Skeggy Dogging: The Final Chapter?

Back in January I blogged about the Skegness dogging controversy.  Well, I'm sure you've been desperately awaiting news on how things panned out.  What's really interesting in the most recent report, is that the Police seem to have stepped away from the issue.  Instead, we have some gentrification measures - the cutting back of shrubbery - and a new Friends group has been set up.  Curiously, it states that it's hoped a Treasurer position will be created, which means they don't seem to have a third member who can be Treasurer.   So, it's two men wandering around sand dunes throughout the year looking out for sex just in case there are men wandering around the dunes all times of the year looking out for sex.  

Dogging as Bad Character

The Philpott case continues to rumble on and without getting into the details at this stage, it does strike me as interesting that dogging has featured throughout the case as a way of establishing 'bad character'. The latest aspect is - as the Sun reports today - that the man (who is accused of killing 6 of his 17 children in a fire) took his wife dogging as a way to cope with the deaths.  I'll explore these themes further when the trial is concluded, but I thought it worth noting the bad character aspect now.  I'm not aware of another case using dogging activity in this way.

'Dogging' in Skegness

I blogged earlier in the week on a public meeting due to be held in the town following com,plaints about dogging.  The Skegness Standard has provided rather detailed follow-up coverage to the meeting.   According to the local paper, over 30 residents gathered at the meeting, and the paper seems to enjoy pushing a (sadly) typical moral panic angle to the story.  In the face of this the local Police issued a statement which I can only praise for the appropriate understanding and application of the law relating to public sex.  The statement should be used as a model for other forces.  According to the Standard, it stated:

“The issue of Public Sex Environments is certainly not a new one.

 “Individuals or groups of individuals from many cultures and genres use public spaces to meet and sometimes to engage in sexual activity.

 “This can sometimes be seen as outraging public decency but on many occasions vast sections of our communities do not even know it is happening.

 “There is a fine line when dealing with such situations, as for some this is an accepted practice with strict codes of conduct. The problems arise when individuals undertake such acts within the sight and hearing of others going about their daily business.

 “To this end the police deal with such locations with sensitivity and also in a staged, partnership approach. When reports of people becoming upset by public displays of sexual activity are received, it is normally the practice that police attendance is at a level that is proportionate to the complaints.

 “We endeavour to engage with ‘Sexual Health Outreach’ who attend such sites and offer advice and encourage such activity to be undertaken responsibly.

 “We would then move to a stage of education where Community policing teams would engage with people who use such sites whether they be individuals attending for sexual activities or those who use the locations for other purposes such as dog walking and provide advice regarding the upset such visible sexual activity is causing or to listen to those who wish to complain.

 “It is only when such activity becomes intolerable with lack of consideration for the wider community that proactive intervention must be considered with the issues of illumination, signage and environmental sculpture being considered.

 “All of the above considered this does not mean that the police will not deal robustly with anyone who causes harassment, alarm or distress or who blatantly commits offences in these locations within the sight and hearing of the public.”

Community Policing Team Inspector, Terry Ball should be praised for his approach to the complaint.  Particularly in light of the earlier report on the meeting which seemed to link 'dogging' (still not defined in the Skegness situation) with paedophilia.

The paper reported that: 'One person present wrote: “A man was chatting to my young son and niece through my hedge inviting them to a ‘party in the woods’.'  Hang on, wrote?  Is this a typo or is this an individual writing a rather odd remark whilst others orally presented their arguments?  How is this in any way linked to dogging or public sex?

Beyond that, we have a report of men being seen in the wood (but no indication of what they are doing, or whether anything which might constitute public indecency occurred (and the fact they make reference to it happening in July suggests they've had a quiet time since).  Someone else apparently noted that it had been going on for forty years, which illustrates both the age of the speaker and the remarkable ability of Skegness to have survived this moral outrage for at least four decades.

Skegness Public Meeting to Examine 'Dogging'

A public meeting will be taking in the English seaside town of Skegness this week (Tuesday 7pm, Gibraltar Point Visitor Centre) with one topic on the agenda:  dogging.  Or at least that's what they are calling it.  I'm unclear whether the behaviour in question is actually cruising or otherwise, but such is the growing usage of dogging to denote any 'public sex', it can be hard to tell precisely what behaviour people are referring to.

The meeting has been called by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.  Two local media reports cover the rationale for the meeting (see the Skegness Standard here and This is Lincolnshire here).

This particular upset is interesting because the complaint appears to be not based on what 'could' be happening (although there is an element of that), but more on what has happened.  Or, so it seems at first.

A worker for the trust is quoted as saying: “People do bump into people doing unsavoury things. It’s not nice when a young child sees any of this stuff.” “If there’s a lady walking there with a couple of dogs, it’s not very nice.” “In some areas it happens at night-time and out of the way and it’s not a problem but this is happening during the daytime.” “There are people around leaving not very nice litter. It is not nice when a young child sees any of this stuff.”

So, how many people?  Are we talking about an isolated incident, a pattern of behaviour, or an epidemic of beach bonking the like of which Skegness has never seen before?  This is obviously a (quite reasonable) issue the Police have raised as the Trust request the public report incidents (what constitutes this?) so a timelog can be constructed (thus also confirming that the Trust also has no idea how much dogging is going on).

Has a young child seen anything?  Or is that conjecture?

Why the use of 'a lady' walking her dog(s)?  Are men likely to be less shocked?  Should we be less concerned by a teen walking a family pet prior to school?

Detail and facts are so often lost in these reports - but are important in determining an appropriate response.  The final section is really interesting, as the spokesman/worker seems quite happy for some dogging to take place.  The criteria for appropriate dogging seems to be that it takes place at night (when people are unlikely to unexpectantly come upon a scene), and where no litter is left.  Two sensible aspects which I think most doggers would endorse.

The issues are therefore: daytime (i.e 'visible') dogging/cruising, and litter.  I hope the meeting will focus on those issues rather than the approach of the media which in the two reports labels this as action against 'dogging', and as a 'fetish' (and thus perverse/wrong per se).  Let's see what happens next.

If you go down to the woods today...

Who among us hasn't worried about a precious beauty spot being spoilt by its own popularity?  Crowds flocking to one Lincolnshire beauty spot is causing a particular stir, as its become a popular dogging spot.

Curiously, the reaction to lots of people visiting is to try and stop them, which is a particularly Alice in Wonderland scenario.  We also have the usual press reports of someone suitably outraged: "It's sordid. I used to take my granddaughter there but I wouldn't do that now. You don't know what you will find, or who you might find."

So sordid, this individual has not seen anything, and not seen anyone.  It is the idea that offends, not witnessing an act.  The newspaper also dispatched a plucky journalist to investigate.  They reported that they saw people in 'luxury' cars and wearing smart clothes.  A sure sign of dodgy criminal types if ever I heard it.  We also read that people visiting this popular wood beauty spot ca be seen entering and exiting the said wood.  Which, I'm sure we can all agree, is something of a shock.

Read the full report here.

Dogging Reporting and the Potential Case of the Sports Biscuit

As if Rupert Murdoch didn't have enough problems when he closed down the News of the World, he then discovered some Northern upstart had already taken the name 'Sunday Sun', hence when he finally launched his replacement newspaper, it was to be called The Sun on Sunday.

It is however the Sunday Sun which carries a fascinating piece this weekend about North East 'dogging spots'.  On the face of it, it's the usual "we have no news, quick George, trawl the Internet for some dogging posts we can be suitably outraged about", but it's actually a textured article with a number of aspects worth exploring.

For a start, we have a photograph of a Police notice from the relevant Police force taken 'in the field'.  We also have information from the Police saying they don't think dogging is a 'particular problem' across the region, and reminding the public that if they re concerned about 'this activity', they should report it to the police - a very sensible and measured response.

However, the journalist notes first of all the legal context, commenting (slightly inaccurately) that dogging falls through a legal loophole as it has to be witnessed.  In reality,  there has to be the possibility that it will be witnessed (it needn't actually be witnessed) by two or more people.  I don't think I've yet read a news story which gets the law right in this area.  

The line the paper peddles that 'that “get out of jail” card means police forces and councils trying to crack down on the bawdy behaviour have had little success', is puzzling and I wonder whether it is conjecture by the journalist, or a disgruntled cop sounding off.  Moreover, what does 'little success' mean?  Have there been targeted operations that have failed?  Does the paper have empirical evidence that it has not effected the amount of dogging, the location of dogging?  Is there a causal link between Police actions and any reduction (if evidenced) in the total amount of dogging?

Then we move to the usual listings, which will no doubt trigger snorts of derision by those familiar with those sites as some now have CCTV cameras, others barriers, and most have spatial conflicts (for instance with boys racers) which have long rendered them obsolete for doggers.  Indeed, one site mentioned is currently a new housing estate.  Just because a location might be posted, it does not indicate it is active.

Moreover - and in contrast to cruising and cottaging sites - accurate dogging site information is rarely posted in open forums because of these journalist trawls and the need to protect spaces.

The story about a dogging site 500 yards from a school therefore seems unlikely, and in any case, being 500yards from a school bonking for England at 3am is a rather different proposition to vigorous exploration of your vehicles suspension during mid-morning school break and the handing out of milk and a sports biscuit (there certainly won't be a picture of that leisurely pursuit on their biccy).

The Durham Police spokesman takes a commendably similar approach to Northumbria (in both cases, a thawing in attitudes to traditional quotes)  who notes dogging isn't a particular issue for the Force, and that the sites listed aren't 'hot spots'.

Unusually, the story does make reference to the film Dogging: A Love Story, which did use one historic dogging location, but which has long been avoided due to all this publicity, thus making an important point which the paper could make, but instead the newspaper uses it as an example of a comedic take on dogging (they've obviously not seen it - it's a dreadful film).

So yes, a more textured story but still inaccurate about locations and the law.  Why, one must then ask, do journalists keep returning to these stories in the absence of any clear justification?

Read the full Sunday Sun piece here.

Leo Maguire to Make Dogging Documentary *Updated*

Leo Maguire is a rather wonderful photographer.  Known for his controversial documentary Gypsy Blood, it is reported that he has now won a  second commission from Channel Four, to produce another documentary for their True Story series, this time addressing dogging.  I am fascinated to see the approach he takes.  Rather than arranging a series of 'talking heads' (my Mum will no doubt sigh in relief that I am unlikely to appear on her television talking about dogging), his style is to observe and record, making the 'representational' aspect of dogging all the more important - will we have an attempt to capture a range of 'types' of dogger, if so, what types are there?  Will it be to show a series of middle aged slightly dumpy characters?  Will there be an attempt to have a whole class angle?

Does the type of person willing to feature as part of an observational documentary, especially on a subject such as dogging, skew the construction of dogging that will be presented? My suspicion is yes btw.  Moreover, what about the other characters - the chav boy racer who disrupts a dogging scene? The local community citizen 'outraged' or stoically responding to dogging (see my recent chapter in Johnson and Dalton, and the wonderful  story of a  woman taking a dildo to the Police station and advising them to put it in lost property).  What about the Police?  What do they really think?  How do they Police and why?  What about the policy aspect?  What of the role of pornography in constructing this phenomenon (as I explore in my Rivers and Ward chapter).  What of the increasingly important role of the Internet and technology in facilitating - and threatening - these encounters, as I and notably Mowlabocus have written about in the context of public sex more generally.

Some photography he produced documenting dogging from last year, can be seen here.   The accompanying text identifies some of themes - darkness, strangers, the Internet, outdoor and exhibitionism:

'Dogging is British slang for people engaging in outdoor sexual acts in secluded public areas. Lay-bys, woods and picnic spots around the UK often double as dogging locations once darkness falls. Carried out under the cover of night, the practice generally involves sexual acts between people who are complete strangers. Increasingly though, participants arrange to meet at a dogging site via the internet or through social-networking media. Dogging has no rules; it may take place between couples or in groups. Some like to watch, some are exhibitionists, others just like to talk, but most are there for the thrill of having sex with strangers.'

Reading it, and looking at the images I can distinguish them from the daylight based images of Chad States in his photography book Cruising, and am reminded in tone, and style of the artist and pornographer Liam Cole.  Cole produced a really quite wonderful scene in Treasure Island Media's Wild Breed called 'Woodland Cruising'.  It was also shown in a differently edited format as part of an art project (I wonder if Maguire has seen it), and this work from Maguire feels very inspired by that narrative of men cruising, and in this small sample of Maguire's work, seems to transpose that on to doggers.  Fascinating stuff.

There's actually a vast and complex story to be told here.  It's a tough job, and I wish Maguire well with the project.

Dogging Down Under

Pity the poor dog walkers of Australia's Northern Territory for they have been reduced to paranoia that they will be thought of as doggers following the emergence of the dogging phenomenon down under.  Tremendous!  Check out the story here.

Sunderland Swingers Venue Shut

I was sadly a little slow getting to this story.  The Sunderland Echo reported that a swingers club will swing no more. Organisers of Secrets, in Villiers Street, Sunniside, Sunderland, had hoped to gain planning permission from the council. According to its website, the club also proposed to launch overnight accommodation at the venue, which boasted a “dogging room” with full-size car, as well as holding sex parties across the country. However, bosses claimed recent “publicity” in the media meant any bid would have been unsuccessful. They now propose to move to another undisclosed location.

I was so excited when I first heard they were going to have a dogging room - it reminded me of the XXL Cruising Club in Berlin which has a VW Van as part of the cruising zone to give you that authentic cruising encounter.  I do hope Secrets goes on to be wonderfully successful.

Dogging in Kent

Then someone came on the phone (if you pardon the phrase) from Kent saying "but it's sunny here too, we want our local paper to tell us where to go dogging".  Fear not good Kentish folk, for the Kentish gazette has been on the case and provided you with some helpful info.

Dogging in the Midlands

Fear not good people of the Midlands.  if you were thinking "it's sunny, we want our local rag to tell us with faux outrage all the good dogging spots in the area", the Sunday Mercury (for it is they) have published full details.  Check the story out here.

Who's Heading to the Malvern A38 Tonight for some Dogging?

It's all go in Malvern!  According to the Malvern Gazette (I seldom read anything else) Police and council officials are clamping down on an infamous dogging area.  Helpfully they give the precise location which on this warm sunny Friday is such a boon for would-be doggers.

The site will be closely monitored by police and the council is working with the land owner to encourage clearance of the land to make the site more visible from the road. You see, as things stand, once in the wooded area, nobody can see what you're doing.  Indeed, they might not know you're there.  This is unacceptable if we are to be suitably shocked.  We must therefore remove the shrubbery, see the acts, and thus be suitably alarmed and distressed so that the act is illegal.  Pure Alice in Wonderland stuff.

Meanwhile, Police are getting heavy with lorry drivers in another spot for using a lay-by as a toilet.  Wouldn't it be cheaper and socially more productive just to provide a toilet there?  Sometimes, I do wonder what goes through the minds of public officials.

Anyway, check out the full story here.

Dogging Round-Up

A number of 'dogging' stories have appeared in the media in recent days - or so they initially seem.  First off, let's visit Las Yucas Beach in Benalmadena Costa, Spain.  Euro Weekly reports that: 'action taken by Benalmadena Council to stop perverts having sex on a local beach has been declared a firm success.'

They go on to say that: 'the incident of people engaging in ‘dogging’, sexual acts in public places, or watching others do so, has decreased by 95 per cent, according to the local police. For years this beach had become a popular meeting place for people engaging in ‘dogging’, it even appeared on websites promoting locations for the activity, with people travelling all over the Costa del Sol to meet and have sex with strangers. The properties above this beach are luxury apartments and people living there say they were not able to enjoy the beach due to these sex romps.'

Really they are talking about 'cruising' but curiously the 'dogging' label has erroneously been used.  One 'luxury' apartment owner (interesting that it's important the apartment is luxurious isn't it?) said it was fantastic that she no longer had to see naked men having sex when she looked out at the beach.

The steps taken apparently comprise of Benalmadena Council installing cameras and signs by the entry point to Las Yucas, prohibiting nudism and sexual activity on the beach. People caught breaking the rules face fines of up to €3,000.

All entirely appropriate given this rash of men apparently bonking in view of luxury apartments, no?  One last thing, the news site also asked the resident how many times she had seen naked men on the beach (given the amazing relief she now has you'd expect double digits wouldn't you?).  She replied simply "once".  Read the full story here.

Meanwhile, back in blighty, Puttenham Parish Council requested £3,500 from the borough council towards a scheme dubbed the Hog’s Back Wildlife Conservation Project.  The project is designed to transform a dogging site into a wildlife site where people can enjoy wild animals cavorting - just not human beings.  Interestingly, the concern by residents is once again in relation to children and is about them playing 'nearby' - an un-named danger of being near to where people have sex (not necessarily in sight).  One wonders how the nation copes with the prospect of parents bonking in neighbouring bedrooms in homes across the land.  Perhaps we need some sort of bonk monitoring vans, ready to hurl degenerate parents into rehabilitation programmes?  New building regulations on the wall thickness of children's bedrooms?  Read the wildlife story in full here.

Finally, journalists at the Northampton Chronicle & Echo must have been having a little bit of fun with their headline 'Doggers put off by trimmed bushes at Northampton sex lay-by'.  Curiously, the page has been pulled from the newspaper site but thanks to the power of the Internet, you can view it via Google's cache.  Check it out here.  it seems a mixed picture as to whether cutting back trees reduced the 'problem' of public sex and there seems the - perhaps obvious but important to state - point that people just move elsewhere.  Again, I'm not sure that this story is entirely about dogging.  It does seem to be about cruising and potentially dogging but dogging seems to be a lexicon of sex that the media think the general public understand more clearly.

Yorkshire Dogging and Police Strategies

For some, the annoying thing about cars is their tendency to move.  So it is that when doggers - people who have sex in cars - are tackled by the Police and geographical/local government measures they tend to move somewhere else.  The Halifax Courier carries a story that a Police clampdown on outdoor sex in a secluded part of Calderdale may have shifted the problem to the Calder Valley, councillors believe.

Baitings Dam: A former dogging location

There's a rather wonderful quote from a local councillor who told the paper: “At long last it is an issue which is being taken seriously,” said Coun Geraldine Carter. “The amount of dogging at Baitings has diminished since the police began recording car number plates and sending letters to the registered owners,” she told the council’s 1,000th meeting. “But I believe these people are now moving to areas around Hebden Bridge, Luddenden and Todmorden,” she said.

Cllr Carter

What better way to celebrate a 1000th meeting than celebrating the writing of letters to doggers telling them how naughty they are?  This letter writing technique seems increasingly common, and is an interesting way that the Police are navigating the law.  It avoids any need to see anything that is criminal or even potentially criminal.  It is - quite simply - a scare tactic based on recording your presence in a location, potentially prompting difficult conversations in the home as a letter with a Police logo is intercepted on the doormat by a child, partner or other household member.

The aim is to scare the crap out of people and move them on.  As a tactical strategy, it has arguably succeeded in the past, at least reducing behaviour in the short term.  Interestingly, this story suggests that people are taking heed of a specific warning relating to one area but not feeling deterred from their more general mode of behaviour.   Nonetheless, one is surely bound to ask how Geraldine knows that people are moving to these spots?  Is Geraldine busy surfing the web for dogging spots?  Is she busy spying on dogging locations?  Will we have to wait another 1000 meetings to find out?

Read the full story here.

Underground Sex, Irish Style

The Irish Independent published a rather wonderful little story on Sunday. The paper reported that elite swinging clubs among professional classes - costing thousands of euro to join - are now operating in Ireland, according to an undercover documentary maker. The VIP clubs - which 'swingers' describe as akin to a 'freemason' society where members swear under oath not to reveal the identities or details of those involved - are one of the groups that have been unearthed as part of an investigation into Ireland's secret sex lives.

 The documentary also involves talking to doggers and also 'fetishists'. Screened on Monday, the documentary can also be viewed via the TV3 catch-up service (yes it works for those of us in the UK!). Check the documentary out here and read the full Irish Independent piece here.

“We witnessed the horrifying spectacle of several elderly men wandering around naked"

Apologies for the lack of posts recently.  Life has become increasingly busy and I'm not going to be able to blog as much over the next couple of months as I spend my time with various academic projects that are pressing.  However, I'll still be blogging - just less frequently - so don't go away!

Anyhow, take a look at the photo for this story in the Hull Daily Mail and this story from the Northampton Chronicle.  They are different lay-bys in different parts of England but their similarity highlights the common structure of these public sex spaces. Signposted, removed from the main road and screened from the road - even in winter - by trees and shrubs.  They are also clearly designed as points to stop off on a journey to rest, or to make repairs, phone calls etc away from the busy main road.

Both locations have featured in public sex related stories in the last few days.   The Northampton incident is curious in many ways.  It occurred at 2pm in the afternoon on a Sunday.  A time when many people will be driving about, and the light is good.

The newspaper reported that “We witnessed the horrifying spectacle of several elderly men wandering around naked. “My daughter was very upset by this. “We then saw two men having sex in a coppice, and later on, more sexual activity. “At no point did any of these men attempt to cover up.” She said another man was performing a sex act in full view of passing traffic.

'Later on' is the phrase that struck me.  How long were they there?  Presumably the sight of 'naked' elderly men (what do they mean by make din this context, complete nudity is unusual especially in the middle of winter?) was so shocking they went back to their car?  'Later suggests' that they ere so horrified they carried on taking the dog for a walk.  Curious.

We also have the allegation that another man (obviously an unusually popular spot to have such  concentration of men) was performing a sex act in full view of passing traffic.  The photo accompanying the story suggests that this is unlikely unless the man was stood by the entrance and even there there are questions about visibility whence are are flying by at 60mph.

Another fascinating of the report from the complainants is the observation that “Someone had even left an obscene message on the car windscreen,” he said.  I come back to the earlier question, how long were they there?  Why was someone so agitated as to leave a message?  What did that message say?  It is clear that we are only getting half the tale but what journalist wants to truly investigate a story of this nature when the easy thing is to condemn the men involved and portray the complainants as straight forward victims.  Perhaps she was, and perhaps the complaint was justified but this piece of journalism does not clearly establish that.

Finally we turn to the response from the Police who indicate that “We have long been aware that these lay-bys have been used as a gay meeting place, however, we were not aware that the area was being used beyond initial encounter. “I will brief my staff to patrol the area and deal with any offences they find.”

So once again we have the Police responding to a complaint but also admitting they were aware men used the location as part of a hook-up process.  However, the Police also indicate that they have not policed the location (otherwise he wouldn't need to tell Police to now patrol the area).  If ever there was a case study in the complexities of policing public sex locations it would be this.

Then we travel to Hull to another lay-by and picnic spot that has apparently been used for dogging. According to the Hull Daily Mail, Police have confronted 18 people using a family picnic spot to have sex with strangers in public. Officers vowed to tackle the problem after residents of Skirlaugh and Coniston repeatedly complained about lewd activity in three lay-bys off the A165. Since making the issue a priority less than one month ago, officers have stopped 18 people at the sites, sometimes during the day. Although they were not found to be committing any offences, all were issued with a leaflet with guidance on public sex. There have been no complaints from members of the public since police made it a priority.

So, 18 confronted and zero were seen to be committing an offence.  So what were people complaining about?  As ever, it is the sight of people or cars rather than actually witnessing acts - or the Police would presumably have seen something. The behaviour complained about is 'intimidating behaviour' which I find puzzling.  Does this mean just sitting in a car, telling someone to "bugger off",  playing with an air freshener in a suggestive manner before driving off?  What on earth are they talking about?

The Police admit to using both plain clothed and uniformed police as part of the operation.  Why use plain  clothed police in this situation?  It is an admission that if someone using the spot for public sex sees someone entering who is clearly not interested, that person or persons will not see something.  By entering in plain clothes they appear 'legitimate' in the space.

Finally, we have the ultimate irony, that the local authority has cut hedges so as to make the location more visible.  Yes folks, previously you would not see any sexual activity from the main road due to the presence of shrubs but now you would, thus ensuring that an offence has taken place.  Truly, the barmy logic of Alice in Wonderland.

We Go Dogging

Thanks to Ian for flagging up this brilliant video from Fascinating Aida entitled 'Dogging'.  Enjoy!


 Here are the lyrics:

My husband came home friday with a brand new motor car.He told me I could drive, it I said Brian you're a star.We drove down to the boozer for a vodka and a fag then of course we had celebrate the purchase with a shag.
We go dogging,We go dogging,We're a treat for any passers by out jogging.We do it 'cos we've found that when people crowd around it is somehow more profound when we're dogging.
(Spoken)Oh now well some of the older members of the audience my have a little bit of difficulty with this one.I just say hang on in there and think the meaning will shine through.Bill how are you doing.Anyhow if you are still a little bit in the dark at the end.Just ask a young person or emm...Google.Just don't take your computer for repair immediately afterwards.
(Sung)Well we drove down to the far end of the car park back of Asda.A threesome was hard at it in a sporty little Mazda.It made it more exciting as they pressed against the glass.And when Brian got his torch out you could see right up her arse!
They were dogging,They were dogging,Believe me they were more than merely snogging.But though her cheek were parted she spoilt it when she farted and we wanted to get started on OUR dogging.
(Spoken)Now how are the older members doing now.Not finding it too impenetrable?Those of a sensitive disposition, leave now...
(Sung)Well we rushed back too our car 'cos we were randy as two goats.But being late november we had on our duffle coats.We should have stripped off first before getting back inside.'cos disrobing in a smart car isn't easy have YOU tried?
We were doggingWe were doggingIn the struggle poor old brian tore his frogging.Our Apparel was misguided 'cos when our heads collided Brian's manhood then subsided, but thats dogging.
Well I admit this was a setback but i wasn't beaten yet. 'cos i'm really very handy with my man's beef bayonet.I quickly had his flagpole up responding to my touch.And next thing I was upside down and staring at the clutch.
We were dogging,We were dogging,Oh the heat was on to stop the windows fogging.Thank god for plastic sheeting well one must protect the seating.'Cos the fabric takes a beating when your dogging.
Well by now a crowd had gathered it was cheering fit to burst.An Bri was close to peaking though he likes me to come first.My legs were out the sunroof as I really hit my stride.Then Brian promptly stopped and cried "The Rozzers are outside!".
We were dogging,We were dogging,We were so alarmed our arteries were clogging.But we took it on chin when the coppers with a grin said:"Can anyone join in with your dogging?
Well as you can imagine Bri and I were thrilled to bits.I love to feel a coppers truncheon in between my tits.My ecstasy was mounting I was feeling so alive,When who should wander by but a bloke from channel 5.
He likes doggingHE likes doggingHe signed us for a series he was flogging.So watch out for Bri and me and the odd Celebrity,We were shagging on TV likely dogging.
Oh we'll be doggingWe'll be doggingOh think of all the limelight we'll be hogging,Well the credits show my hand massaging Brian's gland,The Presenter's Russell Brand, lovely dogging!

Heterosexuality, Public Places and Policing

Readers may be interested that a chapter I've written on 'dogging' will be published in a  collection entitled 'Policing Sex' later this year.  The book can be pre-ordered via Amazon (And other stores), and the full contents of the book can be viewed on the Routledge website.

The Right to Public Sex

I'm just about to put together my response to the Law Commission consultation on 'Simplification of Criminal Law: Public Nuisance and Outraging Public Decency'. The consultation document can be viewed here. I'll put my response up on the blog at a later date once done. I'll be arguing for reform of the law on public sex as those of you have followed my work and ideas, would expect.

Yet, this morning Paul Burston, the writer, regular gay talking head and a member of what I would call 'the gay metropolitan elite' has posted a blog post under the title 'OH, PUT IT AWAY!'. His Facebook link to the post was a clearer statement of his position 'Embarrassed by 'The Gays''. He begins by noting that 'a report in the Islington Gazette says that ‘the steam room at a family swimming pool has become a popular "cruising" area where gay men meet for "action".’

Those of you who read my blog regularly will know my immediate reaction - "here we go again". The local press regularly turns to these stories. Reporter looks on cruising site and shock horror, public sex is apparently occurring and we never knew. Yes -WE NEVER KNEW!!! It was going on and nobody noticed! This is not a report of parents complaining on mass, kids traumatised by men unable to stop fucking in the deep end or an OAP swimming to help their arthritis accidentally finding themselves in the midst of a changing room orgy.

So - first off, until a reporter went poking around the Internet, we didn't know. It includes a quote: 'Adrian Kelly, a regular user of Cally Pool, said: "I have no problem with gay people at all but it's a family pool and you don't know who might go in there and see something they shouldn’t."'

A regular user - so Mr Kelly - you - as a regular pool user - were totally unaware of this until we - the local rag - asked you?

Burston goes on to paste in a piece he wrote for Attitude in which he talks about his days at GALOP - the Police monitoring group. I recently looked through the GALOP archives and found that they did indeed receive many complaints as Burston outlines and did offer some helpful advice - although they were comparatively timid on the issue compared with the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) -and much later - Outrage.

Burston comments that:

'It used to be argued that having sex in parks and public toilets was a symptom of gay men’s oppression. Now it’s simply a symptom of our self indulgence. Of course there are some people who are determined to cling onto their ‘outsider’ status, rather like those pre-Liberation types who go all misty-eyed as they tell you how much more exciting it was back in the old days, when you could be banged up for having sex with a guardsman in St James Park. These are often the same people who regard gay marriage as ‘undignified’ and spend their weekends on their knees in public lavatories being ‘radical’.'

I don't spend my weekends (or indeed weekdays) on my knees in public lavatories although I do like the notion of saying to a police officer, when asked "what are you doing", replying "being radical". "And you do that sir whilst fellating this other gentleman?"

Why must we all assimilate into a "play nice" whole? It's not just "The Gays". The straights are embracing public sex through dogging, people in civil partnerships and happy relationships also go cruising and cottaging - people of all ages, people who are out ad well as those still exploring their sexuality. Although it can very much be a political concept - and I theorise it as such - it's ultimately about people feeling horny and expressing those sexual urges.

You will not stop public sex - the debate is simply about whether we accept it as a reality or continue to hide it away, and live the heteronormative dream.

Dogging: A Love Story - Review

It's been a long time coming but my DVD finally turned up yesterday (it's not showing anywhere at a cinema near me and it was simultaneously released to DVD) so I gave it a whirl last night. Regular readers of this blog will know I was very excited at the prospect of this film. Public sex is my main area of research and dogging is not the typical subject of cinema. Most of the main media has included the film in their reviews over the last month or so and they seem to have been universally poor. Turns out they were fair as well as poor. The film lacked pace and the story quickly became muddled. It was trying to be many things and failed at most. Luke Treadaway,a fabulous actor, just didn't really gel in the main role as Dan. Richard Riddell peaks in his read through of Dan's story (you see it in the trailer where Dogging is described as 'British' as warm beer) but is generally over-acting his heart out and not getting laughs. The true star who comes out of it as a lovable, funny and interesting character is Jim played by Michael Sorcha. On the basis of this performance, one to watch.

So what about the depiction of dogging? Well it starts of well. The opening credits include footage that is drawn heavily on dogging porn and I thought it both clever and interesting. The fact they chose actual dogging locations in the North East was also an interesting move, the depiction of the role of the Internet was also good (although this got muddled with the IM thing). The vox pops in Newcastle city centre, in which members of the public are asked about dogging was also interesting but didn't integrate into the film as well as they could. I'm not sure if these were 'mock' interviews or genuine. Anyone know?

When Dan is first taken dogging, we see the excitement and enthusiasm that can go with this phenomenon before he mistakenly approaches a steamed up car that has a family inside innocently eating a take-a-way. This was funny and had the ring of authenticity but the scene once again became muddled and then we had someone just walking into the space. Great idea blown by a script that needed a bit more work.

One of the interviewees talked about the Police spoiling his fun. It was a shame these themes weren't then explored. The Police apart from one scene where Dan mentions sirens in the distance are not present in the film and so we get a skewed view of dogging. As the film evolves, dogging becomes viewed as something a bit sad, a bit pathetic and a bit of a mystery which throws away the earlier interesting perspectives and ideas. We even have a character who is a trainspotter turned dogger, keeping a notebook and writing down, well we don't know what, and nobody objects, which is weird. No "what you writing mate?", "you writing down my plates mate?" etc.

The final series of scenes revolve around a 'big meet', almost likening dogging to rave culture, with people secretly arranging to go to a distant rural venue (the lake district in this case - just past Kendal), and people run around openly and happily - the sophisticated tension we see earlier depicted is gone, a character we ordinarily meet as 'normal' is now cast as a dodgy weirdo whose life is ruined by a front page story. We are supposed to applaud the central character for doing this. Why? It makes no sense? It's the final act that turns the film from a film that depicts dogging into a film that deliberately seeks to undermine and attack this social phenomenon, with no clear reason give other than it's a 'bit weird'.

Originally, I really wanted this film to work, but on the whole, it doesn't. They would have done far better to take Daniel Davies's 2008 novel, The Isle of Dogs and turned that into a film (the book was republished last year and can be bought here). That book does combine a good understanding of dogging with humour and some scenes of tension. The Police are also (rightly) a very real element.

I think this is not a consequence of a talent shortage but rather (as Ellis suggests below), a lack of support. I understand the film had difficulty being made and this is probably reflected in the end result. Below, you can see the film's Director, Simon Ellis discuss the film: