Shopper G-Spot Zone Eros Fem 2 Dom


A bit of a hike from the city centre, via Bobby’s Books, which was shut when I passed, this shop is another seemingly untouched by the passage of time. Perhaps the associated website (GspotDirect.co.uk) is being pushed harder now than in 2005 but, as back then, this shop is unlicensed, meaning it should have been with the others in last month’s article... Oh well. Focusing on dance and clubwear, (unpriced) footwear from Pleaser and toys, it still feels a bit temporary (seven years on - ironic?) with white walls, pale slatwall and blue carpet, and a bit scrappy, with a fan on the floor and a notice requesting anyone wearing fake tan to resist trying anything on, as it can stain the clothes. A glass case held fetish lines including a £15 Fetish Fantasy bit-gag, a brand also seen at the back of the shop, on a £35 inflatable bondage chair. HOT boxed lingerie, a beautiful red £80 dress from Dreamgirl, basic silver vibes and other lingerie and playwear from Playboy, Chilli Rose, Baci, Pink Lipstick and Classified were all very pleasant, as was the manager who took the time and trouble to ask after my requirements. Another nice touch were red curtains, pinned back, which helped give the long sales floor a sense of ‘front and back’ spaces, reflected in the products displayed there too. Music seems to have been a key element to maintaining a nice shopping ambiance here, helping the shop to feel ‘nicer than it looked’.


I commented on Erogenous Zone’s name in 2005 - it was perhaps my favourite thing about the shop - but today it’s Zone Eros; a somewhat safer choice. I especially liked the window’s theatrical allure, but the interior wasn’t as pleasing, with harsh-on-the-eyes black-and-white checker floor tiles and a certain amount of wood-effect slatwall on display. Local radio played as I drifted past an empty glass case, DVD’s (sic) from £15 to £30 (3 for £80), marked fetish, British, gay and so on. The manager appeared behind me, via the public door but didn’t comment or even make eye contact. One thing I did like - or would have if they’d not slipped a bit in their frames - was the adult art on the walls, which added a hint of the class suggested by the shop’s frontage. £7.99 aromas, more DVD’s (sic) at £20 each and £49.99 ‘Taunting Tanya’ dolls (do men actually want taunting though? Does she say, “Oh, it’s like a cock only smaller”?) brought me to the main toy display; a mishmash of brands and some very pricy products. Rocket cock rings for £9.99-£12.99 were fine, but 20m of bondage tape for £13.95 and £48.50 for a Doc. Johnson pump-up dildo seemed a bit steep. £5 knickers were more like it though, and I did appreciate the patterned wallpaper above the slatwall and reasonable selection of magazines. Ultimately unimpressive though; a shame as the location near the Castle is great.


Leather and Lace Fantasies stood here, but it’s transformed into Fem 2 Dom, complete with unmissable neon green signage. Seemingly a sister shop to Adult Conceptions - which I visited last month and was also a Leather and Lace Fantasies in ‘05 - I was also buzzed in here, so to speak. Within seconds I was greeted (hooray) and better still, offered some help if I needed it (whoop!), which pretty much added another star to this review. Certainly the shop’s not an especially weak one, with an emphasis on fetish and bondage products (the name was a clue) such as £18.50 tube-like metal cock rings, £28.80 ‘Bottoms Up’ toys, £48.80 (if I’m reading my notes correctly) rubber fist and £58.80 giant dong; odd price-points. A glass case contained e-stim beginners kit (good) but the TV was switched off (bad) and spreader bars were unpriced (ditto). The wood-effect floor and cream slatwall helped keep things bright and crisp, but one alcove, which may have also doubled as a changing ‘room’, was especially dark. I took a look inside at a nun’s outfit for £18-something and a military uniform that looked excellent, but I couldn’t make out the price on it as I was blocking what little light there was. I spied some fluff and dust too, while looking at £3.50- £8.50 feather boas and thinking about feather dusters. The patchy stock also featured some hosiery, older DVDs for £15 and newer ones for £30 (no obvious deals). Overall OK but could be better.


61


Erotic Trade Only June 2012


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