RICHARD BELL has nothing but praise for Plush Lounge – the newest gay nightclub in the city.

Oxford’s gay scene has always struck me as lacking a certain something.

There are a couple of gay pubs, and some gay nights at a couple of nightclubs, but really there hasn’t been an inviting environment for gay people to engage in late night drinking and dancing – other than at themed nights.

Now I’m happy to report that has all changed with the opening of the Plush Lounge.

Most of the gay nights I’ve been to in Oxford are gay nights simply by reputation, and should you walk in without knowing beforehand, you could very easily have no idea whatsoever.

This is not the case at the Plush Lounge, situated where the Old Imperial club used to be; indeed, the owners have made an enormous effort with the aesthetic of the club to ensure that this place announces itself as out and proud.

From the transvestites on the door down to the barman wearing just silver hotpants and a bowtie, there is no mistaking this club as anything but gay, and this helps the atmosphere enormously.

I recently noticed that gay nights always have the same style of music, modern pop remixed to sound like late nineties house with one persistent beat throughout the night.

This club is no exception as the upbeat tunes deal out modern and classic pop songs in spades, giving people precisely what they want; ie, responding to the pop lover inside all of us who suddenly realises how much fun they’re going to have.

The drinks prices are nothing to shout about, but they’re not awful. At £6 for two bottles, draught beer for £3.60 and a £4.50 double vodka and mixer you’re not going to break the bank drinking til the early hours, but equally, you’re not going to be going out of your way to come here.

On the other hand, you may well find yourself going out of your way to visit because of the opening times – the Plush Lounge is the only place I can think of that is regularly open till 4.00am The organisers were keen to point out that exclusivity is not on the agenda, this club is gay friendly not gay only, and if I’m honest I found the Plush Lounge to be a warm and inviting sort of place that I actually recommended to a bunch of my friends that very night.

It is also – apparently – the first gay nightclub to open in the Thames Valley area in 10 years, which is of course an enormous achievement, but this isn’t even the best thing about this place.The real achievement is – it’s fun!