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

Contents:

• GAYEASTLONDON: HOW GRDR IS G THE GAY 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
• GAYEASTLONDON: WHERE IS CROYDON’S GAY MUNY?
• GAY ST PETERSBURG

GAYEASTLONDON: HOW GRDR IS G THE GAY SCENE

Small but zy and charmg gay pub loted East End.

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

Deratn is very ksch and funny, between a proper gay bar and a granny’s hoe, addg to the charm of the place. Not the place to go if you want to dance, but the perfect place if you want a zy gay bar to meet your iends. Gay Bar.

Given the state of the pub bs London--and the gay-pub bs particular--the closure would have been unremarkable.

Real tate velopment and skyrocketg rents have forced the closure of a dozen beloved, s- and centuri-old gay tablishments recent years, cludg Camn's The Black Cap (tablished the 1700s) and Chelsea's The Queen's Head. In Shoredch alone, a once-grty neighborhood north of London's fancial district, three popular gay pubs--The Joers Arms, The Gee and Dragon, and The Nelsons Head--all closed 2015, along wh the cy's largt gay sna, Charts, 2016 (to make room for a 200-room hotel).

GAYEASTLONDON: WHERE IS CROYDON’S GAY MUNY?

This effectively scbbed the entire neighborhood, a sgle year, of s once-vibrant gay nightlife.

When the Royal Vxhall Tavern, another gay enclave across the Tham, was purchased by a veloper, the muny band together gettg the pub natnal historic landmark stat (the venue has hosted baret acts sce the 1800s).

This was a first for a gay tablishment the Uned Kgdom.

GAY ST PETERSBURG

The gay actors Ian McKellen, who liv Limehoe, and Michael Cashman wrote letters of support to the uncil. "We've got two gay football teams, a straight ladi' dance team, and we raise money for the lol hospice and for gay homels youth.

"It's primarily gay, but everyone along, " Fell says.

The number of lol gay bars and pubs east London is signifintly creasg. Follow the story this week to fd out why this is happeng and what means for the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer muny. The most recent loss to the borough’s LGBTQ scene was The Joer’s Arms Shoredch, one of east London’s most-loved gay bars, which was closed January.