 | Ourplace4fun – HaringeyWe visited Ourplace4fun on the first Thursday of July 2008 which is a couples only night, they have these once a month on the first Thursday of the month with Friday and Saturday nights being mixed nights where limited numbers of single men are allowed. Ourplace4fun is located off a parade of shops in an industrial mews close to the back of Alexandra Palace in North London; in fact it is fairly close for us. The location is not easy to find on your visit, so phone ahead to ask for a few pointed landmarks. If you come across a non-descript door with a grey iron gate and hear yourself saying the words ‘This can’t possibly be it, can it?’ Congratulations, you have probably found it! Our first visit cost us £40, (£20 life membership and £20 entrance fee.) You can bring your own drink and there are two off licenses nearby (One is about 20 feet away) soft drinks are sold at the club and around midnight there are some complimentary snacks in the form of chicken wings, sausages and other munchies. The Club – Ourplace4fun is one of the smaller clubs to have opened in London in the recent years, and to be honest perhaps its size was one of the things that had made us weary of visiting it until now but we should not have been quick to dismiss it, as Ourplace4fun is clearly living proof that there is some truth in the phrase ‘It’s not the size but what you do with it that counts.’ Upon being buzzed in you walk up some stairs and are greeted on the door by Lisa, one of the owners, who sorted out our membership. Once this is done you move through to the bar area where you can store your drinks. They have a cloak room for coats and bags (No charge). Opposite the bar are the ladies and gents toilets (Small, clean and functional), right in front of the bar is the dance floor, with pole and colourful lighting that makes you look like you have stepped into the world of ‘Tron’ so once dancing you effectively look like a walking Xmas tree. Past the dance floor are the play areas. You will notice at this point a white line running along the floor that edges and surrounds all of the play areas. On mixed nights single men are not allowed to cross this line unless clearly invited to do so. It is not use on a couple’s night, but regular members told us this rule is well observed and works rather well. Once through the door to the play areas you pass one small curtained area to your right, there is a space to your left which leads to a grope box that one can enter and lock and people can stand on the other side of it. (On the night we went there seemed to be a world record attempt to see how many people could actually fit into this area – I counted, 23 at one stage) Straight ahead of you there are two more small play areas, with a window between the two, so one room can observe the other. There is one lockable room opposite the grope box; however the price you pay for playing in here and locking yourself away is that we can all see you on the other side of the mirrored wall. And well, that’s it, a bar, a dance floor and some small play areas with a grope box and one lockable room.The Night – Despite the obvious limitations in size (This is the smallest club we have been too) Ourplace4fun does a ‘Grand Designs’ job with the space available, in fact we were half expecting to see Kevin McCloud wandering about waxing lyrical on effective use of square footage. The intimacy of the club makes interaction with other couples not only more frequent than at larger clubs, but more likely, and in fact several couples sited this as their reason for going there, because people ‘Tended to talk to each other here..’ and this was true of our visit, several people actually approached us for a chat for a change, normally we make the first move when it comes to conversation. It was a very busy night when we went, at one point there were 68 people, so at least 35 plus couples which showed the club had a loyal following. We also met three couples that had never been anywhere before on the scene at all, and they all seemed to like it and have a good time. We were also treated to a pole dance by ‘Kris’ whom had the sexiest arse either of us had seen in quite a long time. Once nerves had passed plenty took place and a good night seemed to be had by those present. The club had excellent air conditioning, and despite having problems with one of their computers, still played a good selection of music. The people present we all ages from early twenties to fifties, and were it must be said, a lovely bunch of people. The size of the club does present a couple of issues though, if you hit it off with a couple you’re not going to find much privacy here because there simply isn’t the space. The play areas can become packed quite quickly, and sometimes it’s not always easy to tell who you’re playing with, though clearly that can be part of the fun. While the club provides a great social atmosphere and also a nice dance space, the music can’t go too loud because the too areas are not mutually exclusive, though the mood of the club can dictate what they will play and how loud it will go. The lighting on the dance floor is not well suited for epileptics but we were told it varies from night to night, and on this night it did seem rather intense!Despite the compact nature of the place we liked it at Ourplace4fun, we would visit again and we would play here, but we would be unlikely to come on a mixed night but then, that’s not our thing anyway. There is no where to smoke except outside in the mews courtyard (We don’t smoke, but we know plenty do, so…) The owners were very helpful and were always on hand to resolve any questions or issues you may have, or indeed speak to new couples about the scene and offer advice. Having good hosts adds much more value than a Jacuzzi; this club is a case in point. Gregg and Lisa could be observed making sure new people felt welcome and at ease without being over intrusive. It was obvious that they had put a lot of care and thought into this club and were not just out to make a quick buck. New couples seemed to like the place too, so a good place for them to dip their toes in for a club night. As smaller clubs go, this is certainly one of the better ones as long as you except its limitations you’re likely to meet some nice people here. We made friends with four lovely couples, and have spoken to all of them since. The new couples that met us there should also drop us a line if they read this. When it comes to clubbing on the scene if size is important then this club won’t be for you, but if a friendly atmosphere and meeting nice people is further up your agenda, on a couple’s night certainly, you will find that here.
Date: 5 July 2008
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