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sweetencounter
Over 90 days ago
Bi-curious Female, 53
Straight Male, 56

Forum

Hi,
My FB and I will be visiting the Townhouse on Saturday night and I am especially interested in expanding my Bi side further, if you're interested then contact me and maybe we can meet.
Jane x
Hi,
We are going to this club tonight about and if you're there we can have natter, for prices etc I think it's listed on their site.
Mrs Sweet x
I used to use both: Messenger to keep in touch with people I'd met through Groups and MSN Messenger for people I'd met through MSN. I tended to stay in touch with the MSN bunch in the end, so I stuck with MSN Messenger. I always felt that it was the better of the two to be honest, though Maybe has improved since I last used it.
For close friends and family, I tend to use . Not so good for text chat, but its audio and webcam knock the spots off the others.
While we're on the subject: Does anyone else find it really annoying when people pop up on their messenger when they have nothing to say? They started the conversation, but you get the feeling that they only did so because they're bored, and now they expect you to be thoroughly interesting and entertaining while their most constructive contribution tends to be 'lol.' It's only one or two people who do this to me, and I suppose I should probably just block them. But somehow that seems like a nasty thing to do, so instead I tend to 'appear offline' and start conversations myself if I actually have something to say to someone.
Well I don't reckon there's much value to be had in Shrep as it stands. We've been 'verified' four times, all by people we've never actually met, and none of whom can possibly know for sure whether we're swingers or swongers (I learned a new word last night lol) I get the feeling that there's an expectation to return the favour, but I don't feel comfortable vouching for someone I've never met. I have more than enough experience of people's Internet Personas and how radically they can differ from what (if anything) you get in real life.
Meet rep is the only one I'd give any consideration to, and we weren't able to leave meet rep for the one couple that we have met through here who did have Shrep enabled. To do so, we'd have had to pre-plan the meeting through SH, rather than just doing what I'm sure most people do, and exchanging PMs, followed by phone calls.
Quote by Sarah
How good are refurbished ones?

You have to be careful with refurbs. At one end of the spectrum, you'll have items that aren't really refurbs. They're just machines that the customer returned in as new condition because they didn't like them. You also get places that refurb used kit but do it properly, so that it is indistinguishable from new. At the other end, you can buy battered and abused laptops that were probably broken but have been repaired. You can expect cosmetic damage on these, which sometimes includes damage (scratches) to the screen. Most places that offer these sort of items will grade their kit, with 'A grade' being something that would pass for new or slightly used, and 'B grade' being considerably tattier.
From most retailers, I'd expect refurbs to be at the upper end of this scale - i.e. unwanted returns or properly reconditioned items. But it's always worth asking the question, especially if you don't want a machine with a scratched screen.
The warranty often gives the game away. The good kit is usually supplied with a full manufacturer's warranty (a minimum of 12 months.) The cheaper stuff usually comes with three months or less (though if it breaks within the first 6 months, you can probably get a refund by enforcing your rights under the Sale of Goods act.)
Quote by foxylady2209
Are we sure it's the swinging history that's the real problem? I've known people who make sure their new partner gradually gets rid of every single friend from before. Not because they might have had sex with them, but because they need to control their partner and can't permit them to have any friends but the ones he chooses, preferably none.

True, that's a possibility, but let's not condemn the guy for stuff that he may not be planning to do. It sounds to me like he has accepted her past but wants her to break away from certain aspects of it. Perhaps there's room to negotiate.
It's always easy to observe a relationship as an outsider and say "Dump them, they're no good." If it were really that simple from inside the relationship, then people would just walk away at the first sign of conflict. On the plus side, there wouldn't be a Jeremy Kyle Show.
Quote by Dirtygirly
Anyway... my friend told her new bloke about her past because she also has a social circle of swingers and didn't want it being a surpise at a later date but he has a massive problem with it. Double standards of course because he has no issue with the girls involved, it's the men. He can't stand the idea of being in a social setting with people who have previously had sex with her or have even seen her naked. Now she doesn't see her swingy mates all that often but there are occasions and she'd like to be able to go and take her partner with her, purely in a social way of course. Not to be it seems.

I know a lot of people feel uncomfortable around exes, and trying to stay on friendly terms with an ex can be a huge problem for a lot of new partners. It sounds like this guy is getting a little confused, so perhaps it would help to explain the concept of recreational sex to him. Yes, she has friends that she's had sex with, but the important consideration is that there was no emotional connection and there never will be. That is something that she reserves solely for her chosen partner. As long as he can comprehend that, he might not feel quite so threatened.
Or perhaps she's already tried that. In which case, ignore me.
Thanks folks, you've confirmed what I pretty much thought was the state of play anyway. I suppose the trick is to minimise the risk without spoiling the fun.
Another newbie question, and another subject that has been covered before, but seemingly not from this particular angle (well I didn't find anything on a search.)
I hear a lot of talk about 'safe sex' and wonder exactly what it refers to. Obviously it means using condoms for penetration, but what's the position on oral sex?
While we don't particularly want to catch anything, HIV is our obvious concern. With statistics showing that 85,000 out of 60,000,000 UK citizens are infected with the disease, that's over a 1 in 1,000 chance that the random person you're exchanging bodily fluids with is a carrier. While you wouldn't back a horse with odds like that, they're hardly lottery jackpot odds either.
Reading up on the subject, oral sex with an HIV infected person is low, but not zero risk. On the other hand, while I have no problem with using condoms for penetration, the idea of mucking around with cling film to give oral or wearing a condom to receive it really does sound like it'll take away a great deal of the pleasure.
Ultimately, I know it's our decision, but I'm just wondering what the general trend is. Is oral without a barrier accepted within the bounds of 'safe sex' in the swinging community, or do those who practise safe sex use a condom or dental dam at all times? I'm not specifically asking people to reveal what they themselves do (though feel free to if you wish) but observations and experiences would certainly be welcome.
Quote by tweeky
Im sorry tweeky but can you not see that I or others might be slightly concerned at the assertion that we are more likely to molest children because we are swingers?

Change the sex site to scrabble site, lego site, international tiddly winks site. Makes no difference, still random people from a website.
But I've made good friends via other websites, some of whom I wouldn't hesitate in leaving my son with. Perhaps I shouldn't rule out making similar friendships on SH. Or should the fact that SH is a 'sex' site make me hesitant?
Admittedly, I've bumped into a few on here who appear totally sex obsessed or downright deviant. Though most people just seem to be ordinary singles and couples who've simply been prepared to challenge society's taboos with regard to promiscuity. Yes, you'll see some unusual sexual interests declared (including some on our own profile) but I expect that's just people taking the opportunity to be honest. We don't discuss these things in our everyday lives, and I'm sure there are plenty of non-swingers who have their kinks but don't publicise them.
Putting this in the original context it was taken in I was talking about agency's vs people met on this occasion via a sex site for child care. My rationality to me says that an agency thats arranged 1000's of sitters over a 10 year period with no known complaints is a pretty safe bet. Up against random couple from here with kids we meet and think they are ok. Much more skeptical on the latter. Like I say the type of site makes no difference its the available information smile
No situation is ideal or safe, we just have to do the best job we can.

There's no denying that the agency is the safest option. More to the point, it's the one that is least likely to leave you blaming yourself and others (especially the press) blaming you should the unthinkable happen. You're doing what you believe is best for your children, and I'd never criticise you for that. I just can't help feeling that we're all rather too paranoid these days, sometimes at the expense of practicality and other considerations.
Quote by tweeky
To be blunt. I'll use a company with a 10 year history and no abuse cases that I know of over some couple we meet over a sex site who also happen to have kids. How many meetings or how many hours of them behaving normally will be sufficient for them to look after your children overnight? Think you can know someone after 10-20 hours?

Well if you put it like that, then you certainly have a point. Though most of the people we've met on here have seemed decent enough, and the ones we've met in real life have all seemed like perfectly normal folk who we could form reasonable (and not necessarily sexually driven) friendships with. When I think of some of these people, I can see a reciprocal agreement working, and it being no different to letting the little 'un have a sleep-over at a friend's house. When I think of a random stranger, then obviously it's a crazy thing to do.
Not saying Babysitting agency's are full proof or ideal but I wouldn't touch your reciprocal arrangement idea with a barge poll. You actually seem to have relations who can look after your kids so I would make use of what time they give and be happy. We had that once now we have none. Is spinning them a yarn really that bad? cant say I ever lost any sleep over it. After all its all part and parcel of the swinging world.

What I didn't mention before is that we have relatives who can look after him, but who tend to moan and grumble as though we've just asked them to donate body parts. Since posting this, another possibility has occurred with another relative who doesn't live too far away. Perhaps they'll be prepared to do it on occasion if the right incentives are put in place (I won't mention the possibility of money changing hands.)
If that's really all you want it for, then have a look at Windows netbooks rather than laptops. You can pick them up for around the £200 mark, and while they're not too hot for games machines or high-definition video, you'll find them fine for web browsing, e-mail, and most day-to-day Windows software.
Here's a random example. They appear to be returns, but should be in as-new condition with a full warranty.

Netbooks are great for taking just about anywhere (including on holiday so you can back up your photos or watch the occasional non-HD video.) Your only real issue is whether you can live with the reduced size screen and keyboard (I found them both very easy to get used to.) It's a good idea to invest in a plug-in CD/DVD drive, but you're looking at an extra £30 or so on top of the purchase price, so you're still saving a bundle versus a full size laptop.
Quote by fem_4_taboo
what about day time clubs ? Or tell a half truth and tell the family you have both decided you need to vaule each other and set aside at least 1 night a month to each other. But this can only be done if you have a reguler offer of overnight sitter. It is also the oppertunity for grandparents to bond with grandchild. X x

Now that is an absolutely cracking idea, which might just work. I think we'll be giving that a shot.
Daytime clubs don't really work for us, as I'm in a 9-5 job. I do have some flexibility within this framework, but I'd normally be expected to be contactable during office hours.
Quote by tweaky
Yeh we thought long and hard before having in an agency and on the first occasion we only went out for a few hours just to see how it went. You cant tell whos who but we can bet if the agency had cases of child abuse they would have been in the paper or closed down. Business has been running a long time so am guessing thats not the case. Being a bit to the point pedophiles normally build up relations with children over time before taking advantage and they position themselves accordingly. Being a babysitter when the kids are in bed with no guarantee of a repeat visit would be far from ideal for someone of that mind frame. Have actually had some education and taken some courses about this which actually made us feel a bit more at ease over the whole baby sitting agency thing.
Sure pedophiles are not the only problem having a stranger in the house can bring but bet its the one people worry about the most.

I'll be honest, and say that I don't think sexual abuse is my no.1 concern. While I recognise the risk, and wouldn't contemplate leaving my child with someone who'd given me the slightest cause for concern, I think there's a danger of focusing on sexual abuse to the exclusion of other, even more harmful possibilities. I know people who have suffered child sexual abuse, and while it has left them with mental scars, they have survived. Negligence and violence, on the other hand, have prematurely ended many a child's life.
I'd still much rather leave my child with someone I know and trust than with a stranger who has a piece of paper that only implies that they're trustworthy. It's a sad truth that nobody seems to be above suspicion of child abuse these days, but at least I know they're not going to invite a violent, crack-smoking boyfriend around the moment my back is turned. And I guarantee that there are paedophiles out there who have passed CRB checks, simply because they've been careful to cover their tracks, and nobody has spoken up about them yet. The trouble with child sexual abuse is that the allegations often don't come to light until the victim reaches adulthood.
I'm not knocking agencies for doing everything in their power to make sure that they only employ reliable, safe sitters. But life doesn't come with any guarantees.
Quote by foxylady2209
Sadly I can just imagine the headlines - written by and for sad little people in la-la land - if it were to come out that one swinging couple leaves their children with another swinging couple so they can go out and have sex with a third swinging couple (or orgy, or single male etc etc etc).

Yup, that's my main concern. We being the sexually deviant, morally bankrupt bunch that we are, we're certainly not to be trusted with other people's children, and possibly not even with our own. I can picture the press having a field day, Social Services taking your kids into care and then asking questions later, and if there was any aspect of the law under which you could be prosecuted, them throwing the book at you.
The question is whether that's paranoia or just being realistic.
Thanks for the responses so far. It seems that nobody has the magic, quick and elegant solution that I was secretly hoping for, but there's comfort in knowing that we're not the only ones with this problem.
We really don't like telling porkies, and it's made all the worse by the fact that what we did the night before is expected to be part of the conversation when we pick him up the day after. It's one thing lying about where we're going, but having to fabricate a detailed cover story about what we did and who we saw is really pushing things.
I don't think the little fella's Grandad would refuse to sit for us if he knew what we were doing, but I equally accept that graphic details of our sex lives are not really a good topic to be discussing with parents and in-laws. As Dawnie said, some aspects are best kept private. While I'm sure our parents assume that we have sex from time to time, they're probably more comfortable believing that it's just between the pair of us.
Paid-for sitters bother me on a couple of fronts. Firstly, there's the aspect of letting a stranger into your house while you're not there (who knows what they're rummaging through or who they're bringing back?) and secondly, there's the expense, which is rather like trying to enjoy yourself while you know there's a taxi on a meter parked outside.
What would be fantastic is if we could strike up a reciprocal agreement with someone who's in exactly the same boat. Meet up, hope that the kids get along, and if they do, we can take it in turns to hold a 'sleep over' while the other parents go out and enjoy themselves. The obvious down-side of this is that the person wouldn't be CRB checked, but maybe that's just pandering to modern day British society's paranoia. We wouldn't be thinking of just dumping him with the first random person who agreed to the deal, rather we'd want to make friends with the other couple and build up some proper trust. I think I'd rather leave my child with someone who'd gained my trust over time than a random stranger who happens to have a piece of paper that really only proves that they haven't been caught doing anything untoward... yet.
Then again, what would be the legality of such an arrangement? Have reciprocal childcare agreements been officially legalised now, as long as no payment changes hands? Or have they just made exceptions under certain circumstances, while reserving the right to throw the book at someone should they feel like it?
Apologies for length. I do have a tendency to ramble.
We're swinging newbies, in case you hadn't guessed. We're full of wild ideas and looking for opportunities to try them out. The trouble being that we seem to be thwarted at just about every turn by the fact that we have a five year old. Everything else we've ever done as a couple, he's been able to tag along (as long as there's somewhere to sleep if we're going to be late.) Obviously that's not an option if you're going to a club or having a pop at dogging.
Sitters are all well and good if you're out for a few hours, but when we went to the club, we didn't get back until 3:30am. Right now, Grandad is the only one who'll have him overnight, and he's used to us asking him to do that two or three times a year. If we start asking once a fortnight, he's going to wonder what we're up to. From my point of view, I'd just tell him, but my wife wants to keep this part of our lives private when it comes to family and non-swinging friends.
I've searched and found that the subject has been mentioned on other threads, but doesn't appear to have been the prime focus anywhere before and I can't see anyone discussing specific arrangements. It's obvious that we're not the only ones in this boat, and I wonder what others do to get around the problem.
Quote by Gufuncouple
The scenario:-
Woke up this morning, went for the usual shower & shave, only to find the razor blades had gone blunt - search for replacement blades - none in the house. Looks for electric razor only to find the dammed things lost its charge. Today's excuse will have to be 'designer stubble' lol
Women do it all the time, some men wax their backs / chests / legs etc - so why not a facial wax for blokes..??
Has anyone ever tried it? Or, is this a waxing step 'too far'confused:

I bought a waxing kit, for a more conventional use. It specifically says not to use it on male facial hair.
Having given it some thought, I think the main problem is that the follicles are that much closer together, meaning that you'll have to pull that much harder, which will hurt that much more. If you're prepared to tolerate the pain (or if you think you'll enjoy it) then perhaps it's worth a shot.
Another problem is the redness that you can get on your skin after waxing larger areas. It only lasts for a few hours, but you don't really want to go out of the house with your face looking like a baboon's backside. It really doesn't matter how red your nether regions are as long as you're not showing them to anyone.
Finally, there's the no.1 pitfall of waxing; you have to let it grow back to around 5mm before you're able to wax again. So while you'll probably spend a week (or maybe two) completely smooth, you'll be sporting a lot more than designer stubble by the time it's long enough to wax again.
Quote by Funlovers2009
Okay, we're getting a feel for things now, and we've realised that it's often the norm to go into chat and find that nobody wants to talk to you. Lots are already bogged down in whispers, and I suspect that a few have gone to sleep.
The guy in question seems to have stopped checking our profile now, so hopefully that's the end of it. I just hope he isn't giving another bunch of newbies the same hassle that he gave us.

Which is why you should report him.
I have seen lots of bitching and slagging off of members in the chatroom, once by a couple we were arranging to meet. We cancelled and told them exactly why. There is no need for it!! No matter what anyone says, it happens!! It's shit and it does put people off. I wouldnt meet anyone who does it and there are some people who I originally thought were friends who I am a liitle wiery of now after hearing them slag off other site members.
People can talk about me as much as they like (although as far as I am aware no one has). While theyre bitching about me they're leaving someone else alone and as long as I know, and my genuine friends know shit aint true then I say feck em!!! lol
Point taken, though in our defence, we were total newbies (only here a couple of days) and hadn't got a feel for what was 'normal.' Everyone else so far has been perfectly respectful. We haven't had to block a solitary person apart from this guy, because people have been prepared to leave us some space and not message us every 10 minutes if they see us on-line but we haven't responded to their latest PM.
If it happened now, I wouldn't hesitate to report him. As it stands, perhaps he's calmed down and deserves a second chance. I really don't know. It wouldn't be fair of me to identify him in public, or probably even in private for that matter. Though based on his attitude, and how far out of kilter it seems to be with the rest of the site, I wouldn't be surprised if most people had a pretty good idea of who I was talking about anyway.
I should clarify that this guy has not, to the best of my knowledge, bad-mouthed us in chat. When we were telling us to leave him alone, he did tell us that others in chat had been bitching about us because "we didn't know what we wanted." He's probably right to a degree (about the 'not knowing' rather than the bitching) though I'm sure we're not the first newbies to show up here full of fantasies and wild ideas, only to find through experience and common sense that some of them are best left as fantasies.
I'm half tempted to unblock him, see if he starts harassing us again, and then report him if he does. Though perhaps the most sensible thing for us to do at this point is leave things as they are and enjoy the respectful, non-pushy members of the site, who seem to be by far the majority.
Okay, we're getting a feel for things now, and we've realised that it's often the norm to go into chat and find that nobody wants to talk to you. Lots are already bogged down in whispers, and I suspect that a few have gone to sleep.
The guy in question seems to have stopped checking our profile now, so hopefully that's the end of it. I just hope he isn't giving another bunch of newbies the same hassle that he gave us.
Oh well, it looks like you just answered my question.
Wifey is at home tonight, and I'm in a hotel, working away. We were quite looking forward to meeting each other in one of the chat rooms tonight and perhaps having a laugh with some of the regulars.
I'll phone her and give her the bad news :sad:
Thanks for the reassurances. They're exactly what we were looking for.
We're not too sure about etiquette at this point (we've only been here just over a week) so we really don't want to report the guy. Perhaps some people like 'pushy.' Perhaps some are always happy to perform on cam at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, for him, that just isn't us. We weren't comfortable with the situation and he'd already ignored a request to tone things down. We felt that it was our right to end the interaction.
We weren't bothered until wifey was seemingly ignored in all of the rooms last night. As I said first time around, it could be a technical issue. Though after his comment that people in chat were bitching behind our backs, we wondered whether he'd been spreading a malicious rumour of some sort to make sure that people ignored us.
We're going away for a few nights, but we'll give chat another go once we get back.
Thanks again smile
Just wondering whether we've fallen victim to this, or whether we're just having technical difficulties.
The story goes thusly...
We (well wifey mostly) have been having some good laughs in the chat room. We've also been camming with a few people. In case you haven't guessed, we haven't broken our real-life swinging duck yet, but things seemed to be going well enough.
We decided to perform on cam for a guy, which was fun. Trouble was that he wouldn't leave us alone after that. A constant in-flow of messages into our inbox whenever he saw us on-line (we'd have replied in our own time, but he wanted an instant response.) He was also forever getting us on messenger, asking us if we'd cam again and expressing his disappointment and asking us to reconsider when we wouldn't. I thought the first rule of this swinging malarkey was that 'no' meant 'no.'
After a couple of days, we'd had enough and I told him as much. He told us that everyone in the chat room was bitching about us after we left because we didn't know what we wanted. We took it with a pinch of salt at the time.
But seeing as we're either invisible or being ignored in the chat room right now, we're starting to wonder whether he's been spreading rumours. We've noticed that he's still looking at our profile every day, so we don't think the matter is settled as far as he's concerned.
Comments, and preferably reassurances, would be appreciated at this point. I suppose if all else fails, we'll just stop using the chat room. We're still getting plenty of interesting offers elsewhere on SH ;)