Gaytimes London (Gay Times Travel Guides)

Rating:
Summary: Of Dubious Value
Review: Planning a trip to London in 2003, I purchased Gaytimes London with high hopes. Amazon describes it as an "in-depth guide to everything that is gay in" London. Wrong. The book's own "Forward" similarly reports "gay activity crammed into hundreds of different venues across the city: this guide lists them all." Not true.

The only comprehensive coverage is of clubs, pubs, and sex venues for gay men. In fact, the entire guide seems written for gay men rather than all GLBTs. Nothing wrong with that-except that the guide implies it's for all members of our community.

Now, what's missing? A lot. Most glaringly, this guide doesn't list any gay-friendly restaurants or cafes. Not one. It doesn't list any GLBT community groups: no churches, sports associations, political groups, etc. Nor, any 12-step programs. Nor, any women's health groups (although it does list 33 AIDS/HIV groups). The guide reports just one gay men's health club (Paris) and just one gay theatre (Drill Hall). C'mon, London has 7 million people, and 10% of that is.... The point here is that a lot of common GLBT gathering places-where tourists can meet locals-are just not listed.

Further, the guide seems awkwardly produced with an inexplicable organization. For example, the gay section lists "Accommodation" [sic] between "Saunas" and "Cruising Grounds." "Retail and shops" comes next, followed by "Escorts." And the listings are generally citywide, rather than by neighborhood, which makes it difficult to plan a night in a particular neighborhood. I would first need to pick the places I want to visit, then organize them by area. It would be much easier if the guide did that already.

Additionally, the type face is very small (perhaps, 8 point), which seems too small for reading in less lighted places like pubs, tube stations, or airports. The maps are small and generally unannotated. Very few web sites are listed, which is inconvenient and seems odd in this internet age. Finally, there's no index, also inconvenient and something I've never not seen in a travel guide.

I do like some aspects of the guide, like the "A Few Things" section, a very manageable listing of tourist sites in London. However, over all, Gaytimes London is of dubious value. I'll check out some other guide books. But I will also spend more time reviewing the various gay London web sites...