| Newcastle's gay scene can be found a few minutes walk away from the Central station. Unlike Manchester, there's no gay village as such which is both disappointing and surprising considering the city's reputation for a buzzing nightlife. The council have been keen to establish a gay village, but the idea doesn't seem to have been taken up. | 
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PUBS AND BARSStrings and Mims are virtually next to each other in Waterloo Street. Strings is the larger of the two and the 1st floor bar is great for relaxing or playing a game of pool. Mims is a refurbished pub and is more intimate and also boasts a lively first floor space. Just down the road from both is The Dog newly re-opened but just as lively as its predecessor. Other gay pubs can be found in Scotswood Road. Rockies and another refurbishment The Yard and the recommended Heavens Above. | 
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CLUBBINGThe major gay venue is The Powerhouse in new premises near Scotswood Road. Boasting two dance floors and visits from nights like Poptastic, it's worth checking out. Regulars include Abphab (Mon), Euphoria (Tue), Phruit (Wed), Phagtastic (Thu) while Fridays sees a trip through the 70s, 80s and 90s in Phreedom while on Saturdays there's progressive house in the gloriously named Phuk. Other nights worth checking are Universal at the Newcastle Uni Students Union on the third Thursday of the month, and fresh and funky beats in Quirky at the Hyena Cafe in Leazes Lane on the second Sunday of every month. Some guides list Rockshots but it's now not gay every night, so check before going. Its building is scheduled for redevelopment, so the whole future of the club is in doubt.SAUNASNewcastle boasts two gay saunas. Top2Bottom in Blandford Street is new and is open daily from noon till midnight. Slightly out of town is Blue Corner in Heaton Park Road. Shabbier it's open daily from 10am till 10pm except on Sunday between noon and 8pm.Recently launched is a new website devoted to the Newcastle scene called gaysceneonline.co.uk which'll keep you updated on the latest local gay news and gossip. | |