… Mighty Munches Grow!
When I was asked to write something of my interest and participation in the world of D/s or BDSM my mind went blank and then into a massive spin to rival the fastest washing machine. The subject is so huge, and is now so much a part of my life I could not see a way of writing anything that would not end up being the length of 'War and Peace' - but much more boring!
Several days and a few bottles of wine later I began to focus on the way in which we became organisers of events, developers of a very simple web site and owners of a list and an IRC chat room.
Our interest well and truly fired by the possibilities and excitements of expanding the scenes we were playing into a 24/7 relationship, we decided that it would be really good to try and meet some local people to talk to and pinch ideas from. We thought there was bound to be a group in Lincoln, but we were very wrong. The nearest munch we could get to easily was in Hull.
They were, and still are, a very welcoming bunch and we have made some good friends over the water but my partner has MS amongst a few other things, and I own a guide dog, so as her health deteriorated the drive to Hull was tiring her so much all she wanted to do was sleep when we got there. We had found the Hull group through their e-mail list. Whiling away the evening in a candle lit room with even the dogs and cats falling prey to the indolent atmosphere my partner, Angel-heart, began to muse about starting our own list amongst a welter of other ideas. By that time we had found an old list that had tried to get started, but we had been on it a month and received four messages - our own!
The next morning that seed had germinated and the computer was hard at work looking at all the options for hosting a list. Topica was chosen as there is an option for 'no adverts' and Lincolnshire_BDSM was born. We really did not expect much, given the moribund state of our predecessor, but posted to the newsgroups announcing another list had entered the world. That was November 1st 2001.
By the end of November we had thirty members and enough messages to make us think this might just work. The chat room was started just after that and offers us the chance to talk in 'real time' to each other in a group. It started getting significant numbers but has settled down now as members have migrated to ICQ, Yahoo and the like.
It was soon obvious that a munch would be the next step, but how would it be best to get directions out to the wider world. We were also getting some decent links to websites sent to us by members who had tried the services offered on them or got good advice, so being the genius I am I bowed to the inevitable and started a website - don't get excited - basic doesn't describe it. There is more glitz on a packet of matches! This little wretch first saw the light of day on the 17th of January 2002.
We did not want a site covered in someone else's advertising but initially struggled to find a host that did not rub their greedy hands at the mention of the words "adult content". We ended up, after a brief affair with a British host, sending our money abroad but now have a very reliable host who keep their noses out of what we do.
Again, the site is nothing special, but the "hits" we produce are staggering. It is just a site to reflect the interests of, and to give information to, our list. Still, our providers don't mind the traffic so all we can do is smile. The most unusual characters that have admitted using our site is a local group for the disabled who visit our diary to look for the "wheelchair" symbol as a guide to just how accessible a building is, as a wheelchair user and a visually impaired person both check it out! They won't tell me who exactly found the rating system in the first place.... :)
By this time we had reached the dark cold month of February so we picked a local pub and set about having a meal which we called a munch. We were totally convinced it would be myself, Angel-heart and Gibson (the guide dog) but 24 souls, including a contingent from Hull, filed into the snug. It certainly was!
This has also settled down. We have seen as many as twenty seven and as few as four, but not once has it not been enlivening and good fun. Three more riotous occasions followed before we expanded to a midweek evening 'Munchlet'. There is now another one run by a list member in Gainsborough.
The next logical step was a party, and our first was organised with the aid of a local pro-domme who closed her house on the busiest day of the week (for her) to get us started. The pictures are still on the site, and it really got us off to a good start. The ones since have always been smaller as we just don't have the room for that many people, and we don't have a converted 17th century cellar or a wickedly designed school room to play in!
We had been developing our play room slowly, so now the parties are held at our home, but that also threw up another problem several list members were having. Privacy. So we now allow people to book the facilities in advance and use them in small groups. The total damage caused has been the loss of one clip and it has become an established tradition not of our making that when it is used in such a way the 'guests' leave something behind for others to use.
It is the best feeling in the world to allow a cross dresser a few hours "release", to have people do the things that make them feel 'round' rather than 'flat' or to have a couple disappear into the play room for some "over the knee" where the neighbours won't call the police at the first shriek. That particular couple are a hoot as half an hour later they reappear, very rosy faced, waving their goodbyes as they rush home to release all that energy they have built up!
So here we are, in December 2002. We have a Christmas party planned, two munches going ahead and the Gainsborough 'munchlet' going from strength to strength. The website is more popular than we ever could have believed, and our playroom has now got a waiting list.... We have even spawned a "copy cat" list! All in around fourteen months....
Don't just read about it, don't just dream about it. Get to a munch, join the e-mail groups. If there isn't one for your area or interest, start one, but be careful, it really CAN change your life!
© 2002 Shadow
ICQ No. 89176709 mIRC ID: Shadow-Imp
