Good News: SOP reopening 23rd Jan

[AirmaxUK]

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

[Jona26]

I'll be there! Can't wait to get back to it!

it will be interesting to see if they make any changes (new sling, pool, etc).

[Guest]

Probably going to wait for the you know what to peak alledgedly in a couple of weeks. I've sorely missed the raw pissplay here.

[guy4it]

On 1/12/2022 at 6:44 AM, Jona26 said:

I'll be there! Can't wait to get back to it!

it will be interesting to see if they make any changes (new sling, pool, etc).

It would be nice if they would create some showers in the bathroom area, but with no money coming in that's a big ask.   

Edited January 14, 2022 by guy4it

[Jona26]

40 minutes ago, guy4it said:

It would be nice if they would create some showers in the bathroom area, but with no money coming in that's a big ask.   

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?

[AirmaxUK]

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...

 

 

[RawUK]

Great news and also great advise from @AirmaxUK 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.

[Jona26]

5 hours ago, AirmaxAndy said:

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...

 

 

Thanks Andy for posting those top tips. I wish the first time I went to SOP (many years ago now) there was someone to give that advice to me!

And my bugbear is also bodyspray as people are getting ready to leave.

I have to travel home by train from Central Station and I wait til I get outside until I give myself a couple of squirts and I find that's more than enough to mask the smell of piss from fellow travellers (unless ypu want to to be loud and proud smelling of piss!) 

There are a few old faces I'm really looking forward to see again next weekend (fingers crossed), and one or two more regulars that I'm also looking forward to see...not hogging the pool! 🤣

[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.  

[Jona26]

I remember those events and agree entirely. This year though Im going to have it as my birthday party (26th) and I'm hoping to have quite a few drinks while I'm there😉🍺🍺

[Jona26]

I remember those events and agree entirely. This year though Im going to have it as my birthday party (26th) and I'm intending to have quite a few birthday drinks while I'm there 😉🍺🍺

 

Anyone else going?

[cymbear]

Yeah I’ll be there, just try stopping me!

[RawUK]

On 1/14/2022 at 3:29 PM, AirmaxAndy said:

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.  

Having to come up from the south coast, unfortunately I never got here as much as I would like, maybe once a quarter, but my last two visits were New Years Eve 2019 and the birthday party a few days later. Lockdown March 2020 and other restrictions since put paid to further visits, and there was even a go fund me page that I contributed to for Central Station to help keep the place going. Well it's looking like they have come out the other side of this pandemic mess so as soon as I am able to I'll head up for a Sunday afternoon visit.

[RawUK]

On 1/14/2022 at 2:50 PM, Jona26 said:

I have to travel home by train from Central Station and I wait til I get outside until I give myself a couple of squirts and I find that's more than enough to mask the smell of piss from fellow travellers (unless ypu want to to be loud and proud smelling of piss!) 

Same here - have to get the train home, but with wet clothes secure in a bin liner inside a holdall, I've never had problems getting home and piss doesn't smell too much on the skin whilst it's still fresh anyway (can't say the same for the sealed jock and trainers in the holdall though!) 

[guy4it]

On 1/14/2022 at 5:22 AM, 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?

Alright, but showers would come in handy also on other nights than just sop. At Kinky's in Antwerp (now closed) they were used all the time. As for room, it would require a redesign of the back area indeed, but it would be possible.