02/07/2024
An underground club which was once a heterosexual brothel for the elite of London society in the Fitzrovia district has a new lease of life as cruise and fetish gay male venue Vault 139, and its owner Mike caught up with the London LGBT+ commercial bar mag QX recently to discuss the history and daily life of the venue, which went gay in 2008, ironically just before the credit crunch and international recession. Mike says "We are tucked away discreetly on Whitfield Street; as you come down the stairs and into our venue, you’ll be faced with the bar instantly, from there you can check your bags, get your drinks in and even keep your phone and wallets safely there so to you don’t need to worry. Also, phones are not permitted in the bar’s cruising areas. As you make your way around the venue, you’ll find we have two darkrooms, our biggest one with beds and a sling; at the back, we have arches for more intimacy, Gloryhole cubicles and many other nooks and crannies to hide in or explore." As to the strange left behind and lost items items that cruise bars are notorious at throwing up after closing time, Mike says "I think the strangest thing I’ve come across here was a tiger dildo, just left stuck to a wall. The look on the guy’s face when he had realised he’d left it and came to claim was priceless! Also, for some reason glasses and with the number we find we could open an opticians! Ooh, and quite recently a cucumber … at least that guy was having his 5 a day. lol."
https://www.qxmagazine.com/2024/04/vault-139-interview-the-strangest-thi...
