriageway but then they followed me.”

He said that he was not a violent person and did not know how to defend himself against the abusive onslaught. The 36-year-old said he was still jumpy from the incident.

The couple, who have been together since November 2015 sustained cuts and bruises and were taken to Ealing Hospital.

Mr Poole took to his Facebook profile to thank his friends and family for their well wishes

“Just wanted to thank everyone so much for your comments of support❤means the world to Zbyněk and I. We are home resting now but are very bruised and swollen”.

British Transport Police have said they are aware of the incident and was investigating and Mr Poole confirmed to THEGAYUK that they would be contact them next week.

17th February 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | La Ronde

★★ | La Ronde

CREDIT: Ray_Burmiston

Arthur Schnitzler’s turn of the century play ‘La Ronde’ is a frequently performed and adapted classic, partly because it’s an intriguing concept and also often because it’s usually staged with just two actors and a minimal set, making it easy to put on.

Taking the idea of a roundel, where people are linked through their sexual encounters, the original play looks at power, class and politics from the standpoint of sexual encounters. For example, in the original: a prostitute has sex with a soldier, the soldier has sex with a parlour maid and the parlourmaid has sex with a young gentleman and so on till we complete the circle back with the prostitute. It’s a bit like six degrees of separation (or six degrees of Kevin Bacon if you prefer). David Hare adapted the play into ‘The Blue Room’, which became notorious for featuring a naked Nicole Kidman. The gay version, ‘F*cking Men” was a witty and timely adaptation with cleverly drawn characters and a frisson of raunchiness. Sadly this version flounders and is an anti-aphrodisiac.

Writer/director Max Gill has come up with a novel take on the concept. His version features four actors and Wheel of Fortune type spinning wheel featuring their faces. Each scene is preceded by a spin of the wheel which results in a choice of which actor joins the remaining actor from the previous pair, meaning that there are (apparently) over 3,000 possible actor combinations in the play. Also, this makes the play gender neutral. The couples could be two women, two men or a man and a woman. The pronouns and language in the script allow for this. It’s a lively concept and one served well by Frankie Bradshaw’s arresting set and Jack Weir and Nathan Klein’s atmospheric sound and lighting. The gimmick works but sadly it’s not at all well served by the script.

The tone of the play is light comedy and despite some glimpses of promise and the odd flash of insight, on the whole, the script feels dated and pedestrian with few laughs and little depth. The characters mostly feel stereotyped and the acting is turned up to full stagey volume. I found myself looking forward to each scene ending and the wheel to spin again. I love a gimmick and am all for innovation and originality but there needs to be a more sturdy and polished script to make this work.

La Ronde plays at the Bunker Theatre until 11th March 2017

16th February 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | The Boys in the Band, Vaudeville Theatre

★★★| The Boys in the Band

A play that was originally produced off Broadway in 1968 has returned to the West End again, it’s the famous gay play ‘The Boys in The Band.’

Written by Martin Crowley, and fresh from last year’s run at the Park Theatre, the durability of this play is a testament to the crisp and hilarious writing, and the performances of the actors, of the trials and tribulations of eight gay men (and one possibly straight man) which makes this play endure.

The story, in case you don’t know, is about a birthday party for Harold (a very good Mark Gatiss), a posh 42-year old gay man who seems to have everything. The party takes place in the very nice apartment of Michael (Ian Hallard, Gatiss’s real-life husband), with posters of film divas (Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and lots of Judy Garland) that cleverly hang on the walls. The first to arrive at the birthday party is Donald (Daniel Boys), good looking and employed as a cleaner. He seems to be the most stable of the bunch. Then there’s Hank (Nathan Nolan) and Larry (Ben Mansfield), a couple who bring down the mood because of the constant tension between them. Do they really love each other? Then there’s Emory (an excellent James Holmes – the true star of the show). He’s witty, camp, funny and hilarious with the best lines. Emory, incidentally, has hired a not too smart male stripper named Cowboy (Jack Derges) who was supposed to arrive at Midnight (Midnight Cowboy – get it?), but arrives before the birthday boy gets there. He’s as hot and sexy as you would expect, and Derges plays him perfectly. Then there is a straight friend of Michael’s who comes to the party because he happens to be nearby. Throw this in along with a phone game and all of this creates more drama and tension in a play with a multitude of characters that you will either love or hate, though more than likely you will hate them

‘The Boys in the Band’ is a play that is very outdated. It portrays gay men as bitter, angry and more importantly, lonely and outcast, but times have changed. And this show, which has been produced many times, has the same cast who were in the Park Theatre production last October. The actors are all very good (Holmes is really living it up on stage and looks like he’s really enjoying himself), the set is very clever, and the rest of the cast are very good, but it’s time to put this story to bed. ‘The Boys in the Band’ has been done to death. And as one of the characters says in the show ‘show me a happy homosexual and I’ll show you a gay corpse’ – this show is no longer relevant.

‘The Boys in the Band’ is playing at London’s Vaudeville Theatre until Saturday, February 18th.

https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/vaudeville-theatre/the_boys_in_the_band

12th February 2017