United Kingdom

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The UK gay scene is primarily based in London but there has been a growth of bars and clubs in Manchester over recent years, although these are mainly focused on the younger crowd.

South coast resorts such as Brighton and Bournemouth, which have large retired gay communities are developing places where mature gay men and admirers are welcome, notably in Brighton.

Organisations
Nationwide
CAFFMOS
PO Box 2273,
Hove,
BN3 2GF
Tel: 01273 220 995
CAFFMOS strives to offer the older, mature gay man and his admirers as well as the senior bisexual community platforms from which new contacts and friendships may be formed.
Online website, chat and personal ads as well as postal newsletter with contact ads. Also organise regular meetings in Brighton, Manchester and London plus an annual weekend in Bournemouth.

Regional
Berkshire
Berkshire Older Lesbian and Gay Forum
Telephone : 0776 987 5661
Fax : 0118 969 8026
E-mail : jenny@bolgaf.org.uk
We are a multigenerational self help group working with statutory and voluntary services for older people, and organising social events, to help older lesbians and gay men in the county. A programme of social events starting in September and this will include a regular drop in

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Bath
The Tap
19 St James Parade, Bath, Avon BA1 1UL
Tel 1: 01225 404344
Predominantly gay pub on 3 floors with basement Cellar Club, quiet lounge / function room upstairs and main bar on ground floor.

Birmingham
The Victoria
John Bright Street near the Alexandra Theatre
Very Crowded on Weekends

The Village Inn
152 Hurst St
Upmarket friendly gay pub with real ale and a beer garden. Older clientele.

The Fountain
Wrentham Street, B5 6QL (New Street station)
Tel 0121 622 1452
If you're a bloke and into leather, denim, bikes (motor, not push), uniforms or the big and hairy (it's the home of the Birmingham Bears), the Fountain is definitely the place for you. A more mature male clientele and a pool room as extra.

Blackpool
Bars
Churchills
83 Topping Street. FY1 3AF
Tel. 01253 622036
Old style mixed / gay pub. Good prices. Live Entertainment etc. Gay friendly. Open all day, every day. A nice, interesting, friendly pub. Mainly, but certainly not exclusively, older generation. Guest Ales, Pub Food, Cabarets etc. Quiz Nite and Boozy Bingo with Dotty Doris on Tuesdays. Drag Friday evenings after the sing-along. It's infectious - you can't help joining in! Well worth a visit even if it's just to see the look on the tourist's faces when the drag comes on! Didn't they realise? Who served them?

Bournemouth
Hotels
Creffield
7 Cambridge Rd
Bournemouth
Dorset
Tel: 01202 317900
Guest House Comments:
This gay owned venue has a mixed sex mainly male, mixed young/mature, exclusively gay clientele.
Venue Comments: All rooms en suite - large private car park. 2 Minutes walk to Pubs & Clubs & Town centre. Courtesy tray, colour TV's. Dogs

Wrenwood Hotel
11, Florence Road, Bournemouth BH5 1HH
Telephone: 01202 395 086 Fax: 01202 396511
Email: bookings@wrenwood.co.uk
Walk 400 yards to the Cliff promenade by the Pier and 150 yards down it to the beach!
Dining: Liquor Licence and Bar accepted, Late, late Breakfast possible Choice of Dinner/Breakfast menu
Credit Cards: Diners, Master Card,Barclaycard, American Express (No Credit Card surcharge over £150)
Rooms: Tea & Coffee in Bedrooms, Colour Televisions in rooms
Parking: Private Car Park
Pets: Only by prior arrangement
Comments: Peter and Joe used to run manor House Farm as a gay hotel in Somerset and have now purchased Wrenwood Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK

Bradford
Older Men's Group
Tel (01274) 395815 Yorkshire Mesmac

Brighton see also Hove
Brighton (and Hove - actually*) is rapidly becoming the UK's retirement location of choice for gay men. It has always been a popular gay destination and it's only 1hr from London by an excellent train service. Also know as "London on Sea" it has always had a slightly seedy feel to it, after it's original heyday in the regency period. However, recent moves to smarten the place up have made a difference and there are now a number of excellent gay guesthouses and bars.
However the older crowd don't seem to go out much in the evening but two new bars which are not for the younger crowd may change that (see below)
It also boast one of the UK's only official nudist beaches between the East Pier and the Marina.
*Hove has always been regarded (by those that live there) as being more upmarket than Brighton. Hence, when asked if they live in Brighton they will reply "Hove, actually" in a posh voice, which has now become a local saying. Now Brighton and Hove are part of one city.

Bars
The Bulldog Tavern
31 St James Street
1st Floor bar is elegant.
Slightly rough in appearance, as are some of the older clientele, but can be fun nevertheless.

Legends
31-32 Marine Parade (attached to New Europe Hotel).
Tel 01273 624 462
Mon-Sat 12noon-11pm, Sun 12noon-10.30pm. Happy hours Sun -Thu 7pm-9pm.
This is a more mature gay male bar, with the usual mish-mash of karaoke, cabaret and cruising. Busy bars with extras and in-house sauna. Sunday lunch served.

The Queensbury Arms (aka The Hole in the Wall)
Queensbury Mews (Side street just to the West of the Metropole Hotel)
Tel: 01273 328159
Small but smartly furnished bar that attracts Brighton's mature crowd and and their admirers.
Gray 50%, Admirer 20%, Rent 1%, Music 7, Elegance 6, Cruise 6

Regency Tavern
32-34, Russell Square
BN1 2EF
(01273 325652)
7.30pm-11pm Mon-Fri
Friendly, traditional bar just off Regency Square. Mixed but mainly gay crowd especially weekday lunchtimes. Incredibly camp interior decor.
Gray 10%, Admirer 5%, Rent 0%, Music 7, Elegance 5 (Interior 10!), Cruise 2

Revue Bar (Formerly Starr's Bar)
19 New Steine
Tel: 01273 609632
Sophisticated bar beneath Starr's Hotel which has a Piano Bar on Wednesday and Saturday evenings from 9pm. Bring your own music or choose from their extensive selection.
Gray 15% Admirer 15% Rent 0 Elegance 8 Music level 3, Smoke 2.

The Zone
33 St James's Street
Tel: 01273 626412
Camp and friendly bar that plays sing-along oldies and attracts a mixture of ages.
Gray 20% Admirer 5% Rent 0 Elegance 6 Cruise 4 Music Level 3 Smoke 4 (in summer)

Beaches
Now in existance for twenty years, Brighton boast the first official bude beach in the UK. It's situated between the East Pier and the Marina protected from spectactors by a bank of shingle behind. It's a stony beach and has a complete mix of ages and sexes, but it's probably 70% gay and you can normally expect a large number of older men and admirers there in the summer months. The sea is always cool and is a great leveller between the well-endowed and those who are small but perfectly formed.
The bushes behind are very cruisy and AYOR at night.
Access is either by walking along the seafront from the pier or you can get the small steam train to the station half-way and walk back. Get a bus from central Brighton towards the Marina, get off halfway and walk down from the road above. Some car parking on the road above and the seafront or the Marina multi-story.
Gray 30%, Admirer 30%, Rent 0, Cruise 10

Sauna/Baths
The Amsterdam Hotel
11-12 Marine Parade | Kemp Town
Brighton BN2 1TL
Basement sauna attracts an older crowd at lunchtime.
Tel: 01273 688825

Bright 'n' Beautiful
Mon-Sat 12am-10pm. Sun 2pm-8pm
9 St Margaret's Place
Tel: 01273 328330
Entrance is next to the carpark entrance of the Metropole Hotel (opposite side of the hotel to the Queensbury Arms). Not very clean especially in the sauna and cabins upstairs.
Lots of older guys here and especially busy at weekends. Has private rooms (but no locks) and a very active sauna. Also has a small bar serving soft drinks and snacks.
50% Gray, 20% Admirer, 0% Rent, Cleanliness 2

Bristol Gardens Health Spa
24-26 Bristol Gardens,
Kemptown, Brighton,
East Sussex
BN2 5JR.
Tel: 01273 698904
Website worth accessing as it shows the facilities available, which are very
much above the average.
Due to legal constrains, most saunas in the UK do not permit overt sexual activity (although this is changing). BGHS is different in that, although on the surface straight, it in fact attracts a clientele of approximately 95% gay men. The fun is finding out who is who! Once contact has been made, there are private facilities on the premises, where you can get to know someone more intimately.
Should anyone decide to go there, I would suggest that they respect this sub code and do not indulge in any blatant behaviour in public.

Organisations
Older L&G Forum
Kempton Community Centre,
St George's Church,
St George's Road,
Brighton
Tel: 01273 884 285
Fridays 7-10pm
An evening of entertainment and fun for the over 40s.

Bristol
Bars
The Elephant
20 St Nicholas Street,
Old City,
BS1
Pub hours.
Mixed age city centre pub. Live acts, cabaret and drag Sunday afternoons. Themed nights on the first Monday of the month. Promotions, competitions. Food served 12pm-3pm. Mainly men.

The Griffin
41 Colston Street,
BS1
Mon-Fri 3pm-11pm. Sat 12pm-11pm. Sun 12pm-10.30pm.
Very traditional gay pub with lots of older men with moustaches etc. Featuring cruising room, The Twilight Zone, upstairs Fri-Sun.

The Old Market Tavern
29-30 Old Market Street,
Old Market,
BS2 0HB.
Tel: 01179 226123
Mon-Sat 7-11pm. Sunday limited lunchtime hours.
Popular with older men. Some leather. Mixed age crowd.
Gray 60%, Admirer 20%, Rent 0%, Elegance 5, Cruise 3, Music 5

The Cottage Health Club
19 West Street
Tel: 0117 903 0622
Hours: Monday and Tuesday 16.00 till 00.00 Wednesday and Thursday 13.00 til 00.00 Friday and Saturday 13.00 through till Sunday midnight.
The place is fairly small, but is very clean. A few older guys too.
Sauna, Steam Room, Showers, Darkrooms, Video Lounges, Refreshments

Dundee
Bars
Charlies Bar
75 Seagate Street, Dundee
Tel. 01189-352556
Mon - Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 12.30pm- 1pm.
This is the 'new' old bar in Dundee, formerly known as 'Devas' but now with new owners. The atmosphere is fairly friendly, and there is pool table and a juke box. Popular with older men. Friday and Saturday nights are popular with the younger generation - when the dance floor opens up and a DJ is on.

Edinburgh
Bars
Hot Stuff (formally French Connection) new management.
87-89 Rose Street Lane North
Tel. 225-7651 Sun ------ Sat All Week 12 noon to 1am
Karaoke Fridays and Tuesday
Was for the older crowd when under previous management but may this may have changed.

New Town Bar
26B Dublin Street.
Tel: 0131-538 7775.
Mon-Thu Noon-1am. Fri-Sat Noon-2am. Sun 12.30pm-1am.
A more varied crowed the C.C. Bloom's, and the place to go if your tastes run beyond twinks.

Opal Lounge
Upscale cocktail bar on two levels
Gray 40% Admirer40% Rent 5% Elegance 7 Music 5
Downstairs bar Music 8 Cruise 9
Editors note 01/03: While undoubtedly a very smart and fashionable place I would suggest that the Grayding figures I was given above are not very accurate based on the descriptions I have read on the web.

Sauna
No 18 Sauna
18 Albert Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5HN
Tel: 0131 553 3222
Attracts older and heavier types

Exeter
Bars
White Hart Inn
South St, Exeter
Tel: 01392 56319
Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 12pm-10.30pm
Mixed bar. Popular with older non-scene gays.

Glasgow
Waterloo:
306 Argyle St.
Tel: +44 141 229 5891
11am-midnight Mon-Sat; 12.30pm-midnight Sun
Nearest Train: St Enoch Category: Bars & Pubs, Gay & Lesbian Overview of Waterloo (The) This popular pub is actually the oldest gay bar in Scotland. The most friendly bar in town, excellent bar staff, cheap drink, good entertainment, in a down to earth pub with great atmosphere. Popular with the more mature crowd but very mixed age groups at weekends. A must visit when in Glasgow.
Gray 80% Admirer 5% Cruise 7

Revolver
Gray 50% Admirer 5% Cruise 3
mixed

Court
10pm onwards older crowd
50%Gray Admirer5% Cruise 9

Hove
The Oriental

Bedford Tavern
30, Western Street, Hove.
Tel: +44 (0) 1273 739465
Quiet gay-friendly mixed pub in Hove

The Denmark Sauna
84/86, Denmark Villas
Hove, E.Sussex.
BN3 3TY
Tel: 01273 723733 Venue
Email: davi@denmarksauna.zzn.com
12.00 until 22.00 Daily
Gray 50% Admirers 25% Rent/Hustlers 5% Music 2 Cruise 7 Elegance 5.
Facilities: - 1x 10 man jacuzzi, 1x 15 man sauna, 1x 12 man steam room, 5 rest rooms, 1x vertical tanning machine, 50 Lockers, 4 Showers, Air Conditioned Coffee and TV Lounge seats 14,
Friendly male sauna discreetly located close to Hove Railway Station.

Hastings/St. Leonards
Groups & Organizations
50+ Group
Hastings/St Leonards
Sussex
For older men SUN 2pm White Rock Theatre Restaurant. New members welcome

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