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Manchester Gay Bars – The Globetrotter Guys

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Manchester Gay Bars - The Globetrotter Guys

Before leaving the UK we lived in Manchester, the gay capital of the North, for 10 years and absolutely loved this city we came to call home.

Manchester has been named amongst the Top 10 most exciting cities in the world, according to a recent poll by Time Out and is an incredibly gay friendly city.

Manchester has been one of the top gay destinations in the UK for a long time. It has one of the UK’s largest gay prides and one of the best gay scenes (Canal Street).

Here is our mini guide to the best gay bars in Manchester (and gay clubs).

The Gay Village Manchester

One of the things we love the most about Manchester and why it is one of the best gay cities in the UK is Manchester’s Gay Village.

Manchesters Gay Village is made up of Canal Street and a few surrounding streets. This is in the very centre of the city, minutes away from the main train station (Manchester Piccadilly).

Canal Street is full of gay bars from the start to the very end of the street.

We love the fact that everything is so close together and that you can easily do a bar crawl and not have to travel or get taxis between bars like you need to in some other cities.

Read on for the best gay bars in Manchester:

G-A-Y Manchester

Every time we have been to G-A-Y we have had the best night. The music varies on each floor but you can always guarantee the best of pop, 90’s and current chart toppers will be played somewhere (which we love).

Drinks are reasonably priced here too and the crowd is typically quite young and trendy.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Lancashire Gay Travel Resources

Lesbian Brighton – Our Taste for Life

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BLOG - Lesbian Brighton - Our Taste for Life

The quirky seaside town of Brighton is known as the unofficial ‘gay capital’ of the UK. Not only famed for beautiful beaches and sticks of rock but also a liberal and open-minded attitude when it comes to diversity. Brighton has been at the epi-centre of LGBT+ culture since the 1930s, and Gay & Lesbian Brighton continues to thrive. Boasting a wealth of gay bars and clubs, LGBT+ centred events, and gay-friendly hotels, Brighton makes for an ideal gay or lesbian holiday in Europe.

Having grown up in England, Brighton has been in my blood since I was a child. Being only a 1.5 hours drive from London, we would often visit during the Summertime. So visiting Brighton now, as a (young) adult, I can’t help but feel incredibly nostalgic. The great thing is, not much has changed from the Brighton I once knew. From the iconic pier and stripy deckchairs to the beautiful pebbled beach and scent of fish & chips, it’s all pretty much how I remember it. Only, it all seems a little more ‘gay’ now.

You see, Gay Brighton’s welcoming and unbiased attitude is evident throughout the beachside town. You only have to wander the colourful streets, to find there are rainbow murals and references everywhere. And by everywhere, I mean everywhere. By the end of our visit, I felt as if I had rainbows coming out of my a*se! Wait a minute, I probably do. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, you needn’t worry about being accepted in Brighton. Show up as you are and you’ll seamlessly fit in.

So with all this in mind, we have put together this comprehensive travel guide for Gay & Lesbian Brighton. We’ve listed all of the hottest gay bars and nightclubs; gay-friendly hotels and hostels; the best LGBT+ centred events; as well as all the top things to do around the city. We will also touch on LGBT+ rights and social opinions in the UK, so you come fully prepared.

LGBTQ+ Rights in Lesbian Brighton

Like most places around the world, the road to LGBT+ acceptance in the UK has been a volatile one. Historically, being gay clashed with the idea of being a ‘good’ Christian. Which meant acts of homosexuality between men were punishable by death. Women were never subject to the same legal restrictions; however, would often be punished by the law nonetheless. 

By Charlotte & Natalie – Full Story at Our Taste for Life

Lesbian Brighton Travel Resources

Best London Drag Clubs – The Nomadic Boys

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Best London Drag Clubs - The Nomadic Boys

What makes a good drag club, you ask?

Well, we feel that if you leave a drag show feeling confident, self-assured, and completely in love with yourself…then we’re sorry, but the drag queens did NOT do their job.

Read more

Lynton Hotel London – Gay Friendly B&B in London

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Lynton Hotel

The Lynton B&B is a small friendly centrally located B&B in London. We are not a hotel although a bygone era once did call it a hotel once. We provide simple no frills accommodation in a great central part of London, positioned between the safe areas of Belgravia, Westminster and Pimlico. The West End, Soho, Vauxhall Cross, Oxford Street and most of London’s tourist attractions are close.

In our area you will find pubs, restaurants, coffee shops, fish and chips, supermarkets, a post office Plus the Victoria Palace and Victoria Apollo theatres are a 5-minute walk away. The location is also a transport hub with Victoria offering the tube, main line trains National express coaches and London red buses. All airports can be reached by Public transport.

See the Lynton Hotel Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

London Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

 

Stay in a Scottish Castle – Go Girlfriend

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Scottish Castles - Eilean Donan - Pixabay

For me, the essence of Scotland is in it’s beautiful landscapes and it’s castle-icious history. From the Orkney Islands in the north through the Highlands to Hadrian’s wall in the south, historic castles sit lochside and hillside in some truly spectacular locations.

Historic clans like the MacDonalds, the Stewarts, the MacKenzie’s or the Robertson’s, just to name a few, cover the countryside with their clan lands. The clan chieftains castle is Clan Regions of Scotland is always the grandest estate on these family lands perched majestically on a beautiful loch or amongst amazing mountainous views.

Most stone Scottish castles have their roots in the 1300-1600’s as fortified clan strongholds. As technologies and workmanship improve, renovations, refurbishments or expansions happening til the mid-1700’s. At this point in history clans and castles sympathetic to the Jacobites were seized and destroyed by the opposing British so it couldn’t be used as a stronghold against them into the future. Many still sit in ruins today – some have been purchased and painstakingly restored. Some have even been slept in by Bonnie Prince Charlie or Mary Queen of Scots!

By Stacy Rosien – Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Scottish Gay Travel Resources

 

Walled Garden – Gay Friendly Dorset, England Bed & Breakfast

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Walled Garden - Dorset

Our home and rooftop terrace give stunning views over the medieval hilltop town of Shaftesbury and miles beyond.

Walled Garden is situated at the junction of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire. We are located within the citadel area of Shaftesbury with its Arts Centre, museums, High Street leisure shopping and restaurants. Remember the famous Hovis advert made here on Gold Hill?

Walled Garden has delightful places to sit in sun and shade where you can relax and let the world go by or just watch the koi in the pond from the garden room. Go naturist on the rooftop in privacy for an all-over tan.

See the Walled Garden Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Dorset Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

London Pride – The Nomadic Boys

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London Pride - The Nomadic Boys

God made the rainbow so we could sashay down the catwalk to heaven…

…and of course along the streets of London during Pride!

But can you imagine, in other parts of the world, the cover image for this blog post alone would likely get us arrested or even killed.

Whilst we are lucky to live in a place where we can love who we want freely, there are still 74 countries where being gay is still a crime, and many others where the mere mention of being gay can lead to you losing your job, being ousted by your family or even worse, beaten up and killed.

We saw this a lot during our big trip in Asia, such as with our friend Joko from Java in Indonesia, Kaluu from Colombo in Sri Lanka and particularly in Russia.

This is why we think it is important to come to Pride events – to march for those who can’t. Whilst the parades are always a lot of fun, they are also a strong and symbolic message of love, unity and acceptance for our LGBTQ family around the world, who we want to be celebrated, respected and embraced by all – #pridematters

We’ve attended numerous gay pride events around the world including the gay pride festival of Puerto Vallarta, the Canada Fierte pride in Montreal and the gay Pride of Cyprus in Nicosia. Our favourite, which we always look forward to every year is Pride in London. As proud Londoners, we are of course very bias, especially as this is where we met back in 2009. But each time we go to Pride in London, we have an amazing time.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

London Gay Travel Resources

The Perfect Weekend in Queer Brighton – Gay Star News

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Queer Brighton - Gay Star News

Take a pinch of Lisbon and generous helpings of San Francisco, Key West and Fort Lauderdale. Add the colorful, progressive essence of destinations like Rio de Janeiro, Berlin and Barcelona. What do you get? Why, England’s most iconically LGBTI-friendly city, of course.

Brighton, found on the twinkling shores of the Sussex coast, is a smallish city that packs a huge punch, It’s home to 289,200 people. As such, it’s comparable in size to St. Louis in Missouri or Anchorage in Alaska. An estimated 15% of locals identify as LGBTI.

Brighton is also home to the highest number of same-sex couples in the country. So, unsurprisingly, its Pride festival is a pretty big deal. It attracts revelers from across the country and around the world. This year, it’s also playing host to probably its greatest headline performer ever: pop superstar Britney Spears (more on whom later.) If you’re thinking of heading down for Pride, here’s our quick-fire guide on how to make the most of one of the UK’s most welcoming, walkable and accessible cities…

By Jamie Tabberer – Full Story at Gay Star News

Brighton Gay Travel Resources

Gay Manchester – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Manchester - The Nomadic Boys

We love Manchester. It is such a cool city with a very liberal and progressive vibe. This is where Emmeline Pankhurst started the movement for women’s right to vote in the UK in the 1920s, and where The Vegetarian Society was born in the early 1800s. Manchester also has one of the largest student populations in Europe, and has historically maintained a very strong left-wing anti-aristocratic sentiment.

Manchester is located in Northwest England, just over 2 hours from London by train making it very easy to reach. Whenever we’re in London, we always try to come here for a weekend to party on Canal Street. This is one of the few places in the world we feel very safe about walking the streets in public holding hands.

Here’s our guide to gay Manchester, featuring the best bars, clubs, events and hotels to stay.

Manchester gay village: Canal Street

Manchester’s gay village is compact, with loads of gay bars and clubs. The main focal point is the pedestrianised Canal Street which runs along the Rochdale Canal, minutes walking distance from the city’s main train station: Manchester Piccadilly. You will recognise it from the original UK version of Queer as Folk where Stuart, Vince and Nathan prowled the streets on their nights out.

Most of the gay bars and clubs of Manchester are based in the few streets surrounding Canal Street. Saturday night is the best night to go partying, and Thursday another popular night because this is when the gay sports groups go out to socialise. On weekday evenings, particularly on Fridays, the crowds tend to come in two waves – the just-after-work crowd at around 5-7pm, then another wave at around 10/11pm.

The Gay Village is also the focal point of Manchester Gay Pride, which is one of our favourite Pride events. It is the largest annual gay event in Manchester, taking place on the last week of August. It is definitely worth planning your trip around if you’re in the UK in August.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Manchester Gay Travel Resources

Inside Westminster Abbey – Keep Calm and Wander

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Westminster Abbey - Keep Calm and Wander

Take a look inside Westminster Abbey – a royal coronation venue, a religious site and a cemetery. This is the most viral religious structure in United Kingdom. Royals were crowned, wed and buried here, including poets, scientists, and rulers The Westminster Abbey was initially titled “Collegiate Church of Saint Peter”.

Westminster Abbey was a founded by Saint Benedict of Nursia. But in 1539, it was dissolved. It was then given the symbol of a cathedral between 1540 and 1556. Later, in 1560, the structure has now changed from cathedral, rather it holds the symbol of a Church of England called royal peculiar. Which now became a church responsible to the sovereign in a direct form.

The Westminster Abbey hold a lot of important information that makes it a center of attraction for most people around the world.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

London Gay Travel Resources