London's best freestyle venue?

[David Bailey]

Inspired by this comment (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?p=267261#post267261), I wondered what people thought was the best regular freestyle in London, and why?

I've probably forgotten one or two, but those are the main ones I know of (and I'm not including Funky lush, Cheshunt, Woking, Amersham etc. - they're not in London, last I looked.)

For the "why", it'd be nice to include some objective factors, rather than just the "It's lovely and all my mates dance there" stuff - e.g. location (e.g. ease of access), facilities (e.g. size and floor), benefits (free water etc.), duration (how long / late it goes on), and so on.

[El Salsero Gringo]

For me it has to be Ashtons: best dance floor, best atmosphere (in my eyes), best all round music, lousy drinks prices, best lighting, right finish-time and last but not least, only a fifteen minute drive to get home.

[Tessalicious]

As a beautiful venue and an unusual place to dance, as well as for certain people who go and the music, the Greenwich Slinkys events have been fantastic so far - but have to agree, as a consistently fab monthly freestyle Ashtons Fridays win, despite the grumpy barstaff. Even on nights like last night, where lots of people were in less-than-perfect frames of mind, the music was unspecial and it was too hot and crowded, I still managed to have a great time - compare this to nights at Hammersmith where the same criticisms would have completely ruined the night for me.

However, you did forget to include a certain intimate chillout freestyle venue not far from you in North London, with the best music and the best crowd ever :whistle:

[David Bailey]

However, you did forget to include a certain intimate chillout freestyle venue not far from you in North London, with the best music and the best crowd ever :whistle:
Nah, Finchley Saturday nights aren't that regular :innocent:

[robd]

Haven't danced in London too often (yet) but for me Slinkys is awesome. Two rooms, great people and perhaps my best night's dancing ever was experienced there. The clincher for me I guess is the Blues room - I get in there and don't want to leave. Such a shame that the last one had so few people - no-one can keep subsidising a loss making event.

Didn't like Hammersmith on my one visit and Ashtons has been good and bad for me.

Robert

[Missy D]

Ashtons is my favourite! A ten minute drive from my house, good dance floor, great atmosphere, a balcony and loo roll in the toilets.:clap:

I always have a good time there on a party night.

Runner up for me is Slinkys. Lovely venue, floor is a challenge in places, love having a blues room. Hopefully, there will be a party night there on a saturday:flower:

[dee]

Even though Ashtons is a 45 minute drive from my house i still have to say its my favourite venue. The atmosphere is great, love the dance floor love the dancers and its the place i learned to dance, to think i used to travel to this venue every wednesday to be there for my class at 7.30 :eek: looking forward to the next freestyle friday :clap:

[Feelingpink]

Greenwich, for its balanced, limited numbers and good music. This attracts good dancers ... and with all of these factors ... it makes for the best dancing.

[Lynn]

Haven't danced in London too often (yet)... :yeah:

I have been to Ashtons, and had a good evening, it is a nice venue. I loved the T-jive at the Putney Club but that had a lot to do with the music, the dancing, the people, the balance of numbers and the wonderful mood I was in.

I think I'll have to come and visit more of the venues before I can make an informed vote on this poll. :whistle:

[Andreas]

Now, I have voted for Greenwich as in Slinky's. But this answer may not be correct because what it states is that it is my FAVOURITE venue. The BEST venue is most likely Asthons if you look at venue, getting there and leaving, music, range of dancers, number of dancers. Slinkys does suffer a tad from the day of week when it is, also from the location, which makes it a better choice for those with a car than for public transportees and the range of dancers going there is thus more limited. Nonetheless, I still regard it highest in London. So please keep it running. :respect: :clap: :worthy: :flower:

[Georgious dancer]

Greenwich has to be my favourite venue. It has a fantastic dance floor and a great atmosphere and for me is close to home.

I disagree that it's hard to get to by public transport, it is more that it is on a Sunday when public transport is less frequent. Slinkys from central london is only around 15-20 minutes away by train.

[Sheepman]

If the t-jive was still going at Kent House, then for me there would be nothing to come close, Putney is a less desirable venue, but the music, space on a decent dance floor, and the dancers there still do it for me.

It is a close thing though, with Greenwich & BFF close behind, hard for me to comment on Slinky's, I hope it's great! but I've only made it so far when I've DJed there. I've had some great nights at the Greenwich Community Centre though.
BFF is usually good, sometimes marred by overcrowding, Ashton's I've always found unpleasantly overcrowded, and there's that queueing for overpriced warm water, :sick: plus the journey is a pain.

Last night was one of my best dance nights for ages, probably even better than any of the nights I had at the last Southport, but then it was 20 minutes out of London, so obviously doesn't count. There again both Greenwich & Ashton's can take me an hour to drive to.

Greg

[El Salsero Gringo]

I'm sure it's significant that nobody at all has voted for Hammersmith, which is by far the most popular of all the freestyle events listed. I'm not sure what exactly the significance is though...

[Andreas]

I'm sure it's significant that nobody at all has voted for Hammersmith, which is by far the most popular of all the freestyle events listed. I'm not sure what exactly the significance is though...

It means that none of the people on this forum go there, surely. :whistle: :innocent:

[Sparkles]

It means that none of the people on this forum go there, surely. :whistle: :innocent:
Maybe they go but they don't think it's "the best"... after all, if you only went to the freestyle that you considered to be the best you'd only go to one a month :sad: :tears:

[El Salsero Gringo]

Maybe they go but they don't think it's "the best"... after all, if you only went to the freestyle that you considered to be the best you'd only go to one a month :sad: :tears:I think it likely that since it's the biggest there are at least some people who go to Hammersmith and no other freestyles, and so for whom it is "the best". And those people are not represented on the Forum, or at least not prepared to contribute if they are.

[Top Bird]

Both Ashtons and Slinkys.

Ashtons - travelling takes me approx 1 hr by car (sometimes a bit longer) but worth the drive. Easy parking, good dance floor and also lots of standing/sitting space too, quality dancers, atmospheric, good sound system. Downside is the bar staff and drink prices.

Slinkys takes me 10 minutes, again easy parking. Great to have a choice of rooms, good dance floor upstairs, but for me, the icing on the cake is the blues room. My sort of style and music. Shame it didn't attract good numbers last time, but it didn't spoil my evening as the quality of male dancers made up for it. Hopefully it will pick up next time (if there is one) as I do love it there.

[TiggsTours]

I put that I have no opinion, basically because it was the only way I could answer. I think that they all have their good nights, and they all have their bad nights, and alot of external factors will have a sway on that, what else is happening will effect who is there, DJs will have good nights and off nights, the weather will effect people's attitudes and who turns up, the sort of week I've had at work will effect my own mood, etc.

[Twirly]

Am not voting at the moment, want to leave my options open so I can resurrect this thread in some months time :devil:

I’ve not been to that many freestyle events as yet, so don’t feel qualified to have much of an opinion. I’ve been to Hammersmith mostly – it always gets mentioned at my local venue so is well advertised. The first couple of times were simply terrifying and I didn’t dance a huge amount, but each time seems to get better. And last time there were lots of people I could say hello to (not sure that I can say that I “know” them), including some forumites who helped me feel much more at ease. :grin:

Only been to a Greenwich party night (not Slinky’s) once – that was fun, particularly as I got to meet several lovely forumites for the first time, and I’d definitely go again. It’s also quite easy for me to get to, even by public transport. :clap:

Ashton’s I’ve not even considered as it’s too far from home – I don’t drive yet and it would take me all night to get home on public transport! :tears: