Maybe it’s the way the summer evenings linger until it feels like night has forgotten to arrive, or the way warm air wraps itself around every conversation, every kiss, every laugh. I’m Oliver, 29, proudly gay, London boy-ish and hopelessly in love with life. Especially in these bright, hot months when London feels sexy, like it’s not just alive, but it is dancing. I am dancing all the way through it with my little bottle of UK poppers in my pocket.
London as my playground
Summer transforms London into an endless stage packed with testosterone. South Bank teems with street performers, hot people strolling hand-in-hand, and the sweet smell of flesh on show in the air. I’ll meet my friends for iced lattes in Soho, sunglasses on, chatting about absolutely nothing and everything. By midday, we might be in Hyde Park, stretched out in the grass near the Serpentine, the hum of the city just far enough away to feel like we’re in our own bubble. Looking at all the gorgeous creatures enjoying the own bubble.
London stops being polite and reserved. It leans in and whispers, go on, let’s have it! And having it I am, from Sweatbox and Pleasuredrome Saunas to my favourite cruising ground in Clapham, it is all kicking off. As a Brit I love my poppers British and I am taking them everywhere, and it appears I am not the only one.
Pride in the Capital
Besides getting my summer urges tended to, Summer in London also means Pride season, and that’s a whole other kind of magic. The city gets dressed in rainbows: flags waving from pubs, banners stretched across shopfronts, tube stations adorned with Queer history. The parade winds its way through central London, spilling glitter and joy onto every corner. The people are looking their best and are dressed to express. Also in the air is the smell of lust, you can feel the tension building up big time. Personally, I like to roam around Soho with my friends, taking it all in and looking around for flesh. A few beers in Old Compton Street, see the acts on Trafalgar square and then see where the day and night takes us. Probably some club or party resulting in a hazy memory the next day.
Pride here isn’t just one day though, t’s an ongoing celebration. Street parties in Soho, rooftop events in Peckham, Queer film screenings in tiny tucked-away cinemas. It’s a whole ecosystem of joy. There’s the thrill of dancing on Old Compton Street shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers who somehow feel like old friends, the cheer from the crowd as a float passes blasting disco classics, and the quiet moments, too, catching someone’s eye across the crowd and sharing a smile that says, we’re both exactly where we belong.
The freedom of hot nights
London summer nights have a particular softness. One of my favourite things to do is hanging around in park after work with my friends. Clapham Common is local to me, but you can often find me in Brockwell Park, Soho Square ore Hyde Park. Top off, beer in hand and just having a good time and then slight tipsy walking home with a kebab in hand around 9ish. As you might have guessed already, I am a bit of pleasure seeker and that also extends to when I am home alone. So, my tools from my favourite gay erotic shop, esmale.com, get my full attention when I am home. Nothing beats getting rid of some pent-up energy before I fall on the sofa and watch some telly. Bliss.
My summer rituals
It is not all about sex, although a lot of it is for me. I do other stuff that does not involve my trusted bottle of poppers. I love hosting, for example my balcony dinners, they are almost a weekly fixture during the summer. My flat in Clapham isn’t huge, but the balcony catches the evening sun perfectly. I string up fairy lights, set out mismatched plates, and cram as many friends as I can around the table. We eat, drink, laugh and tell stories until the city around us goes quiet, except London never really goes quiet, does it? Another thing I love to do when the weather is good is the go to an outdoor cinema, great fun. My go to place for this is the rooftop film club in Peckham.
Why summer in London matters to me
As a gay man, I find summer in London to be a season of visibility and connection. The city becomes a mirror for who I am, or at least who I think I am, vibrant, unapologetic, a little unpredictable. My friends would probably add loud, annoying and self-serving to that but hey, I am only young ones. I will work on maturing into a more well-rounded gay man in a few years.
Holding onto it
I know it’s fleeting. Summer always is, and we are not always guaranteed great weather, so do your thing and enjoy it the way works for you. I know not everybody is all about the action and I think it might just be a phase I am in. Free, single and highly motivated to get physical pleasure or stimulation through toys and poppers. For now, I am going for it, I am hoping we have another month and half or so left, so let’s get out there. If you in anyway have all the urges like me then check out the stores below where I get all stuff from to get through a sexy summer.
ENJOY!
For amazing tools visit: www.esmale.com
Shop poppers here: https://www.strongpoppersuk.co.uk/
With love,
Oliver.
