- Chariots Shoreditch
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Chariots Shoreditch 
2009, free customer contact cardBuilding Location Shoreditch, London Country United Kingdom Address 1 Fairchild Street Postcode EC2A 3NS Coordinates 51°31′25″N 0°04′42″W / 51.523509°N 0.078375°W Services Facilities pool, whirlpool tubs, steam rooms, sauna, gym, cafe, orgy rooms, cubicles Operator Chariots Leisure Ltd Website Official website History Opened 1997 Renovated 2000 Chariots Shoreditch (previously Chariots Roman Spa) is a gay sauna, or bathhouse, in Shoreditch, London. In terms of floor-space and capacity it is the largest gay sauna in the UK.[1][2]
Contents
Description
The bathhouse is on three floors decorated in the style of a Roman baths.[3]
- On the ground floor is the main entrance with several areas of customer lockers, main shower room, TV lounge with bar/cafe, vending machines, internet area and an inclusive gym with several work-out machines.
- The first floor houses a maze of free private cabins of various sizes including orgy rooms and an extensive dark maze (pitch black orgy room and set of cabins).
- The second floor has a swimming pool, poolside loungers, two whirlpools (jacuzzis), two steam-rooms, a hot dry sauna, showers, glory-hole cubicles, a second smaller dark room, outside private smoking area and a porn video/orgy room.[4]
There are free STI testing sessions held at the bathhouse.[5]
Etiquette
Customers are given two towels, a locker key and condoms on entrance. Further condoms are available from wall dispensers. Most people keep the second towel as a dry spare in their locker. The convention is to walk around the bathhouse wearing a towel, though nudity in the dry or steam sauna is normal.[6] Apart from the lounge, cafe area, lockable cabins and within the jacuzzi, sexual activity may occur anywhere, with anyone free to watch or attempt to join in.[7]
History
Chariots Roman Spa opened in 1997. The management previously ran Rio's, a Kentish Town naturist club. Originally a warehouse, the Shoreditch redevelopment cost £2.5 million.[8] In 2000 the venue was significantly expanded with the addition of the restaurant, 30 more cubicles, video lounge and internet room.
Media attention
On 2 May 1998, former footballer Justin Fashanu spent the evening in Chariots before committing suicide nearby that night.[9][10]
There was significant press interest and internet speculation in 2006 when the sauna was closed for Easter Weekend, after a 24-year-old man's body was found. The police investigation found that death was due to a drugs overdose but there were no suspicious circumstances.[11]
Chain
In addition to the first Chariots at Shoreditch, Chariots Leisure Ltd has opened the following gay saunas: Chariots Streatham (1999), Chariots Limehouse (2002, previously Sailor's Sauna), Chariots Waterloo (2003, previously Wellingtons Health Club) and Chariots Vauxhall (2005). Chariots Farringdon (opened 1999) closed in 2010 due to the Crossrail development.[12]
Fire
At 0605 on Sunday 20th March 2011 the London Fire Brigade were called to attend a fire which was reported to have destroyed most of the ground floor. 150 patrons were evacuated, and there were no injuries. The cause of fire is under investigation.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Humphreys, Rob; Bamber, Judith (2003), The Rough Guide to London (5 ed.), Rough Guides, p. 507, ISBN 9781843530930, http://books.google.com/books?id=SxCN57GotDkC
- ^ "Chariots Review". Time Out London. 2009. http://www.timeout.com/london/venue/17351/chariots.
- ^ Edward, Olivia; Cortinovis, Genevieve; Eggleton, James; Lee, Youyoung; Hermitage, Ashley (2007), MTV England, Frommer's, p. 122, ISBN 9780764587733, http://books.google.com/books?id=7oTkiQechFYC
- ^ QX Magazine London (QX) (767): 88, 19 November 2009, http://viewer.zmags.com/showmag.php?mid=rwhrsd#/page88, retrieved 2009-11-21
- ^ "NHS to hold STI testing in gay sauna". Pink News. 15 October 2007. http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-5752.html. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
- ^ Couture, Joseph (2008), Peek: inside the private world of public sex, Haworth Press, ISBN 9781560236467, http://books.google.com/books?id=GPvZAAAAMAAJ
- ^ Woods, William J.; Binson, Diane (2003), William J. Woods; Diane Binson, eds., Gay Bathhouses and Public Health Policy, Routledge, ISBN 9781560232735, http://books.google.com/books?id=t2MsjlZT1LcC
- ^ Chariots History, archive from official site
- ^ Powell, Vicky (June 1998). "Suicide note increases speculation over death of Justin Fashanu". Gay Times (Millivres) (237).
- ^ "It's the national game but it is a sport which has a bad reputation for tolerance. Football started to tackle racism when black players became stars. But why is being gay still a taboo on the football field?". BBC. 24 April 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2008/04/21/east_midlands_gay_footballers_s13_w9_feature.shtml. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ Shoffman, Marc (21 April 2006). "Man found dead in gay sauna". Pink News. http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-1226.html. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
- ^ Archive page of Chariots Farringdon in 2007.
- ^ http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/03/20/fire-at-chariots-an-east-london-gay-sauna/
Categories:- Companies established in 1997
- Gay saunas in the United Kingdom
- Business in Hackney
- LGBT culture in London
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