THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Gallery Mess, London

    ★★★★| Gallery Mess

    Gallery Mess, London

    Gallery Mess is a restaurant that ticks all the boxes: location, food, service and atmosphere.

    Situated right next to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea on Kings Road, Gallery Mess is everything you would want and expect it to be. Overlooking the Saatchi Gallery lawn called The Green and the multi-million-pound townhouses on the other side, Gallery Mess is elegant and classy without being too expensive.

    A friend and I dined there on a recent warm evening at 7 pm only to find the place buzzing. Since it was very warm that night, the outside tables were all full, but we were happy to sit inside to enjoy the cool ambience of the restaurant. And boy was it cool: white tablecloths, exposed red brick walls with white arches and vaulting ceilings, flowers (some fake) everywhere, plus interesting artwork as well (including a big shoe in the private dining room). But we were there for the food, and here’s how it went.

    Tim the manager from Albania greeted us very warmly and showed us to our table. We let him decide what we were going to eat, and drink, and me and my dining companion said ‘bring it on’! To start off with we were given a very nice glass of Prosecco Brut (£8.50) a glass. And then the symphony of food started. The Heritage Tomato (basically a bruschetta) with grilled rosemary focaccia, anchovies and mozzarella was vey good and was nice size portion, but a little pricey at £10.50 as it was really nothing out of the ordinary. What was good was the English air-cured ham & celeriac remoulade (£10). The ham, with apple and truffle as well, was very tender and just perfectly salty and beautifully presented.

     

    We weren’t too sure what we were getting as our main courses, and were pleasantly surprised when the chicken and the trout landed on our very white tablecloth. The Roast corn-fed Chicken Breast was a beautifully presented dish in a wonderful tarragon sauce which included mushrooms and spring greens. The four large slices of chicken were, of course, just chicken, but they were perfectly cooked and the onion bulbs in the sauce gave it the kick to push the meal up a level. Delicious, and at £16.50, a good value. But it was the Poached Sea Trout that was the star dish of the evening. A very large piece, yellow in color, in a mussel broth, with spinach and samphire, it was absolutely wonderful! I am not a trout lover at all, but this piece of trout has converted me. It was thick, and cooked perfectly, and is highly recommended, and at £17.50 – the best-tasting bargain that side of the river! We also had a side of the minted new potatoes, sprinkled with dill (£4) that were huge in portion and very very good. Other main course choices include Potato Gnocchi (£16), Confit Lamb Shoulder (£17.50) and surprisingly, Fish & Chips (£16) – all very affordable for such an expensive neighbourhood.

    Tim expertly picked out the Via Nova Pinot Grigio to go with our dinner (only £5.75 a glass). The wine was tasty without tasting too winey, and absolutely complemented our meal. My dining companion liked it so much he asked for a second glass! It was an excellent choice as the restaurant has an excellent wine list selection, very comprehensive and inviting, and includes Spanish, French, Chile, South African and German selections, among others. And by the time we had finished our main courses, we knew, we just knew, that the desserts were going to be fantastic, and they were. The Creme Brulee (served with shortbread and raspberries) was just divine, and the seasonal berry fruit salad was ah so refreshing and topped with fruit sorbet, with the dish a very beautiful berry color…..ah so good, and nice to eat on that very warm night.

    The seasonal menu and extensive bar selection is provided by award winning caterer and restaurant operator rhubarb, and they do a very good job of it. Their private dining room – The Mess Room – is available for private hire or seated dinners of up to 80 guests. This room is discreetly set back from the restaurant and offers an elegant, bespoke dining opportunity.

    Gallery Mess has an international staff who will take care of your every need, they are very attentive and very well dressed – it’s service (and food) like this that is welcome. It was a theatrical experience of a gourmet three-course meal fit for an artistic delight. Very very reasonable prices in a very very nice setting.

    http://www.saatchigallery.com/gallerymess

    To book call: +44 (0) 207 730 8135

    Saatchi Gallery
    Duke of York HQ

    Opening hours:
    10:00am-11:30pm, Monday to Saturday
    10:00am-7:00pm, Sunday

  • Humberside Fire and Rescue Service unveils colourful new engine in support of LGBT equality

    And that’s how to make a splash…

    Shoppers in Hull were surprised to see the latest addition to Humberside Fire and Rescue Service’s (HFRS) fleet roll into Queen Victoria Square emblazoned in rainbow colours.

    The new fire engine, which will be based at the city’s Calvert Lane is the result of the fire service working closely with LGBT advocates in Hull and is a celebration of Hull being chosen as the first ever host of UK Pride.

    The engine features the slogan, ‘Fire doesn’t discriminate, neither do we’, the engine will be part of the service’s fleet until the end of the year.

    Andy Train, co-chair of the UK Pride Organisers’ Network and Trustee of Pride in Hull, said,

    “We have had a close working relationship with the fire service for many years, but this year we wanted to raise the bar and do something extra special.

    “We hope that the eye-catching engine will get people talking. We know that many people have certain stereotypes in their mind when they think of LGBT people and people also have preconceived ideas about the fire service. We hope that this helps to break down both of those barriers.”

    Hull UK City of Culture 2017 is also coordinating a huge programme of events across the arts to mark the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, under the banner of LGBT 50.

    Chief Fire Officer Dene Sanders was delighted to launch the latest addition to the Service’s fleet, he said,

    “We are really proud as a Service to work with the Pride in Hull team to add this engine to our already colourful fleet. We have moved on significantly as a service in equality and diversity, but there is still a long way to go within organisations such as ours and the wider community we serve. The very fact that we have an engine wrapped like this as we approach the LGBT 50 celebrations shows how much progress has been made. We look forward to a colourful summer showcasing the engine at events in Hull and beyond.”

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Wyndham’s Theatre, London

    ★★★★★| Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill

    THEATRE REVIEW | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Wyndham's Theatre, London
    Billie Holiday is alive and well and performing at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre.

    Well, it’s not quite Billie Holiday – it’s mega Broadway star Audra McDonald making her West End Debut in a show where she performs as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. And while most of us have never actually seen the real Holiday sing live, I can only imagine McDonald is as close as the real thing.

    Billie Holiday, who was known as ‘Lady Day’, had one of the greatest jazz voices of all time. But sadly she died at the age of 44 in 1959 after a turbulent life, which included drug and alcohol addiction. Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill takes place in South Philadelphia right before her death, and where she sings and also tells stories about her life, loves, and family. She recounts the time she was performing with musician Artie Shaw in an all-white club and was refused the use of the all-white woman’s bathroom so she pissed on the floor. Lady Day mentions that her mother called The Duchess married at the age of 16 and her father was 19, while she was three. And she rasps lyrical about the love of her life, Sunny, who didn’t exactly treat her like a lady. And she briefly mentions the year she spent in prison for drug possession. All this, plus signature Holliday songs such as “Strange Fruit”, “Easy Livin’” and many many others are beautifully done at The Wyndham’s Theatre which has been crafted to emulate the original Emerson’s Tavern as it was known. And McDonald is astonishing as Holliday.

    It’s not just that McDonald is acting like Holiday, but McDonald sings like Holiday as well. There’s a reason why McDonald has won 6 Tony Awards, she is one if not the most accomplished stage actress of our time. The likes of Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone or Elaine Paige don’t hold a candle to McDonald.

    She’s appeared on stage in both musicals and dramas such as Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun and Master Class when she was young where she proved that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Accompanied by Shelton Becton on piano, Frankie Tontoh on Drums and Neville Malcolm on Bass, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill is a lush tribute to the woman who died way before her time, and a tribute to the woman who plays her – it’s a tour de force performance.

    Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill is playing at Wyndham’s Theatre until September 9, 2017. 

     

  • London City Airport goes gay

    London City Airport raises the Pride flag above its terminal to celebrate diversity and London Pride Festival

    To mark this year’s London Pride Festival, London City Airport is proudly displaying the Pride rainbow flag at the front of its passenger terminal.

    The recognisable symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride and LGBT social movements will remain in place for the duration of the Festival, until Sunday 9 July.

    Michael Spiers, Chief People Officer at London City Airport, said,

    “The Pride flag represents the open and inclusive values of London City Airport, both for our staff and our 4.5 million annual passengers.

    “This is a colourful addition which we hope passengers will recognise, acknowledge, and share pictures of, as they arrive or depart in to London, one of the most vibrant cities in the world.”

    The Pride in London 2017 Parade takes place in central London on Saturday 8 July. Any passengers flying in for Pride via London City Airport can reach the West End in just over 30 minutes, with the airport located around 8 miles away.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Bat Out of Hell, London Coliseum

    ★★★★| Bat out of Hell

    Bat Out of Hell, London Coliseum

    Bat Out of Hell the album is now Bat Out of Hell the rock opera.

    Bat Out of Hell was born, literally, 40 years ago, when musician Meatloaf (along with composer Steinman) released the seminal and massive selling record that went on to sell millions and millions of albums around the world. It included massive hits such as “You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and the most famous one – “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” – songs that are still popular even today, more so as karaoke and wedding songs. These songs, along with the other songs from the album, and newer songs written only for this production, are cleverly used as the story for this massive show. Yes, there is a story, it is, however, a weak one, you can practically see right through it, but for this show it’s all about the way the story is told, the production, that makes Bat Out of Hell not just different but memorable, and oh so much better than the horrible jukebox musicals that have played in the West End in the past including the dreadful We Will Rock You and the easily missed Let it Be.

    Bat Out of Hell is a goth lovers dream. We’ve got Raven (Christina Bennington) who is in love with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks – Strat (Andrew Polec – who’s going to be the next Killian Donnelly – and if you don’t know who that is, look him up). Strat hangs out with a very rough crowd, a group of outcasts called The Lost. Raven’s parents Falco (Rob Fowler) – who rules the post-apocalyptic Manhattan – and her mother Sloane (Sharon Sexton), are so overprotective of Raven that they, especially Falco, forbid her from seeing Strat. Of course Raven will do anything to see him, so she sneaks out at night (in her cleverly designed bedroom in a high skyscraper where unbelievably most of the show takes place – but it works!) to be with Strat, but there is a snitch in Strat’s gang who ends up telling Falco where Raven and Strat are. You can pretty much tell what’s going to happen next – Falco goes in search of his daughter, and then there’s a poorly choreographed incident where someone gets shot – a scene we could tell was going to happen a mile away. This is when Bat Out of Hell loses all credibility in its storyline, but it more than makes up for it overall with the visuals and musical aspects of the show.

    Director Jay Scheib had a big task ahead of him in telling this dark story with dark music, and he greatly succeeds. Using Raven’s bedroom as the focal point of hers, and the shows, anguish, heartbreak and young love, Scheib also employs video shot live from her bedroom projected onto at times different screens on the stage so the audience can see, up close, the actor’s reactions to the dramatic dialogue and story unfolding right before our very eyes. And props are cleverly used, especially a car that’s initially being used as a sexual romp between Falco and Sloane (reminiscing about their youth while singing “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”) and the car eventually winds up in the orchestra pit.

    Not enough good things can be said about the cast – they are all superb. Polec looks, acts and sings like a rock star – he’s got the vocal chops to prove he can sing just as well as Meatloaf. Bennington is perfectly cast as the lovely flower love interest Raven, she belts out quite a few numbers and can hold her own. Fowler keeps his head above water in such a talented cast as Raven’s stern and controlling father, but it is the beautiful Sexton as Raven’s mother Sloane who seems to be a natural – you can’t not stare at her when she’s on stage – she’s commanding and wonderful. Also, need to be mentioned are two members of Strat’s gang who end up having a bit of a romance, Jagwire (the wonderful Dam Hartley-Harris) and the amazing Danielle Steers as Zahara who does double duty as an employee of Falco – and she can sing – wow!

    It’s sensory overload in a good way. It’s an assault on your senses – the music, the lights, and the actors – wow – the actors can sing – very very good – like rock stars. They’re all over the place.

    By the end of the show, I was dripping wet from the heat, and I’d almost lost my hearing from the loud music, and my eyes were sensitive because of the strobe lighting used in the show, however, would I go back to see it again? Hell yes!

     

    Bat Out Of Hell is playing at the London Coliseum until the 22nd August 2017

  • Everything you need to know about Bournemouth’s Pride – Bourne Free

    Bournemouth is to play host to its 13th annual pride event, Bourne Free.

    what time does Bournemouth Pride start,

    Here’s everything you need to know about one of South England’s biggest pride festivals, Bourne Free.

    This year’s Bourne Free is set to take part from the 30th June and the 2nd July and will centre around two areas, the lower gardens near Bournemouth’s seafront and The Triangle. As always, the organisers have chosen a theme for the festival and this year’s theme is Superheroes.

    Where does the Parade start?

    The Bourne Free parade,  is free to watch and starts on East Overcliff Drive.

    Once the parade begins it travels down Bath Road, onto Westover Road, onto Hinton, Yelverton, St, Stephen’s Braidley, Bourne Avenue on to Avenue Road and finally ending at Bournemouth’s famous Triangle.

    What time does the Bournemouth Pride start?

    The beginning time of the parade is 11:00 AM on East Overcliff Drive, BH1 3AF. The route takes an hour.

    Where is everything happening?

    During the Saturday, the main events take place in the Lower Gardens and in the Triangle.

    In the Lower Gardens, there will be stalls and entertainment from the bandstand from 12:30 until 4:30 PM and is hosted once again by Lea Martin and is joined by the drag queen, Sheila Tackya.

    On Saturday night entertainment moves to The Triangle and requires wristbands.

    The triangle will the epicentre of entertainment on Saturday night with entertainment provided by singer, Heather Small, Livin’ Joy, Phats and Small, DJ Brandon Block and House power vocalist Angie Brown.

    You need a wristband to enter the Triangle on Saturday night. You can buy them at the entrance.

     

     

     

     

  • The Met is inviting you to join it in conversation tonight

    Ever wanted to know what it’s like to work in the country’s biggest police force? Now is your chance as the Met takes to Twitter to answer questions from the public.

    David Fall has spent his entire policing career wanting to specialise in investigating serious and complex cases. His aim has always been to support victims as best as he possibly can.

    Twenty years after becoming a police officer, he was one of the Met’s stars on the BBC documentary – showing the capital what his team are doing to keep Londoners safe.

    Interested in a career as a detective within the Met? Follow #JoinTheMet on Twitter tonight from 6pm, where DC Fall will be taking your questions. Find out if this is the change you have been looking a career within the Met is the change you have been looking for.

    “My name is David Fall and I am currently a Detective working in the Met’s Sexual Offences Unit within SC&O17 command based within North West of London.

    “I was born and raised in Southampton. Growing up it was always my boyhood dream to become a Police Officer. As soon as I was old enough to apply I did and as a fresh faced 18 year old I was successful on application and joined Hampshire Constabulary as a PC.

    “I enjoyed working there however in 2005 I made the decision to transfer to the bright lights of London. The appeal of policing the world’s capital City was too good an opportunity for me to turn down.

    “I was first posted to Wandsworth borough and I was very much a stranger to London. I remember feeling overwhelmed at the enormity of the city and the sheer size of the Met. The opportunities seemed vast and varied. I was able to settle quickly due to how my colleagues treated me, there was a real ‘police family’ feeling at Wandsworth. I was both fortunate and grateful for that.

    “I spent three years in the Homicide Command before transferring to the child protection unit in late 2011.

    “In November 2015 I was posted to the command of SC&017 where I have spent five years in total and the last 18 months of which, in ‘Sapphire’, where I am responsible for investigating serious sexual offences and stranger rapes.

    “I have been a Detective for 11 years now and became a Detective to investigate the most serious, grave and complex crimes. It sounds a bit corny but to lock up the criminals that inflict pain and misery on good members of our society was a driving force behind my decision to become a detective.

    “The hardest part of the job is the sheer volume of work that can be very demanding, so it’s important to be able to prioritise tasks in any given investigation.

    “There is nothing more rewarding and satisfying than giving the victim and their families justice in Court. I enjoy presenting complex cases during trials at Crown Court and I appreciate the fact that I have the responsibility to be able to give the victim some comfort at such a difficult time in their life.”

  • Conservatives sign a deal with anti-LGBT DUP

    Theresa May’s Government has signed a deal with the anti-LGBT Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

    An agreement between the two parties will mean that the DUP‘s 10 ministers will support the Conservative minority Government. However, the deal falls short of a formal coalition.

    The Conservatives failed to achieve an overall majority in the recent General Election, securing 318 seats. A party needs 326 seats in order to have a majority in the UK. A deal with the DUP could ensure an extra 10 votes.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The Conservatives have said it will find an extra £1.5 billion in funding for Northern Ireland as part of the agreement.

    Speaking about the partnership, the DUP’s leader, Arlene Foster said she was, “delighted that we have reached this agreement, which I think works, obviously, for national stability.”

    The DUP has a long history as an anti-gay party. Its founder, the Rev Ian Paisley spearheaded the Save Ulster from Sodomy in the 1970s, which was opposed to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Northern Ireland, in fact, Northern Ireland was the last country within the UK to decriminalise homosexuality, which it did so in 1982. Paisley’s son, Ian Paisley Jr said that he was “repulsed” by homosexuality.

    More recently the struggle to achieve marriage equality was stalled for the LGBT+ community in Northern Ireland. The same-sex marriage bill has been voted upon four times in Northern Ireland. Each time equality for NI’s LGBT community has been frustrated by the DUP. It is the only part of the UK which does not provide same-sex marriage to its citizens.

    The DUP has said that it is not homophobic but holds traditional views when it comes to marriage.

    Taking to Twitter, the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn said that the deal was not done in the national interest, but in the interest of the PM and the Conservatives own “political survival”.

     

     

     

  • Molly Moggs is back

    After a short break, the popular drag bar, Molly Moggs is back…

    Molly Moggs has reopened

    The shutters are off and Molly Moggs is back – open and ready for business. The popular pub, one of the must go to bars in London has returned after it closed in March.

    Molly Moggs has broken the spate of the seemingly never-ending sad demise of London’s LGBT scene by reopening. The official reopening day was at the beginning of June and slowly the bar has rescheduled its ever-popular entertainment programme.

    Taking to the official Molly Mogg’s Facebook page the management wrote:

    “You have no idea how excited we are to get into Mollys and start getting ready for Monday!”

     

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Sparrow, Lewisham

    ★★★★| Sparrow, Lewisham

    In a no man’s land part of Lewisham, there’s a restaurant doing amazing and fabulous things with Sri Lankan food. It’s Sparrow.

    At the end of the road that is Lewisham High Street, behind the Lewisham Shopping Centre, Sparrow sits all alone, facing the DLR and an unsightly massive construction site.

    But step inside and feel the charm and warmth of the staff, and enjoy the food that is different, delicious, and worth the trip.

    Me and a friend went for a Saturday brunch meal on what was one of the hottest days of the year. We immediately ordered cool drinks. I had the delicious pineapple, melon and grapefruit drink that hit the spot, sweet and colourful and yummy – and only £3.50. My friend had a smoothie that was very milky and white, with coconut, with condensed milk and raspberries thrown in, a bit too heavy for my tastes but he enjoyed it and drank it within minutes.

    I had seen a photo online of their pancakes so I knew this is what I was going to have. They were coconut pancakes with peanut caramel and pineapple salsa, with a dollop of sour cream on top, and it was superbly delicious – like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. It’s the bits of pineapple with small bits of peanuts scattered about that give this dish the wow factor – and at only £8 I would definitely order it again. My companion enjoyed his chicken and curry pastry. It was like a pie only smaller, and he said that the crust was nice and light, and it was delicious, and a deal at £8 (it’s not alway on the menu, Sparrow does tend to mix up their offerings from day to day with daily specials).

    We would’ve been remiss if we didn’t try out the typical Sri Lankan dish Appam. It’s a type of pancake made with fermented rice and coconut milk, and comes shaped like a bowl. While I had a plain one, it is recommended that ingredients be put into it as this is a very typical Sri Lanka dish, and Sparrow does offer up various combinations of eggs and other ingredients to include, and not costing more than £6.

    Sparrow also has quite a unique dinner menu. From fried rabbit (£7.5), fennel and blood orange salad (£7), roast pork belly with harissa (£12) and then the malt duck with chilli jam (£13.50) all of which will probably knock your socks off. Along with Sparrow’s nice selection of drinks, Sparrow is perhaps one of the only reasons to go to Lewisham, unless you live there, and if you do indeed live there, you must pay a visit to Sparrow. It delivers delicious food at the right price.

    http://sparrowlondon.co.uk

    2 Rennell Street, Lewisham, SE13 7HD

    0208 318 6941

    Enquiries@SparrowLondon.co.uk

    Hours:

    Dinner: Tue – Sat: 6-10pm

    Brunch: Sat – Sun: 10-5pm

     

  • “No Gay or Lesbians” London landlord posts homophobic room to let poster

    An advert left in a shop’s window has caused outrage after being discovered in Greenwich London.

    CREDIT: Amanda O’leary

    A homophobic note which says that gays and lesbians, along with children, Pets, DSS, “Benefit Seekers” are “strictly not permitted” was found taped up to a shop window in Greenwich London.

    Amanda O’Leary a single mother who lives in the area, was the first to see the sign and speaking to THEGAYUK said,

    “I think it’s disgusting. I’m a gay mum of two beautiful children.

    “What if my eldest read this? What would I say to her?  Shame on them. Like I tell me kids love is love. That’s all that matter in our family. Just wish others accepted that was well.”

     

    THEGAYUK reached out to the number listed on the advert of the property. We spoke to a man who said that he “was sorry” and that he was “told today that it was not right and it would be removed today”.

    When questioned on whether he knew it was against the law to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, the owner replied that he “did not”.

    THEGAYUK was given assurances that the note would be taken down as soon as possible.

    In the UK, it is against the law to discriminate against people on a number of factors. The Equality Act 2010, says that it is against the law to treat someone unfairly because of sexuality, gender, race, colour or ability. The law affects employers, businesses and organisations, healthcare, education establishments and landlords – as well as other organisations.

    There are nine protected characteristics and they include: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership (in employment only), pregnancy, and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.