This thread admirably describes the demise of the once prominent sauna scene in Edinburgh. It also highlights the demise of the popular long term indies who have been edged out off their own patch over the last few years by a more transient population of girls offering their services. Arguably, in going so, staining their own reputation.
The WGs have been removed from the streets - thankfully - and the saunas are being shut down slowly, but surely. It is uncertain how brexit will effect the indie scene, but I fear it will create a hidden under-class which will be more problematic.
In short, I fear the list above will read "Former Edinburgh Saunas."
Not sure it's as bleak as the picture you paint.
Will be interesting to see how the sauna situation is dealt with now you have both LibDems and Conservative leader Ruth Davidson calling for the system and policy to continue in Edinburgh.
Clearly the police are divided on the issue at senior level but are now stating that they accept that some people are doing the work as a lifestyle choice but will act when there is other criminality detected.
Similar line from the Crown Office and PF, excluding the line about lifestyle choice.
The public, when consulted, overwhelmingly back pragmatic regulation over dogmatic pious quasi - religious nanny state interference. Look at the Edinburgh Sauna Licensing Public Consultation: over 80% of those respondents backed retaining the system as was. Of course the city council had been painted into the corner by the new single police force and was only ever going to vote to end the system at that point.
The closures to date have been for economic reasons not through pressure from council or police.
As stated, at least two more will close sooner rather than later and this is really just the market rebalancing itself after the events and with so much competition from Indies now as well it's inevitable that the smaller less well run places will not be economically viable.
Edinburgh can probably support 3 - 5 saunas in current climate and with the large number of flats in operation.
Don't really share you pessimism on the indie front - you have to dig deeper and look harder but there are still nuggets of gold in them there hills.
This industry is going nowhere. The likes of Rhoda Grant and her Ilk, if they really cared about the people working in it rather than just their own column inches each week, would understand that and act to help rather than disrupt and cause potentially serious harm to people.
