Spotted on the Streets of Bristol

Like any creature, Leathermen are men of habit. During these colder, darker nights it’s not uncommon to spot Leathermen flocking together and cruising the streets of town, looking for like minded souls.

These darker months see the number of Leathermen on the streets increase. It won’t be uncommon to see a few booted and Muir capped men. As the Winter comes, the leather gets tighter - it creaks all the more. Frosty nights amplify the thud of a tall boot on an Old Market pavement slab and cobbled streets.

Admirers of this species, which brings together so many of prized manly qualities, have long sought out the Leathermen’s haunts in order to catch a glimpse of a fine display of boots, jackets and breeches. To catch a touch. To talk to their ideal.

On Saturday night, an unplanned call for Leathermen to ‘turn-up and meet’ for a ‘Leather Flash Mob’ in the bars and streets of Old Market in Bristol were treated to a collection of Leathermen. Proudly displaying their gear for all to see - as expected, the range and breadth of the Leather Community through all its tribes were evident: a tall proud Langlitz Leather Cop, booted, capped, gloved; the eager and sometimes cheeky ‘biker boy’; horny looking men in a relaxed ‘urban leather’ look of tight, shiny, butt hugging pants, a Tee and waistcoat.

It was a hot sight to see these guys happy and comfortable in the company of each other in this ‘band of brothers’ and also being admired by those around them. Some Leathermen meet each other for the first time, some were refreshing friendships from a past as well as ‘finally we meet’ moments after having previously chatted on-line.

Such sightings are becoming an increasingly regular occurrence in Bristol at this time of year. The clocks go back - the Leathermen come out to play! With this increased visibility of Leathermen, Bristol continues to grow its reputation as a perfect habitat for Leathermen. Not only are guys more confident at being seen out and about than ever before, there is a rowing sense of being comfortable chatting and sharing a beer in the bars of Old Market.

Many of their admirers are taking more than a passing interest when they see a troop of Leathermen. Saturday night saw several guys respectfully approach members of the group to make enquirers and to find out more about what it takes to enjoy the pleasures of leather. “I love your leather….”, was the usual opening line. That salutation was a good opening line which engage a few Leathermen during the night’s events.

As the ‘mob’ developed, there were moments where the natural behaviour of Leathermen could be observed. Being inducted to the role of ‘boi’, a newcomer to the mob soon found his feet (or more accurately, his knees!!). He began to clean the leather jeans, pants and breeches of guys that had ‘accidental’ spillages of beer - a bonding ritual that didn’t go unobserved by onlookers. Hooded, obeying the orders of his keeper, more than a few heads were turned. One or two simply ‘couldn’t cope with it (-‘get over yourself’)’, whilst a troop of Leathermen conversed as if to be oblivious to being served by a willing tongue to correct spillages of beer on leather.

A very sensual bonding of these band of brothers it was.

Another enjoyed the embrace of another’s Langlitz jacket, causing more than a ripple of excitement. Showing more than a curious interest, one Leatherman to another Leatherman, displayed a level of trust and respect not commonly observed: being allowed to try on a Langlitz jacket for weight, fit, feel and smell. It is a fine moment.

To see a troops of Leathermen out in town, perfectly at ease and to see the non-leather community embrace them is testament to the work of all those that have supported the leather community in the past few years - club and bar owners, local men in the Leather community and those willing to travel to the city. With continued support and an increased visible presence, Leathermen will continue to flourish in Bristol and will have found a natural habitat in which to settle.

For Leathermen there out on the streets and in the bars, one very strong common theme emerged. The need to share, a desire to meet and a drive to experience. There’s a growing disillusionment with the Web: hook-up and dating states just don’t do it. Virtual or real?

As of Saturday night the verdict is in - loud and strong. Keep it Real!

Notes:

Flashmobs are unplanned and spontaneous events. They are just general invites to ‘turn up and meet’. Then see how the night develops. Designed to be a meet of people with a shared passion or interest, Flashmobs are an opportunity for Leathermen to meet, for emerging Leathermen to make contacts and allows for the curious and ‘wannabes’ to approach, engage and learn.