Ames scoffs at the Soho set: “We welcome the normal guy off the street who wants to just come out and have a drink with other guys. In G.A.Y. or Heaven, you might speak with two people in a night but here you’ll speak to twenty. Our men have less attitude, fewer axes to grind and more humour. Our guys often greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. I get hugged right off the ground sometimes, especially when I’m wearing a kilt.”

“It’s probably one of the happiest clubs you’ll find without drugs,” chirps he. “We’re not even pretentious about our music - although it is cutting edge! DJs say XXL is one of the hardest clubs to play - both because of the age range and due to the fact that a lot of the guys here were at Trade on day one! Bears are not a druggy crowd - they bought that T-shirt long ago.”

The bear movement may have begun in America; but it has remained a scattered scene of small bars and very few clubs stateside. London is now widely considered the bear capital of the world; and where XXL prowls - London, Brighton and Birmingham - others tend to follow.

“When I started all this,” Ames grunts, “everyone - gay media and bear community - told me it’d never work. But people grow up. More and more guys are becoming bears every day. And bears were so un-trendy that they’re now becoming cool. We get lots of celebrity bears in here - although I’m not saying who!”

The following statements are largely FALSE!

They’re all hung like horses
They’re all butch and work on building sites
They’re all fat, ugly bastards
They’re all either into SM in leather or line-dancing in check shirts
They’re all clones or come from outer space
They only fancy each other’s tubby, furry frames
They’re all older gay guys smiling wistfully up at some lame drag act, raising money for charity
It’s all just a fetish
Older means been around a bit means got HIV
Older means still here means not got HIV means must be a safe fuck

Membership for XXL is £10 per year. Events are held at mainly at PULSE, London but also at THE CORE, Birmingham and THE CAVES, Edinburgh. Membership entitles you to a discounted entry on a Saturday night of £8 and free entry on a Wednesday night. You can also queue jump entry and receive discounts at various stores and hotels. Membership can be obtained by visiting the club on a Wednesday between the hours of 10pm and 1.30am and on a Saturday between the hours of 10pm and 4am.

The former club xxl-london.com website

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