This post is on the Manchester (M) topics page and the BDSM Events web board.
| 12 Jan 10, 9:03 PM mia  UK(M), 4 yrs         |
I think the gay scene in Leeds is more lesbian friendly than in Manchester, although Coyote's is fun. Manchester is much better for late night male gay stuff than Leeds and Leeds is often full of poseurs! mia, x "Passion should believe itself irresistible. It should forget civility and consideration and all the other curses of a refined nature. Above all, it should never ask for leave where there is a right of way." | |||
| 15 Jan 10, 9:43 AM subbietrouble 2 yrs |
Bury, Oldham and Rochdale are all in Greater Manchester - so is Bolton, so those munches might come under Manchester as well. I'm not counting ageist, sexist meetings like U35s or the men's and women's munches - they do nothing to unite the scene, they only divide it into cliques. Lash is okay for posing - Spankabull is the best for what a good, old fashioned BDSM play party should be. Liaisons would be alright if it was a little closer - unless you drive, it's not really practical to get there. The big loss I'm noticing at the moment is that there are so few demos. I remember seeing a Demo every time I went to the munch / play party at the Retro Bar and I learned a lot from them. Watching two people playing at Lash a few months back, they looked like complete amateurs, doing it more for the show than with any skill or thought. And it made me wonder - if people aren't learning from others, then where are they learning from, if at all? And if we, in the scene, don't teach the next generation any skills, then what will that generation look like? I used to hate getting told off for unsafe play by my elders and betters, now I look back and see it was good, sensible advice, and that I learned a lot. I don't think it's about the number of munches or play parties you have - I think it's about the quality. I'd rather have 25 committed BDSM people, and an interesting demo, than 100 club poseurs standing around looking pretty. Learning to play well, and safely, for the maximum pleasure of yourself and those you play with is what will keep people coming back to the scene time and again. I was talking about this the other day with Uther and Darkgirl, and they said they were up for some Demos, and thought you might be too, Excalibur? Spankabull might be a good place to hold them, because of all the rooms, or the downstairs room at Lash was suggested. So, any thoughts? Or, better still, any volunteers? trouble xxx | |||
| 15 Jan 10, 11:19 PM Excalibur_1949 6 yrs |
[The big loss I'm noticing at the moment is that there are so few demos. I remember seeing a Demo every time I went to the munch / play party at the Retro Bar and I learned a lot from them. I was talking about this the other day with Uther and Darkgirl, and they said they were up for some Demos, and thought you might be too, Excalibur? Spankabull might be a good place to hold them, because of all the rooms, or the downstairs room at Lash was suggested. So, any thoughts? Or, better still, any volunteers? trouble xxx [/quote] There have been several demo's at the Phoenix munch since it moved. One of the reasons the Bulls Head was chosen, was because we had the back room to ourselves and could continue the tradition of demos.
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| 16 Jan 10, 2:27 AM CPeccavi 4 yrs |
There are regular demos in my neck of the woods. As to cliques being caused by exclusive munches, I have never been to a woman-only munch, obviously never been to a man-only munch and I havn't managed to sneak into the U-35's gig but I do not feel that I am unwelcome on the scene by any of the regulars that attend those munches. I've always found people to be generally friendly and the cross-over of people attending more than one munch and event suggests same. With regard to 'posing' and looking pretty at events - not everyone goes to play and no one should feel that they should or be viewed as less valid because they have taken time to dress up and look good while abstaining from the dungeon. Some people only have fetish events to wear the clothes they feel most comfortable in and look the way they want. It is less cliquey to accept everyone for everything. I think everyone should like everybody ..... Andy Warhol | |||
| 16 Jan 10, 9:26 AM mia UK(M), 4 yrs |
I was trying (and failing) to word my response - so just wanted to say I agree with the above. mia, x (who has attended ladies and U35s munches and has been to clubs and not played) "Passion should believe itself irresistible. It should forget civility and consideration and all the other curses of a refined nature. Above all, it should never ask for leave where there is a right of way." | |||
| 16 Jan 10, 12:33 PM McDelphian 2 yrs |
I'd forgotten how much I missed the phoenix peeps. 
The thing about munches being in central Manchester is that you can get a train into town and have a few drinks which you cant do if the munch is in the back of beyond like Failsworth or Rochdale. Most peeps dont class oldham and rochdale as manchester.
The U35's was the first munch that I attended. A few months later I erm 'experienced' the phoenix munch at the retro and am quite sure that if that touchy feely, squelchy floored place had been my first munch i shouldnt imagine id give the fetish scene another chance.. The phoenix/spankingbull/ crowd is a clique. Edited 16 Jan 10, 1:03 PM by McDelphian | |||
| 16 Jan 10, 1:40 PM KnightToDreams UK(CW), 3 yrs |
I agree with what you say about places being in the town centre. mind spankabull is quite friendly and id recommend it to most people. Does attract somewhat off an older crowd mind and you really have to drive there and back. it would be interesting to see how many people in bury or rochdale would be willing to travel to an event in stockport, didsbury or somewhere south off manchester. i can't think of anything to say here | |||
| 16 Jan 10, 3:33 PM Miss_Despotic UK(M), 5 yrs  |
Oh not this again surely. I don't think the smaller munches could ever be accused of dividing the scene- people go where they want to go and just because someone attends a smaller munch it doesn't mean they don't also attend the other munches; quite the reverse. I have however spent a good hour being completely ignored in the phoenix munch when it was at the Retro. As for Lash, the first thing that springs to mind is never posing. You may have your preferences and that's fine, but please don't take that to mean that you have to critisize the other options. That, more than anything, is what divides the scene | |||
| 16 Jan 10, 3:41 PM hollythedolly UK(NN), 2 yrs  |
I think people like places they feel comfortable with. I can honestly say there isn't a place on the manchester scene where i haven't been made to feel welcome but i think if your nice to people it comes back to you.
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| 16 Jan 10, 4:23 PM Mistress_Evi UK(M), 4 yrs  |
Poor me i'm up in the hills, i have to travel everywhere lol. I dont get to many events, especially mid weeks as i dont drive, but i have attended a few over the years and met some great folk. I know lots of people who travel from Yorkshire every month for The Kage, i think if your comfortable somewhere and feel accepted you will be a regular no matter how far you have to travel to get there. With the new events happening at the Manchester Dungeon this year, i encourage people to think outside the box, and expand their boundaries....after all, WE are all Northerners, now thats GOT to be a good thing!! lol.
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