London Adult shops - Amex Shop Small offer

For the last few years American Express has been running a scheme in the first half of December to encourage customers to use their cards in smaller shops.  What they offer is a five quid statement credit when you spend 10 pounds or more - what is a damn fine offer!  This year it runs until Sunday 16th December

Last year i used the offer as a spur to do a tour of some of London’s sex shops - quite a few of which are included !  I meant to write up my findings - but failed.  This year I’ve revisited my findings, and have actually managed to put pen to paper ...

First it’s worth saying that even though I live in one of the most gay friendly cities on the planet, my heart still raced as i entered a sex shop for the first time in ages. You’d think that I would have lost the fear by now, but maybe entering a sex shop brings back memories of buying porn mags during my closeted years !

Anyway, onto the adult shops … if you’re only going to visit one sex shop in London, i would recommend heading over to Angel tube station, and going to a place called Regulation.  Firstly it’s very discreet - down a side street, and without big windows for people to look in and see you trying to select the right dildo for you. They operate a buzzer entry system, presumably to keep out the hen parties. Or if somebody happens to be coming out they will hold the door for you. Secondly the staff have been very friendly the couple of times that i’ve been there. In some other shops staff can get be a bit full of themselves, but not here.  And thirdly the shop has more space than others, and so it feels more relaxed and less hemmed in.  There’s a decent range of gear, but maybe not quite as much as in some others - it’s still my top choice though.

However they are moving to a new place in Soho, which opens on 21st December, and the Islington branch will apparently close a few days beforehand so they can move their stock across.  So don’t delay, and get yourself over to Angel.

My second choice is Clone Zone in Earls Court.  It’s more discreet than other shops, as they don’t have windows for everybody to see you.  The staff are also fairly friendly - although i wonder how many customers actually respond when asked if they need help (with their dildo selection). This shop is more tightly packed than Regulation, but it means they hold a good selection for a fairly small place.  There’s also a basement that you should go and have a look at !

My third recommendation is Soho Original Books on Brewer St.  It does have big windows, so people can see you inside, but there’s a certain "plausible deniability” about being in a shop with “Books” in the name!  This place is a mix of male and female sex objects, but probably more towards the gay side. The basement is mostly dvds and magazines and some other stuff.  The place has a slightly seedy feel - but in a reassuring sort of a way!

Also in Soho is Clone Zone on Old Compton St. It’s not very discreet, with big windows, so don’t go there first if you’re nervous. It’s a bit tightly packed so isn’t one of my favourites.  It also had a basement section which is definitely worth a visit.

If you’re checking out the shops in the Amex promotion, and come across one called Closet Case on Brewer St, don’t get excited.  It turns out to be a posh clothes shop!

There’s also a could of gay sex shops in Soho which are not part of the Amex Shop Small offer, as far as I can see - notably one starting with P, and it’s sister shop P Red.

Over by Old Street tube there’s a shop called Gear at 75 Great Eastern St.  Last year when i visited the premises it was called Expectations - but it’s now owned by a german company and been rebranded.  The whole shop is in the basement - but it’s quite open and visible from the street - so again don’t go here first if you’re getting used to whole gay sex shop lark. A lot of the store is given over to clothing, but they have a decent amount of sex objects, including some more extreme items. However quite a lot of their objects are kept in glass cabinets, which may keep out shoplifters, but isn’t really helpful for potential buyers. They also have a urinal on full display. And maybe taking a leaf out of the current fad for bike shops to have a cafe, they also have a proper coffee machine - although i wasn’t offered one during my relatively short visit! The shop is located in an area with lots of offices, and it felt slightly odd visiting it at 5pm - but i’m sure at other times it would be fine!

One shop that it included in Amex Shop Small is Fetch in Clapham High St - but sadly I haven’t yet managed to check it out.  I’ll update this post if I manage to do so before Amex Shop Small finishes.

Another place that’s included in Amex SS is Gay’s the Word on Marchmond Street, north of Russell Sq tube station.  It’s a fairly small, and a little squashed book shop aimed at gay people.

One place that I visited last year was Harmony, who have branches on both Oxford St and Charing Cross Road. I found the shop pretty grim - it seemed to be aimed at the hen party, jokey side of the customer base.

Hopefully something here will be useful.  Let me know if there are any others that I should go and take a look at.

5 Guys Chillin'

i saw a special offer on this gay play, and contacted GB to see if he was up for some gay drama ... and with his bf out that night with friends, he agreed !

the Kings Head theatre is at the back of a pub in Islington - it's a very small theatre, so you get very close to the actors/action!  they shouted "doors open" just before the official start time - and this production is one where the actors are already on "stage" as you walk in.

i quite like this device, although i've seen it done better before - where the actors performed the role of ushers, and then converted to actors (think it was "Shopping and Fucking").

just before the start, i asked GB about his general opinion of drugs - and he gave the common view amongst my friends - that they should be decriminalised ... and taxed !

whilst i hold similar liberal views in theory - i've written before about how i'm not really not a fan guys on drugs ... which has been formed after plenty of less than great experiences.

the play consists of a single scene with a group of five guys getting naked, taking drugs, and chatting about sex and drugs.  apparently the play is written from "50 hours of interviews with guys from Grindr and other social media".

for somebody like me who isn't involved in the "chem scene" it was interesting to hear what those people had to say.  it also helped that a couple of the actors were seriously hot. 

this run of the play finishes on 3rd june - so you've got a few days left to see it.


i went in with a negative view of the impact of drugs ... and i came out with same opinion.

i didn't get the chance to ask GB whether his views evolved ... maybe he can answer here ! 

Warning - attending a GB party may result in being groped !

I wrote this over two years ago - but never got around to posting it.
Since I was at another GB party recently, I thought it was about time to get it out ! 



I hadn't been able to make it to a couple of GB's parties/dinners recently ... so it was great to be able to join him recently to celebrate his birthday !

I've met a few of his friends over the years, but there were lots of people that I hadn't seen before ... one of them being the guy he used to refer to as Boyfriend Number 3

Before I arrived, he texted to say that BF3 would be there ... I'm always interested to meet guys that he has blogged about, so it was another reason to make the effort to head over to the other side of town !

As well as GB's boyfriend - who I've met a few times, and who is great fun - and BF3, also there was the original BF1 who I've also met before and is a great guy ... it really was a hareem of boyfriends past and present !!

It was a really fun party ... and it's been a while since I was repeatedly groped in public ... but sadly I didn't fancy BF3 ... and most of the guys that I did like the look of were attached !

It was a fun evening, and GB really does have a great group of friends.

you can meet my other half

i enjoy observing conversations between other people ... but sometimes it takes a lot of effort not to laugh out loud !

the other day in the steam room, it appeared that two guys were flirting with each other ... and the first one suggested going to see a new exhibition that has recently opened ...

the second guy agreed, and said it would be a good opportunity for the first guy to meet his "other half" 

deathly silence from the first guy !

i'm guessing he hadn't realised he was flirting with a partenered guy.

oops !

post encounter towel / towels

after the Jekyll and Hyde guy had finished, he had a quick shower ... and i gave him a clean towel to dry off with ...

and then when the Oh my Gosh guy had finished ... the towel was still lying around ... so i gave it to him to dry off with after he had showered !

i did feel a bit guilty ... but it seemed like a waste of water to wash the towel after just a single use ... and the 2nd guy didn't make any comment ...

do you give you encounters a clean towel each time ??

places ...

when i was a teenager, i used to collect places where i'd had a wank - restaurant toilets, back of an empty bus ... it was a long list ...

one of the places that i used to enjoy was aeroplane toilets ... and i recently had an opportunity for a repeat encounter !

i was on a flight with lots of hot guys, and one particularly fit guy in shorts headed off to the toilets ... which put the thought in my mind that i could do with relieving myself ...

so after a few minutes i headed down to the back of the plane ... but the guy in shorts took a long time in the toilet ... which made me think that maybe he was pulling himself off !

when he came out he looked a bit sheepish ... so i replaced him, and enjoyed pleasuring myself, thinking of him masturbating !

cruising in eastern europe ...

i was on holiday recently in eastern europe ... and obviously horny ... so looking for sex ...

gaydar isn't very popular over there, and grindr isn't very big either ... however gayromeo has a huge following ...

the only problem is that guys don't seem quite so keen on meeting up, just for sex ... and since i was only there for a few days, i didn't want to pretend that i was looking for anything more !

i left eastern europe sexually frustrated, after the temptation of so many hot guys !

public displays of affection ...

i've never had a problem with PDAs - either straight couple of gay guys ... maybe it is the voyeur in me coming out !

but the other day i was in a busy tube carriage and a lesbian couple were getting it on beside me ... hugging each other, and nuzzling each other's necks ... and a bit of light kissing ...

whilst i'd happily watch straight couples/porn, lesbians have (unsurprisingly) never done it for me ... and i even found it slightly uncomfortable having the women beside me getting off ...

it gave me a new found appreciation for all those people who find every form of PDA uncomfortable !

more Hep B vaccine jabs ...

when i recently went to my local Sexual Health Clinic, i agreed to get vaccinated against Hep B ... but i didn't realise that i would need an extra 2 jabs to finish off the vaccination ...

however the injections weren't bad, so it wasn't such an ordeal ! although on both my follow up visits the reception staff were again unpleasant ... but on my final trip, the doctor giving my the jab was asking me about my experience of the clinic - so i got to tell her about her miserable and surly colleagues !

the good news is that my well protected sex life has paid off - and i don't have any sexually transmitted diseases ...

another visit to the clap clinic ...

since it was well over a year since my last sexual health checkup ... i thought i should go and get seen again ...

i did wonder about going private, but there is an NHS clinic near me, and since i don't really consume many public services, it seemed like a waste not to use the NHS ...

my appointment confirmation did say that it might take 2 hours, so i brought plenty of reading material with me ... and i needed it all !

the first impression wasn't great - the receptionist told me to wait (standing right in front of her) as she seemed to be busy with somebody else's file. the other receptionist studiously ignored me. finally a 3rd receptionist arrived, a miserable bloke who seemed annoyed to be there, and told me to fill in a form detailing why i was there. eventually, after a bit of confusion when i handed back the form to a different receptionist i made it into the waiting room ...

about 40 minutes after my appointment time, i was called by a doctor - she was really nice, although seemed a bit rushed, but was really helpful, and discussed again whether i should have a Hepatitis B vaccination ... pointing out that most of Europe vaccinates against it automatically (I already knew the US did), and that the UK is unusual in not doing so. she also suggested that there is a much higher incidence amongst gay men, than in the general population, which is why they offer it - and she suggested that she would want her children to have the vaccine. having declined the vaccine on my previous two visits, i decided to take it this time ...

so after about 5 minutes with the doctor, it was back to the waiting room, and about half an hour later, i got called in by the (rather camp) health advisor. his job was to check that i wasn't going to have a breakdown if any of my tests came back positive - so just a few minutes later i was back to the waiting room ...

my third wait wasn't quite so bad, about 20 minutes later i was called by the very pleasant female nurse, who gave me my first vaccine shot (i have to go back in a week's time for my 2nd, and a couple of months later for my 3rd) ... took 3 vials of my blood ... and 2 swabs from my ass ... and gave me a specimen bottle to piss into ...

so having gone to the bathroom and produced some urine ... and having made an appointment for my 2nd vaccine shot using the surly male receptionist who wasn't impressed that i was interrupting his mobile phone call ... i was finally out of there about an hour and three quarters after arriving ...

gay bashing on tv ...

a few nights ago channel 4 had a repeat of Clapham Junction - which included various scenes of gay bashing ... which reminded me of a random episode of Eastenders (a depressing programme i try to avoid) a few weeks ago which also included a gay bashing ...

i've been meeting blokes for years without any sort of violent incident, nor have i ever been mugged - despite having lived in london for years (unlike quite a few of my straight friends) ... but i find violence against gays on tv quite disturbing ...

maybe it's some sort of deep seated insecurity coming through - for years i was scared to meet up with blokes, partly due to a fear of violence ...

whatever it is, i really don't like how it makes me feel ...

a gay mecca in london ...

i've often heard about Columbia Road Flower Market, but until a couple of weeks ago, had never been there ... so after a tube and a bus, i finally made it ...

there was a great buzz about the place, and it's much more than just a flower market - lots of hippy-like businesses have sprung up around it, offering furniture, crafts, breads, and of course lots of coffee and cakes !

the flower market itself isn't enormous, but there's still plenty to look at, and they are seriously impressive ! and not surprisingly, it seems to attract quite a lot of gay men - especially couples ...

strange couples ...

i've always thought the "don't piss on your own porch" advice makes sense ... but my gym attracts some people who clearly don't live by this rule ...

the first is hetro couple (i'm assuming from their contact in the gym that they are a couple - they certainly don't look like family) ... where the bloke regularly enjoys the company of other men in the steam room ! surely you'd keep your missus away from the gym where lots of the bloke know that you like blokes ? it didn't appear that they are the sort of couple where she allows him to explore outside ...

the other is a gay couple where the better looking bloke spends a lot of time in the steam room looking for fun ... but the less attractive bloke doesn't seem to be interested in other men. this doesn't sound so bad, but the worst part is that i often see the less attractive partner waiting in the reception area for his pretty boyfriend - who is presumably delayed because he's having fun with another bloke ! the patient boyfriend doesn't seem very happy when he's waiting - so it doesn't look like he's enjoying the experience of his boyfriend enjoying another bloke !

i know it takes all sorts, and i shouldn't judge, but these two couples seemed a bit extreme to me ...

nipple warning !

i like playing with nipples (my own and others) as much as the next person ... but i saw something in the gym the other day that worried me ...

a guy in his forties who was getting changed next to me had really extended, rough, worn looking nipples ... presumably from years of over-use !

made me think that i should limit my nipple play to avoid ending up with horrible nipples ...

Josh Hartnett is rubbish in Rain Man

i've been a fan of Josh Hartnett for a quite a while - good to look at, and a decent enough actor ...

so, since he was in London for a stage play version of Rain Man, i thought i'd go and take a look ...

it was obvious from early on that Josh doesn't have much of a talent for stage acting - his delivery was wooden, and timing off ... but i kept up my interest in the hope that i might see more of Josh after the interval ...

the most we saw was a few minutes of him topless - whilst he seemed desperate to arrange a blanket to cover his legs and boxers !

so, don't bother going to see this play if you are looking to feast yourself on Josh's body or acting talents ... however, the bloke playing the Dustin Hoffman character is very good !

where to buy good lube ?

i used to rely on my previous partner to supply lube, and to be fair he sourced some good quality stuff !

however, i now need to find it myself, and i'm struggling ! i've tried a few of the main high street pharmacies, but they only seem to stock one brand, which i don't rate ...

any suggestions of what brand to get, and where to get it ??

gay divorce ...

the ft had an interesting short article last week about the divorce rates amongst gay couples since the introduction of marriage/partnership ...

finland has a 30% divorce rate, which is damm high considering that it's only a few years since gay weddings started ... whilst it's too early to get a sensible UK rate ...

it does seem to me that gay couples sometimes plunge into the partnership thing a bit too quickly ... i wonder whether it's availability it putting pressure on couples to commit to each other before they are really ready ...

do straight guys wear nipple bars ?

i noticed a bloke in my office has a nipple bar - i could see it when he leant back and his white shirt stretched over his chest ! i don't have the best gay radar, so couldn't tell if he is gay ... but presumably nipple bars aren't big in the straight world ?

bumping into a friend straight after an encounter !

what should i do if i bump into a friend straight after an encounter as i'm coming out of a guy's flat ?

it was 1am, and it would have been obvious what i'd been up to ... so i just froze, and luckily he walked past without seeing me ! i couldn't believe the freakish chance of that happening ... hopefully it won't happen again, but i need a strategy if it does ...

a lot of my straight friends wouldn't be that comfortable with the idea that gay blokes have encounters like i do ... and some of them could be quite jealous of it ... so i really don't want to let them know ... but maybe there's no alternative - claiming to be "visiting a friend" might work sometimes, but if the real friend knows you well, it's a long shot !

any suggestions ?

how to stop your ex finding out your new address ?

i am setting up a post redirection from my ex's place to my new place, but Royal Mail always miss some items, so the question is, how to get hold of my post, without giving my ex my new address ?

i could drop by and collect the errant items, but i don't really want to see him / go to his place ...

i could ask him to send them / give them to a mutual friend, but that sounds a bit over the top ...

or i could give him my new address, and he could forward them ... but i really don't want him to have my new address ...

any suggestions ?