Very sad news recently with the announcement that Chester’s only lap dancing club, the Platinum Lounge, has lost it’s “sex establishment” licence.  This possibly means no more Platinum Lounge, and certainly no more lap or pole dancing.  It also means job losses for girls and bar staff working there.

The reason given by Chester City Council is that the club is in a residential area, and thus disruptive for local residents.  Which is clearly nonsense.  The real reason is that the busy bodies in the City have decided that a lap dancing club is “just not cricket” and would tarnish the reputation of the historic City of Chester.

However, I note that Chester Races is obviously a feature that the residents, business leaders and council whole heartedly approve of.  Chester races, which encourages binge drinking and violence on an unprecedented scale, not to mention traffic and disruption for all those who live or work in the area.  Chester races, the one day when male race goers wear a suit other than when they’re in court.  And the “ladies”, shoe-horned into tiny dresses to reveal their orange tanned cellulite ridden bodies.  Seen later with their knickers round their ankles, pissing in the gutter and being sick on their chips.

I’ve been to Platinum Lounge may times and found that the club was friendly and professional with no sign of trouble or drug use.  Unlike most other Chester venues (and I’m talking about some of the popular places here, not the tiny ones).  Not to mention that the drinks were affordable (unusual) and the music often excellent (very unusual for sad, small minded Chester).  I seriously doubt that I will be spending many evenings in the City from now on, as the alternatives for a good night out are scarce.

The hypocrisy and stupidity of this decision infuriates me.  It is blatant snobbery which will only serve to drive out any diversity in the City and further intensify the antisocial behaviour witnessed every weekend.  

For this reason, I name Chester City Council as my first ENEMIES OF FREEDOM.

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