THEGAYUK

Category: Scene

  • “Dramatic” Rent Increase Forces The Closure Of Yet Another London Gay Bar

    The George and Dragon pub in Hackney is to close after a lease review dramatically increased the cost of the rent.

    The George and Dragon is another LGBT venue which is set to close with the pub owner, Richard Battye blaming a lease increase which he decribed as “dramatic.”

    The pub, which was opened in 2002, still has seven years remaining on the lease, but the owners don’t feel that they will be able to meet the payments so have decided to sell on the pub “a little earlier than intended.”

    The owners are actively looking for a new space so there is hope that the George And Dragon will exist as an LGBT space in the future.

    Battye said in a Facebook post,

    “We will be looking for a new opportunity and hope very much that some of our dear G&D fans will be able to join us on this new journey soon.

    “We’ll try to be as open as we can throughout this process as we’d love as friends as possible to join us for a drink as we begin to bid farewell to our beloved old pub.”

    A number of LGBT pubs and bars have closed in the past year.

  • PRIDE: Four Days Until Pride Cymru…

    This weekend, 15th August, sees Cardiff hold their 2015 Pride Cymru – Wales’ largest annual celebration of equality and diversity. Run entirely by the charity of volunteers, its purpose is to promote the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender, race, religion and others who have been faced with adversity from society.

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  • PRIDE: Swindon & Wiltshire Pride Ready To Party In The Park

    After a packed park last year, Swindon & Wiltshire Pride are ready to do it all again this weekend. Good weather, check. Headline acts, booked. Carnival parade, final feathers, glitter and sequins being sewn on!

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  • Porn Studio Branches Out Into Music Videos…

    In the world’s first music video parody by a porn studio, Sylvain Guerrier sings along to Lady Gaga’s Do What You Want With My Body.

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  • New Bar And Restaurant To Open In Manchester Gay Village

    New bar and restaurant is due to open in Manchester’s gay village in August.

    A new bar and restaurant is due to open in Manchester and will create around 50 jobs, the Manchester Evening News has reported. MCR42 hopes to follow on from the success of its sister site, Tea 42, in the Northern Quarter.

    The new establishment will be spread over two floors will take the place of Mongolian Grill on Chorlton Street. A drinks lounge will occupy the ground floor, whilst diners will enjoy food on the second.

    Will Hannah, co-founder of Tea 42 and MCR42 said: “MCR42 is an extension of Tea 42.

    “In that respect, what we’re retaining is an extremely high quality of delicious and creative dishes, coupled with a stunning backdrop that is still welcoming and relaxed.

    “But we’re also putting a little twist on it. We will continue to offer a large gluten free and vegetarian menu.

    “We are absolutely thrilled to be moving into the area – a cultural hub rich with entertainment, music and heritage.

  • Another Gay Bar Closes In London, Barcode Closes Without Warning

    London’s once-thriving gay scene is diminishing after another venue has announced its closure last month.

    Barcode in Vauxhall has announced without warning that it is to close on Saturday after 9 years in existence.

    Barcode is just one of a number of other gay spaces that have closed in London this year. Black Cap and The Joiner’s Arms were both shuttered in 2015.

  • LGBT Community Has New Pub In Bangor, North Wales

    A year after Bangor’s only gay venue, The Three Crowns burnt down the new management of The White Lion hope to give the LGBT community a safe space in North Wales. (more…)

  • London Gay and Drag Pub Up For Sale

    After a spate of closures on London’s gay scene Molly Moggs is up for sale.

    The popular Molly Moggs pub on the corner of Old Compton Street and Charing Cross Road is apparently up for sale according to GayStarNews.
    The Alan Sugar owned pub’s leasehold is up for grabs for £275,000, however, the pub’s staff has not been told about the pub’s future.

    Molly Moggs is set in a listed building so only the leasehold is available to purchase and it is likely to remain a pub because of the licensing conditions, this is not a guarantee that it will remain a gay venue once new owners are found.

    According to GSN, the listing for the pub suggests, “An initial discreet viewing on a customer basis is required. Staff are unaware and should not be approached.”

    The London gay scene has seen a number of venues close. The Black Cap, The Joiners Arms, Barcode, The Green Carnation are just some of the businesses which have been shuttered in recent years.

  • Reading’s Oldest Gay Bar Closes After ACRIMONIOUS Rent Review With Owners

    The oldest and only remaining gay bar in Reading, England has closed following, a lengthy and acrimonious rent review and lease renewal with the landlord, Star Pubs.

    A statement from the venue’s management on the Wynford Arms’ website placed the blame of the closure on high costs and rent increases from the pub’s owner Star Pubs to a “completely unrealistic level,” amongst other factors including the smoking ban and social media.

    The Wynford was the last remaining LGBT space in Reading after The Rising Sun closed in 2014. The Wynford is described as opening in October 1992 and “been there for the community 365 days a year since”.

    The cost of the battle has strained the management leaving the business reportedly in a poor financial position. Management also blamed, “the smoking ban, cheap supermarket alcohol, changes in people’s drinking habits, the increasing use of social media to meet people and the fact gay people generally feel comfortable drinking in many more establishments in Reading than used to be the case.”

    The Wynford has its last party on the 28th May.

  • Boris Johnson Backs Campaign To Save The Royal Vauxhall Tavern

    Boris Johnson has joined Sir Ian McKellen and Paul O’Grady in the campaign to secure one of London’s most iconic LGBT venues, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

    Speaking about the RVT Future’s campaign, which is fighting to turn the RVT building into a listed building, Boris Johnson said,

    “The Royal Vauxhall Tavern has been a lynchpin at the heart of London’s LGBT community for more than six decades. This week, New York gave the Stonewall Inn landmark status, recognising its place in that city’s history. The RVT’s unique contribution to the vibrancy of London life should also be celebrated. It is a beacon that is known around the world and must be made a listed building so it can continue to shine for years to come.”

    Amy Lamé, chair of RVT Future – a group of performers, producers and punters concerned by the RVT’s purchase by property developers last year – said:

    “We are absolutely delighted to have Boris’s support. It’s great to know he takes the LGBT community’s interests seriously and loves the Royal Vauxhall Tavern as much as we do. We hope Historic England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport give the Mayor’s view due consideration as they consider the listing application. Ultimately, we’d like the RVT to be owned by the community that cherishes it, so we hope this will be an important step on that path.”

    Yesterday, Sir Ian McKellen and Paul O’Grady – who developed his legendary character Lily Savage during a long-running residency at the RVT – gave their support to the campaign.

    O’Grady developed his legendary character Lily Savage at the RVT during a long-running residency in the 80s. “I consider the venue to be my very own school of dramatic art,”

    O’Grady writes. “The Vauxhall Tavern was our village hall” during a turbulent era marked by homophobia, police raids and the AIDS crisis.

    More than 30 performers, producers, local residents, LGBTQ charities, architects, historians and politicians have written to Historic England (formerly English Heritage) to back the listing application made by RVT Future.

  • Thousands Enjoy First Portsmouth Pride In 13 Years

    Thousands Enjoy First Portsmouth Pride In 13 Years

    Portsmouth celebrated its first Pride event in 13 years yesterday, with thousands turning out for its parade and park celebrations.

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