XX CLOSED HP11 1HE Halfway House, High Wycombe

[zante]

From the archives, but a search on BT EDQ shows no pubs of that name any more, so it may not be open.....

High Wycombe
Dispatches from the outer provinces of the London strip empire
The Half Way House
Address: 706 London Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Strip hours: Monday and Wednesday 14.30 - 18.00. Friday 14.00 - 18.00.
The Half Way House is situated on the A40 leading into High Wycombe. To reach it take the M40 out of London and turn off at Junction 3. Follow the A40 for several miles until you see the Halfway House on your left. There is a reasonably large car park to one side of the pub. Alternatively, there are spaces in the nearby side streets. Otherwise, the pub is accessible via a 1-2 mile taxi-ride from High Wycombe station.

The pub itself is a fairly old red brick pub. A sign on a post outside advertises the presence of exotic dancers, (not to mention Karaoke and other such delights.) It has a beer garden to the rear, adjoining the small river that flows behind the pub.

Entry to the pub is via a small pair of double doors towards the left hand side of the front of the pub. Enter through these and you are in a section of a pub with a pool table. The entrance to the toilets is on the opposite side of the pool table.

To get to the area where strips take place turn to your right and you will come to the bar. Running along the length of the bar are a series of benches, supplemented with tables and chairs. This long, narrow area is fairly low ceilinged, the half-timbered effect lightened with rows of slowly flashing fairy lights. These lights serve to brighten the area, which would otherwise be a little gloomy.

The Acts

There are two girls a shift. As there is no stage they dance in 'walk-around' mode. They generally strip in the main bar area, with occasional forays to the pool table. The music comes from the jukebox situated in one corner of the bar area. This tends to restrict the dancer's choice of music.

The view is generally good, although to see the stripper to best advantage it is best to be in the centre of the bar area. Even situated there, there will be occasions when the dancer is out of view by the pool table, etc. These intermissions are of short duration.

The dances occur at relatively short intervals, the second dancer starting her collection almost immediately her predecessor has finished dancing. On the occasions I have been in the pub, the atmosphere has seemed a little flat. This seems to communicate itself to the dancers, who strip competently enough, but in a slightly disinterested manner.

Additional Services

There are no additional services, dancing being confined to the walk around strips.

Summary

This is a pleasant strip pub, slightly lacking in atmosphere. It is worth a visit, which can be combined with a trip to the White Horse, High Wycombe's other strip pub. This is about a 20-minute drive away.

[Phil W, 15 June 2003]


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The Flint Cottage no longer has dancers at any time.
[Alistair Watts, 7th September 2004]

Flint Cottage - 90% sure they do not have strippers any more.

[Jan, 3rd November 2003]

The Halfway House in High Wycombe has really got the bit between its teeth - it was full of flyers announcing that it will now have its exotic dancers on Mondays as well as Wednesdays and Fridays. Each day's shows will now run from 1.30 to (I think) 6.30 pm, which means starting an hour earlier. The chalkboard outside the pub still talks of Wed and Fri from 2.30, but I'm inclined to believe the flyers.

[pppppppp, 6th November 2002]

After a summer break in September, Wednesdays and Fridays are up and running again. As has been mentioned before, a pleasant pub, with drinks at pub prices. Well worth a visit.

Two girls each afternoon; often very good looking. No stage, so the girls dance in the bar area - which is a bit dark - moving through to the pool room if there's anyone in there. So unfortunately you miss some of the dance - do you watch the strip in the bar, or wait for her to swing her legs up onto the pool table? Wednesdays are better than Fridays in my experience; fewer punters means there's less of a wait between dances, and often the girls will stay in the main bar. The dancing can be a bit raunchier too; you can often get a bum in your lap at some stage during a dance.

[yelobeli, 18th October 2002]

Just wanted to update Flint Cottage for you. Its write up is not the best in the world and doesn't reflect how it is now: every Tuesday & Thursday, from 8pm-11pm. There's a jug collection and also private dances. This venue is under new management.

[Janice of Entertease, 8th September 2002]

The striptease scene in High Wycombe can be visited on a day trip. And for me that day was Good Friday. To my knowledge there are 3 pubs in High Wycombe that have dancers on:

Flint Cottage Tuesdays 8.30-11pm (Rainbow)
Halfway House Weds and Fri: 2.30-6.30pm (Rainbow)
The White Horse Fri: 12.30-5.45pm; Sat: 12.30-3.30pm; Mon (except public holidays): 12.30-2pm (non-Rainbow)
Flint Cottage: Stepping out of the station it was frustrating to see that the nearest venue, just opposite the station, only does dancers on a Tuesday night, but I knew that beforehand. Before catching my train back I ventured inside and it was an awful looking pub, but that's not unusual. Functional toilets, overpriced and unimaginative beers (Courage Best, Guinness) and food is available between 11-4 and 6-9. There does not seem to be a stage. But others may have to fill in for me unless I return on a Tuesday night.

Halfway House: The pub is 2 miles off High Wycombe city centre. It looks the sort of place where you would take the wife and the kids for a Sunday ploughmans. A pleasant enough looking pub (unlike the shithole by the same name in Southall) by the waterside. Beers are: Cask Tetley’s and Guinness. The atmosphere was friendly and non-threatening. The place even has a beer garden. There were about forty men and four ladies (not watching) in the audience.

Two girls were on: Inti does the Sportsbar & Queen Anne, and has a Geronimo (the Indian chief who took the last armed stand against white rule in North America) tattoo on her back and the unique habit of not collecting in a jug, but in a cigar box container to check everyone’s contribution meticulously before putting it into a leatherstyle handbag. She made her first appearance at the Halfway House, and the dancing itself was immaculate. Robyn is a tall girl, with a great cleavage, and a friendly enough personality. She does the Halfway House about once a month and is otherwise to be seen at The Woolpack and The Vicoria. Therefore, those of you who feel unable to leave their beloved Shoreditch will not be able to see her...

[john_burgess]

I think it stopped having dancers two or three years ago. It has a glorious location right next to the river and was going to be turned into a restaurant type pub. The name has probably been changed.

[pleasure_seeker]

Confirmation that this pub closed in 2005.

http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/buckinghams ... house.html

Subsequently demolished and replaced with flats.