Cardiff Chooses To Bare More...
The number of strip clubs in the Cardiff city centre is set to rise from two to four in the coming months as councillors gave the go-ahead to plans on last month.
The topless dancing and erotic entertainment chain For Your Eyes Only, which currently has one establishment on Church Street, will be opening Blue Velvet, a sister club, at 32 St Mary’s Street (what was once Les Croupiers Casino) . This will be open from 11am every day and will close at 6am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The second club, Sugar at Number 10s, is also owned by a chain currently established in Cardiff: the Fantasy Lounge. Fantasy Lounge’s new establishment will open on Mill Lane below the Italian restaurant Gio’s (formerly Number 10s Nightclub).
This has come only a few days after an Indian restaurant, Pappadums N’ Chutneys, lost its bid to serve alcohol in the city ‘saturation zone’. Both of the new venues have not applied for a license to serve alcohol as the previous occupants held licenses and they will be using these.
Labour councillor Ramesh Patel found this hypocritical, stating that if the venues are for a totally different usage, then they should apply for a new license. However, some people believe that taking up this licensing issue is just a way of taking a moral stance against sexual entertainment establishments.
Objectors have claimed that these venues will amplify a negative and ‘seedy’ opinion of Cardiff. Helical Bar (landlord of the Royal and Morgan Arcades), when commenting via his representative Mark Cornell to WalesOnline Media, stated that he felt the new venues would have a “detrimental effect on the character of the city centre” (see the full story here).
However, when a large amount of the local tourism is generated by stag weekends; are we over-saturating a market or playing to our city’s strengths? What are the moral implications of opening more clubs orientated around sexual entertainment, or are we simply satisfying demand?
What do you think? Comment below!
IMAGE: I study the conversation like a map by Keoki Seu
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10 Comments – Post a comment
SamuelPatterson
Commented 61 months ago - 11th May 2011 - 11:01am
Cool artilce and very well written! =D
My opinion on the whole thing isn't very favourable. Why on earth would we want two more strip clubs? Surely two is two too many anyway! But maybe that's just my middle class posh buzz-killer talking. My non-existant libido is all for it.
Sam Sprout (Editor)
Commented 61 months ago - 11th May 2011 - 11:28am
@Stormer007 - Buzz Killington you say?
acatris
Commented 61 months ago - 11th May 2011 - 14:07pm
I personally don't have anything against the idea of strip clubs, I just think it's a bit odd that the two chains that are opening already have clubs in Cardiff, so it seems a bit excessive.
There were plans for a burlesque club to open with a speakeasy feel and opportunities for vaudeville entertainment and live music as well as stripping. Sadly this was turned down for a liquor license.
DeadAngelLover22
Commented 61 months ago - 11th May 2011 - 15:30pm
Very interesting. . .I personally was taken by my partner to have a look at the one club (For Your Eye's Only) personally i was shocked to see women acting like that. . .yet part of me was mesmerised that they can dance and feel so confident in themselves so in a way i'd say good for them and i mean some men just want to see that kind of entertainment. . .but the other half of me believes that it's disgusting for this to be in cardiff at all. Good work :)
neilramsden
Commented 61 months ago - 12th May 2011 - 16:00pm
Haha! Why has my film review been linked to this? I tried not to dwell on the pervy side of things... I've been in one of our current clubs. Such a weird experience.
I have nothing against them opening up two new clubs- I assume that as they're being opened by people who currently run clubs, they know that there is a market and a demand which will make it worthwhile. The ones we have now are run so discreetly and inoffensively that I can't see much of a problem. However the burlesque place Acatris mentioned would have been amazing!
Sam Sprout (Editor)
Commented 61 months ago - 12th May 2011 - 16:36pm
Because you don't get a lot of choice when you type pole-dancing into theSprout search engine!
neilramsden
Commented 61 months ago - 12th May 2011 - 16:53pm
Fair point well made
SamuelPatterson
Commented 61 months ago - 13th May 2011 - 17:59pm
Plus, Neil, he thought this kinda think might appeal to you! =P
AndyCole
Commented 60 months ago - 18th May 2011 - 17:37pm
I'm just shocked that Les Croupier has moved/gone!? That was my home after a Metros night :(
truth4youth
Commented 60 months ago - 24th May 2011 - 11:59am
i am concerned that people are not thinking about the effects on the women working there. i used to work behind the bar in one of these clubs and found that the managers were stereotypical of the type of person that runs a strip club. they would frequently talk to the girls with little respect, treating the waitresses much better, they would push the girls into doing stuff when they felt ill and shouted at them an called them degrading names if they werent earning enough money.
there were polish people working behind the bar too that had worked there for one year and were still on emergency tax and didnt realise that this was not ok. on speaking out about equality i was bullied out of the place. very seedy places where the staff are not treated respectfully.