Massage parlour life - an undercover investigation - ExaminerLive

[massage]

An undercover reporter recently went to Bubbles - a well-known Derby massage parlour - to discover exactly what goes on behind closed doors.

Derbyshire Live reporter Nick Reid had previously visited the establishment described as "part of Derby folklore" to speak to the owner and have a guided tour.

But this time an unnamed reporter was totally incognito - and here's what he found:

A pair of women's eyes give you the once-over through a little hatch in the door when you ring the bell. It feels secretive, as if you're entering a mysterious, clandestine world.

The eyes in the door seem satisfied I am no threat to security or the women who work here.

In a vestibule, a woman asks for a name and I give her the name of a friend - the first that came into my head.

She has clocked me as a Bubbles virgin and explains the tariffs. It’s £25 to get in the building and for an extra fiver you get an hour, rather than 30 minutes.

Then you have to pay for the actual massage. Prices start at £30 and for that you get a massage from a scantily-clad woman.

Fishnet stockings and a lacy bra


£40 buys a topless massage, for £50 the masseur is naked and £60 gets you a massage in one of the VIP rooms.

I pay the initial £25 quid and wonder how the finance department will view my expenses claim.

In the waiting room, there is a woman sitting on a settee wearing a part-unbuttoned short black tunic, fishnet stockings plus a lacy bra and pants set.

Given her attire, you would perhaps expect a pair of heels but she's wearing what look like black trainers - if you work on your feet, it makes sense to wear flats however out of place they appear.

Fortunately I appear to be alone in Bubbles which removes that awkward conversation risk...

'Hello dad, fancy seeing you here.'

'Long time no see, Reverend.'

Our reporter went undercover at massage parlour Bubbles Spa
Do you want me naked?


Now in the massage room, I take a shower and wrap a towel around myself. The place is clean, if a little shabby.

I opt for oil - which gets into your muscles more easily - rather than lotion and confirm that I am required to be naked.

I am now naked in front of a woman I met just minutes earlier - a first, for what it's worth. I lie face down on the massage table, feeling very exposed. as she starts to work her hands up my thighs.

A mirror on the wall reveals her tunic is too short to cover her buttocks so I can see her underwear as she bends over to work her hands across my legs.

Small Talk


I concoct a dreary back story about work while she says it's been quiet because we're approaching Christmas. It is like a conversation with a hairdresser, only naked.

"When the weather’s bad or the football’s on, it’s totally dead," she says.

She talks about her worries for her family and the future. She's self-employed so if the clients dry up, so does her income.

Next comes the up-sell.

"With naked massage you have the option of body massage where the woman will massage you with her breasts," she offers.

"You can give the girl a massage as well, like a reverse massage," she says.

"We’ve also got two VIP rooms, one with the jacuzzi where the lady will join you either before or after your massage."

It's doubtful my expenses claim would stretch to this.

Our reporter went undercover at massage parlour Bubbles Spa
Naked and exposed


"Do you want to turn over, sweetheart?" she asks.

I roll on to my back and feel more naked and more exposed. There is a mirror on the ceiling too and I watch her work the oil into my thighs, stomach and chest.

The masseuse gets closer, more intimate. My hand is by the side of the table and her stockinged thigh occasionally presses against it. It is impossible to know whether this is accidental or part of the service.

Her hands move closer to an area that a sports massage therapist would avoid, and I tell her I'm not comfortable with her hands too close to my groin.

"OK, that’s fine," she responds.

Thinking of the future


To be clear, there's no suggestion of any wrongdoing or unlawful activity - everyone has to make a living.

The masseuse says she keeps busy on a typical day.

"On a good day... a busy day, I do maybe five or six massages.

"You’re self-employed here, doing all your own tax and stuff, and some days you don’t get any.

"You have to think of the future, especially with children, you have to think of their futures as well.

"We shut at 11 o'clock. We used to stay open till 4 o'clock in the morning but it's not as safe nowadays, we’ve been robbed a few times.

"There's security on the door so that’s good. A link straight to the police. You want to feel secure at work, don’t you?"