Horse racing fans looking to attend the 2024 Cheltenham Festival might want to take their own whips as there’s a new strip club opening in town – but some aren’t happy as it’s opposite a church.
New Cheltenham Strip Club Under Starter’s Orders For 2024
Ahead of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival some racegoers were licking their lips with a new lap dancing venue called Under The Prom opening and as we race towards the 2024 Festival in March – it seems the ‘strip club’ choice for punters is hotting up again.
The Cheltenham Festival is dubbed ‘Horse Racing Olympics’ but after racing each day the Spa town in Gloucestershire has to then entertain up to 50,000 racing fans with pubs, clubs and restaurants all fighting for business.
However, the sport of ‘strip Olympics’ will also take some of the reins in the evening with the new club set to open opposite a church.
Meaning you can spend all day betting on the horses, hit the pub for a few drinks, then go lapping and best of all confess all your sins of the day in the church across the road.
“More offensive” than putting a pub “opposite an Alcoholics Anonymous venue”
The Cheltenham council have given the green light to Red Apple Associates Ltd to run a sexual entertainment club at Jessop House – but this site is directly opposite Cambray Baptist Church.
This has prompted their pastor – Alwyn Barry – to respond by saying it was “more offensive” than putting a pub “opposite an Alcoholics Anonymous venue”.
While Councillor David Willingham added the “activity is lawful” and the council “cannot take a moral stance” on it.
Some Cheltenham regulars may have known the venue as the 2 Pigs in Church Street but was opened at the 2023 Festival. But with the licence due to expire on February 6th 2024 it was time for a change.
DID YOU KNOW?: A horse called ‘Exotic Dancer’ was second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2007
New Licence Will Operate For 17 Nights In 2024
The new proposal, which is opposite the Cambray Baptist Church, is to operate for 17 nights in 2024, of which you feel at least five will be in and around the Cheltenham Festival, which runs from Tuesday 12th to Friday 15th March.
Pastor Barry added – they “had no idea how deeply hurtful” such a business was being so close to a place of worship. “It’s much more offensive than placing a pub immediately opposite an Alcoholics Anonymous venue,”
“Or a betting shop at the entrance of a gambler’s rehab centre. “Where marriage is upheld, immediately opposite us licentiousness is being promoted. Family life is honoured, immediately opposite us, infidelity is offered.”
“Where women’s value is held in the highest regard, immediately opposite us, the objectification of women is normalised. New life is offered, immediately opposite us, broken lives are served.”
“It’s discriminatory for Christians for such a venue to be placed in this location. The Christians in Cheltenham are not being offered equal concern that is been given elsewhere in the country to mosques and synagogues.”
However, the committee voted unanimously in favour of approving the application and the 17 days of 2024. With Chairman David Williams saying over 65,000 people go to the Cheltenham Festival and around 400 of those will hit this venue each night.
With various unnamed dancers that are due to perform at the club saying it’s “most organised, safe and well-run operation” she had ever encountered.
“I’m always saddened by the negative reception these licensing [applications] often receive in the media,” she said.
“As dancers we are tired of being spoken for rather than to. We don’t appreciate comments implying we are selling sex or our bodies.”
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