Secret Drker reviews Medway's olst gay pub, the Ship Inn, Rochter High Street

Contents:

• ROCHTER'S GAY BAR SCENE
• SECRET DRKER REVIEWS MEDWAY'S OLST GAY PUB, THE SHIP INN, ROCHTER HIGH STREET READ ALL MENTS | SECRET DRKER PUBLISHED: 06:00, 16 JULY 2021  | UPDATED: 07:31, 16 JULY 2021   | | | --> IT WAS THE BIGGT DAY FOR THE ENGLISH NATNAL TEAM FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY BUT ONE PUB CLARED SELF A FOOTIE-EE ZONE, GAVE THE CHEF A DAY OFF AND IGNORED ALL THE HYSTERIA.POPPG TO THE SHIP INN AT THE CHATHAM END OF ROCHTER HIGH STREET FOR A LUNCHTIME LOOSENER BEFORE THE BIG MATCH I WALKED PAST A LOL ENJOYG A SMOKE ON THE DOORSTEP BEFORE REALISG WAS THE BARMAN.RIGHT ON THE BORR WH CHATHAM, I ALMOST MISSED THE SHIP INN ON ROCHTER HIGH STREET, BUT I’M GOOD PANY ACRDG TO THE BARMAN 'AS MOST PEOPLE MISS THIS ONE'BEN THE BARTENR FOLLOWED ME , SWCHED ON THE LIGHTS AND EXPLAED HIS BOSS HAT FOOTBALL SO TOOK THE CISN TO OPEN A LTLE LATER AT 1PM AS HE DIDN’T EXPECT MANY CTOMERS.I ORRED THE CLOST THG TO BTER ON TAP, A PT OF SHIPYARD PALE ALE WHILE BEN EXPLAED HIS BOSS HAS THREE OTHER PUBS AND ALWAYS PATS THEM THE SAME SHAS OF PURPLE.HOWEVER, APPARENTLY THE TOP MAN ISN'T LOVG THE LOUR HERE AND IS PLANNG TO CHANGE TO BLUE – I AGREED ANYTHG WOULD BE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT.A REAL ‘PURPLE PATCH’ – I MT HAVE HAD MY MD ON THE FOOTIE BEE TOOK ME SOME TIME TO NOTICE JT HOW MANY DIFFERENT SHAS OF LILAC, MVE AND VLET HAVE BEEN ED AROUND THE PUBAT THIS POT MY HOST, WHO’S WORKED AT THE PUB FOR FIVE YEARS, SHIFTED THE NVERSATN DRAMATILLY WHEN HE SPOTTED SOMEONE APPROACHG THE SYNAGOGUE ACROSS THE ROAD. HE EXPLAED CLOSED DOWN SOME TIME AGO AND NOW ONLY OPENS FOR SPECIAL OCSNS SO HE LIK TO BE NEIGHBOURLY AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE GS AND GOGS AROUND THE PLACE.IT’S A PY, HE SAYS, BUT THE MUNY ISN’T BIG ENOUGH TO JTIFY KEEPG THE SYNAGOGUE OPEN BUT THEY WON’T LET GO BEE OF THE CEMETERY AT THE BACK.THE LOUR SCHEME NTU THE DANCE BAR ON THE LEFT HAD SI OF THE PUB BUT IS BROKEN UP BY THE BRICK-LOOK WALLPAPER.HIS OBSERVATNS ON THE LOL JEWISH MUNY WERE TERPTED BY DIMUTIVE MOLLY WHO ENTERED THE BAR THROUGH A DOOR AT THE BACK WEARG A MASSIVE ENGLAND SHIRT AT LEAST SEVEN SIZ TOO BIG FOR HER THAT LOOKED MORE LIKE A DRS.ALTHOUGH MOLLY, AND BEN, AND THE BOSS, ALL LIVE ABOVE THE PUB SHE GENERALLY WORKS AT ANOTHER OF HIS PUBS, WHICH WAS PLANNG TO SHOW THE FOOTIE.SHE PROCEED TO ASK BEN’S OPN WHETHER HER SHIRT SHOULD BE WORN OFF THE SHOULR OR NOT, BUT WHEN HE CLAIMED IGNORANCE AND SUGGTED SHE ASK ONE OF HER MANY GAY IENDS SHE TURNED AND ASKED MY OPN?COCKTAILS ON TAP – THERE IS CURRENTLY A SELECTN OF THREE ON OFFER BUT BEN ASSURED ME A NEW FOURTH CKTAIL WILL BE ADD TO THE LIST VERY SHORTLYSLABBED WALL-TO-WALL, THE OUTSI AREA AT THE BACK OF THE PUB IS QUE EXTENSIVEWHETHER I WAS PRE-OCCUPIED WH NCERNS THE AZZURRI WOULD BEAT ON PENALTI OR WAS SIMPLY SLEEPWALKG AND FAILED TO NOTICE THE MASSIVE RABOW FLAG ON THE CEILG WHERE EVERYONE ELSE WAS FLYG ST GEE'S, SUDNLY DAWNED ON ME, THIS IS A GAY BAR. AS I WAS THE ONLY CTOMER , I TOOK THE OPPORTUNY TO EXPLORE THE PLACE MORE TAIL AND DISVERED A 100% PAVED OUTDOOR AREA, MORE RABOW FLAGS, A PURPLE POOL TABLE AND CKTAILS ON TAP.RETURNG TO THE MA BAR, BEN CID NOW I’D GOT THE MEASURE OF THE PLACE WAS TIME TO TE ME FURTHER.PHOTOS ON THE BAR WALL CLEARLY SHOW THE SHIP INN HAS A NSIRABLE HISTORY. BUT, ADDG THE TAIL AND LOUR OF THE PUB’S FASCATG PAST FALLS TO BEN BEHD THE BARAPPARENTLY HIS MATE RECENTLY PILED A HISTORY OF ROCHTER HIGH STREET AND PROUDLY RMED ME THE PUB IS OVER 500 YEARS OLD AND MEDWAY’S OLST GAY BAR – NOT ONLY THIS, BUT HE NFINTLY CLARED THAT THE PURPLE DANCE BAR ON THE LEFT, PLETE WH S BRICK-LOOK WALLPAPER, WAS THE SE OF THE FIRST ARRT AND NVICTN FOR BUGGERY WAY BACK THE DAYS OF HENRY VIII.NEVER AAID OF A SWIFT NVERSATN CHANGE, BEN NEXT EXPLAED THAT WHILST THE WHOLE PLACE HAD RECENTLY BEEN RERATED THE GENTS MISSED OUT AS THE BUILRS RAN OUT OF TIME.HE WAS ADAMANT NO EXPENSE HAD BEEN SPARED ON THE LADI AND, AS THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AND NO-ONE WAS AROUND, HE SISTED I TAKE A LOOK. HOWEVER, AS AN EX-PLUMBER, HE ALSO FELT NECSARY TO TELL ME LADI ARE MUCH LS REFUL WH THEIR TOILETS AND AT ONE POT THEY WERE GETTG THROUGH THREE SEATS A WEEK. I JT AGREED THEY LOOKED MUCH SMARTER.THE GENTS, WH S LENGTHY STALS STEEL URAL, MIGHT APPEAR A B TATTY NEXT TO THE RT OF THE PUB BUT I THOUGHT WAS OKAY. HOWEVER, PLUMBER/BARMAN BEN WAS TERMED I SHOULD TAKE A LOOK SI THE LADI AND I HAVE TO AGREE IS MUCH BETTER FISHED.TANTALISGLY THERE WAS A BLACKBOARD DISPLAYG SEVERAL MEALS – AND ROASTS ARE UALLY AVAILABLE ON A SUNDAY – BUT TO BE FAIR I HAD ALREADY BEEN RMED FOOD WASN'T BEG SERVED BEE OF THE BIG MATCH. I FOUND MY VIS FASCATG BUT I’M THE FIRST TO ACCEPT THIS WAS NO ORDARY DAY AT THE SHIP, WHICH APART OM A ‘NORMAL’ SUNDAY WHEN CLOS AT MIDNIGHT, HAS A 2AM LICENCE EVERY DAY.THURSDAY IS, I’M RELIABLY RMED, PARTICULARLY POPULAR AS ’S KARAOKE NIGHT. IT WAS AN TERTG EXPERIENCE TO BE THE ONLY CTOMER AND HAVE THE FULL ATTENTN OF A CHATTY BARMAN BUT I MIGHT NEED TO REVIS TO SAMPLE THE REAL SHIP INN. NB, I HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO VERIFY BEN’S HISTORIL REFERENC... THE OWNER SISTED HIS POOL TABLE WAS REVERED PURPLE BAIZE AND WENT TO A FAIR B OF TROUBLE AND EXPENSE TO GET DONE. HOWEVER, HE’S NOT AS NCERNED ABOUT THE CLASH WH THE FIREPLACE SURROUNDSHIP INN, 347 HIGH STREET, ROCHTER ME1 1DA DER: INCREDIBLY PURPLE, THE PLACE HAS BEEN FULLY RATED, WH THE EXCEPTN OF THE GENTS, BUT THE HEAVY, DARK BEAMS DON’T DO THE SHAS OF VLET AND LILAC ANY JTICE. ** DRK: THE SHIPYARD WAS OKAY BUT I SWCHED ACROSS TO THE KRONENBOURG, WHICH WAS ALSO FE, THOUGH PERHAPS JT A LTLE ON THE FLAT SI. ** THERE IS A TV SCREEN THE DANCE BAR BUT, GIVEN THE PUB LIGHTS WEREN’T EVEN SWCHED ON WHEN I WALKED , I WASN’T SURPRISED TO SEE WAS NOT ONPRICE: EVERYTHG ON TAP SEEMED TO BE £4 A PT. THE FOSTERS WAS SLIGHTLY CHEAPER BUT MOLLY AND BEN ULDN’T CI BETWEEN THEM WHETHER ’S £3.80 OR £3.90. *** FOOD: SUNDAY ROAST WOULD UALLY BE AVAILABLE BUT THE BOSS WAS SO SURE NO-ONE WOULD BE EATG OUT BEE OF THE FOOTIE HE HAD GIVEN THE CHEF A DAY OFF. STAFF: BEN, ABLY SUPPORTED BY HIS IC SISHOW MOLLY, PROVID GREAT ENTERTAMENT AND WAS, BY SOME DISTANCE, THE BT THG ABOUT THIS HIGH STREET PUB. ****THE FOOD ON THE BLACKBOARD LOOKED REASONABLY PRICED, BUT WH THE CHEF NOWHERE TO BE FOUND I DIDN’T GET THE CHANCE TO SAMPLE SO MUCH AS A FISH FGER SANDWICHVIEWG THE BACK OF THE PUB OM THE OUTSI THE AGE, AND THE SIZE, OF THE BUILDG IS VERY CLEARREAD ALL SECRET DRKER'S REVIEWS HERECLICK HERE TO FOLLOW SECRET DRKER ON TWTERFISH AND CHIPS ROW SE UPLE ARRTED --> CHATHAM EAT SHOP DRK FOOD AND DRK KENT SECRET DRKER WHAT'S ON NEWS SECRET DRKER _PLUGMANAGER.SETTARGETVALUE("ARTICLEID", "250690"); VAR MENTS = NEW COMMENTS.COMMENTBOX({ TLE: "", SENAME: "KENTONLE", GROUPNAME: "KM GROUP", PAGEID: 575605, PAGESIZE: 20, PAGEPATH: "/SECRET-DRKER/SECRET-DRKER-ENDS-UP-THE-ONLY-PUNTER--THE-OLST-GAY-BAR--TOWN-250690/", LLAPSIBLE: TE, SHOWHEARCOUNT: FALSE, SHOWTOGGLECOUNT: TE, THEME: "CB-FLT-THEME", INS: { REPLY: NULL, REPORT: NULL } }); FOLLOW MOST POPULAR
• GAY NIGHTLIFE ROCHTER
• WHERE HAVE ALL THE GAY BARS GONE? 
• GAY BAR?? - THE SHIP INN
• ROCHTER, NY GAY CY GUI

ROCHTER'S GAY BAR SCENE

Patrons and employe of The Avenue Pub ll the "gay Cheers. Sweet was volved the Highland Park AIDS Remembrance Garn and appeared Shoulrs To Stand On, a documentary tailg the history of the gay muny Rochter. "He wanted to be a safe place for gay people to go bee back then there really wasn’t, " Knope said.

"We ll the gay Cheers bee everybody knows everybody and ’s very welg. The "Top 100 LGBTQ+ bars across the US" list was assembled om bs on the se's "gay bars" tegory and srg them based on total reviews and ratgs between 2016 and 2021. Gay.

Although Molly, and Ben, and the boss, all live above the pub she generally works at another of his pubs, which was planng to show the proceed to ask Ben’s opn whether her shirt should be worn off the shoulr or not, but when he claimed ignorance and suggted she ask one of her many gay iends she turned and asked my opn?

SECRET DRKER REVIEWS MEDWAY'S OLST GAY PUB, THE SHIP INN, ROCHTER HIGH STREET READ ALL MENTS | SECRET DRKER PUBLISHED: 06:00, 16 JULY 2021  | UPDATED: 07:31, 16 JULY 2021   | | | --> IT WAS THE BIGGT DAY FOR THE ENGLISH NATNAL TEAM FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY BUT ONE PUB CLARED SELF A FOOTIE-EE ZONE, GAVE THE CHEF A DAY OFF AND IGNORED ALL THE HYSTERIA.POPPG TO THE SHIP INN AT THE CHATHAM END OF ROCHTER HIGH STREET FOR A LUNCHTIME LOOSENER BEFORE THE BIG MATCH I WALKED PAST A LOL ENJOYG A SMOKE ON THE DOORSTEP BEFORE REALISG WAS THE BARMAN.RIGHT ON THE BORR WH CHATHAM, I ALMOST MISSED THE SHIP INN ON ROCHTER HIGH STREET, BUT I’M GOOD PANY ACRDG TO THE BARMAN 'AS MOST PEOPLE MISS THIS ONE'BEN THE BARTENR FOLLOWED ME , SWCHED ON THE LIGHTS AND EXPLAED HIS BOSS HAT FOOTBALL SO TOOK THE CISN TO OPEN A LTLE LATER AT 1PM AS HE DIDN’T EXPECT MANY CTOMERS.I ORRED THE CLOST THG TO BTER ON TAP, A PT OF SHIPYARD PALE ALE WHILE BEN EXPLAED HIS BOSS HAS THREE OTHER PUBS AND ALWAYS PATS THEM THE SAME SHAS OF PURPLE.HOWEVER, APPARENTLY THE TOP MAN ISN'T LOVG THE LOUR HERE AND IS PLANNG TO CHANGE TO BLUE – I AGREED ANYTHG WOULD BE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT.A REAL ‘PURPLE PATCH’ – I MT HAVE HAD MY MD ON THE FOOTIE BEE TOOK ME SOME TIME TO NOTICE JT HOW MANY DIFFERENT SHAS OF LILAC, MVE AND VLET HAVE BEEN ED AROUND THE PUBAT THIS POT MY HOST, WHO’S WORKED AT THE PUB FOR FIVE YEARS, SHIFTED THE NVERSATN DRAMATILLY WHEN HE SPOTTED SOMEONE APPROACHG THE SYNAGOGUE ACROSS THE ROAD. HE EXPLAED CLOSED DOWN SOME TIME AGO AND NOW ONLY OPENS FOR SPECIAL OCSNS SO HE LIK TO BE NEIGHBOURLY AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE GS AND GOGS AROUND THE PLACE.IT’S A PY, HE SAYS, BUT THE MUNY ISN’T BIG ENOUGH TO JTIFY KEEPG THE SYNAGOGUE OPEN BUT THEY WON’T LET GO BEE OF THE CEMETERY AT THE BACK.THE LOUR SCHEME NTU THE DANCE BAR ON THE LEFT HAD SI OF THE PUB BUT IS BROKEN UP BY THE BRICK-LOOK WALLPAPER.HIS OBSERVATNS ON THE LOL JEWISH MUNY WERE TERPTED BY DIMUTIVE MOLLY WHO ENTERED THE BAR THROUGH A DOOR AT THE BACK WEARG A MASSIVE ENGLAND SHIRT AT LEAST SEVEN SIZ TOO BIG FOR HER THAT LOOKED MORE LIKE A DRS.ALTHOUGH MOLLY, AND BEN, AND THE BOSS, ALL LIVE ABOVE THE PUB SHE GENERALLY WORKS AT ANOTHER OF HIS PUBS, WHICH WAS PLANNG TO SHOW THE FOOTIE.SHE PROCEED TO ASK BEN’S OPN WHETHER HER SHIRT SHOULD BE WORN OFF THE SHOULR OR NOT, BUT WHEN HE CLAIMED IGNORANCE AND SUGGTED SHE ASK ONE OF HER MANY GAY IENDS SHE TURNED AND ASKED MY OPN?COCKTAILS ON TAP – THERE IS CURRENTLY A SELECTN OF THREE ON OFFER BUT BEN ASSURED ME A NEW FOURTH CKTAIL WILL BE ADD TO THE LIST VERY SHORTLYSLABBED WALL-TO-WALL, THE OUTSI AREA AT THE BACK OF THE PUB IS QUE EXTENSIVEWHETHER I WAS PRE-OCCUPIED WH NCERNS THE AZZURRI WOULD BEAT ON PENALTI OR WAS SIMPLY SLEEPWALKG AND FAILED TO NOTICE THE MASSIVE RABOW FLAG ON THE CEILG WHERE EVERYONE ELSE WAS FLYG ST GEE'S, SUDNLY DAWNED ON ME, THIS IS A GAY BAR. AS I WAS THE ONLY CTOMER , I TOOK THE OPPORTUNY TO EXPLORE THE PLACE MORE TAIL AND DISVERED A 100% PAVED OUTDOOR AREA, MORE RABOW FLAGS, A PURPLE POOL TABLE AND CKTAILS ON TAP.RETURNG TO THE MA BAR, BEN CID NOW I’D GOT THE MEASURE OF THE PLACE WAS TIME TO TE ME FURTHER.PHOTOS ON THE BAR WALL CLEARLY SHOW THE SHIP INN HAS A NSIRABLE HISTORY. BUT, ADDG THE TAIL AND LOUR OF THE PUB’S FASCATG PAST FALLS TO BEN BEHD THE BARAPPARENTLY HIS MATE RECENTLY PILED A HISTORY OF ROCHTER HIGH STREET AND PROUDLY RMED ME THE PUB IS OVER 500 YEARS OLD AND MEDWAY’S OLST GAY BAR – NOT ONLY THIS, BUT HE NFINTLY CLARED THAT THE PURPLE DANCE BAR ON THE LEFT, PLETE WH S BRICK-LOOK WALLPAPER, WAS THE SE OF THE FIRST ARRT AND NVICTN FOR BUGGERY WAY BACK THE DAYS OF HENRY VIII.NEVER AAID OF A SWIFT NVERSATN CHANGE, BEN NEXT EXPLAED THAT WHILST THE WHOLE PLACE HAD RECENTLY BEEN RERATED THE GENTS MISSED OUT AS THE BUILRS RAN OUT OF TIME.HE WAS ADAMANT NO EXPENSE HAD BEEN SPARED ON THE LADI AND, AS THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AND NO-ONE WAS AROUND, HE SISTED I TAKE A LOOK. HOWEVER, AS AN EX-PLUMBER, HE ALSO FELT NECSARY TO TELL ME LADI ARE MUCH LS REFUL WH THEIR TOILETS AND AT ONE POT THEY WERE GETTG THROUGH THREE SEATS A WEEK. I JT AGREED THEY LOOKED MUCH SMARTER.THE GENTS, WH S LENGTHY STALS STEEL URAL, MIGHT APPEAR A B TATTY NEXT TO THE RT OF THE PUB BUT I THOUGHT WAS OKAY. HOWEVER, PLUMBER/BARMAN BEN WAS TERMED I SHOULD TAKE A LOOK SI THE LADI AND I HAVE TO AGREE IS MUCH BETTER FISHED.TANTALISGLY THERE WAS A BLACKBOARD DISPLAYG SEVERAL MEALS – AND ROASTS ARE UALLY AVAILABLE ON A SUNDAY – BUT TO BE FAIR I HAD ALREADY BEEN RMED FOOD WASN'T BEG SERVED BEE OF THE BIG MATCH. I FOUND MY VIS FASCATG BUT I’M THE FIRST TO ACCEPT THIS WAS NO ORDARY DAY AT THE SHIP, WHICH APART OM A ‘NORMAL’ SUNDAY WHEN CLOS AT MIDNIGHT, HAS A 2AM LICENCE EVERY DAY.THURSDAY IS, I’M RELIABLY RMED, PARTICULARLY POPULAR AS ’S KARAOKE NIGHT. IT WAS AN TERTG EXPERIENCE TO BE THE ONLY CTOMER AND HAVE THE FULL ATTENTN OF A CHATTY BARMAN BUT I MIGHT NEED TO REVIS TO SAMPLE THE REAL SHIP INN. NB, I HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO VERIFY BEN’S HISTORIL REFERENC... THE OWNER SISTED HIS POOL TABLE WAS REVERED PURPLE BAIZE AND WENT TO A FAIR B OF TROUBLE AND EXPENSE TO GET DONE. HOWEVER, HE’S NOT AS NCERNED ABOUT THE CLASH WH THE FIREPLACE SURROUNDSHIP INN, 347 HIGH STREET, ROCHTER ME1 1DA DER: INCREDIBLY PURPLE, THE PLACE HAS BEEN FULLY RATED, WH THE EXCEPTN OF THE GENTS, BUT THE HEAVY, DARK BEAMS DON’T DO THE SHAS OF VLET AND LILAC ANY JTICE. ** DRK: THE SHIPYARD WAS OKAY BUT I SWCHED ACROSS TO THE KRONENBOURG, WHICH WAS ALSO FE, THOUGH PERHAPS JT A LTLE ON THE FLAT SI. ** THERE IS A TV SCREEN THE DANCE BAR BUT, GIVEN THE PUB LIGHTS WEREN’T EVEN SWCHED ON WHEN I WALKED , I WASN’T SURPRISED TO SEE WAS NOT ONPRICE: EVERYTHG ON TAP SEEMED TO BE £4 A PT. THE FOSTERS WAS SLIGHTLY CHEAPER BUT MOLLY AND BEN ULDN’T CI BETWEEN THEM WHETHER ’S £3.80 OR £3.90. *** FOOD: SUNDAY ROAST WOULD UALLY BE AVAILABLE BUT THE BOSS WAS SO SURE NO-ONE WOULD BE EATG OUT BEE OF THE FOOTIE HE HAD GIVEN THE CHEF A DAY OFF. STAFF: BEN, ABLY SUPPORTED BY HIS IC SISHOW MOLLY, PROVID GREAT ENTERTAMENT AND WAS, BY SOME DISTANCE, THE BT THG ABOUT THIS HIGH STREET PUB. ****THE FOOD ON THE BLACKBOARD LOOKED REASONABLY PRICED, BUT WH THE CHEF NOWHERE TO BE FOUND I DIDN’T GET THE CHANCE TO SAMPLE SO MUCH AS A FISH FGER SANDWICHVIEWG THE BACK OF THE PUB OM THE OUTSI THE AGE, AND THE SIZE, OF THE BUILDG IS VERY CLEARREAD ALL SECRET DRKER'S REVIEWS HERECLICK HERE TO FOLLOW SECRET DRKER ON TWTERFISH AND CHIPS ROW SE UPLE ARRTED --> CHATHAM EAT SHOP DRK FOOD AND DRK KENT SECRET DRKER WHAT'S ON NEWS SECRET DRKER _PLUGMANAGER.SETTARGETVALUE("ARTICLEID", "250690"); VAR MENTS = NEW COMMENTS.COMMENTBOX({ TLE: "", SENAME: "KENTONLE", GROUPNAME: "KM GROUP", PAGEID: 575605, PAGESIZE: 20, PAGEPATH: "/SECRET-DRKER/SECRET-DRKER-ENDS-UP-THE-ONLY-PUNTER--THE-OLST-GAY-BAR--TOWN-250690/", LLAPSIBLE: TE, SHOWHEARCOUNT: FALSE, SHOWTOGGLECOUNT: TE, THEME: "CB-FLT-THEME", INS: { REPLY: NULL, REPORT: NULL } }); FOLLOW MOST POPULAR

Cocktails on tap – there is currently a selectn of three on offer but Ben assured me a new fourth cktail will be add to the list very shortlySlabbed wall-to-wall, the outsi area at the back of the pub is que extensiveWhether I was pre-occupied wh ncerns the Azzurri would beat on penalti or was simply sleepwalkg and failed to notice the massive Rabow flag on the ceilg where everyone else was flyg St Gee's, sudnly dawned on me, this is a gay I was the only ctomer , I took the opportuny to explore the place more tail and disvered a 100% paved outdoor area, more rabow flags, a purple pool table and cktails on tap. But, addg the tail and lour of the pub’s fascatg past falls to Ben behd the barApparently his mate recently piled a history of Rochter High Street and proudly rmed me the pub is over 500 years old and Medway’s olst gay bar – not only this, but he nfintly clared that the purple dance bar on the left, plete wh s brick-look wallpaper, was the se of the first arrt and nvictn for buggery way back the days of Henry aaid of a swift nversatn change, Ben next explaed that whilst the whole place had recently been rerated the gents missed out as the builrs ran out of was adamant no expense had been spared on the ladi and, as they are much better and no-one was around, he sisted I take a look.

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GAY NIGHTLIFE ROCHTER

Browse cis & tours for the bt gay iendly activi. Fd the most reliable rmatn about the bt gay events around the globe. More than 30 years has passed sce those days, and Rosie’s, like dozens of other gay bars Rochter and hundreds across the untry, has closed.

For s, gay bars were among the few plac that queer people uld gather relative safety.

“If you were lookg for a boyiend and got rejected, at least you knew wasn’t bee you were gay.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GAY BARS GONE? 

The pub, at 123 North St., was one of the few gay bars Rochter before 1975. In a blog post for the Out Alliance’s “Shoulrs to Stand On” project that archiv memori of LGBTQ+ culture Rochter, Dardano relled g out Rochter and some of the many gay and lbian bars that served as social spots for Rochter’s queer muny. “The early-80s seemed to be a Goln Age for gay and lbian night life the Flower Cy, ” Dardano wrote.

Listgs for bars that tered to gay men dropped to 387 om 699 durg that perd, while lbian bar listgs fell to jt 15.

GAY BAR?? - THE SHIP INN

The precipo drop was only offset by a marked rise between 1987 and 2007 listgs for tablishments which women and gay men were socializg. ) click to enlarge COURTESY OF THE OUT ALLIANCE In 1973, a bunch of bikers opened a gay bar lled the Bachelor Fom on Ma Street, near Goodman Street.

From the 1960s through the early-ghts, downtown Rochter saw the openg and closg of dozens of gay bars and dance clubs. “The biggt challenge is that you don’t really need a gay club anymore, ” said Joe Marcella, 63, owner of Club Marcella Buffalo, which had a lotn Rochter on Liberty Pole Way om 1994 to 1999. “If gay people go out, they go everywhere.

But others sist that, regardls of general clivens, there are many reasons that havg specifilly gay spac is still important. Piecg together Rochter’s gay bar history is no simple matter.

ROCHTER, NY GAY CY GUI

The gay bar was loted on Liberty Pole Way and later beme Abilene Bar and Lounge unr new ownership. Bat relled one of Rochter’s earlit gay bars as Dick’s 43 Lounge (also referred to as Martha’s, after the owner), which opened on Front Street the 1950s and later moved to Stone Street and then State Street.

“They would see men dancg as ditive of, ‘This is a gay bar, ’” Bat said, addg that he spected some plac paid off thori to be alerted to unannounced viss om police. By the late 1970s and early ’80s, as the threat of police harassment fad, the taverns, piano bars, and dance clubs began to serve the gay muny new ways. Tim Tompks, 67, relled hostg a meetg at Liberty, his club on Liberty Pole Way, to discs the strange new disease that seemed to only be affectg gay men.