One of the world's greatest, truly international cities, London is also the administrative home of BLUF and a great place to visit whether you want to see the historic sites, or explore the gay scene. However, that said, we our only real leather bar, the Backstreet, closed for good in July 2022. We're presently working out where to have our London events.
For many years, The Backstreet was one of the best reasons for leather men to visit London. For 37 years, from 1985 until 2022, it provided an amazing atmosphere. It was a place where people could cruise or just socialise. It didn't charge stupid places, and for many of us, it was where we discovered much about who we really are.
Sadly, all that came to an end in July of 2022, when the building owners refused to renew the lease. So, London now has no leather bar. BLUF - along with other nights that used to take place at The Backstreet - is presently looking for a new location.
Another long established kink store, with a great range of leather, rubber and toys. As with Clone Zone, you'll get a discount if you show your BLUF Card, with an additional 5% on offer on the same day as BLUF London events. Regulation
With branches around the UK, Clone Zone is one of the longest established suppliers of kink gear, and carries products from Mr S Leather and others - plus they give a great discount to BLUF Card holders. Clone Zone
Fri 16 May HUNTER: HARDCORE WEEKENDER - rampant, raw and rough - is the unique upcoming Weekender with the ULTIMATE in full-on fetish hardcore attitude, debauchery, sleaze and smoke for those who know (...or need to know!) our infamous hardass/ hardplay House of HUNTER brand, with its STRICTEST XX Leather/ Rubber/ Fetish hardcore Dresscode.
Let The full Weekend Hunt commence... head down the HUNTER BACK ALLEY, as the sight, sound and smell of Masters, submissives, gimps, rubber bois, bears, bikers, muscle studs and sluts plus big smoking Cigar Daddys hits you hard in the brain, butt and bollox.
Led by Brew Hunter and Scott Steele, the HUNTER: HARDCORE Special Weekender Events include:
FRIDAY NIGHT: HUNTER: BACKDOOR (our up-close, monochrome opening BLACK PARTY.) HUNTER invites you through its Backdoor for this pop-up retro sin & sleaze event - with dark bars, glory holes, cottages and corridors for old-school cruising, boozing and smoking.
SATURDAY DAY: HUNTER: OPEN HOUSE (a non-stop, in-yer-face hardcore programme of daytime events to entertain, arouse and tantalize).
SATURDAY NIGHT: HUNTER: HARDCORE (our biggest HUNTER classic hardcore XX Event yet, with more on show than ever before... come prepared!)
SUNDAY DAY: HUNTER: TRUCKSTOP (it's Survivors Sunday - with even more playtime opportunities, alongside a Burgers, Beer and Bondage Food truck; serving a western vibe with plaid, denim and cowboy added to the Dress Code).
ALL these HUNTER: HARDCORE WEEKENDER events come with a continuous DARK ZONE, PLUS the infamous HUNTER XXL CIGAR SMOKE YARD and fabled MASTERS CIRCLE – with non-stop hardcore BDSM and M/s demos from all your HUNTER favourites, Star Porn Presentations and Peepshows, XX Fetish Art, Vintage Porn Kinema, Photoshoot & Tattoo bookings.
Get a heavy shine from our resident Bootblack, before browsing in THE TOY SHOP for something you'd like to try, and XXploring THE HUNTER ZOO - with its BEAR DEN and PIG PEN.
Sat 17 May Leather Cruise is a leather dress-code cruise night that takes place on the third Saturday each month (7pm - midnight) at the Underground Club.
Located in the heart of Kings Cross and a recent Darklands 2024 X-awards finalist for 'Event Concept of the Year', Leather Cruise intends to offer a safe space for Leathermen to socialise, cruise, play, and light their cigars!
The monthly event is entirely community driven through volunteers. Entry is £5 and includes coat/bag check.
Sun 01 June The London Leather Social is a friendly relaxed event at Comptons. No dress code necessary. Just come along and meet other guys in a relaxed and friendly environment on the first Sunday of each month, from 4pm until closing.
Capacity in the upstairs bar is limited to 80, on a first-come, first-served basis.
More info: BLKaiser (Mr Leather London 2024) (802)
MoreAlthough Londoners often moan about it, for visitors, the public transport system is pretty good. The best way to get around is by tube (underground) or by bus. You need to either get a London Transport Oyster smart card, or have a credit or debit card that works with contactless payments, or a mobile phone you can use for them - buses don't take cash at all, and cash fares on the tube are considerably more expensive. You can pick up an Oyster card at major tube stations or at some airports, and then top it up with money. For visitors, using contactless payment will probably be more convenient - just tap your card or phone on the readers at tube stations or on buses. The system will automatically keep track of all your trips, and once you reach a daily cap - the cost of a day pass for the journeys you've taken - you won't pay any more that day. So, you needn't worry about tracking down a weekend or weekly pass. Bus journeys cost a flat rate, even if you have to change buses. Most visitors don't go outside the two central zones, other than to or from the airport, so your cost per day will be capped at £7.20 (€8.45, $9.55), or £36.10 (€42.38, $47.89) for a week calculated Monday to Sunday.
If you arrive at London Heathrow or London City airports, you can use the public transport network straight away, and it's the cheapest way to get into town. However, Heathrow is some distance from the city, and it can take the best part of an hour on the tube, though it's only £3.10 (€3.64, $4.11) off peak. The Heathrow Express is much faster, but to buy an off peak ticket on the day will cost £22 (€25.83, $29.19) (though it's much cheaper bought in advance).
We don't recommend a taxi from any airport, other than London City, as the cost is likely to be very high, due to the distance. If you arrive at Gatwick, you have a choice of the Gatwick Express for about £20 (€23.48, $26.53), or the slower Southern train at about £12 (€14.09, $15.92). The Stansted Express is around £17 (€19.96, $22.55). All will be cheaper if you buy online in advance.
We can't deny it, London can be an expensive place to stay, and prices can very a lot depending on what's on. We don't have any specifically gay hotels or bed and breakfasts to recommend, but many BLUF members have stayed without problems in the budget Travelodge and Ibis hotel chains. If your main aim is to find somewhere convenient for a visit to Backstreet, we recommend you look towards the east of the city, in the Aldgate area, Docklands or Stratford. From both Aldgate and Stratford, you can easily reach Backstreet by public transport and a taxi back later won't cost too much.
If it's the West End theatres, Soho, and major tourist spots you prefer, it's worth looking for hotels in the Vauxhall area, which is just across the river, and quickly reached on the tube's Victoria Line. It also has some popular gay clubs, and a couple of bars too.