LGBT public houses in London

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about LGBT public houses in London

Answer 1

Admiral Duncan (pub)

Admiral Duncan (pub)

The Admiral Duncan is a public house in Old Compton Street, Soho in central London that is well-known as one of Soho's oldest gay pubs. It is named after Admiral Adam Duncan, who defeated the Dutch fleet at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797. In recent history, the pub was the scene of a nail bomb attack carried out by a neo-Nazi, David Copeland, on 30 April 1999.

The Admiral Duncan has been trading since at least 1832. In June of that year, Dennis Collins, a wooden-legged, Irish ex-sailor living there was charged with high treason for throwing stones at King William IV at Ascot Racecourse. Collins was convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered, as the medieval punishment for high treason was then still in effect. However, his sentence was quickly commuted to life imprisonment. and he was subsequently transported to Australia. In December 1881 a customer received eight years penal servitude for various offences in connection with his ejection from the Admiral Duncan public house by keeper William Gordon.

It was once in the ownership of the Scottish & Newcastle Brewery but was bought in 2004 by the Tattershall Castle Group, now known as TCG .

The exterior of the bar was repainted in a black and pink motif in late 2006. In late 2005, Westminster City Council decreed that the Admiral Duncan and all other LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) bars and gay businesses that operated in its jurisdiction, including those in Soho and Covent Garden, remove their pride flags claiming that such flags constituted advertising which was forbidden in its planning laws. Businesses would be required to apply for permits to be allowed to fly flags, but the businesses that applied for permission found their applications turned down for spurious reasons. Following media allegations of homophobia in the Council, the I Love Soho campaign and intense pressure from the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, the Council rescinded its directive, and rainbow flags were once again permitted to be flown.

...

Wikipedia

Answer 2

The Black Cap

The Black Cap was a gay pub in Camden Town, London known for its drag cabaret, and popular from the mid-1960s until it closed in April 2015.

The pub was initially called the Mother Black Cap after a local legend concerning a witch, and had that name, according to licensing records, as early as 1751.

In the winter of 1965/66 the pub become predominantly known for a homosexual clientele, and in the later 20th century it became known for its drag queen cabaret, and promoted itself as the "Palladium of drag". Drag acts under the 'Baton' of Tony Page, who became the first Resident Compére from 1969 until 1976 and Resident Duo Frankie Rae and David Thallon, Hinge and Bracket started their careers at the pub.

A notable regular performer at The Black Cap was Rex Jameson's drag persona, Mrs Shufflewick. A performance was recorded there in 1972. Rex Jameson was a variety artist who hit the big time in the 1950s and 1960s, and went on to attract audiences in the 1970s. The character Mrs Shufflewick was celebrated by artists such as Danny La Rue, Roy Hudd, Bob Monkhouse, Barry Cryer and Barry Humphries. Mrs Shufflewick appeared weekly for Sunday lunch during the 1970s. A Hammond organ played by Frankie Rae and drum kit played by David Thallon took pride of place on a tiny stage upon which Mrs Shufflewick performed two shows, usually with fellow-artiste Mark Fleming. Sunday crowds were large and included Charles Hawtrey, Barry Humphries and Barry Cryer.

Jameson died in 1983 and in memorial, the upstairs bar was called The Shufflewick Bar. Jojo Martin said of Rex Jameson, "Rex Jameson was a genius at his craft, I think the book written about him, ('The Amazing Mrs Shufflewick'), is a very apt title, he was amazing, looking at the photograph on the dust jacket, it is no wonder many thought Rex really was Mrs Shufflewick, rather than a female impersonation act, he should never be forgotten and should always be remembered with the other greats, such as Arthur Lucan (Old Mother Riley) and George Logan and Patrick Fyffe Hinge and Bracket".

...

Wikipedia

Answer 3

Candy Bar (London)

Candy Bar was a lesbian bar that was based in Carlisle Street in Soho, London. It was started in 1996 by Kim Lucas who decorated the interior pink and provided lap and pole dancing. Men were allowed into the bar if accompanied by a woman.

In 2011, the bar was sold by Lucas to Gary Henshaw, owner of the Ku chain of London gay bars. New management brought in by Henshaw toned down the bright pink decoration. The bar was featured in a Channel 5 six-part fly-on-the-wall documentary series named Candy Bar Girls.

The bar closed in January 2014 following an increase in rents.

Coordinates: 51°30′54″N 0°08′01″W / 51.5149°N 0.1336°W / 51.5149; -0.1336

...

Wikipedia

Answer 4

Comptons of Soho

Comptons of Soho is a gay pub in London. Situated at 51–53 Old Compton Street in the heart of Soho's 'Gay village', Comptons has been an integral part of London's gay scene since June 1986.

The building was designed by architects W. A. Williams and Hopton and was built as The Swiss Hotel in 1890. Williams and Hopton exhibited their design for the Swiss Hotel in 1890 at the Royal Academy. An illustration of the original building was published in "The Builder" of 25 October 1890

By the 1950s the Swiss Hotel had been renamed to "The Swiss Tavern" and was known as "not entirely straight". By 1986 the Swiss Tavern had been renovated and renamed to "Comptons Of Soho" as a gay bar. In November 2006 it celebrated its twentieth anniversary, at which time, QX Magazine referred to it as "The Grand Dame of Queer Street".

Comptons is a large, Victorian styled pub with two bars. The ground floor bar is a horse-shoe bar and it attracts a varied gay male crowd, including many tourists. Upstairs, there is a lounge area.

As of August 2015, it is operated by the Faucet Inn pub company.

Coordinates: 51°30′45″N 0°07′57″W / 51.5126°N 0.1326°W / 51.5126; -0.1326

...

Wikipedia

Answer 5

George and Dragon, Shoreditch

The George and Dragon is a pub at 2-4 Hackney Road, Shoreditch, London.

In August 2015, the pub's closure was announced, due to a "dramatic" rent increase, and there is a campaign for it to become an Asset of Community Value.

It was a well-known gay venue, and featured live arts projects in conjunction with the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and was known for "total fun and mindless hedonism".

Coordinates: 51°31′46.9″N 0°4′28.6″W / 51.529694°N 0.074611°W / 51.529694; -0.074611

...

Wikipedia

Answer 6

The Joiners Arms

The Joiners' Arms is an LGBT pub and nightclub on Hackney Road in East London. It announced in May 2017 that it will be re-opening as a weekly Sunday night venue at Ye Olde Axe public house, Hackney Road, London. The re-launch of the Joiners Arms is being led by its former management.

The original pub, which closed in 2015, had been central to the East London gay scene since it was opened in 1997 by David Alexander Pollard. It had been described as "Britain's trendiest gay dive" with gay public figures including Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Patrick Wolf known to have frequented the venue, and with events hosted by gay entertainers Scottee and Jodie Harsh. The venue had been open to a range of gay subcultures such as the bear scene and drag queens. Due to its late night opening and free entry, the Joiners' Arms had a reputation for being a "last chance saloon" and sometimes having a rough crowd, but this has also been described as part of its appeal. The old building is due to be demolished to make way for redevelopment. There is a campaign to save the building as a protected community asset

Coordinates: 51°31′46.9″N 0°4′28.6″W / 51.529694°N 0.074611°W / 51.529694; -0.074611

...

Wikipedia