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Tag: The Black Cap

  • Iconic LGBT Pub The Black Cap Could Reopen—Because Fabulous Never Truly Dies

    The Black Cap, one of Camden’s most iconic LGBT venues, has been closed for years, but there are fresh whispers of a fabulous comeback.

    Victory in Sight: The Black Cap’s Comeback is More Fabulous Than Ever!

    It’s been a decade-long saga, but victory is finally within reach for campaigners who’ve fought tooth and nail to revive Camden’s legendary LGBTQ+ pub and cabaret venue, The Black Cap. Plans have been submitted for a revamped venue that promises all the glitz and glam we’ve been waiting for—and then some.

    What’s the Plan?
    The new proposal, lodged at Camden Town Hall, outlines a vision for a refreshed LGBTQ+ bar, cabaret performance space, and even a bed and breakfast. (Yes, now you can sleep where the magic happens!)

    The pub, which closed in 2015, has been at the heart of a nine-year campaign—complete with weekly vigils on the pavement. Imagine dedicated locals standing guard, rain or shine, determined to bring back their beloved boozer. Now that’s commitment!

    The Black Cap’s Legacy of Fabulousness
    For over six decades, The Black Cap’s stage was the place to be for cabaret acts. Even the legendary Paul O’Grady honed his iconic Lily Savage act there and was a longtime supporter of the campaign to reopen. (Paul’s wig probably still haunts the place in spirit.)

    Performer and activist Alex Green couldn’t be more thrilled. “Finally, we can say we’re optimistic, and the owners are really excited,” he said. “It’s been a massive win to have everyone sitting around the table with the same goal—to get The Black Cap back the way it should be.”

    Green reminisced about the pub’s unique vibe. “It felt like a social club—a place for birthdays, weddings, funerals, New Year’s Eve. It was the least pretentious gay pub in the world. You could even invite non-LGBTQ friends, and they’d feel welcome.”

    The Grand (and Fabulous) Comeback
    According to the plans, regulars will feel right at home with a few improvements:

    • Upper floors: Staff quarters and B&B-style rooms so cabaret stars can stay the night. (No more schlepping back in full drag at 2 a.m.!)
    • Ground floor: A revamped performance space with new staging, décor, toilets, and dressing rooms.
    • First floor: The bar named after legendary cabaret star Mrs. Shufflewick will stay, with access to a sun terrace for those glamorous post-show drinks. There’ll even be a kitchen for proper pub grub.

    Jamie Johnston, who’s kept the weekly vigil going for nine years, is cautiously optimistic. “It’s a positive development, and I hope the plans get a good public response.”

    A Decade in the Making
    The pub originally closed after previous owners Kicking Horse failed to win permission to build flats above the venue. But thanks to the tireless efforts of Camden’s LGBTQ+ community and local supporters, The Black Cap is now poised for a dazzling revival.

    So, dust off your sequins and shine those shoes—The Black Cap is ready to be fabulous once again!

  • Three years after its closure, The Black Cap still stands empty, unused

    It’s “an insult to the people of Camden and the LGBTQ+ community”

    What happened to the Black Cap
    Three years after its closure, The Black Cap still stands empty, unused

    Three years after one of the UK’s longest standing gay pubs, The Black Cap stands empty, still boarded up and unused. For over 60 years members of the LGBT+ community called the beautiful and historic building in Candem their safe space, that was until it was closed, almost without notice three years ago. The building lies empty and is covered with graffiti.

    Now campaigners are demanding change.

    Alex Green, #WeAreTheBlackCap spokesperson said, “We stand firm, despite the continued frustration of trying to work with the owners to get the legendary and important LGBTQ+ performance venue and stop the Black Cap becoming yet another sterile, overpriced food outlet and unaffordable flats. The continued closure of this flagship LGBTQ+ venue is very bad for the Borough of Camden’s reputation as a leader in terms of diversity, arts and culture.”

    Campaigners are planning a 3rd anniversary protest outside the landmark venue on the 14th April from 2 PM.

    #WeAreTheBlackCap CAMPAIGN 3rd ANNIVERSARY PROTEST 14th April 2018, 2-4pm. Outside The Black Cap, 171 Camden High Street, CAMDEN TOWN, LONDON.

    14th April scheduling is:

    1.30: Welcome and thanks/messages of support
    2pm: Media interviews (at the right side nr Boots for this)
    2pm; Black Cap Campaign ‘singers’ – Outside and other campaign classics
    2.30 Speakers – Will update on campaign and call to action for next steps
    3pm Followed by more singing out

    The campaign’s focus now is to finally restore the Black Cap to its place at the heart of Camden’s diverse and exciting cultural economy.

     

    1. Bring the actual pub mortgage lenders to the negotiating table, while also renewing our engagement with Camden Council and City Hall
    2. Building a consortium of community and business partners who will push to take over the pub for the Camden and the LGBTQ+ community.
    3. Continue to protest and campaign until the pub is reopened as a LGBTQ+ performance venue:
    • This Saturday 14th April, 2-4pm, as we still can’t perform inside, singers and supporters will perform songs and tributes to celebrate the past and future of the legendary Black Cap which has been a cultural home to LGBTQ+ community and its allies for 60 years.
    • Regular Saturday protest vigils will continue with the new campaign theme, ‘I am the Black Cap’ – to highlight the many reasons why people all over London and the world love the Black Cap and want it back
    • 2nd May we are staging a fabulous night of LGBTQ+ cabaret at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern to show what a night at a resurrected Black Cap could be like (details: http://www.vauxhalltavern.com/events/event/not-another-night-at-the-cap/?oid=1930).

  • The Black Cap is looking for new bosses

    The reopening of The Black Cap is moving ever closer as new bosses are sought to take over the iconic North London gay venue.

    The Black Cap in North London could be re-opening soon, as long as new bosses can be found for the venue. The owners of the venue, Kicking Horse,  have agreed to look for new tenants in order to re-open after it closed two and half years ago.

    Black Cap Foundation, the community campaign group set up to reopen the venue, has been working with the freeholders of the Black Cap site,  to finalise the property and business details.

    However prospective owners will have to prove that they are financially viable and stable before they can even have a walk through the building and it’s not cheap. Paperwork for the venue shows that a “significant amount of capital investment” in the region of £900,000 will need to be spent on the venue because it has been closed for such a long time.

    The leaseholders are looking for a whopping yearly rental of £300,000 for the venue which has a prime location near to Camden market, the tube line and the high street.

    Black Cap Foundation director Alex Green said,  “We’re thrilled at this agreement. This is a crucial step towards our goal of reopening the Black Cap, and we welcome the cooperation of the freeholders and the support of Camden council and the GLA in making that a reality.

    “We’ve always believed the Black Cap’s unique, irreplaceable legacy of community and culture is worth fighting for, and can’t wait to see how it will be reinvented next.”

    A spokesperson for Kicking Horse said, “We very much hope to find the leaseholder with the right vision, experience and resources to begin a brand new chapter for this world-famous venue.”

    Interested parties are encouraged to contact Alex Green/Chris Clark of the Black Cap Foundation on enquiries@weareblackcap.com and Paul Tallentyre of David Coffer Lyons sales agent on ptallentyre@dcl.co.uk for further details.

     

  • Fresh hopes for the iconic Black Cap in London

    There are new hopes for the reopening of the Black Cap, the iconic gay pub and cabaret venue on Camden High Street, which closed its doors in April 2015.

    Members of the Black Cap Foundation community campaign group to reopen the venue met representatives of Kicking Horse, who own the freehold of the Black Cap site. Representatives of Camden council and the GLA culture-at-risk team were also present.

    All sides agreed to work together to identify a new, third-party leaseholder to reopen the Black Cap as an LGBT+ venue with cabaret performance at its heart as soon as possible.

    Black Cap Foundation director Alex Green said:

    “We’re thrilled at this agreement. This is a crucial step towards our goal of reopening the Black Cap, and we welcome the cooperation of the freeholders and the support of Camden council and the GLA in making that a reality.

    “We’ve always believed the Black Cap’s unique, irreplaceable legacy of community and culture is worth fighting for, and can’t wait to see how it will be reinvented next.” 

    A spokesperson for Kicking Horse said:

    “We very much hope to find the leaseholder with the right vision, experience and resources to begin a brand new chapter for this world-famous venue.”

    The Black Cap has been a space for the gay community since before partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. Known as the ‘Palladium of Drag’, it has hosted residencies by groundbreaking performers such as Lily Savage, Mrs Shufflewick and Regina Fong, after whom the pub’s first-floor Shufflewick Bar and Fong Terrace are named. More recently, it was home to the Family Fierce, who showcased acts from RuPaul’s Drag Race.

    Since the 2015 closure, the Black Cap Foundation has maintained a weekly Saturday afternoon vigil outside the pub, celebrating the venue’s past and sharing stories with local residents while campaigning for its reopening.

    The Black Cap’s new leaseholder will take on a 25-year lease for the five-storey building at 171 Camden High Street. The site has Asset of Community Status and sui generis planning use class and requires significant capital expenditure.

     

  • Paul O’Grady Wants The Black Cap Back In Original Form

    Paul O’Grady Wants The Black Cap Back In Original Form

    One of Britain’s most loved TV personalities Paul O’Grady has spoken about how he would love to see The Black Cap reopen as a gay bar.

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