It seems that a club called Protokol in Commercial street is intending to open as a table dancing venue despite committed opposition from Tower Hamlets council. I hear it is connected to the existing club Images on Hackney Rd. Tower Hamlet does not have a ” sex encounter ” license system { unlike next door Hackney} but has been against striptease { for the usual PC reasons}and has taken both Images itself and Metropolis to court in recent months
If this club is going to open it will doubtless have to follow the usual wasteful appeals process.Talking of licenses it will be interesting to see how the changes proposed by the Nicholson Committee { essentially taking alcohol licenses out of the court system and making it a local authority responsibility} impact on the licensing of new striptease venues. In Scotland pubs need no special license at all currently and moves in the Scottish Parliament to change this have been stopped because they feel the proposed changes will give them the power they want anyway. I´m expecting lots more work for lawyers as this new system beds down.
I hear that Alan Whitehead {ex every club in London !} is now working at the Mermaid club in Woolwich which opened a couple of months ago despite local opposition as reported in this column.
As well as a new stage the White Horse in Shoreditch has also been repainted outside { photo} and so now looks rather different to the photo used in last months strip pubs article.
Raymond´s Revuebar has been on sale now for several months { as reported in this column } and according to the Daily Telegraph it now seems most likely to be converted into a high class restaurant . It´s been a strip venue for over 50 years but the move to Stringfellow´s style table dancing seems to have made it into a dated concept, I think also the possible restaurant move is also a reflection on the changing face of Soho.
Bob Singleton´s famous “Full Service ” London based private shows { seewww.fullservice.org.uk } are to be extended to include Limo strips.
The LA Confidential pole dancing competition {Pole Idol !} was eventually won by Mai Ling who {surprise, surprise } works at that very club. One of these days one of these competitions is going to be won by someone who does not work for the host club ! Talking of Pole Dancing competitions Vamps of Western Super Mare are attempting to run the one of their´s that got cancelled in October. This time the heats are on the 11th, 26th of Jan and the 2nd of Feb leading to a final on the 9th of Feb, local TV company HTV are apparently covering the competition.
In that general area I hear reports that the Platinium Bar in Bristol closed for 2 weeks refurbishment in November {odd time of the year to do this} but has yet to re-open with Christmas fast approaching as I write this. The pole dancing classes run by Central Chambers in Bristol are apparently a roaring success, as they seem to be in London. Yet another school has opened called Pole People { see www.polepeople.co.uk } which is to run classes starting in January from 2 locations
{ Coldharbour Lane south of the river and in Old Street} in central London.
A female rapper called Estelle is trying to create publicity by using anti lap dancing lyrics { makes a change from guns and Mercedes Benz´s}.
FYEO have won the right {after the usual pointless waste of money on appeals} to open up the former Quay club as the 2nd table dancing club in Newcastle. I have also heard a rumour that Spearmint are close to taking over the old Shooters Bar in Parnell St, Dublin to give them their 1st Irish { and 10th European } outlet.
I also learned this month that Leicester now boasts a 3rd club with one called the Blue X opening in New Park Street to add to the long established Stiletto´s and Velvet Lounge. The club already has a web sitewww.themusiccafe.biz/Blue X.htm though as yet there is very little on it.
Tyke
Author: Saxon
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