Lesbian and Gay Venues in Nottingham - 4

GATSBY'S ... THE CENTRAL .... NICHE(Huntingdon Street)

In 1983 the Bradley Family (the redoubtable Hilda and her sons) opened Gatsby's as a gay pub. For several years it was often so packed that movement was difficult, breathing was an effort and hearing someone near to you was impossible - so people loved it.

The Bradley family ran a good pub, but as far as Switchboard was concerned, the efforts we made to get them to support us were always turned down. No sales of Gay News here; no benefits; no notices on the wall detailing what Switchboard did. We were told that they had their heterosexual lunchtime customers to consider.

Towards the end of the 1990s, the approach of the Grim Reaper (eventually to be embodied in the form of alcoholism and old age) led to a change in management and in name. The pub became The Central and the management was certainly a little more "communitaire". In 2007 it was renamed "Niche".

THE ADMIRAL DUNCAN ..... @D2
(Cranbrook Street/Lower Parliament Street)

By 1987 the Admiral Duncan was tentatively moving towards being a gay bar. Switchboard started holding its monthly meetings there at that time. The Duncan eventually started to hold raffles and events for Switchboard - the first in 1988 and five huge benefits over the 1990s (unlike De Luxe, where a benefit was held but the money never reached us). In the 1980s and early 1990s the management of the Duncan was a well-meaning straight couple, but toward the end of the '90s an all-gay management took over and changed the name to @D2. The pub was smartened up and attracted a lively crowd.

THE LORD ROBERTS (Broad Street)

In the late 1990s The Lord Roberts was a gay-friendly theatre bar, helped in this respect by its proximity to Broadway Cinema. The downstairs Green Room was often opened for free use (if you bought enough drinks) by various groups - including Switchboard and East Mercia MSC. These days it's more "gay" than "gay-friendly". When Switchboard gets calls from people unfamiliar with the gay scene, we usually suggest that they start off at the Lord Roberts because of its friendly and relatively low-key atmosphere and because the noise level is not sufficient to drown a conversation.

JACEY'S (Lower Parliament Street)

Established as a gay pub in 1999 - the largest gay pub in Nottingham - it was very popular for a while. A change in management to someone (who shall remain nameless) who took less interest in the views of his clientele saw that popularity start to fade. After a revamp and a name change to "ICE", customers melted away.

NG1 (Lower Parliament Street)

In 2000, Nottingham's first proper gay club for several years opened as NG1 next door to the Admiral Duncan. It is large, well-equipped and clean and (here the resemblance to a personal ad breaks down) on two floors. It is certainly one of the best gay clubs in the region and has also given support, via fundraising events, to the Hardship Fund, Switchboard and Pride.

  The Real Art Cafe (now closed) was another of those not 100% gay, but gay friendly venues in Hockley ... along with places like the Newmarket and the Broadway Cinema cafe.

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