Adult Entertainment in Inverness

[Proctor]

So, it appears as if the Cheiftan Hotel has been given a license to have adult entertainment on the premisis. This seems to have attracted alot of attention from the local press aswell as the Church. Is it really an issue? Most, if not all cities in Britian have venues that provide lap dancing and other such activities yet we seem to be stuck in the dark ages up here.

I personally think that lap dancing clubs are abit like gambling in that they seem to be a good way to throw your money down the drain but there are people who enjoy his sort of activaty. With the rise of stag and hen parties surely as the capital of the highlands, with a catchment area the size of Belgium local hotels, bars and resteraunts are missing out on the commerce of these groups to the central belt, England and even mainland Europe.

Is it the case that the church still has alot of clout up here and as a result we are struggling to grow and be seen by others as a modern, cosmopolitan city instead of a clan of Bible thumping mutton lovers? You only need to look at our archaic licensing policies to see how dated we are in such aspects. Has anybody been to any other city with a 12 O'clock curfew which dare I say causes more problems than it prevents. Even several months ago pole dancing classes were stopped in the Sports Centre because it was considered to racey, when many gyms up and down the country use them as a form of excersise for all ages.

I feel that as long as the venues have things like darked out windows and arn't too in your face then how is it an issue? if you don't want to go to such places then don't. Nobody is going to tie you up, hold your eyelids open and force you to watch it (unless an S and M club opens and you pay someone to do that to you)

I know this topic will evoke strong feelings amongst some of you, it will be interesting to see your thoughts.

[CaleyD]

The Chieftan won't be having lap dancing or anything like that, they only needed the licence (which doesn't cover the aforementioned anyway) to allow them to hold public Ann Summers parties and allow strippers at hen/stag parties etc.

The requirement was brought about by a recent (or pending) change in the law I believe.

[Yngwie]

How can anyone complain about a perfectly legal activity that provides well paid employment, and keeps the participants fit at the same time?

The problem is, is there enough sustainable demand for such a business in a small city like Inverness? How long can they keep it up for? I fear there could be an initial surge after which it just flops.

[Heilandee]

Strippers in the Chieftan is nothing new, we used the venue to host a supporters do last time Dundee played ICT.Some of the lads decided to make a weekend of it and organised accomadation and night in town but started with a few beers in the hotel and joined us for a farewell do for one of our members.Unknown to us it was one guys stag do as well and wee heilan very nearly got his first biology lesson when we turned up to find a lady with little attire and legs in positions only russian gymnasts should manage

[Georgeios]

The Chieftan won't be having lap dancing or anything like that, they only needed the licence (which doesn't cover the aforementioned anyway) to allow them to hold public Ann Summers parties and allow strippers at hen/stag parties etc.

The requirement was brought about by a recent (or pending) change in the law I believe.

CaleyD is bang on what he says, I know a couple of Bar/waiting staff in the pub and they say its so they can hold... As CaleyD says Stag/Hen doo's or Ann Summers and the likes, they can if the party wanted book a stripper but it will not be a "Strip Club"

[Alex MacLeod]

Just to put one myth to bed.............an adult entertainment licence does not allow the running of a lap dance / pole dance or strip club.

It allows a stripper for a doo. It allows a blue comedy act. It allows the Ann Summers type parties. My understanding is that the AE licence is something new and required to stage adult entertainment. I also understand that in order to obtain a licence to run a lap/table/pole club the premises must be licenced only for that purpose.

For the Chieftain to run such premises they would need to close down the hotel part and obtain 'change of use' permission. That, I would say, if very unlikely.

No doubt a few churchgoers, councillors etc will doctor the truth about the licence, as has been done in other areas of the country, to try and poison the minds of the general public.

[Guest birdog]

No doubt a few churchgoers, councillors etc will doctor the truth about the licence, as has been done in other areas of the country, to try and poison the minds of the general public.

Why would churchgoers or clergy try to poison people's minds about nakedness? After all did their own god not do his/her nut in because the original humans fashioned clothing from fig leaves?

Edited August 10, 2009 by birdog

[absent friend]

No doubt a few churchgoers, councillors etc will doctor the truth about the licence, as has been done in other areas of the country, to try and poison the minds of the general public.

Why would churchgoers or clergy try to poison people's minds about nakedness? After all did their own god not do his/her nut in because the original humans fashioned clothing from fig leaves?

Exactly!!

And said councillors and churchgoers are good producers of offsprings and they don't appear to need Ann Summers type aids!

A point to ponder - since churchgoing became less common up here, the size of the family unit has decreased - the 4 offsprings have now become 1.5(ish).

.

[Charles Bannerman]

.

Is it the case that the church still has alot of clout up here ......? You only need to look at our archaic licensing policies to see how dated we are in such aspects.

What I've never been able to understand is why you can't buy alcohol in a supermarket until after midday or whatever on a Sunday? It is said that religious interests are responsible for this constraint. But is this not a bit strange since at this time all of their people are safely installed in church and hence out of the way of harm and temptation? So is Sunday morning not the last time in the week that the religious lobby should be seeking a ban on alcohol sales?

Hang on a minute, though... no, surely not!? They wouldn't be trying to impose their own values and prejudices on other people would they? I mean while they're all safely sheltering in church, they wouldn't be seeking to restrict the freedoms of the rest (and vast majority) of the population who choose not to be?

Maybe they should remember that they no longer have the power to compel the public to come and have their ears bashed by dire threats of hell and damnation and to sit at the front on a special stool if they've been bad.

The Sunday ferry ban has gone. Next up, grab yourself a bottle of beer on a Sunday morning?

Edited August 10, 2009 by Charles Bannerman

[crownjaggie]

Charlie

It sounds like your childhood was the exact same as mine. Dragged to church twice every Sunday until I found a sport that gave an escape route. The indoctrination of my youth and that of my brothers was so successful, that none of us go to church except to weddings and funerals, and other rare occasions.

Think you have cracked the code of our Sunday licensing laws though.

[Yngwie]

Laws are changing shortly I believe, to allow off-sales from 9am til 9pm, 7 days a week.

Edited August 10, 2009 by Yngwie

[Charles Bannerman]

Charlie

It sounds like your childhood was the exact same as mine. Dragged to church twice every Sunday until I found a sport that gave an escape route.

Not quite CJ. I was strongly encouraged to go once each Sunday, with no compulsion at all, and did - until I was about 45. I have to say that, mainly thanks to a disastrous minister, my enthusiasm had been waning steadily and the final straw was the completely scandalous dereliction of duty of which the said disastrous minister was guilty during my mother's latter days and I cut my ties instantly.

I now have serious doubts about ORGANISED religion, given the misery it has inflicted on the world for centuries in the form of events such as the Inquisition, the 30 Years War, the Jacobite saga and Orange Walks to name but a few. Does God really want people to behave like that?

As for Sunday morning off licensing, I am delighted to hear that one more anachronistic hold of Presbyterianism has been cut. To be quite straight about it, Sunday morning is exactly when most people's supplies have run right down and is also a time when most people have time to go to the shops.

Making the stuff available at that time is going to have no effect at all on the amount that is consumed.

It's been the same story as Sunday Ferries - a small, extermist minority who think they have the right to impose their views on the large majority.

Edited August 10, 2009 by Charles Bannerman

[Drochit Blue]

.

Is it the case that the church still has alot of clout up here ......? You only need to look at our archaic licensing policies to see how dated we are in such aspects.

Hang on a minute, though... no, surely not!? They wouldn't be trying to impose their own values and prejudices on other people would they? I mean while they're all safely sheltering in church, they wouldn't be seeking to restrict the freedoms of the rest (and vast majority) of the population who choose not to be?

Maybe they should remember that they no longer have the power to compel the public to come and have their ears bashed by dire threats of hell and damnation and to sit at the front on a special stool if they've been bad.

The Sunday ferry ban has gone. Next up, grab yourself a bottle of beer on a Sunday morning?

well said, I had sunday school forced upon me until the age of 5 when I locked myself in the bog first thing Sunday and refused to come out. I've been a happy heathen ever since, but managed not to break the law or fall about in a drunken state.

[Guest birdog]

Charlie

It sounds like your childhood was the exact same as mine. Dragged to church twice every Sunday until I found a sport that gave an escape route.

Not quite CJ. I was strongly encouraged to go once each Sunday, with no compulsion at all, and did - until I was about 45. I have to say that, mainly thanks to a disastrous minister, my enthusiasm had been waning steadily and the final straw was the completely scandalous dereliction of duty of which the said disastrous minister was guilty during my mother's latter days and I cut my ties instantly.

I now have serious doubts about ORGANISED religion, given the misery it has inflicted on the world for centuries in the form of events such as the Inquisition, the 30 Years War, the Jacobite saga and Orange Walks to name but a few. Does God really want people to behave like that?

As for Sunday morning off licensing, I am delighted to hear that one more anachronistic hold of Presbyterianism has been cut. To be quite straight about it, Sunday morning is exactly when most people's supplies have run right down and is also a time when most people have time to go to the shops.

Making the stuff available at that time is going to have no effect at all on the amount that is consumed.

It's been the same story as Sunday Ferries - a small, extermist minority who think they have the right to impose their views on the large majority.

After this post Charlie you have my full and unreserved apology for everything I said to you in the Loyalist march thread.

[Charles Bannerman]

After this post Charlie you have my full and unreserved apology for everything I said to you in the Loyalist march thread.

Birdie me old mate... you're getting me all embarrassed and bashful now!! :D :D :D

[DornochCaley]

Im a Catholic, and i think that the Strip clubs and **** should be alowed. Why do you think there are so many druggies in Ness? Its because they dont have a Strip club to go to!

[Guest birdog]

Im a Catholic, and i think that the Strip clubs and **** should be alowed. Why do you think there are so many druggies in Ness? Its because they dont have a Strip club to go to!

I think you are getting strip clubs and shooting galleries mixed up there DC.

[DornochCaley]

Im a Catholic, and i think that the Strip clubs and **** should be alowed. Why do you think there are so many druggies in Ness? Its because they dont have a Strip club to go to!

I think you are getting strip clubs and shooting galleries mixed up there DC.

More than possible. I live in Dornoch. Its the quiet life for me

[davie]

Im a Catholic, and i think that the Strip clubs and **** should be alowed. Why do you think there are so many druggies in Ness? Its because they dont have a Strip club to go to!

I think you are getting strip clubs and shooting galleries mixed up there DC.

More than possible. I live in Dornoch. Its the quiet life for me

I agree with yiou completely. there's nothing wrong with Poles dancing. They wear very nice costumes that would even go down well in Dornoch (average age 104)

[DornochCaley]

Im not too into all that old granny stuff tbh.

[Alex MacLeod]

Im not too into all that old granny stuff tbh. :clapping03:

So why live in grannies Hielan Hame then?

[Guest birdog]

Im not too into all that old granny stuff tbh. :clapping03:

So why live in grannies Hielan Hame then?

Big mistake there Alex old bean, Grannie's is in Embo not Dornoch.

Edited August 13, 2009 by birdog

[DornochCaley]

C'mon Alex, Not on the ball today son!

[Guest birdog]

C'mon Alex, Not on the ball today son!

Yeah and we all know the Embo folks are a far superior breed to those of my place of residence :P

[Libero]

So, it appears as if the Cheiftan Hotel has been given a license to have adult entertainment on the premisis. This seems to have attracted alot of attention from the local press aswell as the Church. Is it really an issue? Most, if not all cities in Britian have venues that provide lap dancing and other such activities yet we seem to be stuck in the dark ages up here.

I personally think that lap dancing clubs are abit like gambling in that they seem to be a good way to throw your money down the drain but there are people who enjoy his sort of activaty. With the rise of stag and hen parties surely as the capital of the highlands, with a catchment area the size of Belgium local hotels, bars and resteraunts are missing out on the commerce of these groups to the central belt, England and even mainland Europe.

Is it the case that the church still has alot of clout up here and as a result we are struggling to grow and be seen by others as a modern, cosmopolitan city instead of a clan of Bible thumping mutton lovers? You only need to look at our archaic licensing policies to see how dated we are in such aspects. Has anybody been to any other city with a 12 O'clock curfew which dare I say causes more problems than it prevents. Even several months ago pole dancing classes were stopped in the Sports Centre because it was considered to racey, when many gyms up and down the country use them as a form of excersise for all ages.

I feel that as long as the venues have things like darked out windows and arn't too in your face then how is it an issue? if you don't want to go to such places then don't. Nobody is going to tie you up, hold your eyelids open and force you to watch it (unless an S and M club opens and you pay someone to do that to you)

I know this topic will evoke strong feelings amongst some of you, it will be interesting to see your thoughts.

great post and one which i wholeheartedly agree with

despite the fact that his adult entertainment license is for stag/hen doos/ann summers etc i think the OP raises some very valid points.

In particular the fact that we are being held back by licensing laws. We were once one of the fastest growing cities in europe and having visitied many cities throughout Europe i have seen first hand that Inverness is sadly lacking when it comes to things like eating out late or staying out late in licensed premises beyond 12 or buying alcohol at any time during the day or if you should so wish, to visit a casino or gentlemans club. Religion has its place in society and rightly so, it is there for those who want to follow it however as we live a world of choice why should a non-church goer be subject to restrictions based on religious views and ideals.