Gay listings
TRAVEL GUIDES
JOHN SZPONARSKI Gay Times Guide to Amsterdam/Guide to London (Millivres Prowler. $27.99) EDMUND WHITE
The Flaneur (Bloomsbury. £9.99) DAVID LEAVITT
Florence, a Delicate Case (Bloomsbury. $29.99)
Holiday time. You used to need just three essentials: passport. plane ticket and plastic. but now you need to add to the list an invaluable travel guide book on your holiday destination. Millivres. publisher of Gay Times. has recently produced guides to Amsterdam and London. each edited by John Szponarski. The editor believes London to be ‘the biggest gay city of the lot while Amsterdam is 'the most tolerant and accepting city in the world'. Comprehensive details of everything that is gay in either city is to
be found within the covers. from bars and clubs. cruising grounds through to hairdressers. lt's aimed at the gay man more than lesbian.
Interestingly it feels a little ghetIOised. There is so much detail on gay venues. that the sightseeing and cultural section is a bit generalised. There's no information or personal recommendations about incredible little cafes. or art galleries that are off the beaten track. which are gay-friendly. but not exclusively gay. A pity. because the research for both books must have been considerable.
More interesting perhaps. and ideal holiday reading. are two Bloomsbury travel books. in which well known writers explore the literary heritage of a particular city. Edmund White (of A Boy's Own Story) strolls round gay Paris. Likewise American short story writer par excellence David Leavitt explores Florence. the City of A Room with a View and Michelangelo's David.
They're slim books. but both writers have lived in the cities and the books are full of their idiosyncratic. personal details which only intimate knowledge of the city provides. Both novelists' particular literary styles are still in tzvidence. even in the guide format. White is as always too longwinded for me. LeaVitt is capable of amazing penetrative observation. though sometimes Suffering from being in love
with long sentences. (John Binnie)
Clubs
Bennet’s 90 (ilasst'ortl Street. 552 576|. |lpm--3.30am. £3 £6 (£2 £5). iixcellent dance action Wed to Sttn and a student night on Thu.
Cube 34 Queen Street. 226 8990.
| 1.30pme3am. £3 (£2 with fly-er). (‘heesy chart gay nights on Mon (Passionality) and Tue (|-’.l'.;\'. ).
Polo Lounge 84 Wilson Street. 553 |22|. l()pm- 3am. £5. Downstairs iii the Polo is the place to be for dancing with club nights Fresh. Lush and (‘arry on Polo. Fri to Sun.
Bars
Candle Bar 20 ('andleriggs. 564 l285. 9pm. Free. Liyely bar with a disco flavour on Wed. Fri and Sat. with an intriguing mix of gossip. trivia and karaoke with AngieU on Sun.
Court Bar 69 Hutcheson Street. 552 2463. 6.30—|0pm. Free. Popular traditional bar where you can chill all week and join in the karaoke on Stiit. Delmonica’s 68 Virginia Street. 552 4803. 9pm. Free. l)Js on Fri. Sat. .\lon and Tue. a quiz on Thu. karaoke on Sun and a games night on Wed.
LGBT Centre It l)i.\on Street. 221 7203. l lamanidnight. Free. The |.(iBT café/bar is not only perfect for coffees. food and drink but also has karaoke from Fri to Sun.
Polo Lounge 84 Wilson Street. 553 l22l. l()ptn—lam. Free. lintertaimnent froin Mon to Thu with laid-back sounds and live music from Tom and .\larj at the beginning of the week and funk. disco and requests nearer the weekend. Revolver 6a John Street. 553 2456. 8.30pm. Free. Weekly. Popular bar which hosts arcade game and qui/ nights on Sat afternoons and also has a free jukebox
82 THE LIST 18 Jul 1 Aug 700.7
crammed with over 5000 top tunes. Sadie Frosts 8 10 West (ieorge Street. 332 8005. .\‘oon midnight. Free. l)Js (Fri. Sat attd .\lon). karaoke (Thu aitd Sun) and quiz/es (Ttte and Wed). Tue combines the lot and comes tip with qui/oke. while Sun is women only in the Blue Room.
Waterloo Waterloo Street. 229 589 l. Noon midnight. Well known gay bar.
Shopping
Clone Zone 45 Virginia Street. 553 2666. Mon Sat l lam 9pm; Sun .\'oon 9pm. Brand spanking new premises stocking a wide range of videos. maga/ines and toy s.
GLASGOW GROUPS
Beyond Barriers l.(iB'I‘. Dixon Street. 574 0242. (‘hallenging homophobia through training. information and education. More information info(u bey'tindbarriersorg.ttk or www.bey'ondbarriers.org.ttk. Bi-G-Les ('/() |.(iBT. l l |)i.\on Street. 22l 7203. Support for |.(iBT under 25. Body Positive 3 Park Quadrant. 332 50l0. Support for those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Centre for Women’s Health 2 Sandy'ford Place. 2| l 6700. lnformation for women and specific services for lesbians.
Glasgow Lesbian Line PO Box 686. (i3 7Tl.. 552 3355. Advice and support.
Glasgow Women’s Library l()9 'l‘rongate. 552 8345. Open Tue Ft'i
l 6pm: Sat 2 5pm. Women’s literature and the lesbian archiye.
Phace West 49 Bath Street. 332 3838. The main sery ice in the West of Scotland for those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Steve Retson Project 2 Sillltlyltn'tl
Edinburgh Mondays
Blast ('lub .\lel‘cado. 36 3‘) Market Street. 226 4224. llpitt 3am. £10 (£8). Sat 27 Jttl. Fortnightly. (iay friendly night with residents iluggy and .\larkell serving tip uplifting \ocal house and dirty funky grooves.
MsDemeanour Phoenix (’ellat' Bar. 48 Brottghton Street. 557 0234. Sat 20 Jttl. .\lonthly. liyening esclusiycly for lt'alts\es|i|es and transse\ua|s.
UP! Party Piyo ('affe/bar. 2 6 ('allott Road. 557 2925. 9pm 3am. Free. Sat 20 Jill. .\lonthly. More fun front the 1P? crowd.
Groups
TransAlba .\'e\tts. Broughton Street. 557 8847. 3pm. Weekly. Drop-in transsexual support group.
Scottish TV/TS The Phoeni\ ('ellar Bar. 46 Bt'ottghton Street. 557 0234.
1 5pm. Sat 27 Jul. .\lonthly.
Edinburgh Sundays
Cinema
A Quiet Death Filtnhouse. 88 l.olhiatt Road. 228 2688. 2pm. £3.50 £5.50
(£2 £4). Sttit 28 Jul. (ireek mo\ ie about the bttrgconing lesbian relationship between a writer and her psychiatrist.
Clubs
Taste The liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. llpm 3am. £8 (£6). Weekly. Tasty brew of house attd garage with l)Js Fisher & Price with guest Jim ‘Shaft' Ryan (.\liss .\loney penny 's). Sttn 2| Jtil.
Tackno (‘lub .\let'cado. 36 39 Market Street. 226 4224. 10.30pm 3am. £3 £6. Sun 28 Jtil. .\lonthly. Trendy Wendy mixes it at her ltlosl celebrated showcase.
Groups
Stonewall Youth Go 4 it Summer Sports Programme ('ontact I.(iBT Youthline on 0845 l 13
Place. 2| l 860]. Open Tue ck Thu 5.30 8.30pm. Sexual health ady ice and counselling for gay men. Strathclyde Lesbian 8. Gay Switchboard l’() Bo.\ 38. (i2 2(‘)I-‘.. 332 8372. Open 7 l()pttt daily. ('onlidential ady ice.
EDINBURGH SCENE
Clubs
CC Blooms 2.5 24 (it'eenside Place. 556 933 l. l0.30pm 3am (bar from 6pm). Free. A bar atid club w ith a play list of hiin camp aitd disco classics.
Bars
Blue Moon Café l Barony Street. 557 09] |. Mon Fri llatn ll.30pm.
Sat Stm 9pm l2.30am. Free. lidinbuz‘gh's longest running gay cafe. Nexus 60 Broughton Street. 478 7069. | laitt l lpm. Free.
The l.(ili ('entt'e's cafe.
CC Blooms 2.3 24 (ireenside Place. 556 933 I. l0.30pm 3am that front 6pm ). Free. See ('lubs.
Habana (ireenside Place. .558 I270. .\'oon latti. Free. Popular drinking attd tningling spot.
Flashback 9 Hope Street. 226 ()9()l. 4pm lam. 70s attd 80s feel with cheesy disco attd pop .\lon to Sttn.
Frenchies Rose Street. 225 765 l.
lptn lam. Free. Popular chill 'it' chat spot with a my ia qui/ Sttn attd karaoke
w itlt Titty (ialot‘c Wed.
The Gilded Saloon 2.3.3 ('owgalc. 2266550. 9pm lam. Free. liyery Sttit the Saloon holds the pt'e—club session for Taste at the Liquid Room.
The Laughing Duck 24 Howe Street. 220 2376. .\lon Thu llatn llpnt. Fri & Sat llatn lam. Sun
l l.30am llpitt. Stylish. cotttfy bar. conduciy e to chatting and merry making.
0005 (Tue 7.30 9pm). Weekly. ('all or email info(u |gbtyouth.org.uk ltll‘ more details on this sports programme open to |.(iBT young people aged between
l3 2|. Runs until Sun ||.-\ug.
Edinburgh Mondays
Clubs
Trendy Wendy Planet ()ut. (irccnside Place. 524 006l. 10.30pm 3am (bar frottt 6pm). Free. Fortnightly. l)Js eyet‘y' week with 'l‘rendy Wendy eyery fortnight (.\lon 22 Jttl ).
Groups Gay Men’s Swimming Group (’all 2264476. 8pm. Weekly. Informal.
Edinburgh Tuesdays
Cinema Julie Johnson Tue 23 Thu 25 Jul. See Thu.
Clubs
Vibe ligo. Picardy Place. 478 7434. l lpm 3am. £2. Weekly. New glitter fuelled chat'ty party night featuring dancers. singers. a tnitning mm and James Longworllt on the decks.
Edinburgh Wednesdays
Cmana
Julie Johnson Tue 23 Thu 25 Jul. See Thu.
Cabaret Fri 26 Jul Thu l .\ug. See Thu.
Gypsy 83 l-ilmhottse. 88 Lothian Road. 228 2688. 6.l5pttt. £3.50 £5.50 (£2 £4). Wed 3| Jttl.See.\1on.
Groups
Women’s Group Drop-In l,(iB ('entt'e. 60 Brougltton Street. 478 7069. 7pm. Free. Weekly. Informal. Edinburgh Gay Women’s Group .\'e,\us. Brottgliton Street. 557 8847. 7pm. Free. Weekly. Social group
whiledownstairs has open mic. goth and rock sessions,
New Town Bar I)ublin Street. 538 7775. .\lon Thu noon lam. Fri/Sat noon 2am. Sun l2.30pm lam. (iay cruise bar attracting a slightly older crowd. Se\y underground clttb at weekends.
Planet Out (ireenside Place. .524 006l. .\lon Fri 4pm lam. Sat/Sun
2pm lam. Free. Fine bar with l)Js eyery .\lon ttigltt. a (pm on Tue. 'l'rendy Wendy ('l‘ackno) doing her stttff ey'ei'y second .\lon and l)Js ('raig attd l)ale (l.ush) eyery Sat.
Shopping
Out of the Blue Barony Street. 478 7048. .\lon Fri l lam 7pm. Sat
| lam 6pm. Sun 12pm 6pm. Books. mags. toys and videos.
Bobbie’s Bookshop 220 .\lorl‘isott Street. 538 7069. .\lon Sat
l0ant 5.30pm. Stocks a wide selection of gay maga/ines froin the 1K attd abroad.
EDINBURGH GROUPS
A.D. ('ontact 556 4049. For lesbians oyer 40. .\leets monthly to plan social ey'ents. ('all for tnore details.
Dykes Night Out l’() Bo\ Ins). l-lel 3|.l'. Social eyenings for women. Lesbian Line 557 ()75l. .\lon ts Tllll 7.30 l0pm. Helpline.
Police Link l.(il3 ('entre. (if) Broughton Street. .\lon 6 7pm. Weekly. ('all 620 5 l 38/620 5 I40 if you want a chat with your community officer. Lothian Gay and Lesbian Switchboard 556 4049. 7.30 l()pm ey‘et'y day. Helpline.
Stonewall Youth Project ('ontacl 622 2266 (Office) or 0845 I I30 005 (Yottlhline). Social eyents for l.(iBT under 26.