Booze cruise to Calais

It's becoming an annual tradition, the three men jump in the back of a van heading south to escape, Dover is where it starts. It's the crossing to France, the country that will return us our liberties; for Grandad, Dad and I it's the time of year we stock up on booze!

Late November/Early December we make our way to Calais for no other reason than cheap wine. From London the journey is quick, 1 hour on the M20, 30 Minutes on the Eurostar and within 15 minutes we're at one of the largest supermarkets in Europe Carre Four, all for a tiny £23 for a car plus petrol. 

The journey is so quick that the day then needs to be spent wisely, follow this itinerary and you won't go wrong:

7am: depart from Dover

8am: arrive at Carre Four

8.10am: enjoy a French breakfast: baguette, croissant and coffee

8.45am: shopping time

10.45am: coffee break

11am: head to specialist wine shops

1pm: lunch (baguette and wine)

1.30pm: walk around Calais town

3pm: coffee time

4pm: final wine store/duty free at Eurostar 

5pm: return to Dover

7pm: home

This is a very easy days shopping trip and the savings that can be made are immense, especially when selecting wine, spirits and cheeses (cheese can be frozen without a problem). 

I spend most my money in Carre Four, it has the best deal and everything in one place. I'm fact there are about 6-7 aisles with booze, imam always amazed and the special offers are usually immense. I have found prices to be 20-50% cheaper than London Upermarlts, so I definitely feel it's more than worth the trip.

In the last trip I spent €280 = £233, which consisted of 10 boxes of wine including 3x brut. That works out at just over £2 a bottle even with Brit at nearly €5 bottle each!!! That's why I love the booze cruise - each bottle I open I know it costs me half the price to one from a corner store!

Admittedly there's not much to Calais, but drive 3-4 hours south and you will be in Champagne. Check out my visit from last year for more details.

For £23 euro crossing, and about £50 in petrol, you make your money back easily in wine and have a fun day out! It's a must! 

Europe's Map of Gay Equality - The UK still ahead

This map was compiled in May 2013, before Russia decided to mount it's gay hate campaign, so while it stands here at 7%, we can probably drop that to below 1%!

It does surprise me that the UK stands in the lead, as this certainly hasn't always been the case. There were times when Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium and Netherlands were far ahead of the Britain.

It's interesting to see how the traffic light colours go from left to Right. And it's with hope that in the next few years many of these countries can reach at least 50%. But in my travel experience, some of these destinations are not as bad as the colour represents. You can still travel safely and enjoy the gay scene.

New York City vs London: by an American and a Brit

I visited my friend in New York City at the weekend, I was complaining about certain things that didn't work so well here compared to my home City of London. Well, then she started complaining about London.

So we decided to write a list - Who is BEST at what?

NYC vs LDN

Polite and friendly - NYC wins.
Whether walking down the street with a map upside down or looking aimlessly around a Subway station, New Yorkans will offer help and a conversation. We both agreed that most Londoners will ignore you, largely because of the begging culture.

Currency value -New York


Ok, this is a bit selfish, but money in New York does seem to go further, especially with the British pound.

Dollars cs notes - London
We prefer the colourful notes of London, but I like the pound and my friend who is a waitress prefers the One Dollar note. But really, why need such a huge wallet?

Cash vs card - Londn
It seems people mostly pay by cash, I hate cash, and they have NO chip'n'Pin. Isn't signing so old school now?

Smoking - London
NYC has segregated zones outside, yes even outside, especially bars and restaurants. I bet London follows soon, but still more freedom in the UK.

Subway/underground - London
Proper maps, easy to read signs, frequent announcements, train times, staff on the platform - that's London, remove all that for NYC.

Food value -NYC
You definitely get a lot for your money. Though I am unsure how healthy some of the portions are

Food health - London/ NYC

Maybe it's because I know what I am eating. My friend disagreed!

Drink value - NYC
It's all about the free-pour, and cocktails

Talking bars - London
Try finding bars and pubs where you can talk in, NYC you'll find few and far between. All hail the London Pub.

Bars - NYC
Want somewhere chic and cool...head to the NYC

Gay Bar proximity - London
So I like my Soho and Vauxhall Village, and Shoreditch, but apart from West Village, I feel I am wandering aimlessly for bars in NYC

Taxi -NYC

Cheaper - it is simply cheaper! Oh and quicker, no traffic.

City Views - London
The River Thames offers spectaclar views and the different shape buildings of the city add to its uniqueness. NYC is all a bit samey.

Fit guys - NYC/ London
I am sure NYC wins, my friend reckons London.

Diverse dress sense - London

NYC plays it all a little safe, and my friend agrees

Coffee - London


Buy one cup of decent coffee, not countless refills of cheap coffee - NO THANKS

Newark airport vs Heathrow Terminal 5 - London
This was a tough one, but right now Terminal 5 wins, though on my way out I didn't like the new terminal.

Queues/lines - London
London knows how to queue properly.

If you have more to add, or disagree with any of the both, I would love to hear from you.

World Pride 2012: All eyes on London

Contribution from Jon Fairbanks a Gay Travel Team member at www.gaytravel.com


The videos are my experience of London Pride as a proud British gay bloke.


All opinions below are of Jon Fairbanks:

Seriously, how gay can London get in 2012? If the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee isn’t queer enough, “The Old Smoke” is also playing host to WorldPride in June. 

WorldPride, created by InterPride, is a popular celebration of all things LGBTQ that attracts revelers from … yes … around the world. This is the third installment of WorldPride, the previous celebrations took place in Rome and Jerusalem.

While the past events drew hundreds of thousands of visitors, organizers anticipate more than one million people will flock to London to take part in the festivities thanks to the upcoming 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. What’s on tap for this year’s WorldPride? Theatre shows, debates, poetry readings and other events are planned but let’s get real, it’s all about the parade and parties.

Parade Day is July 7^th, at the end of WorldPride. This year the route will start on Baker Street and will run more than a half mile longer than usual, covering more of London’s iconic landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, where a Pride Rally will take place. Several of the UK’s brightest stars are scheduled to appear on the main stage in Trafalgar Square, including X Factor finalist Lloyd Daniels and pop-punk band Twenty Twenty. In addition to the musical acts, there will also be comedy shows and dancers. In Soho, partygoers will converge at the dance stage where they’ll be entertained by London’s hottest DJs. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you might find yourself hobnobbing with Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen or another A-lister who’s been known to attend London Pride.

Most of the action takes place in the heart of Soho, London’s gayborhood. The yellow brick road? Old Compton Street. A street lined with the city’s most popular gay bars, pubs, sex shops and restaurants. When you see the rainbow flags and cruisy blokes, you’ll know you’re home. The most popular venues in the West End include the spacious and stylish Ku Bar, G-A-Y Bar and The King’s Arms, catering to bears and the cubs who love them. Soho will also be closed to traffic on the day of the parade and many of the clubs will be open until 4am.

For gents who dig leather and fetish clubs, you’ll want to head to Vauxhall, a neighborhood south of the river. Crash is the hottest venue in the area on Saturday nights, Instinct is also a great spot if you love house and techno music. Horse Meat Disco/The Eagle London attracts a variety of gay patrons from bears to twinks. The bottom line, during pride, every visitor will find a bar or club to fit their individual preference.

Getting around London is incredibly easy thanks to the city’s great public transportation system. For less than £5 you can buy a daily travel card which gives you access to the London Underground (the tube) and buses. Route maps are also available at several locations throughout the city, so you should have little trouble getting from point A to point B.

Several high-profile companies are helping to underwrite this year’s festivities, including Smirnoff, Coca-Cola and Tesco, the UK’s largest private employer. Recently, some LGBT activists, including Hannah Dee, have criticized London Pride and its organizers for becoming a corporate sponsored event more interested in generating a profit than celebrating the achievements of the gay and lesbian community.

Despite the criticism, London Pride is still a great fundraiser for organizations that benefit LGBT organizations. This year Kaleidoscope Trust was selected as the official charity partner. Kaleidoscope International Diversity Trust is a nonprofit organization that campaigns for equality for gays and lesbians people around the world. For socially-minded Marys and ‘mos who want a break from the pride debauchery, there will also be a conference on gay rights featuring several renowned speakers.

England isn’t known for its great weather, but the summer months can be beautiful. Luckily, WorldPride happens at the beginning of the summer, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the local landscape. London’s premier gay cruising area is located in the northwest part of the city in an area called Hampstead Heath Ponds. It’s no South Beach, but it’s great if you want to check out some hot locals and out of towners and get a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. There’s a men’s bathing pond located here which gained worldwide notoriety when singer George Michael was photographed here. If you don’t have a number one hit song, chances are you can fly under the radar.

2012 marks the 40^th anniversary of the first London gay pride parade and this year’s event promises to be biggest yet. So if you’ve never had the opportunity to explore this sophisticated, thriving metropolis, now’s the time check out the city where you are encouraged to live like a Queen.