[Bevwall]

Hi,

I stumbled upon this song and it's been on repeat ever since. I thought I'd share it as I lve it It's called Gay Pirates by Cosmo Jarvis. Stephen Fry called "Gay Pirates", Jarvis' fourth single, "wonderful" and put a link to its video on his Twitter feed, and I totally agree, I love it love it love it http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&fe...&v=dysG12QCdTA

[Roger123W]

Hey up Tyranna - are you performing anywhere in Sheffield for Easter ;-) x ? Im thinking of going to Dempseys for Easter SUnday night if there is Karaoke on !

[jamesogt]

It has been discussed fairly regularly here but Sheffield Pride is to charge for the first time in 2012......

http://www.sheffieldpride.org.uk/ind...t01returnid=99

A Statement from the Chair

Dear Pride Supporters

Pride 2012 is becoming one of the most challenging Pride events so far – but it is also going to be the biggest and most exciting! This year we are having our very first “Pride Parade” - in fact the very first Pride Parade in Sheffield. The parade will progress up Ecclesall road starting at 10.30 and finish in Endcliffe Park for 12.00pm and opening the event. All of Sheffield’s gay venues are taking part and will hopefully be bringing a float, as well as bands, performers and walkers joining in along the way - a loud and colourful spectacle not to be missed.

Our event is growing in popularity so much so that there has been an increase of visitors and attendees year on year, making us the biggest Pride in South Yorkshire! That is, as I am sure you will agree, just what we wanted to achieve and nothing less than what the LGBT community and their supporters in Sheffield deserve and have waited a long time for.

All these improvements, however, bring with them increased expense and the need to provide more services for the visitors and attendees then we have ever had to before such as toilets, security, clean-up, first aid and so on. As most of you will know Sheffield Pride is a non-profit event that relies totally on donations, fund raising, sponsors and any local grants that are available. Last year’s event cost a little over £20,000 and there looks to be a significant increase to that this year, owing largely to increased responsibilities laid on us by the success of last year. Due to the economic climate and cut backs that are affecting everybody we are finding it extremely difficult to raise the kind of money we need and with this in mind the committee has made the decision to introduce an entry charge. This is something we never wanted to do and has always been our intention to provide a free event but it is impossible to cover the increasing costs.

Below are some frequently asked questions, the answers to which I hope you will find useful:

What will my admission be spent on?

As stated above there has been a steady increase in visitors to the event over the last 3 years and increased visitor numbers mean higher expense in terms of event facilities,clean up and security costs.

How much will I have to pay?

Advance adult admission (14 yrs old and over) will be £3.00. Children under 14 yrs old who are accompanied by an adult (over 1 will be admitted for free. On the door entry will be £3.00 for adult admissions. It is recommended that to avoid queuing and to reduce your admission price you buy your tickets in advance.

What about entertainment? Will my fee be paying for this?

I know some people will say get some decent acts on stage, this is something we would love to do if we have the funds to pay for them. The entry fees will go towards the cost of this year’s event and future events and eventually we will be able to have some headline acts. Therefore you should consider your entry fee an investment in the future of Sheffield Pride.

Will there be a charge for Mini Pride and the Parade?

No. Both the Mini Pride event and the parade will remain free for attendees.

We hope you will agree the cost of entry is quite nominal and I am sure that the vast majority will be more then happy to pay the price to attend and be part of a celebration of LGBT achievements.

Tickets sales will launch at Mini Pride (31 March 2012) and at various city centre venues please see details on our web site and on Facebook.

Finally, I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you at one of Sheffield Pride’s many events.

Best wishes,

Kath Housley

Chair, Sheffield Pride

[aaron1867]

Again, went out on Friday night and ventured to Affinity for first time in ages and I have to be very honest, getting really annoyed with this place.

You get there and there are something like 10-15 people in and you have a door fee of £2. Not acceptable, but i suppose you can support it now and again. I go to bar and buy 4 shots of Sambuca (not all for me, I am not an alcoholic) and I expected it to be £8, of course not, all 4 cost me £10, in fact it was some sort of deal as usually one hsot costs £2.75, absolute joke. Not to mention the shot glasses are tiny. I am generally losing the patience with how expensive a empty bar is!

As for Pride - No opinion really. I just shall not be going! The board on this are idiots, fact.

[jamesogt]

Originally Posted by aaron1867

go to bar and buy 4 shots of Sambuca (not all for me, I am not an alcoholic) and I expected it to be £8, of course not, all 4 cost me £10, in fact it was some sort of deal as usually one hsot costs £2.75, absolute joke. Not to mention the shot glasses are tiny. I am generally losing the patience with how expensive a empty bar is!

Shots must be sold in measures of 25 or 35ml or multiples thereof.

If you really believe they are short measuring you should raise the point with Licencing.

[Tyranna]

I'm surprised to find out only now that Sheffield Pride will be charging for entry; the proposal should have been given more forethought, as I never heard it mentioned at any of the few Pride Open Meetings that have taken place since late last year.
However, I am not surprised that Pride have had to resort to entry fee for fundraising, as some of the sponsorship that was available in previous years has been cut back.
Pride should above all be about the best of LOCAL LGBT entertainment and inclusive for all local LGBT people and friends, so I would not agree to the Pride entry fee funding 'big name acts' from outside. Let 'big name acts' come to Sheffield by all means and put on their own PA's and gigs at clubs in town, so their LGBT (and 'straight') fans have the opportunity to see a full, top-quality show that is value for money, rather than a few 'token' numbers which might not be to everyone's tastes...

BTW, I am sure that many of you are aware that CLUB XES is up for sale by auction on 21st April, at Jenkinsons Auctioneers at Norfolk Row; if the venue ends up ceasing to be a gay club, Sheffield will be left with ONLY TWO 'Proper', or classic Gay Clubs: Dempseys and Affinity; clearly there should be scope for new Gay venues if Xes does not stay the course, and it will be sorely missed by many of us, even though it doesen't quite attract as many people as it used to when it used to open 5 nights a week.

[aaron1867]

It will be missed by many?

I highly doubt that.

[jamesogt]

http://www.markjenkinson.co.uk/aucti...20-%7C-673#lot

Not a lot of money for a decent sized building. Can't see it continuing to trade though, poor location and times have changed since it was the only late licence. Could make a decent flat conversion I guess.

Tyranna you should read this thread more carefully, I posted about the charge ages ago (03-04-2012 00:25 ) Personally I believe they should charge, it is £3. Hardly going to be a deal breaker amount for most people. The fact the buckets raised something like £100 in 'Donations' has an underlying tone of what people will really 'support'.

John Lewis has also pulled out of the Sevenstone development and will not be the flagship retail outlet the Council had hoped for. They are aiming to start work around Spring 2014, the CPO's have an action date of 2016 before they expire.

[EarthBoy]

Originally Posted by Tyranna

BTW, I am sure that many of you are aware that CLUB XES is up for sale by auction on 21st April, at Jenkinsons Auctioneers at Norfolk Row;

Tuesday 24th April, actually, not 21st, and the auction is at Sheffield United Football Club on Bramall Lane.

The catalogue lists it as vacant premises, so it must have already closed down. It's a shame they didn't have a final closing party, as I'm sure many people who remember it in its heyday would have gone along for old times' sake. It used to be really popular ten years ago when it had a later licence than anywhere else, but times change and people are simply no longer willing to go out of town for a night out, especially when Dempseys, Affinity and Lions Lair, have 6.00 AM licences. I stopped going a few years ago when a lot of clearly under-age kids started going there, and it was like being in an episode of Grange Hill. If people won't support city centre gay venues, then Club XeS didn't stand a chance, so I'm only surprised it survived as long as it did. I wish Simon and Gary all the best for the future.

[jamesparry]

Xes is still open for a few weeks!

[aaron1867]

I think Climax is definitely in need of a makeover.

Again, went on Friday and definitely was one of the worst I've been to. My biggest problem with this is the DJ in the big room (Scott Kelly). He plays the worst music ever! I know that everyone has a personal preference about music, but when you are there for 3 hours and he only plays a couple of songs from 2012, you see how poor it is. Along with the fact that he plays the same stuff over and over again, the song "so, so scandolous" etc, every month, sigh.

I am enjoying dempsey's at the moment though, music has been a lot better and atmosphere a lot better too.

Not bothering with Affinity any more. £2/£3 door fee, £2.75 for shots (£2 everywhere else) and £3.30 for bottled beer (£2.80 at Dempsey's). You can see why this place isn't doing well.

[SpiderPete]

Originally Posted by aaron1867

I am enjoying dempsey's at the moment though, music has been a lot better and atmosphere a lot better too.

Steady on Aaron, a positive comment from you

Not bothering with Affinity any more. £2/£3 door fee, £2.75 for shots (£2 everywhere else) and £3.30 for bottled beer (£2.80 at Dempsey's). You can see why this place isn't doing well.

Yet their lager drink (not bottles) is cheaper than Dempseys. I prefer a mid-week visit there now, athough I dont know why they still charge before 10pm, they must loose out on customers, well certainly us last Friday as we went straight to Demps or we would have had to pay in Affinity and then a Taxi, sometimes not worth it

[Bboy]

Originally Posted by SpiderPete

athough I dont know why they still charge before 10pm, they must loose out on customers, well certainly us last Friday as we went straight to Demps or we would have had to pay in Affinity and then a Taxi, sometimes not worth it

It's true whenever I go out on the scene I tend to go straight to Dumpsey's even if I’m walking past Affinity, as it annoys me to pay twice, especially when chances are there will only be about four or five people in Affinity. I think Affinity have got the wrong business strategy, if they didn’t charge (or charged much later in the night) people would definitely go and fill out the place even if for only a few hours before going onto Dempsey’s, at least they would earn money from people buying drinks. I’m sure a busy bar with people buying drinks for several hours would generate more revenue than charging ten people £2 or £3 on the door, madness

In my opinion, it’s a shame and I bet this place will end up closing before long..

[Roger123W]

Originally Posted by Bboy

In my opinion, it’s a shame and I bet this place will end up closing before long..

Well I dont go in there much but I reckon I agree. Why charge on the door to drive people away to dempseys. Why not be more imaginative and think of entertainment to draw the punters in to pay to see that .

Now if they had someone like Tyranna perform in there I would pay to see that and it would really draw the punters i - even if they did go on to Dempseys later on in the night ! I must pay a visit in there soon - does anyone know if they allow dogs in there also ?

[partygirl]

Club Xes is closing down, the last night will be the 5th May

[Bfro]

Sheffield has a gay scene(?) :O

[SpiderPete]

Originally Posted by Bfro

Sheffield has a gay scene(?) :O

It has a couple of pubs and thats it.

[SpiderPete]

Don`t forget its Alice in wonderland tonight at Affinity, its part of the Sheffield Pride thingy

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...1585855208381/

[jamesogt]

Originally Posted by SpiderPete

Don`t forget its Alice in wonderland tonight at Affinity, its part of the Sheffield Pride thingy

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...1585855208381/

Hopefully they will be more efficient in their transfer of funds raised than elsewhere. So at least the money can be spent this year and not next !

[Tyranna]

Originally Posted by EarthBoy

Tuesday 24th April, actually, not 21st, and the auction is at Sheffield United Football Club on Bramall Lane.

The catalogue lists it as vacant premises, so it must have already closed down. I wish Simon and Gary all the best for the future.

Many Thanks Earthboy for the correction; I was told the 21st at the Norfolk Row premises, so obviously I was told wrong.

Just a few days ago, I heard that the club was actually sold a few days PRIOR to the Auction (I think it is by what they call by 'Private Treaty'), but as yet there was no information on who has bought the premises and whether it will even be a licensed club anymore. It will be sad for many of us local LGBT's, including Bears and Trannies, to miss a venue which meant so much to us for the past decade or so. I remember 'Ma Bakers' just across the road, with similar affection; they used to be packed on Friday nights with cabarets, but then it was sold and ended up as a company offices.

LES FEMMES at Xes will be on for just two more nights, TONIGHT, from 9pm, next Friday 4th May from 9pm, AND DON'T FORGET, the FINAL night, the Club Xes FAREWELL PARTY on SATURDAY 5TH MAY. See Seperate Thread: http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=980520