Compton's of Soho

clubs | bars | cabaret | life 18 #QXGayLondon GAY LONDON Suitable only for persons years of 18 and over. revealed From King Henry VIII’s Compton’shunting ground to a cruise of bar Soho for ‘sodomites’… The secret life of print + web /0tJANUARYQXMAGAZINE.COM iPad + iPhone QX_1037_Cover.indd 3 27/01/2015 18:43 Secrets of the Grand Dame of Soho Photo by Franc-Off Godevi No, we’re not talking about the memoirs of Dusty O or Tasty Tim (although the latter does DJ there every Thursday) but the towering Comptons of Soho, which stands bold on Old Compton Street. Although it had a gay following for several decades during the 20th century, the bar came out and proud with its queer identity in 1986 and championed the modern age of homosexualist Soho. This weekend, the bar celebrates its 29th birthday as a gay venue. General Manager Neil Hodgson has been overseeing the shenanigans there since 1998 and knows every nook and cranny of its insides better than Katie Price’s gynaecologist knows hers. In commemoration of such a landmark venue, Neil shares some of the bar’s lesser know secrets… Q We have 60 years of combined service between us within the Compton’s team. QCompton’s pub, previously the Swiss Hotel, takes its name from the street that’s named after Bishop Compton, son of the Earl of Northampton, whose diocese this area encompassed. QBehind Compton’s are buried 100,000 plague victims. QCurrent landlord of 16 years, Neil Hodgson is the great nephew of playwright Noel Coward. Q“SO HO” is a hunting call and this area was originally Henry Vlll’s hunting park. QWe sell 11 tons of beer a week and 60 litres of vodka. QIn 1942 the Landlord of the Swiss Hotel was warned by the metropolitan police not to allow sodomites or sodomy on the premises. QThe Soho Club Lounge (upstairs bar) became a public space with the addition of the main staircase in 1996. &IJSVIXLEXMX[EWYWIHEWSJ½GIW Q16 years ago we had blinds up at the windows so people could not see in and the main doors were closed during the day. Today we’re proud to be one of Soho’s most famous gay venues. Q;I[IVIXLI½VWXKE]FEVXSWXEVXXLI outside drinking culture in Soho with tables and chairs, making a statement “we are here, loud and proud!” Comptons of Soho (51-53 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 6HN) celebrates its birthday this weekend. 2 QX_1038_Comptons.indd 2 27/01/2015 18:02 _QX 1038 MASTER 1.indd 3 27/01/2015 18:05 LGL@= BATHHOUSE... © Ivan-Ek Continuing our series looking at the issues around gay shame and sexuality. This week: why are we still so hung up about hanging out in saunas? By Patrick Cash prevailing attitude amongst the younger gay generation toward the idea of gay saunas seems to be that they are patronised only by the old and lonely, those who look like Ursula’s poor, unfortunate souls. Enter a sauna and it’s a different story. 8LIVI´WE[LSPIWTIGXVYQSJ¾IWL both toned and not so toned, drifting in and out of the steam. Yet you just haven’t entered a sauna, you’ve donned a cloak within the gay scene of the Sauna User. What you’ve screamed upon opening that door is: ‘I HAVE A PENIS AND SOMETIMES I LIKE TO USE IT’. And what a naughty A so-and-so you are, you big shameless saunas in the 1980s. It is true today that certainly all London and LYWW]WPETW[VMWX¾MVXEXMSYWP][MXL UK saunas appear to take protecting the sexual health of their towel in the steam room* clientele seriously. Hook-up apps have not hugely dented the saunas’ footfall, Free condom and lube packs are made available, and posters indicating that when it comes to sex, sometimes the real warning of the dangers of HIV and other STI infections can be seen TL]WMGEPMX]SJXLI¾IWLMWQSVIEXXVEGXMZIXLERERSXLIVMHIRXMOMX on the walls. Whether people heed this advice and use protection gym-honed torso pic. is, as always, their personal choice and responsibility. Gay bathhouses before 1969 acted not only as discreet Drugs such as mephedrone, G and crystal meth litter the gay meeting places for sex but also as primitive loci of community. scene and their widespread usage amongst gay men is a whole In the US they had other article, an entertainment: Bette article I’ve written Midler began her many times before. career singing in the “ Whilst we harbour desire for one another these facilitators But it seems that most gay bathhouses of New saunas are taking active York, as Bathhouse helping us to have sex will always go on to exist.” steps again to attempt Betty. By all accounts, eliminating their she was a hoot. But proliferation on the generally saunas were premises. Saunabar in hidden away up back alleys and around the corner. Covent Garden strongly advertises its strict anti-drugs policy. Because of this underground aspect, saunas become the target Sweatbox Soho declares that if a client is found with G on their of other accusations that attend upon the side less spoken: person its staff members are told to call the police at oncex. ‘G is disease, drugs and prostitution. It would be unwise to deny that killing people,’ says a sign on its lockers. ‘Do you want your friends these things do not exist in their vicinity, for human appetites and family to know you died in a gay sauna? That’s not sexy.’ The often wait upon one another, but still it is not necessarily more use of ‘sexy’ as an adjective in this context is perhaps questionable, likely focused in a bathhouse than elsewhere on the gay scene but the essential message is clear. where men come together for sex. Sex drives us; it is our foremost pleasure and our hardest wiring. ‘There was never any evidence presented that going to Sex is the reason why saunas exist, why there is cruising on bathhouses was a risk-factor for contracting AIDS,’ wrote the Hampstead Heath and a large part of why these polymorphous sociologist Stephen O. Murray against lobbying for the closure of dating websites and applications we are bathed in have blossomed. Whilst we harbour desire for one another these facilitators helping us to have sex will always go on to exist, although their formats may change and evolve. So, perhaps we should embrace saunas as an integral part of our culture? When the silly soldier James Wharton claims that saunas should be shut down so that we gays can further assimilate; when the play John paints the steamroom as a place of lonely tragedy: both are recycling gay shame. Of course we’re not all sauna users, and we’re not all looking for NSA, but we can all celebrate the enjoyment and freedom of gay sex. 4 QX_1038_Saunas.indd 4 27/01/2015 18:03 _QX 1038 MASTER 1.indd 5 27/01/2015 18:06 Sex, Love & Equality: Issues All Generations Face By Jack Leger THE CIRCLE is a hybrid drama/documentary about a 1950s society of gay men in Zurich, the most openly tolerant city in Europe at the time. The film centres on school teacher Ernst Ostertag and cabaret singer Robi Rapp, who began their romance half a century ago, and were finally able to legally marry nearly 50 years later in 2003. They’re played by young actors Matthias Hungerbuhler and Sven Schelker in the film’s dramatic scenes, but it’s the segments that centre on the real Ernst and Robi that give the film its soulful kick. Writer-director Stefan Haupt’s film won both the prestigious Teddy Bear and Audience Award at last year’s Berlin Film Festival. What sparked you to tell your story on screen? )6278;I½VWXXLSYKLXEFSYXXLI QEOMRKSJE½PQHYVMRKERI\TSWMXMSRSR 8LI'MVGPIMR&IVPMR8LEX[EW=IX [IHMHRSXORS[ER]SXLIV½PQQEOIVFYX 7XIJER,EYTX[LSWIFVSXLIVMWEJVMIRH XSYW7XIJERLEHRSXMQILS[IZIV 0EXIV[IQIXXLIX[S½PQTVSHYGIVW -ZER1EHISERH9VW*VI]ERHXLI][IVI MRXIVIWXIHMRXLIWXSV]SJ8LI'MVGPIERH LS[[IQIXXLIVI)ZIRPEXIVXLI]XSPH YWEFSYXE½PQHMVIGXSV[LS[EWEPWS MRXIVIWXIH-X[EW7XIJER 63&-3YVQEMRGSRGIVR[EWXLEX8LI 'MVGPIWLSYPHRSXFIXSXEPP]JSVKSXXIRSRGI [IEVIHIEH;IRS[EVIWSXMQIMW VYRRMRKSYX;IEPWSORI[XLMWWXSV]MW MQTSVXERXJSV]SYRKIVKIRIVEXMSRW How do you see your story’s impact today? Do you think the “ Good sex can lead to love and understanding and a good big issues are essentially the same, partnership. That means respecting the human being and helping or dhave things changed? )62788LI½PQKMZIWERI\EQTPISJLS[ to develop according each person’s character and wishes.” [IERHSXLIVTISTPIPMZIHQIXXSKIXLIV ERHLS[XLIVIEPMX]SJEHSYFPIPMJIPSSOIH SV]IEVWEKS=SYRKQIRSJXSHE] ERH[SQIREPWSZIV]SJXIRJEGIXLI ½VWXXMQI)ZIRXWJVSQ]IEVWSJSYV WLSTTMRKXSKIXLIVERHLEHPYRGLSVHMRRIV WEQISVWMQMPEVTVSFPIQWERHEVIJSVGIH PMJILEZIFIIRGSRHIRWIHMRXSEFSYXE 7SXLI][IVIZIV]JEQMPMEV[MXLXLI[E][I MRXSWMQMPEV[E]WSJKSMRKKEMP]ERHRSX ]IEVERHXLI½PQWGVIIRMRKXEOIWNYWX XLMROERHXEPO WXVEMKLXP]JSV[EVH8LITVSFPIQSJGSQMRK QMRYXIW8LMWMWHVEQEXMG&YXTISTPI )62783RXLMW½PQFSXLTVSHYGIVWEVI SYXSJRIIHMRKXSI\TPEMR]SYVHMJJIVIRX [I´HRIZIVQIX[IVIHIITP]XSYGLIHWS KE]QIR[LMPIXLIHMVIGXSVMWRSXKE] JSVQSJPSZIMWWXMPPXLIWEQIERH[MPPFI SFZMSYWP]MXQYWXFIEKSSH½PQ &SXLEGXSVWTPE]MRKSYVTEVXWEVIWXVEMKLX XLIWEQIJSVEPPXMQI Did you help Stefan develop the FYXWSQISJXLIEGXSVWTPE]MRKLSQSTLSFMG 63&-%PPSJYWRIIHYRHIVWXERHMRKTEVIRXW ½PQ´WHVEQEXMGWGIRIW# TSPMGIQIREVIKE]%PPSJYWNSMRIHEWE [LSEGGITXERHPSZIXLIMVWXVEMKLXSVKE] )6278;ILEHZIV]PMXXPIXSHS[MXLXLI GVIEXMZIXIEQERH[ILEHQER]NS]JYPERH GLMPHVIRIUYEPP]+E]GLMPHVIRRIIHQSVI ±½GXMSREP²TEVXWFYX[IVIEHXLIWGVMTX JYRR]QSQIRXWXSKIXLIV EXXIRXMSRXLSYKLFIGEYWIXLI]WXMPPJEGI ERHKEZILMRXWSRLMWXSVMGEPHIXEMPW8LIR -RXLI½PQ]SYJEPPMRPSZIEJXIV QSVIHMWGVMQMREXMSR8LIMVTEXLXSFIGSQI [I[IVILETT]XSPIX7XIJERXEOISZIV what might have been a one- EREHYPXMWQSVIHMJ½GYPX XLIWXSV]JSVXLI½REPWGVMTX,S[IZIV night stand. What’s the secret to Was it odd to see your life re- XLIX[SEGXSVWTPE]MRKYWEW]SYRKIVQIR staying together? enacted by actors? MQQIHMEXIP]KSXMRGSRXEGX[MXLYWERH[I 63&-+SSHWI\GERPIEHXSPSZIERH 63&-8LIVI[IVIUYMXIEJI[XYVFYPIRX QIXUYMXIEJI[XMQIW;IXEPOIHXSKIXLIV YRHIVWXERHMRKERHEKSSHTEVXRIVWLMT IQSXMSRW[LIR[I[EXGLIHXLI½PQXLI [IRXJSV[EPOWHMHWSQILSYWI[SVOERH 8LEXQIERWVIWTIGXMRKXLILYQERFIMRK 6 QX_1038_The Circle.indd 6 27/01/2015 18:45 “ It’s amazing what people have to do just to stay together.” and helping to develop according each HYVMRKXLIPEXIWERHWWMQMPEVXSXLI GLERKIHPE[WLEZIGLERKIHERHIZIV]XLMRK person’s character and wishes.

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