AirmaxUK

1 hour ago, RawUK said:

Great news and also great advise from @AirmaxAndy there.

All I would add is make sure you return and use this venue guys - use it or lose it - we have lost so many lgbt+ venues in the past few years and since the covid pandemic it is all the more critical we support our venues that offer us safe spaces to play.

They used to have a 'birthday party' in early January, which was free entry. It was a great party - usually packed to capacity - however I'd be annoyed at the guys who came to the free party once a year but not support the club in the other 51 weeks.  

4 hours ago, Jona26 said:

As SOP don't own the venue it would be difficult for Central Station to justify the cost of installing showers that may only get used one night a week by a club who could I guess change venues at very short notice. Also where is there room in that area?

My top tips for SOP are:

• Bring a complete change of clothes including footwear.
• Maybe bring a washcloth so you can dampen it and wipe yourself down.
• Bring a small towel to dry/wipe yourself. 
• I believe Kings Cross Station has public showers (for a fee). Other options are local Gyms if you have a membership. 
• I know someone who wears total coverage rubber and drives there and back in it. He stops at Heston services on the way home to shower and change out of it. I think it is something of a thrill for him to walk through Heston in full rubber. 
• Usually the cloakroom guys put all your stuff in a black bin liner while it is stored.  They usually let you take the bin liner home to keep your wet gear separate but I always bring my own just in case... 
• Consider where you'll keep your stuff when in the venue. The guys in the cloakroom usually have some small ziplock bags that will keep your cloakroom ticket dry and hold a small amount of cash. The bar takes contactless, so I use my Apple Watch for payments.
• The free lube sachets are pretty awful water based which washes off (especially at SOP). Bring your own.  
• Wash/rinse your gear as soon as you can - it WILL go nasty very quickly.
• Some expensive Nike sneakers (notably Nike Air Max Plus TN) have adhesives which come unstuck when soaked in piss. Rinse them thoroughly as soon as possible to avoid them coming unstuck and falling to bits.
• I've found that leather seems to go hard and dry after a soaking at SOP. If I do wear anything like a harness, I put waterproofing on the leather, but rubber is a much better option. Cheaper gear with plated steel rivets/poppers/eyelets/rings go rusty. Rinse them asap afterwards or get good quality ones made from stainless steel.   

A personal request - please don't drown yourself in a ton of Lynx/Axe when you get changed : it is a small venue and it ruins the atmosphere for everyone else. 

Personally I've found that rinsing off using the sink in the bathroom and then towelling off is more than enough to get me home on the train without anyone noticing. Not that I'd care if they did! Although one time I do remember some people I know from work got on the train after a football match at Wembley as I was on my way home from SOP, rather wrecked. 

Lastly, a plea: please don't hog the sling or pool! There's only one of each and we all want to have a go...

I Posted this in the London forum, which will be of interest to Watersports fans:

Just saw this on Twitter and it made my day... anyone from here going to the reopening?

On 11/8/2021 at 9:52 PM, LetsPOZBreed said:

Have your own poppers and lube, and something you can carry them in - i.e. high-top socks.  The lubes provided at these venues (if at all) is going to be the generic water based stuff that dries out too easily.  Also, be mindful of poppers in a dark venue...I've lost many a cap in the dark that I've struggled to find afterwards.  Also, I've got an armband that has a zip in the bask where I can carry some small amount of cash (if there's a cash bar there).  

I used to do the putting stuff in the socks trick, but I had a bottle of poppers leak and caused a nasty burn to the skin and actually melted a hole in the polyester football sock where it leaked. Took a long time to heal and left a scar... 

Most bars in London do contactless payment, so an Apple Watch is useful for contactless payment, rather than mess about with cash. 

On 1/2/2022 at 10:30 AM, WelshBBCigarFuck said:

Agree 10/10 U.K. here

I’ve got clinically high risk elderly parents living 16 miles from me so I have had to do all their shopping, home maintenance and other activities for them for nearly 2 years, so have stuck fairly rigidly to masks, vaccinations, social distancing etc (It’s not much fun shopping at 6am and then coming back to do a full day’s work before then taking the shopping over to them - but needs must). Been working from home for 20 months so far too, it is fairly isolating and virtual meetings isn’t the same as meeting in person, so it’s not ideal for mental health, but I suppose it’s safer.

I'm in a similar situation. Overall, everyone has to assess risk and outcomes and behave accordingly. The frustrating thing is that the actions of others have a bearing on you. I was on the train the other day and there were a lot of Chelsea supporters on the train making it quite crowded. NONE were masked. Talking about it they were of the opinion that Omicron wasn't so bad and it would be better to 'get infected and get it over and done with'.  That made me quite anxious as my approach to risk is somewhat different considering my additional role as a carer. So... to mitigate the risk, I will take a 3 day break and test before resuming. I think I am reaching the point of accepting that everyone has varying assessments of risk and that's not going to change. If I were not in the position I am in, my attitude would be more relaxed and I wouldn't want to miss out on things in life. But I can't help thinking masking up on a crowded train is just polite. 

10/10 Buckinghamshire / London

Anyone else get issues with ThisVid where when you click on a link, the page starts to load and then stops. Cancelling the page load usually gives you a page you can watch but some of the thumbnails are missing. Seems to be worse some days than others.  

I believe the whole thing of "leagues" if awful. Telling a person that they are not in your league as a put down has a crushing effect on their self confidence and feeds their insecurities. Once that happens a few times a person will begin question if they are worthy of engaging with another because they are not in the 'same league'. Perhaps he's had that experience previously?  In reality we all have strengths and weaknesses - both physical and in our nature/character - and that takes time and effort to discover in a new acquaintance.  Is someone said they thought they were 'below my league' I'd tell them what attracts me to them to reassure them and try and build their ego and self confidence/assurance. 

30 minutes ago, chi4loads said:

 The Italian guy in the first chapter, the guy in the hotel room gangbang, the cashier and a few others were all left with unknown outcomes.    Life is messy and so is my writing style, which seems to have limited appeal. Thanks for the complements.

I very much enjoy a few untied ends where you leave some room for my imagination to fill. I think it's a real skill to get the balance right and you nailed it. 

I've always thought that going from fantasy to action requires a step up in commitment and effort and that step for some is too big for their comfort zone - it's easier to stay home and have a wank,  so they flake. 

Browsing profiles on an app, chatting on WhatsApp, or whatever requires very little effort. You don't have to be washed and dressed, you can do it while watching TV, drinking, eating, even in the company of others or at work,  if you're discrete. It requires very little effort and no commitment.

(Back when you had to sit in front of a PC and use a dial-up Modem, there was a bit more commitment involved so I think that why it was better. But now it is instantaneous in our pockets 24/7 and zero effort)  

Going out to meet someone requires some effort: for a bottom, being cleaned out. Some level of grooming, even if it's putting on your best jock under sweatpants. Travel to meet... if you're taking transport then there's a cost and time investment and if you're driving you can't surf other profiles while doing so. Its sounds basic, but it is a level of effort and commitment beyond sitting at home.

Then there's the instant gratification factor - being wanted by someone you've seen on line and had horny chats with is more than enough for a lot of guys to knock out a quick wank of the fantasy of meeting and then that's that until the next time. For many the thrill of the chase and connecting with someone at this level validates their need to feel desirable and pumps their ego a little.  These apps are designed to be addictive and make you spend hours on them to generate more advertising revenue.

There's also the risk that if you met the other person they wouldn't live up to the mental model in your head you've constructed from talking to them or reading their profile - or most likely just looking at the pics. 

So... why I prefer going out to meet guys at places like cruising grounds, clubs, bars, saunas, etc is that they've committed to the hard part already - getting off their arses, preparing and going out. Because they're there, I know they are up for it. 

I don't think this'll change anytime soon, which is why places to meet other guys are so important. 

6 hours ago, DarkroomTaker said:

Hasn't the weather been bad lately?

It has rained for almost 3 days. Tbh, I am starting to feel the cold of late.

I much prefer the summer months, when its nice and I can sit outside.

Snow coming in a couple of months, hope we get a good few inches,

Anyone got any good knitting patterns to swap? Although, remember to keep posts about Sewing & Macrame in the Hardcore S&M section or you'll get a warning for posting in the wrong section. 

Have you reported the offending posts?

I don't think the moderators read everything that gets posted here - they rely on items being reported by regular users, and then make a judgement call on what to do.  

Click on the three dots in the top right of the message and then "Report". 

I went yesterday with a friend - we travelled up from London and got there just after 12-midday. 

On the journey we were talking and convinced ourselves that a daytimeCumUnion  party on a Tuesday wouldn't be that busy. 

Oh, how wrong we were! The place was rammed and it was almost impossible to find parking. The guy on the door said there were 260 guys in.

The venue is very large - a similar size to Greenhouse Darlaston. The main differences from Greenhouse being that the steam room is a large cruise maze, not just a room and seems to be one of the hotspots for action. I'd recommend wearing slides as the hard plastic anti-slip flooring in here makes your soles quite sore after a while, and the steam softens the skin. The dry cruise areas are very maze-like and you really can get lost there. I only bumped into my friend twice in 6 hours. The guys skewed towards rough/tough blue-collar blokes over 40 - definitely more bears and hardly any twinks. For me this was perfect! Naked was enforced (towels not to be worn) and this usually would put me off, but actually the atmosphere was so positive it was not an issue at all. Top to bottom ratio was - as is usual - many bottoms and few tops, but the guys seemed more willing to play versatile, so there was plenty of fun to be had. Activity definitely seemed to peak around 2pm and after the free buffet it seemed to become less busy. Although they sell refreshments and snacks, there's no alcohol. We stayed until about 7pm by which time numbers had dwindled to about 20 and it seemed there was no 'after work' second wave to speak of.  The staff were excellent and really friendly - couldn't have been more helpful. I've been to other CumUnion parties and found them hard going if you're not a gym bunny or over 40. This was totally different: it was just so much relaxed horny fun.  

So we were both really impressed and I think this is an amazing place. It was well worth the entry and a three hour drive there and back. 

I'm already booking a Tuesday off next month to do this again. The weekend CumUnion will likely attract a different crowd just because it is a weekend, and I'd also like to try their bears themed day. 

3 minutes ago, boypole said:

I don’t use any of those since I’m in a closed (i.e., monogamous) relationship.

If I weren’t, it would likely be either Manhunt or BBRT.

But really, I prefer in-person meetings…and that means live sex spaces like Steamworks in Berkeley or other venues in SF.

Totally agree about preferring in-person meets. I'm looking forward to mid-week CumUnion tomorrow at Northwich Sauna.

I was wondering if people's experience of the Apps is improved at the paid-for tiers or if it is the same.

I also think that it is interesting that (for me) the most expensive is the worst, and the cheapest the best... 

So an interesting sub question is of the online websites and apps which do you pay for and which do you just use at the free level?

Which ones are worth paying for? Why?

A quick survey of their costs for an annual subscription based on today's currency conversion rates:

• Grindr: £87
• Squirt: £73
• Scruff: £60
• Recon: £56
• NKP: £55
• BBRT: £44

Just wondering if anyone has been to the midweek CumUnion on Tuesday at Northwich Sauna? 

Is it busy enough during the day/evening to make the trip from London worthwhile?

"Pants" at Central Station's Underground Club has recently reopened. Initially it's just Friday and Saturday afternoons from 1pm. 

[think before following links] https://clubpants.co.uk

Last Friday was pretty busy. 

Pre-covid, travelling abroad for work I used to try and stay the weekend wherever I was going and set something up.  Had some great times in US, Europe and Japan. 

I am in the process of planning a tour of the West Midlands and NW UK.  I want to visit Northwich Sauna for CumUnion and also take in Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester. 

Early 1990s: I remember the police used to show up at The Greyhound in Colnbrook (gay pub/club near Heathrow, long since closed) and make a big show of recording the car number-plates in the car park. They used to do this at many of the gay pubs in the suburbs. We think it was to match them with cars parked at known cruising spots. Everyone exiting the venue and getting into a car would get breath-tested.  

Around the same time I encountered (and was chased) by two policemen on horses at Hampstead Heath. Since it was dark I managed to lose them where there were some dense holly bushes  and went back to the car park at jack straws castle to find there was a van load of police there and they were questioning people.  I crept back to the holly bushes and waited until they left at dawn. My car had  "Police aware" stickers stuck to the window when I got back to it. 

5 hours ago, RawUK said:

 

I even have better success picking up on the street, trains, buses than apps and if wearing one of my T-shirts with RAW on it (see my pic), then it's always BB too without discussion!

 

Besides hanging out here, I'm really into Photography and follow Jared Polin on YouTube. His catchphrase is "I Shoot RAW" (as opposed to JPEG) and he sells t-shirts on his website with various designs that say "I Shoot Raw". He won't ship to the UK but I got a few shipped to a friend in the US and then sent across. They certainly attract all kinds of attention even in the local Tesco's! 

To frame my experiences, I live in medium sized town in The Chilterns, south Buckinghamshire, population 120,000 about 30 miles from central London. YMMV. 

BBRT:  In my town there isn't enough guys nearby to make this worthwhile. Closest guy is 6miles away.  Only use it when travelling to a big city like Birmingham, Manchester, London. 

NKP: Again nearest guy is 6-7 Miles away and nearest top is 22 Miles away. This site seems more extreme, but the guys are fantasies and phantoms. When travelling in cities, there's a lot of "horny talk" but meets almost impossible. I am guessing guys are high and looking to get off with their hands. 

Grindr: More locals, but after a coupe of years its the same dozen or so guys on here all the time. Skews to the younger demographic and as I'm in my mid 40's I find myself being chatted up and then asked for £££ often. Especially near the end of semesters!  Grindr when travelling is a much better experience. 

Fabguys: Seems to be more guys who are on the DL or being "discrete". Can be good very occasionally but can be a high time waster. 

Scruff: A few more locals, older demographic. Around here it seems to be a majority of guys looking for something more than a bit of fun. 

Recon: Very thin membership around here, but quite good focus on fetish interests. Have met most guys from here over the years. Expensive. 

Squirt: I mostly use their database of cruising spots when out and about. Never met anyone from here. 

Romeo: I really like the design of the app and site. In mainland Europe it's the best by far. In the UK, membership is thin and patchy, mostly big cities. It used to be  good for catching travelling europeans in London, but not great with locals.  My one criticism is that they allow you to set your location to anywhere, so you can end up talking to someone who you think is in Berlin, but in effect they are in Glasgow and visiting next month, just fishing. It's also not the place to find bi/straight guys on the DL, as it comes off a bit too gay to them. 

Sniffies: Too few people online to be viable here. 

Breeding.zone: This isn't a hookup site, but worth a mention because I have met a couple of great guys through corresponding on here. 

WhatsApp Groups / teleGram Groups etc.: There's a number of these for different interests. A lot of noise, fakery, and queeney princess behaviour  - not much action. There was one that was 700+ messages a day, which is unmanageable.  

To be honest, I don't bother with the apps as much as I did. You can waste a whole night and not get a meet. Much better to drive to the local cruising spot, sauna, or head to somewhere like Hampstead or The Vault, where the chance of success is 100x better. 

On 9/24/2021 at 8:39 PM, AirmaxAndy said:

I'd be up for it - suggest we have a way of identifying fellow BZ members from regular punters. Any ideas?

Ok here's  my idea:

Go on Amazon or eBay and search for "Biohazard" - thanks to the game Resident Evil, there's a ton of stuff with biohazard logos - pins, badges, bandanas, wristbands, necklaces, stickers, glow in the dark stickers, t-shirts, temporary tattoos... 

Pick something that's visible and we'll know who's who. 

15 minutes ago, billy88666 said:

 

No matter what your wear when you meet, the most important thing is "Attitude". Sluts are usually confident and will be upfront about what they want 😉

^^^ This is more important than anything you'll ever wear. 

12 hours ago, squaredolphin said:

Yeah black Adidas is very Berlin. When I was teen it was Adidas shorts that got me all hot and bothered. I used to run in a harrier's team and most of us wore Adidas but those tight shorts were so delicious! I had a friend who was really hot and once I stole his shorts. I used to wank with his Adidas shorts on my face!

With you there... I went to a school that was fairly strict about uniform and sports kit (which was part of the uniform). I used to be a regularly forget items of my kit so I had to borrow items from friends or the lost property box.  Borrowing from a friend  was best if someone had PT or Rugby in the morning and you had it in the afternoon. Sometimes taking it home that night and giving it back the next day. I think this is why I am so sensitive to male pheromones. 

Definitely a big fan here and have a massive collection - and as far as clothing goes, black Adidas gear seem to be very #Berlin.

Shame Adidas never really got a handle on the Sneaker fetish side of things as much as Nike did. It's common to see a nice shiny Adidas Chile tracksuit worn alongside some Nike TNs, Shox, or Airmax 90s. You never see guys lusting quite the same after a pair of Adidas EQTs...