What Democracy and Strippers Have in Common in the UK

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Living in England, Great Britain or, if you prefer, the United Kingdom, I am accustomed to living in a free society. A democracy where I can express myself and, as long as I am not inciting violence nor hatred racially, religiously or in any other way I can say what the hell I like and do what the hell I like within the rule of law in this free society.

Norman's favorite strippers. Pic courtesy www.saxperience.com
Norman’s favorite strippers. Pic courtesy www.saxperience.com

Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of this free society albeit freedom of speech has to have a ‘line in the sand’ in order for civilisation to continue peacefully.

Living, as I do, I assume everybody living here thinks pretty much the same as me – they may have differing views to me but, they are entitled to them.

I have always assumed that, with the exception of the criminal fraternity, most people living decent lives do, indeed, live decent lives in our free society where everyone is entitled to not be used and abused.

Today I went somewhere that, frankly shocked me. I may be naive and, I suspect I am, at least in this case.

There is a pub not far from where I live. It is one of the few survivors as pubs are shutting down all over the place lately due to people not having enough money to go out drinking along with a serious demographic change in my area mainly from Asian and African immigrants that, as often as not, are Muslims. Muslims don’t drink alcohol – well, they aren’t supposed to anyway – so, when an area in Britain has a large influx of Muslim’s move in the pubs lose their catchment area and as customers drop off, naturally, they go out of business.

The pubs close and several months later they reopen as Tesco Express or something. (Tesco Express is a smaller variation on the large supermarkets)

The pub in question has remained open despite being a good 10 minute walk at least from the nearest residential area. I was puzzled quite how this had been achieved. I was aware that it had become a ‘strippers’ pub and now had a ‘gentleman’s club’ around the back but, not being entirely familiar with such establishments, I decided to find out for myself what it was all about.

I went in and ordered a pint of Kronenburg beer – quite nice on tap is Kronenburg. As I was served a young scantily clad lady approached me and asked for a pound.

That was the price you paid for the ladies to go and dance around on stage, strip naked, play with themselves and, when the record ended, return to the bar for more pound coins.

There were perhaps around a dozen men in the pub. Half were middle aged or older white chaps and half Asian and a bit younger. The girls, I discovered, were almost entirely Romanian.

A very attractive young lady asked me “Would you like a private dance?”

Curious I said “Yes” and, after she had performed on stage she came over to me and led me to another room where I had to pay her £10.

“£10 is for private dance” she explained, “no touching. If you want to touch it is £20”

Music began and she performed what I am led to believe is a ‘lap dance’ on me. Gyrating about, rubbing herself against various bits of me and taking her clothes off – not that she had much to take off to begin with.

“You want more it costs more” she said mid wiggle.

“How old are you?” I asked and she told me. Twenty. A young lady of 20 years of age was wiggling about my anatomy, taking her clothes off and offering me ‘extras’ up to and including full sex at an increasing cost.

Assuring her that I meant no offence I managed to get her to stop wriggling around and asked her why she was doing this. She looked slightly surprised but said she had previously been ‘a carer’ – in other words, employed by the local council to look after elderly people. Her salary was so poor that she couldn’t afford to pay her rent and bills so, in desperation, she had become a stripper, lap dancer and, if the price was right, prostitute.

The pay was far better than it was caring for the elderly.

Oh boy! Welcome to democracy? WTF?????

Ok, I admit it. In cases like this I must be naive. If I’m honest I have been in this pub before many years ago when my new neighbour wanted to go in but was frightened to on his own. It had recently been refurbished as a strippers pub. I agreed to accompany him there.

Brand new carpets had been laid including on the newly built stage. A stripper, once stripped, covered herself in baby oil, writhed around the stage finally standing up covered from head to toe in carpet fluff. Funniest thing I had seen in ages.

I went back years later and years ago for a friend’s birthday. About eight of us chaps. We got drunk, had a laugh then went for a curry. I think we paid for a ‘private dance’ for our birthday pal.

I’d not been back until today when curiosity got the better of me.

I finished my beer and approached the young Romanian lady. I gave her a peck on the cheek and said “What ever happens, make your money and get the hell out of here and have a great life”

She smiled but looked puzzled.

I suppose she’s only used to old perverts ogling her and paying extra to touch and so forth.

Democracy eh?

You live and learn but, sometimes, you wish you hadn’t learned and, if you have, you could do something about it and change it and change humanity and change the lot of a young Romanian girl who deserves so much more and is so much better than life is letting her be and you wish you could win the lottery and give her enough money to be the person she could and should be.

Then you wake up in the morning and life goes on.

Better than living in Iran or somewhere I suppose.

About Post Author

Neil Bamforth

I am English first, British second and never ever European. I have supported Oldham Athletic FC for 50 years which has made me immune from depression. My taste buds have died due to too many red hot curries so I drink Kronenburg beer and milk - sometimes in the same glass. I have a wife, daughter, 9 cats and I like toast.
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Bill Formby
9 years ago

Norman, I am not sure where the correlation is to democracy but it is sure about capitalism. As Jess mentioned the young woman may be one of those that were forced into doing that but on the other hand her story may very well have been true. In the U.S. these days she would have been making probably minimum wage or perhaps just a bit more but certainly not enough to live on decently. Her decision to change her line of work is not unusual for many young women in big cities.

jess
9 years ago

Some of the eastern European women are forced into this life due to the smugglers that bring them across. You see stories all the time, how they are locked up when they are not performing monkeys for everyone’s pleasure.

9 years ago

Fun story Norman and I love your “stable.”

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