Alternative Pubs, alternative pastimes

How do you find out where the gay scene is if that is your inclination? Nowadays, it is straight forward, you buy Gay News or search on the Internet.

Of course, thirty years ago, everyone quietly knew where they were through received wisdom, either to seek out or to avoid (or if you were a total brainless nobhead, to go and cause trouble in). In Newcastle, the Pineapple in Eldon Square was well known, although the terminology wasn’t politically correct then, it was “Where the Puffs gan.” In Coventry, it was a Pub in the High Street which had the same name as another one out of town (which probably caused some confusion) – The Rose & Crown.

I got involved with some theatrical types in a campaign to save the Coventry Theatre in the 70s and was invited into the R & C one lunchtime. I didn’t quite know what to expect and was a bit wary but was relieved to find that it was just like any other pub, although possibly with better hanging baskets (with pansies in, irony at its best!)

In subsequent places I have lived, I haven’t really known (or cared) where the gay pubs where. However, there is (or rather, was) a steam room/sauna up the road from our work called “Rimmers” that was the butt of some jokes, on the basis of the name and allusions to “tossing the salad” (don’t click if you’d rather not know!) I say was, because there was a huge fire in that block and the buildings are now burnt out shells, in the process of being demolished.

Anyhoo, someone from work found a leaflet blowing in the street advertising Rimmers Gay Sauna & Steam so there was some substance to the jokes. Whilst rimming isn’t an exclusively gay pastime, it is probably assumed to be from the Little Britain Daffyd Thomas sketches.

It turns out that the Sun Inn next door is a gay fun pub with accommodation and that survived the fire. (It seems that Rimmers had already closed previously). I never knew it was a gay pub before seeing it in the local paper and why would I? It is rather drab looking and there are no obvious clues.

It seems everyone else knew but me though, received wisdom strikes again…