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    So the festive season is upon us and whilst we feast on mince pies and chunky puds with the waistline bulging under the strain, it's time to bop those Christmas calories away to the tunes at The Bank, Switch, Loft, Powerhouse, Heavens Above, and the other lively venues.

     The original city centre sauna, Top 2 Bottom, has closed for an indeterminate period. It is suggested that this place is to undergo a revamp of epic proportions, others think it may sink without trace. We will have to wait and see.

   The Number 52 Sauna on Scotswood Road is proving popular. It hosts regular Bears events and offers promotions like the December Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) during the run up to Christmas.

   The Loft and Switch resound to enjoyment, and weekends at The Bank have been transformed into dazzling ear-splitting window rattling extravaganzas.

   The Eagle continues to offer value. Twice a week revellers can thrill to the contortions of a male stripper, and once per month the now legendary Men Only nights defy description. The music is low key and chatting is possible, and the lower bar is men only at all times. Some say only the brave venture down into the catacombs, but in reality it is a space for men to let their hair down, and those without hair can surely find something else to loosen instead. One of the better and more manly Newcastle venues.

   Since the credit crunched Clone Zone closed a new establishment has arrived in the same place, Nice n Naughty, aiming at a wide audience. The goods are as one would expect and prices are similar if not a little below others in the area. Gay, bisexual and fetish customers are welcome, pop in for a look.
 

The Powerhouse Club, Westmorland Rd.

The Powerhouse, Newcastle's longest running Gay Nightclub, is at the corner of Westmorland Road and St. James' Boulevard.

Its cavernous innards on four floors are a challenge for the unwary. Try to remember landmarks for getting out again, but in the meantime have fun on the various themed spaces.

The large square building houses the club and the two adjacent and remodelled shops form Gossip, the warm up bar to the club. At club opening the doors swing and it becomes part of the main party. To the rear of the ground floor with its entrance facing the coach station is The Vault, a haven for the more mature crowd.

The fun starts on Friday at 2300hrs until 0400hrs the following morning with entry at £8. The Saturday scene is much the same but for the £10 entry fee. Sunday is another overnighter, closing at 0400hrs Monday morning for £4. Monday and Thursday evenings start at 2300 and for £3 you can stop until 0300hrs the following morning . The club is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

There is something for everyone at The Powerhouse, which operates a drug free policy. A Pure Leisure venue.

Twist Bar, Times Square.

At the foot of Clayton Street West is Times Square, enclosed by the Centre for Life. One of the earliest commercial units to open is this quaint bar. Its quirky fusion of traditional and 21st century trendiness attracts a mixed clientele in the evenings. It is open at lunchtimes, but come the evenings, Twist is a definite party place.

The outside seating has been formalised and its welcoming and spacious atmosphere are attractive to those who want to be with and meet new friends without being deafened by the electronic megawatts. Twist is a happy, gay friendly and pleasant place that has now come of age. A Trafalgar Leisure venue.

Baron & Baroness, Times Square.

This venue serves food and caters for a mixed clientele.

Either inside or out a gay friendly crowd seems to congregate here, and it is conveniently next to a public cash machine so you can top up funds during the night.

It is situated next to Twist and shares the promenade area so that much mingling goes on.

It is open until 2300hrs Monday to Thursday, 0100hrs Friday & Saturday nights, and until midnight on Sunday evenings. A Trafalgar Leisure venue.

The Dog Bar, Westmorland Road.

Once the White Bull, The Dog is at the junction of Marlborough Crescent and Westmorland Road. On entering its dark interior, razor sharp shafts of coloured light sweep the bar and aggressively probe the back of your eyes. Meanwhile your ears, once aware of pins dropping and birds singing, become beaten into deaf submission by the clamorous and over-amplified din.

If you can communicate by semaphore or visual means, if you can live without your hearing for the foreseeable future, and if you actually enjoy an assault on your senses then The Dog is for you.

Despite this, The Dog is popular, and who would want it otherwise? It is not a venue for a chat, but rather for an up -beat injection of party-party before going on to somewhere else.
Dianne Charlton commented recently that she and her staff were offended by my impressions of The Dog, asking that I remove this section from my site, and threatening legal action because she didn't like it. For the litigious, I have revisited The Dog (2030hrs on 30th May, 2004) and this is my opinion.

Camp David Bar, Westmorland Road.

Mark Donnelly has pitched his 200 capacity two floor venue firmly astride the sexuality fence, and for a "mixed" bar it is not surprising that it has received mixed reviews. For some people, used to the comfort zone of a exclusively gay venue, Camp David may seem forbidding, but I urge you to give it a try before leaping to any conclusions. Opening times are Monday - Saturday 1700 - 0200, Sunday 1700 - 0030.

@ne Bar, Marlborough Crescent.

From the same people that brought you Switch, The Bank, The Loft and also run The Powerhouse, Pure Leisure, here is the  @ne bar, new in March 2006, next to The Yard, on Marlborough Crescent across Churchill Street.

Its chic interior is light and alluring helped by the atrium and stairs between the two floors. Look out for the magnificent chandelier and matching lights downstairs.

The baby grand waits for those brave enough to tickle the ivories, but it is also a player piano that tinkles automatically. We are promised live music on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays and a laid back atmosphere, rather than the brain numbing ear hammering thump at some other places.

Venture upstairs for more seating and six free Internet terminals for you to cruise. The response was rather slow when I tried, and both Flash and Java have been disabled. However, for a free surf it can't be bad. Special stainless steel drinks proof keyboards are provided, so some of the clicking has to be done with determination. The toilets are spacious and clean, and throughout there is evidence of a creative design, not least in the use of mirrors.

Friendly, human and new. Opening times are 1200 to 0100 daily. Website here.

The Yard Bar, Scotswood Road.

Heavens Above, Churchill Street.

Switch & The Loft, Scotswood Road.

Find Switch between The Yard and The Bank. It takes no prisoners in its headlong dash to hardcore disco and head splitting sounds.

Switch daytimes are mixed, serving meals as well as booze. It becomes the gay centre for hedonism in the evening and punters can enjoy the fun until 0100hrs from Thursday to Saturday evenings, and midnight at other times. Live entertainment on Thursdays from 2230hrs.

The party continues late upstairs in The Loft, from 2300hrs until 0300hrs midweek and 0400hrs at weekends. Shag Tag Mondays are a hoot, especially with the £1 drinks promotion to get you in the mood. Some of the best North East DJs supply their mixes and being open seven nights per week means you can be sure of a stomping night out. There is a rooftop terrace for those quieter romantic moments.

A Pure Leisure venue.

The Bank Bar, Scotswood Road.

The Eagle Bar, Scotswood Road.

Far from being a 1950s boy's comic, The Eagle is for grown up men! Its log-cabin interior will appeal to the Lumberjack in you, and we all know what Monty Python had to say about them, don't we! See here for the words.

The ground level main bar is long and rather narrow with tabled booths and some barstools fashioned on the "ample is not enough" principle. There is a minstrel's gallery for sitting quietly and observing the action, and a lower "Men Only" bar in the basement area.

The decor is functional, and I especially like the ventilators running the length of the bar that by turns extract the smells and deliver fresh air. The sound system is not intrusive, and there are handy notices around the place to remind us that, amongst other things, "The only un-natural sex act is one which it is impossible to perform" from the erstwhile Doctor Kinsey.

The attractive and attentive bar staff keep the place going and a warm welcome is assured. We are amply entertained with male stripper nights Wednesday and Sunday. The Eagle is the only bar catering for a leather denim crowd in Newcastle.

The Eagle is open from 1700hrs daily, and it closes at 2300hrs Monday & Tuesday evenings, at 0100hrs Thursday to Sunday mornings, and at 0030hrs Monday mornings.

I think we can confidently proclaim that The Eagle has landed!

Number 52 Gay Men's Sauna
Scotswood Road

The Number 52 Sauna is located at (Guess where?) No. 52 Scotswood Road, just west of The Eagle.

For travellers by car, there are on-street parking bays, and by prior arrangement the staff will ensure that your tickets are kept up to date during your visit. There is also a large 24hr NCP car park beyond The Jurys Inn at Times Square.

Pedestrians will find the place by continuing west from The Centre for Life along Scotswood Road.

The clean, fresh facilities are on three floors with a secluded smokers' patio to the rear. The ground floor is for changing showering, steaming and the Jacuzzi as well as the licensed snack bar which offers an Internet terminal free of charge. The first floor is the location for the spacious sauna, another shower area, some large rest rooms, a television lounge, and a veranda for parading and nattering. Once on the top floor the pace quickens as a huge erotic cinema awaits alongside some smaller rooms, glory holes, and a dark room.

As a whole the fellows behind this new bright venture have put a lot of thought and not a small amount of cash into their business. Attendances are good both during the weekday daytimes as well as the weekend evenings, with a mix of ages and preferences as you would expect from a bright thriving gay venue.

The standard entry fee is £12, but for a £10 yearly subscription you get £8 admission before 1200hrs and after 1800hrs Sunday to Thursday and £10 at other times. There is currently a visit six and your seventh is free offer. Members also are eligible for a 10% discount at the nearby Nice n Naughty sex shop a couple of doors away.

The www.number52sauna.co.uk website gives more information, current news and offers, and an opportunity to see what others are saying about it all.

Opening times are Sun to Thur 1100rs to 2200hrs; Fri & Sat 1100hrs to 0700hrs the following morning. Public holidays are treated as weekends. Closed Xmas & New Year's Day.

Tel:0191-221-2189 Email: info@number52sauna.co.uk

Top2Bottom Gay Men's Sauna,
Blandford Street

This venue is now closed.

Blue Corner Gay Men's Sauna,
Heaton Park Road

Cruising Alert....
Cruising outdoors can be dangerous but some find it to be fun; take your choice.
Always tell someone where you are going, and don't take anything that you do not want to lose. Always plan an escape route; and above all, be careful!

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