UK Sex Shop News

Having watched Lovehoney's teaser ad, I'd say that if people's sexual happiness depends on buying Lovehoney's products then they might be better looking for a psychological or spiritual remedy first.

Many of us have given up on regulators like Ofcom, where the politically-correct liberal agenda rules OK. I cannot remember the last time they upheld a complaint over morality or decency.

[...err how about yesterday when Ofcom whinged at 50 Cent's music video with a trio of topless ladies].

Some will say that the adverts should be shown after the so-called watershed but I am not convinced that the watershed is either observed or that it is logically defensible.

Surely if children shouldn't be viewing sexual images because they are corrupt and corrupting then adults are compromising themselves as well. Since when did a need to watch or read pornography or listen to bad language become a mark of being an adult? Just as surely as good art exalts, evil art debases.

Pornography and brutality have no place in the culture of a vibrant society, and every civilisation which has exalted sex as we are doing today has been one in its death throes.

...Read the full article

Comment: More Nutter Comments

30th September 2011. See  article from  dailymail.co.uk

Director of the Family Education Trust, Norman Wells, condemned the decision to allow the adverts, saying:

Sex is an intimate expression of lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, not a commodity to be advertised and sold like washing powder or a mobile phone.

Sexual intimacy belongs in private and is cheapened when it is paraded on television and used as a tool to entice viewers to visit and make purchases from an online shop.

Many viewers will find this advert very distasteful, not because they are prudes who disapprove of sex, but because it divorces sex from its proper context and further adds to the sexualisation of society with all its damaging consequences.

Comment: And on a Brighter Note

30th September 2011. See  article from  dailymail.co.uk

LoveHoney has a relationship with sex therapist Tracey Cox, who sells a range of products through the site. She said the commercial was tame in comparison to the music videos which appear regularly on daytime TV. She said:

If you look at the ad and compare it to any music video clip -- like Rihanna for example -- this is pre-school. What they get away with in music videos is crazy

One in two marriages is failing and a way of dealing with that is to use sex toys. We should be encouraging it.'

New owners of the Weymouth's licensed sex shop in Ranelagh Road are making several fundamental changes.

The shop was renamed in July 2011 from Discretion to Erotica Belle. And in a change of direction the new owner, Jonathan Spencer, has been given council permission to display lingerie in the shop window.

Spencer said that it an effort to move his business on from what he described as the dirty mac brigade reputation of sex shops.

Weymouth Council's Licensing Committee one letter of objection, 18 letters of support and a petition signed by around 120 people in favour of the move to change the building's appearance.

Spencer said: I've changed the products in the shop so they are less adult. I want to go more down the lingerie route and the gift route.

Erotica Belle

1 Ranelagh Road
Weymouth
DT4 7JD

A man has been banned from the West End after he was caught working as a shop assistant in a Soho porn store.

Edward Squire-Eveleigh was arrested a day after being fined for selling unclassified pornography in the same unlicensed video shop, Seymores in Walkers Court, off Brewer Street.

Victoria Forbes, prosecuting, told City of Westminster Magistrates' Court that the teenager was the only person in the store when police raided it on March 24 this year.

They arrested him and seized a total of 1,065 DVDs, six of which were sent to the BBFC to see if they had been certificated. None had certificates and all were pornographic.

She said that just a day earlier Squire-Eveleigh was fined £ 500 for exactly the same offence .

Cassandra Bligh, defending, said he had only gone back to work in Seymores to earn money to pay off the fine, adding: It was foolish and he accepts that.

Squire-Eveleigh admitted six charges of possessing unclassified video recordings for supply and was banned from the entire City of Westminster for six months from September 5. He was also ordered to pay £ 85 costs.

Truro's sex shop will stay open for the short term despite the Christian Institute's (CI) attempts to stop it trading immediately.

The High Court threw out the mean minded action brought by the nutter group and city councillor Armorel Carlyon against the Mrs Palm sex shop.

The shop was given a licence in September last year by the new unitary authority, Cornwall Council, who had overturned the previous Carrick District Council's zero sex shop policy.

However nutter pressure resulted in a change of heart about granting the licence, and the council somehow obtained new, and unlikely sounding, legal advice that the new council should not have overruled the old council. The council withdrew the shop's licence, but perhaps realising the somewhat shaky ground and unfairness to the shop, granted a licence waiver. This allows the shop to continue trading until the whole mess is examined by the High Court in a Judicial Review on 21st September 2011.

However the christian busy-bodies couldn't wait this long, and asked the court to terminate the waiver.  but the Hon Mr Justice Hickinbottom ruled in favour of Cornwall Council's decision to grant the waiver. The CI was also ordered to pay Cornwall Council's costs in full, estimated at £ 8,000.

The judge also stayed the scheduled judicial review into the granting of the licence, effectively saying that the licensing process was followed correctly and that the licence stands without need of further review.

Joint owner of the shop, Braxton Reynolds said:

I'm relieved that Mr Justice Hickinbottom found in favour of the decision of the council that the business, for which no regulatory issues at all have been raised, should be allowed to trade and that it would be unfair and unreasonable to stop us trading for a few weeks. It would be commercially inappropriate.

Speaking after the High Court ruling Mike Judge, head of communications at CI, said:

We're disappointed because we felt having accepted that granting of the licence was unlawful, and particularly because of the location, it shouldn't be allowed to remain open without a licence.

The legislation says the council has to take into consideration the suitability of the location. If right next door to a school uniform shop is regarded as somewhere suitable then anywhere is suitable, it makes a mockery of the law.

Rather bizarrely, the redetermination of the licence hearing is expected to take place on September 7 in St Austell, a couple of weeks before the High Court Judicial Review on 21st September.

Update: A Miserable Christian Voice

2nd September 2011. See  article from  christianvoiceuk.blogspot.com

Stephen Green's Christian Voice have written on their blog:

Oppose Sex-Shop in Cornwall

Christian campaigners are praying for a large turn-out in St Austell on Wednesday 7th September for the hearing of a sex-shop application.

The meeting will be held in Restormel District Council Chamber, 39 Penwinnick Road, St Austell, PL25 5DR, at 10.00am. The sex-shop itself is in Little Castle Street, Truro, next to a shop selling school uniforms about 200 yards from the Cathedral.

PRAY: For a large number of Christians and concerned parents and residents to attend the licensing committee on 7th September. That the Licensing Committee will overturn its previous decision and refuse a license for the sex-shop. Pray for the fear of God, or at least some consideration of the welfare of children, to inform the committee.

WRITE: The time for formal objections having passed, write or email the members of the Miscellaneous Licensing Committee being respectful but firm in urging them to reject the proposal for a sex shop in Truro as inappropriate for the City and locality.

Update: Licensed Again

9th September 2011. See  article from  christian.org.uk

A sex shop licence has been granted for a second time to the Mrs Palm sex shop. However, the sex shop failed to get permission for an expansion.

The licensing committee of Cornwall Council decided to rehear the application, after it changed its mind about awarding the previous licence. Nutter pressure had led to supposed concerns that it should have followed policy set by the outgoing council.

After rehearing the application yesterday, the licence was granted despite some local nutters and Truro City Council being opposed to the move.

Responding to news that the licence has been granted for the second time, The Christian Institute's Mike Judge said:

We're obviously disappointed at the result. It's a decision that ignores local democracy, and ignores common sense. The law gives local authorities the power to refuse sex shop licences for locations that are unsuitable. If next door to a school uniform store isn't unsuitable, I don't know what is.

Mrs Palm manager Nicky Hewett said:

It had been a testing few months. No-one that has actually come into the shop has ever found anything offensive in here at all, everything is licensed goods and we are lawfully allowed to sell them.

Sex shop chain Pulse and Cocktails has applied for a shop licence for a former Little Chef on the northbound section of the A38, between Lichfield and Fradley.

Graham Kidd, Pulse and Cocktails' director, said the A38 was the perfect location and the venture would create five jobs.

The leader of Lichfield District Council, Michael Wilcox, who lives in Fradley, said: I don't think Lichfield is the right place for it .

Simon Lee, vice chairman of Fradley and Streethay Parish Council said: I don't think we need this in Fradley. It is quite unsuitable.

Comment: Stirring up controversy

1st September 2011. From Alan

Thanks for the belly laugh!

To hear the sanctimonious local councillors you'd think they proposed opening the sex shop in the Lady Chapel of Lichfield Cathedral or Dr Johnson's birthplace. The former Little Chef is in the middle of nowhere, on a dual carriageway where it will rely on passing trade from the A38 as people hurtle towards Burton and Derby.

So upmarket are these premises that I remember stopping there as a student 40-odd years ago. In its pre-Little Chef incarnation, it was a greasy spoon transport caff, the only catering outlet I've ever been in where the spoon for putting sugar in your tea was chained to the counter!

Update: Scheduled

6th October 2011. See  article from  expressandstar.com

The head of a chain of sex shops says his latest venture in Staffordshire will be open by Christmas, with work starting on the store in the next few weeks.

The boss of Pulse and Cocktails has written to Lichfield District Council applying for a sex establishment licence for the shop. Graham Kidd, Pulse and Cocktails' director, said the northbound section of the A38 was the perfect location for his latest venture. He says the shop will open regardless, and he only needs a licence to sell his range of adult DVDs. We're still waiting for the hearing, but we've now got the lease on the building, he said.

The new Sawtry sex shop has been some time in preparation but is now set to open on Friday 2nd September 2011.

It will be called Pulse and Cocktails and is part a major chain of 20+ sex shops.

The location is more to do with longer distance drivers on the A1 taking a break, rather than for the local villagers. But the villagers weren't impressed with having a sex shop nearby and mounted quite an opposition to the store. Presumably as a sop to them, the licence was granted with the condition that the shop name wasn't associated with Sawtry.

There will be a 20% discount for Sawtry residents for two weeks after eopening.

Irish tax investigators are targeting sex shops and lap-dancing clubs as part of a crackdown on the black economy.

Officials recently carried out an operation to look into the cash flow of a sex shop in an unnamed location, saying they had cooperated with social welfare investigators to good effect .

The Revenue declined to release any more information on this case, but confirmed it was carrying out operations to check tax compliance in the adult-entertainment industry. Revenue has carried out interventions throughout the country in the adult-entertainment sector including sex shops, lap-dancing clubs, casinos and head shops, a spokesman said.

According to the Revenue, it has focused on the adult-entertainment industry in recent years because it is one of a number of sectors which deals with cash and is seen as a high risk.

Back in 2008, The Sun entered a deal with the erotic game company notable for designing the popular Nookii game.

However The Sun pulled out of the deal when the game, Page 3 Idol , was produced. The newspaper claimed that the product, which offered players the chance to win a glamour model photo shoot at the newspaper, was bordering on the pornographic .

In March  2011, Double G Communications Ltd, which describes itself as Britain's number one adult leisure games company, went to court to seek redress from News Group Newspapers.

The court heard that The Sun, which originated the idea of a daily picture of a young semi-nude woman with a pun-heavy caption in 1970 and owns Page 3 as a trademark, had been initially enthusiastic about the project and signed an undertaking to promote the board game in the newspaper and on its websites.

But when the product was launched in February 2008, Double G began to market the game without being told by NGN that it had already decided to terminate the licensing deal and ask for all existing copies of Page 3 Idol to be pulped.

Double G won its breach of contract claim.  However the newspaper disputed the level of losses suffered by Double G and continued the case to determine damages for this breach. However, Double G could no longer sustain funding of the case due to the escalating legal fees, and were forced to liquidate the company.

The owners however are continuing trading as The Playful Games Company Limited.

Camden Council is again consulting on its proposal to allow no new adult businesses in this London borough. This includes lap dancing clubs, sex shops, sex cinemas and burlesque shows if they get the slightest bit naughty.

The council summarises its stance in the consultation document:

The Council has considered the nature of its wards and the views expressed by consultees on its sex establishment licensing policy and has determined that the appropriate number of sex establishments of any kind in each of its wards is nil. Thus a presumption exists that any applications for a sex establishment licence in any of Camden's wards shall be refused save for in exceptional circumstances.

A newsagent who ran a mail order business distributing supposedly obscene videos and DVDs has been jailed for 11 months at Kirkcudbright Sheriff Court.

Ronald Smart was told by Sheriff Shirley Foran that he had shown a complete disregard for his family and the law by committing the offence almost immediately after a previous penalty imposed on him for virtually the same thing.

At an earlier hearing the newsagent admitted selling supposedly obscene videos and DVDs. A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act will be held later.

The court was told that police seized 148 videos and 199 DVDs on February 6, 2009, when they raided his King Street shop in Castle Douglas. They contained supposedly extreme material,and were said to contain lurid films featuring scenes of extreme 'degrading sex acts' including bondage, orgies and other 'obscene' material.

The police had also obtained lists of customers of Smart from computers and police had called at houses and addresses in many parts of the country.

Truro's Mrs. Palm sex shop has been told it can remain open, despite its licence being withdrawn by Cornwall Council. The shop was given a waiver to carry on trading after legal advice.

The licensing committee granted the Little Castle Street store a right to trade in R-18 material in August 2010 after overriding the former Carrick District Council's decision to refuse a licence.

However, the ruling was challenged by the Christian Institute and city councillor Armorel Carlyon who have sought a judicial review, prompting Cornwall Council to seek legal advice. The county's legal 'expert', Philip Kolvin QC, said in his view the licensing committee was wrong to dismiss Carrick's refusal, even though it was officially reviewed in January this year. He also bizarrely argued that the committee should not have rejected numerous moral objections which were originally thrown out on legal advice.

The resultant Cornwall Council decision to revoke the licence could have closed down the shop. However, joint owner Braxton Reynolds applied for an emergency waiver. Reynolds argued he had taken a lease on the premises and fitted it out in good faith after being granted the licence.

He added Mrs Palm had received no official complaints and been exceptionally careful to adhere to the terms of trading. The licensing committee voted seven to one to grant a waiver.

Reynolds said he was losing patience with the Christian Institute's continuing war against him and warned the action could be considered vexatious .

Nice 'n' Naughty is officially the Best Retail Chain for adult products in the U.K. The accolade was awarded at this year's prestigious ETO Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

For companies operating in the U.K. adult industry, winning an ETO award is the equivalent of winning an Oscar and, amazingly, Nice 'n' Naughty has now been voted best in class in six of the last seven years - a record achievement.

Commenting on another milestone in the company's road to success, Nice 'n' Naughty director, Simon Prescott, said, I am delighted to accept this award because it's a testament to the people who've made it possible - our staff. Everyone in the industry is going through a difficult time but it's a tribute to the Nice 'n' Naughty team that they've kept their morale up and maintained the high standards we have always set. They are the real winners and I'd like to dedicate this honour to them .

Simon also had a lot to cheer about personally because he was recognised with a special ETO award for his Services to the Industry. Confessing to being somewhat surprised to be so honoured, Simon commented: This is the best news I've had in a long time because it comes from my colleagues in the industry. It's very rewarding to learn that our efforts at Nice 'n' Naughty in areas such as fighting unfair licence fees have benefited the industry as a whole

Congratulations to the following winners of ETO Awards, voted upon by the UK adult trade:

DISTRIBUTORS

• Best R18 DVD Distributor - Darker Enterprises
• Best Erotic Goods Distributor - ABS Holdings
• Best Overseas Distributor - Scala
• Best Gay Interest Distributor - Mister B
• Best Lingerie Distributor - Veritus UK

SPECIAL AWARDS

• Best Stand at ETO Show - Net 1on1
• Innovation in Adult - Fetish Fantasy Extreme (Pipedream)
• Success Story of the Year - Lovehoney
• Best Sales Team - Net 1on1
• Services to the Industry - Simon Prescott

Congratulations to the following winners of ETO Awards, voted upon by the UK adult trade:

PRODUCTS

• Best Adult Product - PeneXt (Planet Earth)
• Best New Product Range - Fetish Fantasy Extreme (Pipedream)
• Best Consumable - ID Glide (ID Lubricants)

BRANDS

• Best Film Brand - Harmony
• Best Sex Toy Brand - Rocks-Off
• Best Erotic Books Brand - Xcite Books
• Best Erotic Clothing Brand - Baci Lingerie

RETAIL AND ONLINE

• Best Retail Chain - Nice n Naughty
• Best Individual Store - Soho Original (Brewer Street)
• Most Innovative Retailer -- Sh!
• Best Online Retailer - Lovehoney.co.uk
• Best Online Resource - Sextoysbuzz.com

Congratulations to ABS Holdings who were voted by Erotic Trade Only as the Best Erotic Goods Distributor. ABS Holdings is associated with the Simply Pleasure chain of sex shops.
 

Award Winning Licensed Stores vibrators , sex toys & lingerie www.simplypleasure.com

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