THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • Petition Started To Remove Poppers From Legal Highs Ban

    Petition Started To Remove Poppers From Legal Highs Ban

    A new petition has been created to urge the Government to drop Poppers from the Psychoactive Substances Bill.

    A petition, created by Carl Howard, is calling for Poppers (alkyl nitrates) to be dropped from the Government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill, which will see all current legal highs banned.

    The law would make selling poppers a criminal offence, with those found guilty of supplying potentially receiving a 7 year prison sentence.

    In his petition Howard says,

    “There is no evidence to suggest that in the vast majority of users poppers cause anything more than a short-lived head rush. Banning them will drive people to seek harmful alternatives. We call upon the government to exclude them from this Bill until hard medical evidence proves otherwise.”

    Speaking to THEGAYUK in August about the law, Liberal Democrat Lord, Brian Paddick said,

    “The way that the law is written, it is any substance that changes your mental state like making you feel happy.

    “So air fresheners for example… Potentially florists could be arrested because the scent given off by roses makes people feel romantic – makes them feel nice or whatever else.

    “By the strict definition of the law they are supplying a substance which when inhaled through sniffing changes your mental state. That’s how ridiculous this law is.”

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Tinderella, Cinders Slips it In is a real sparkle of a production!

    Above the Stag theatre has done it again and produced another hilarious panto in ‘Tinderella: Cinders Slips it In.’ ★★★★

    The theatre has produced many a camp panto in years past. These include ‘Dick Whittington: Another Dick in City Hall’ in 2009, ‘Sleeping Beauty: One Little Prick’ in 2011, and last year’s ‘Treasure Island: The Curse of the Pearl Necklace.’ But with ‘Tinderella: Cinders Slips it In‘ the Stag has outcamped, and outdone, all its previous pantos. It’s as camp as christmas and as gay as eggnog. And it’s hilarious.

    The title says it all. The show is a take off on Cinderella, and in the Stag’s version Prince Charming is searching the kingdom for a man (and NOT a woman) who fits into the glass slipper, in the kingdom of Slutvia. And that man is Cinders. He cooks and cleans and does the chores for his wicked evil stepmother Countess Volga and her two vile daughters Nicole Ferrari and Maude Escort. But then one day, while on a gay app on his mobile phone, he meets Prince Charming, and it is love at first sight for both of them. But Cinders’ phone gets ruined (I won’t say how!), and he’s unable to contact, or be contacted by, the very handsome young Prince.

    But there is a Fairy Godmother, in the form of The Fairy, and she’s the one who, with the help of the adorable Buttons, makes sure that Cinders gets to the ball to be reunited with Prince Charming, though the Prince’s father, King Ludwig, has no clue that his son is jonesing for another man. It’s all a laugh a minute when the show takes us from the Countesses’ kitchen to the King’s office to a courgette that gets turned into, funny enough, a mode of transport to which Cinders to the palace! We also are treated to songs about balls, a clever slow-motion scene that involves the entire cast, and enough campiness and cute boys to make even Alan Carr blush. And to top it off, we are spoiled with Slutvia’s Eurovision song!

    What can one say about a show that has ok acting, ok singing, and an ok script? Well – it’s brilliant! You’ll be laughing from the opening scenes which include a giant rat, to the audience participation bits (there are quite a few and boy are they clever!), up to the final heartwarming and groin inflaming scenes. It’s a show that’s over two hours but it flies by. And the cast are perfect, from Joseph Lycett-Barnes as Prince Charming to Lucas Meredith as Buttons and Grant Cartwright as Cinders – everyone does their part, and they all act very well with each other! From the writers and director of total sell-out hits ‘Get Aladdin,’ ‘Jack Off the Beanstalk,’ and ‘Treasure Island – The Curse of the Pearl Necklace’ (Martin Hooper and Jon Bradfield) and directed by Andrew Beckett, Above the Stag has put on another memorable show.

    Tinderella: Cinders Slips it In is playing until January 16th, 2016. Most performances are sold out but there are a few tickets left on various dates. To book, please go here: http://www.abovethestag.com/shows/

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW: Hunter 486 @ The Arch, London

    Hunter 486 is situated within the Arch Hotel (we sneaked a peak at one of their delightful, bright and cosy rooms before we were seated- always a good sign to see a Bang & Olufsen phone in a bathroom).

    486 being the original dialling code for the area that the hotel appears to show much loyalty to via adorning walls in artistic photographs of local architecture, and even a one off piece of art by Vincent Poole concocted from the names of local streets, shops and galleries.

    There are three elements to Hunter 486; the bar, the champagne lounge (with leather booths, curtained for privacy), and the main restaurant, with an open kitchen on view, equipped with stone oven, hanging pots from the ceiling, and the chefs are pretty cute to boot too, which surely is the best thing about an open kitchen from a diner’s perspective, right?

    Some delightful options for tidbits / pre-starters are available, us opting for the Quail Scotch Eggs (£3), beautifully presented with trickling sunny yolks next to a pot of crunchy teeny cubed vegetable piccalilli. The scotch eggs deep-fried in a fine golden batter, encasing a wonderfully intense herby pork sausage, and perfectly cooked lovely, runny, quail’s egg (fab with the piquant piccalilli). This was an absolute peach of a dish, I feel it should feature as a proper starter option, somehow.

    Along with the eggs we tried some Homemade Crisps (£3), which were channelling an epic roast dinner via flavours coming from lemon and sage. Also at the table were a couple of homemade breads; the brown being nutty and sweet, slightly heavy for me – but the breadwinner of the plate being a crusty fluffy olive bread, which makes some seriously charming chemistry with mopping up of the scotch egg yolk.
    Never one to ignore scallops on the menu, it was medleyed with scorched chunks of chorizo and silky smooth strips of roast red pepper, altogether creating a flavourful din atop a pale green rocket salad (£12.50). Aesthetically the plate is perfection, which matches the cooking of the scallops.

    However, rivalling the scallops’ splendour, a colourful and fragrant Heritage Beetroot & Orange Salad (£8). Beautiful beets in three shades with bright orange slices create earthy and tart boldness that crave the mellowness that the chopped hazelnuts and goats’ cheese crouton bring to the dish. A symphony on a plate.

    What strikes me from the mains menu, is that nothing really strikes me. We both struggled to pick something, which is a shame as decisions were instantaneous with the starters (and we had even chosen desserts). The mains lack the creative flair that’s seen throughout the rest of the menu, and even in the hotel itself. Nothing jumps out from the “pubby” selection of burgers, steak, pizza, fish & chips etc.

    Due to season, Hunter 486 also had a thanksgiving menu, so we ordered one of the Norfolk Bronze Turkeys with roast sweet potatoes, glazed root vegetables and cranberry sauce. The meat was not dry at all, perfectly moist. Essentially a very good roast dinner, and it is what it is really, but there was no wow factor.

    The same enthusiasm with the other main on the table, in the form of Braised Lamb Shank (£19), with Mediterranean spiced aubergine and chickpeas. Served in a bowl decorated by a rim of an intensely sharp and minty sauce that was fab, and looked great against the dominant reds of the dish, adding a bit of zing to counteract a rich gravy from the lovely lamb. The chickpeas could have done with a couple more minutes cooking but other than that the dish was great, but again no wow factor. All down to, I feel, an uninspiring selection on offer.
    Desserts? Here we go, Hunter 486 back on form. There were so many enticing options (all @ £6.50) that we ordered three to share between the two of us. Hazelnut & Apple Tart – Sweet dreams are made of THIS; Pastry perfection with sweet toasty cinnamon lacing the nutty and dewy apple filling. A few sticky syrupy globules encasing crunchy whole hazelnuts decorate the plate, and i mourn for it as i pass to my friend to share.

    Coconut Panna Cotta and its creamy, silken texture paired with a bold, icy mango sorbet takes me somewhere tropical. The sorbet was leaning on the over powering side as the coconut flavour of the panna cotta was a little shy. A few toasted coconut flakes on the plate attempt to reinforce the flavour. Passing the plate over, the panna cotta delightfully wobbling as it went, i was almost tempted to wolf whistle at it.

    A refreshing clementine salad made a wonderful close to the meal, being zesty, cleansing and uplifting. Paired with toasted almonds, and another burst of freshness from pomegranate jewels, strewn with a herby hint of mint. I cleverly saved this for last as its healthy exuberance and feel good factor makes me forgive (but certainly not forget) the indulgence of the two desserts prior.
    As our plates were being cleared by the very well dressed and charming service staff, I go over the dishes that we had in my mind, and it is such a shame that there was that creative and flavour lull mid-meal with the mains. Everything else around this however, was absolutely enchanting; the starters and desserts stick with me still, and I would come back to Hunter 486 if not only for those gorgeous scotch eggs (and yes perhaps another slice of that hauntingly good hazelnut & apple tart). The good by far outweighs the disappointing, and i would even say it’s now on my list of the most memorable meals I have had for various reasons, and that surely, is good food.

    Reviewed by: @Lohanjordan

    ADDRESS: The Arch London, 50 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, London, W1H 7FD

    PHONE:+44 (0)207 724 4700

    PRICE: ££££

    STAR: ****

    TIPPING POLICY: Optional 12.5% will be added to your bill.

    MAKE A RESERVATION: http://www.opentable.com/hunter-486-brasserie?page=5

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Blues Brothers

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Blues Brothers

    The blues are back in town in the form of ‘The Blues Brothers Christmas Special’ at the Arts Theatre in Covent Garden. ★★★★

    (more…)

  • Welsh Lib Dems Call For PrEP To Become Available On NHS

    Welsh Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott has suggested that PrEP should be made available on the NHS for people most at risk of contracting HIV.

    Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a drug, which if taken as per a healthcare professional’s advice is incredibly successful at halting new HIV infections. Welsh Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott has called for the Welsh Government to take steps to ensure that the drugs are made available to people who are most at risk of contracting HIV.

    Recent results show that gay and bisexual men are still one of the highest at risk groups – with over 6500 in the UK unaware that they are HIV positive are at risk of spreading HIV even further.

     

    In 2014 the number of gay or bisexual men in the UK who were diagnosed rose by a further 110 new cases to 3360.

     

    Eluned Parrott AM, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales Central, said:

     

    “Over the last 20 years huge steps have been taken forward in helping people with an HIV infection to manage their condition. While this is a way from a cure yet, it still represents huge progress.

    “However prevention of HIV infection is now possible thanks to the development of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). A tablet a day can prevent people who are at risk of being exposed to the HIV virus from contracting HIV. This is a massive step forward, and yet three years after the Federal Drug Administration in the USA approved PrEP for use, it still isn’t available in Wales.

    “People who have partners with the HIV virus and other high risk groups should be offered this treatment as a matter of urgency, not only for their own health and wellbeing but also to help reduce the prevalence of HIV in the population as a whole. Perhaps one day, HIV could even be eliminated.

    “I call on the Welsh and UK governments to work together to ensure those who need it most are aware of this treatment and have access to it.”

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | 108 Brasserie

    Entering 108 Brasserie you are welcomed with festive cheer in the form of smiles from the bar, and a wonderfully humungous autumnal wreath adorned in oh so trendy right now copper highlights and leaves.

    The aroma of the room is dominantly sweet, and I’m pretty certain the sugar and spice smell is emerging from the 108 Pantry adjacent to the restaurant, which deals in everything from sandwiches to scones, and gluten-free/low-sugar-healthy-feel-good options to sumptuous cake extravaganzas that just make you want to hit the f*** it button.

    The decor contemporary, and a bit ritzy cliche – cream walls, marble tables, red leather seating, with walls studded in black & white photography. Ceilings are high and so are expectations.

    To accompany our lovely, floral & fruity cocktail; The Marylebone (named after the hotel the restaurant is situated in)- which was made out of champagne, vodka, raspberry liquor, and elderflower, came a selection of homemade breads (from the 108 Pantry). I’ve never been a fan of bread before a meal, I find it far too filling. As my friend and began to discuss the bread, she told me a story she had heard of whenever Nicole Kidman is served bread at restaurants, she tips a glass of water over it, so she is not tempted by the captivating carb.
    The Rye bread was so dense and far too heavy – Though I’ve never really understood rye bread that has not been toasted. Eager to try the guinness brown bread, we tucked in and it was absolutely delicious but it was so cake-like and sweet it felt like it was at the wrong point of the meal, what’s more, because it was sweet, we wanted to keep going back for more of it. The soda bread and pumpkin seed loaf was much lighter, and solidly savoury- this was just right.
    Crispy Pig Cheeks with mustard creme fraiche, and an apple & raisin chutney (£8), caught my eye immediately on the starter menu (the menu in its entirety is full of tempting options, however those of you that are vegetarian/vegan may feel a little restricted with choices). Flakey and fleshy peppered pig cheeks in a light crispy batter were delicious and generous in portion, complimenting and working with watercress’ natural peppery pow. The only thing that let the dish down for me was the chutney, it just tasted like something mince pie, but the plate was still very enjoyable without eating the chutney.

    Also coming as a starter, the Balmoral Estate Venison Capaccio (£11) – very french in its style and presentation. The venison, like red velvet draped on the plate, pretty against the pale green frisee salad it’s freckled with. The venison pretty much melts on your tongue, all buttery and rich, which is fantastic combined with the pickled walnuts on the plate, bringing something sharp and sweet. A very well designed plate of food.

    Taking one for team vegetarian, I ordered the Spelt & Roasted Squash Risotto (£15). With it being the only main suitable for vegetarians (other than from the salad menu) it should have been a lot more than what it was. Texture wise the dish was on point, I love grains like spelt and pearl barley for their ridge down the middle that is just a treat on the tongue, as was the dishes creaminess. To look at the dish was underwhelming being basically beige. The dish could definitely handle more sage than just the one crispy leaf served, and way more black pepper.

    Served in their shells, the Seared Isle of Skye Scallops (£16), wonderful colours with the scallops sat atop an amber dahl-like spiced lentil dollop, flavoured with fresh coriander. This was an unusual dish in terms of its flavour pairings, although every other table in the restaurant was eating the scallops (the portion size is generous too). My friend loved this dish, but for me I thought where scallops are sometimes susceptible to being gritty, it was odd serving with lentils.
    For something light on the side we ordered a Superfood salad (£8), which I’m not really sure restaurants are allowed to put on the menu as “superfood”, unless it states specifically with scientific backup as to why it is superfood. It’s not just the name i would take off the menu, it would be the dish itself, as it just felt like a bunch of everything thats deemed “in” was put in a bowl and served; quinoa, pomegranate, edamame beans, raw broccoli. It had no flavour and too many textures.
    Blaming bread and generous portions we were struggling with the idea of dessert so opted for something light to share in the form of the Josper Grilled Pineapple (£7) – the josper is a grill and an oven in one, there is also a josper menu for mains featuring fish, tiger prawns and steaks. Unfortunately the dessert did the josper no justice. The pineapple tasted limp as did its chilli and lime sauce. Expecting fire and sweet and it was just overly sweet and syrupy. Topped with a scoop of coconut sorbet which lacked flavour altogether, which was a real shame.
    The end of the meal was sealed via a limoncello each, and some lovely small homemade chocolates (again from the 108 Pantry), large chocolate buttons topped with pistachio, cranberry and a bit of salt- they were delicious and had a great salty tang to them. The variations change daily.
    The service throughout was amazing, the staff that looked after us are certainly a credit to the establishment. I just got the feeling that they really enjoy working in 108, they knew the menu really well, were proud of the ingredients when talking us through them and where they came from etc. The 108 Brasserie has a lovely vibe, if it hadn’t have been for an appointment i had to get to, we could have easily just mooched around soaking up the atmosphere, and probably be tempted to explore the fantastic cocktail menu too.
    Reviewed by @Lohanjordan

    ADDRESS: 108 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2QE, United Kingdom

    PHONE: +44 (0) 207 969 3900

    PRICE: ££££ (explained)

    STAR: *** (explained)

    TIPPING POLICY: http://108brasserie.com/location/

    MAKE A RESERVATION: http://108brasserie.com/book-now/

  • Baroness Verma: “It’s great to hear us talk about ending AIDS but the job is far from over.”

    Lords And MPs met today to discuss ending AIDS by 2030 and having an AIDS free generation within 15 years.

    Parliament hosted a roundtable meeting today (World AIDS Day), bringing together a host of Lords MPs and speakers to talk about how to bring about an AIDS free generation by 2030. The talk was hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group On Global Health and HIV/AIDS charity StopAIDS.
    Speaking at the event were MPs Diane Abbott and Chris Freer along with Baroness Masham, Baroness Liz Barker, Baroness Verma and Lord Cashman.

    A packed room heard from three speakers, Alexa, Cristian and Chan Chan who talked about their personal journey with HIV.

    Diane Abbott saluted the bravery of LGBT activists in Uganda, singling out the tremendous work achieved by Icebreakers, a support community in Uganda, for their efforts in the country, where politicians are fiercely homophobic and where HIV/AIDS medication is hard for LGBTs to gain access to.

    Lord Cashman also put forward questions on how to curve the ever-growing numbers of gay and bisexual men who were being diagnosed with HIV in the UK.

    Recent statistics revealed that new infections in gay and bisexual men have risen again – and that record numbers of men who have sex with men are unaware of their statuses.

    Baroness Verma said that she was proud that the UK was “significantly funding the Global fund”, for HIV/AIDS awareness and health campaigns, and added that we will continue to “champion key populations”, but was keen to stress that there was a “long way to go”.
    Addressing the room she said, “It’s great to hear us talk about ending AIDS but the job is far from over.”

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Illusionist live at Shaftesbury Theatre

    America and Britain’s Got Talent has quite the same format and it’s this bi-coastal variety TV show that springs to mind and also celebrates the essence of The Illusionist.

    The Illusionist recently opened on Broadway in New York and currently running simultaneously with a different batch of Illusionist’s in London’s West End. I was accompanied by someone who was going to make this show her first Broadway experience and how rapid did any excitement dissolve and replaced with disappointment as the show came across as a highly, taut, expensive and stretched variety show.

    Audience participation was relied on and the faces on the unlucky chosen were illusions of willing victims that seemed as though they were not embarrassed to be on stage but more so embarrassed to be associated with some of acts.

    Ok, so despite the show being a glamorised magic show (thanks to the heavy advertising and prestigious theatres that house these shows), there were a few steals to be had. The Anti Conjuror shocked the audience by regurgitating a few razor blades that were strung through a piece of floss, ‘’how did he do that?’’, muttered the audience whilst covering their children’s eyes.

    Technology was revealed on stage by The Futurist and his acts with bright technology and perfect timing were very welcomed – finally something decent and suitable for the kids in the audience.

    No magic show is complete without someone escaping from something – The Escapologist made sure that was served up whilst being hung upside down in flames (of course).

    The Trickster continued to blow fresh air throughout the whole show with his adult focused comical one liners and had the kids muttering ‘’what does that mean?’’. The Trickster certainly left the stage with the adults wanting more.

    Good seats are important to view this show so everything on stage is beamed onto a screen for everyone that sits say beyond the 10th row in the orchestra. What’s the point of sitting beyond this and more so what’s appealing with going to a theatre to watch a screen?

    The Illusionists create their standalone performances so don’t expect them to interact together. The show doesn’t offer anything that most viewers haven’t seen before.

    I did leave the theatre thinking ‘’how did they do that…how does a show like this become Broadway worthy?’’ – that’s magic!

    The Illusionist live at Shaftesbury Theatre, London & Broadway, NYC, 14/11/15 – 03/01/16

     

  • COLUMN: The Worst Day Of My Life Was… Remembering The Height Of The AIDS Epidemic

    I guess it started from that lazy Sunday afternoon, stretched out with all the Sunday papers when my eye’s were drawn an article about a a gay cancer in San Francisco. I sat bolt upright and started to read it in earnest.

    (more…)

  • Woman Who Wrecked Gay Bar Fined Just £165

    A woman who created £4500 worth of damage to a gay bar in Crawley has been order to pay just £165 in damages.

    (more…)

  • Shoreditch Gay Pub Closes Down

    The George And Dragon in East London has pulled its last pint.

    According to the landlords of the George and Dragon in East London “dramatically increased” rents have forced the closure of the gay pub which opened in 2002. The pub is just one of many venues that have closed in London in 2015. In findings by THEGAYUK over 90 LGBT venues in London have closed since 2000. The last date of the George And Dragon’s lease is the 1st December.

    A Facebook post released in August stated the owners were looking for another venue to reopen the bar, they said,

    “We will be looking for a new opportunity and hope very much that some of our dear G&D fans will be able to join us on this new journey soon.

    “We’ll try to be as open as we can throughout this process as we’d love as friends as possible to join us for a drink as we begin to bid farewell to our beloved old pub.”

    Taking to Facebook once again the owners said,

    “It’s almost 13 years since we opened our doors and from pretty much that night we have been blown away with the amazing response and all the amazing things which have their origins inside Number 2 Hackney Road, a former Victorian boozer, squatted and turned into a shoe shop which we reboozerified back in 2002.

    “We are due to surrender our lease on Tuesday 1 December and a new owner will sign a new lease at the same time. We wish them every success. They inherit good times, good memories and a whole lotta love. We move to a new venue as soon as possible, hopefully within the week. The jungle drums are beating and from what we hear they’ve got it bang on.

    “Today we open at 4pm and hope as many of you as possible can pass by and raise a glass, maybe even last the whole 8 hours. Music comes from Princess Julia, Richard Mortimer, Wayne Shires, Charles Jeffrey and The Lovely Jonjo.

    “Tomorrow night we’ll be putting the last things in boxes and draining the brandy bottle – so if you can’t make today or prefer a more somber occasion there’s your chance.

    “From the bottom of our hearts and written in the sky: Thank You