The Brixton Fairies: 1970s gay squat

[editor]

Bit of history here

Brixton’s radical past: when lesbians were barred from the Brady’s/Railway Hotel pub in the 1970s

In the late 1970s, a protest and picket took place outside Brady’s (the Railway Hotel) in Atlantic Road, Brixton, after the manager decided to ban lesbians from the premises.

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[editor]

I haven't visited this site for many years but I think Carl Hill posted on this thread in reponse to my piece about the Brixton Gay Community. He included a photo of Sue Wakeling and Malcolm Greatbanks. I can't seem to find his contribution. I mentioned Michael Mason in my Queer Tour of Brixton as one of the people who stood in Brixton's 1974 local elections as a Gay Liberation candidate and I think Carl was once his partner. Just to let him know and everyone else that I will be conducting my next tour on 19th March (see link below).

'Queers Make History' a guided tour of Brixton Tickets - London - OutSavvy

Queer Tour of Brixton | Herne Hill Overground Station | Sunday 24th October 2021 A guided walking tour, conducted by Ian Townson, concentrating on the radical gay community and gay squats in Brixton from the mid 1970s to 1981, the year of the Brixton uprising.Ian Townson squatted in Brixton in...

www.outsavvy.com

Hope you don't mind me reproducing your Facebook post here:

In 1975 the South London Gay Community Centre applied to Lambeth's right wing Labour council for a small grant to cover rates, rent and running costs. It was refused and one of the main people opposing the grant was Mrs. Old joint proprietor of the George public house. Having failed to ban black people she succeeded in banning gay people from drinking at her establishment.
As a result of the grant refusal we plastered this poster over different parts of Lambeth. No prizes for guessing its meaning.

 

[Sue]

Having failed to ban black people she succeeded in banning gay people from drinking at her establishment.

Bloody hell.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Bloody hell.

and the pub got burnt down in 1981, more here

 

[Armoone]

yes the history of :
faerie land in brixton in the 70 and beyonds needs recording - including
Tom Robinson singing at Gay Dances at the Town Hall
The squatted gay cente in Railton Road
Pearls gay shabeen also on Railton Road
The gay community sqauts on railton and Mayall Raod - and what has become of them
The blasphemers ball at Lambeth Town hall - raising funds for the campaign against the prosection of Gay Times - and the fact that the campaign was run from Brixton
Gay Noise - a radical late 70s freesheet produced in Brixton
The anto Nazi march through brixton and the strong gay presence on it - and the pink and blue demim banner strung across railton road with a queen (or two or three) doing a royal wave past - in full drag- from the houses on railton road
There is a huge wealth of material out I am sure there for anyone who wants to write this history up ...but scattered to the far cormers i am sure
The only other history of early gay Liberation is 'No Bath but plenty of bubbles' an oral history of the Gay Liberation Front 1970-1973 by Lisa Power . This is no longer in print but easily avaialable on Amazon etc
My name is Julian Hows and I was a member of the early Gay Liberation Front , Brixton Faeries and lived in the squats and still live in the railton road area. Would love to hear from anyone who is still alive and remembers and was involved in these times ...especially with pictures, posters etc

 

[Armoone]

I lived there 1981-1982



My name is Malcolm Thorne from Australia, I lived @ 152 & 146 Mayall Road in 1981 & 1982. I have photos of meetings in the back garden & of the people there at the time; Mathew, Chris, Dirg, Steve, Ernst, Andy & Carlsberg the cat + photos of what was left of Brixton after the riots. Am happy to put photos up on facebook or elsewhere. Mathew Jones & Chris Dobney are alive & living in Australia as far as I know. I was there during the second Brixton riot & I saw the police start it. Many happy memories of the wonderful men of the Brixton Gay squat. malleescrub at internode.on.net

Hi Malcolm, my name is Angela and my brother David used to squat on 155 Railton Road I beleive. Unfortunately David is no longer with us but I was shocked and happy to find a picture of David in the documentary Brixton Fairies. It was strange as I just knew I was going to see a photo of him. David is the goodlooking boy with the curly hair. Perhaps you remember him? I would love to hear more about the squatting life and David's lifestyle. David was gay but lived with a young couple who had a toddler living with him, as I never forget visiting him when I was still at school. His friend had painted muruals on the stairways. I know he was right next door to the front line and David squatted for a lot of his life. He even squatted next door to me and my mum on People Road Kensal Rise when I was around six years old so 1974.

 

[ddraig]

Hi Malcolm, my name is Angela and my brother David used to squat on 155 Railton Road I beleive. Unfortunately David is no longer with us but I was shocked and happy to find a picture of David in the documentary Brixton Fairies. It was strange as I just knew I was going to see a photo of him. David is the goodlooking boy with the curly hair. Perhaps you remember him? I would love to hear more about the squatting life and David's lifestyle. David was gay but lived with a young couple who had a toddler living with him, as I never forget visiting him when I was still at school. His friend had painted muruals on the stairways. I know he was right next door to the front line and David squatted for a lot of his life. He even squatted next door to me and my mum on People Road Kensal Rise when I was around six years old so 1974.

Hi Angela, Malcolm's post was made in 2010, hope they get an alert and are able to come back and answer

 

[Armoone]

yes the history of :
faerie land in brixton in the 70 and beyonds needs recording - including
Tom Robinson singing at Gay Dances at the Town Hall
The squatted gay cente in Railton Road
Pearls gay shabeen also on Railton Road
The gay community sqauts on railton and Mayall Raod - and what has become of them
The blasphemers ball at Lambeth Town hall - raising funds for the campaign against the prosection of Gay Times - and the fact that the campaign was run from Brixton
Gay Noise - a radical late 70s freesheet produced in Brixton
The anto Nazi march through brixton and the strong gay presence on it - and the pink and blue demim banner strung across railton road with a queen (or two or three) doing a royal wave past - in full drag- from the houses on railton road
There is a huge wealth of material out I am sure there for anyone who wants to write this history up ...but scattered to the far cormers i am sure
The only other history of early gay Liberation is 'No Bath but plenty of bubbles' an oral history of the Gay Liberation Front 1970-1973 by Lisa Power . This is no longer in print but easily avaialable on Amazon etc
My name is Julian Hows and I was a member of the early Gay Liberation Front , Brixton Faeries and lived in the squats and still live in the railton road area. Would love to hear from anyone who is still alive and remembers and was involved in these times ...especially with pictures, posters etc

I was chatting to a gay playwright friend of mine who was telling me all about 'The Brixton Fairies', a group of outrageous, radical gay men who lived in a set of 14 back-to-back squats around Railton Road in the 1970s.

They'd knocked all the gardens through to form a large communal space and the community was in the forefront of Gay Liberation Front activity at the time. A gay theatre group called 'The Brixton Fairies' grew out of this scene.

I was hoping I could get my mate to write a piece about this fascinating part of Brixton history, but sadly as a writer he'd require a shuffle of fivers for that.

I've tried to research the story myself, but a shuffle through google brought forth barely a peep.

So has anyone any memories, news, photos about this 1970s squat?

And who'd like to write a feature for the site (for free, natch)?!

My brother is the guy with the curly hair in the Brixton Fairies documentary did you know him? please contact me oif you did

 

[Armoone]

Cheers for the input so far, folks.

I'm going to add a feature about Brixton's gay past in the Brixton section of this site and would be happy to include emails from anyone looking to get in touch with others.

Hi, my name is Angela and my brother David used to squat on 155 Railton Road I beleive. Unfortunately David is no longer with us but I was shocked and happy to find a picture of David in the documentary Brixton Fairies. It was strange as I just knew I was going to see a photo of him. David is the goodlooking boy with the curly hair. Perhaps you remember him? I would love to hear more about the squatting life and David's lifestyle. David was gay but lived with a young couple who had a toddler living with him, as I never forget visiting him when I was still at school. His friend had painted muruals on the stairways. I know he was right next door to the front line and David squatted for a lot of his life. He even squatted next door to me and my mum on People Road Kensal Rise when I was around six years old so 1974.

 

[Armoone]

Hi Angela, Malcolm's post was made in 2010, hope they get an alert and are able to come back and answer

Thanks so do I, I only stumbled on the video last year and this forum just now

 

[brixtonscot]

Ian Townson might know

 

[editor]

Ian Townson might know

I emailed him last week - hopefully he'll pop back in the thread.

 

[Ian Townson]

I emailed him last week - hopefully he'll pop back in the thread.

I emailed him last week - hopefully he'll pop back in the thread.

Hello Angela,
Is this your brother on our left in the photograph? I know very little about him. I know he squatted and was around the Brixton Gay Community Centre quite a lot. The scraps of information I have, which may or may not be correct, is that his full name is David Fuller and he moved to France. Unfortunately he was involved, I think, in a car accident where he lost a leg. He died there but I am not sure if this was as a result of the accident. Apparently he had a drug problem. Sorry to be the bearer of sad news.

In the photograph he is partnered with John Lloyd who I am regularly in touch with. We are collaborating with others on writing a website/book on the Brixton Gay Community in the 1970s/early 80s. He may know more about David.

I hope this helps and I trust I have got the right David.

Best wishes,

Ian Townson

 

[friendofdorothy]

Ex faerie appearing in this zoom on sat, he sharing his photos and talking about the squats.

Feb 27th - LGBT Housing History Month Event 2pm - 3:30pm

Looking to the past to inform our future. Discussion with audience Q & A. There will be stories from the past from a former Brixton Faerie Julian Hows, from Stonewall Housing in '80s Femi Otitoju, and old lesbian Clare Truscott. And hearing about present day housing issues from Carla Ecola Director The Outside Project, Josh Willacy a Trustee of Stonewall Housing and Daniel Hibbs-Woodings of Tonic Housing for older lgbt people.

Zoom meeting hosted by Lambeth Libraries as part of Lambeth Links LGBT History Month. Free!

Lambeth Links - Housing

 

[Puddy_Tat]

this thread seems the best place for this

 

[Puddy_Tat]

and more digitising

 

[ska invita]

since this thread has been bumped - ive been meaning to ask this, and its not exactly the right thread for it but:
i had a book once that id like to see again
it was small, size of your palm
it was about sexual liberation
iirc was published in the 1990s
....i remember it saying that it was written in a brixton squat

any ideas??
longshot i expect

 

[Armoone]

I was chatting to a gay playwright friend of mine who was telling me all about 'The Brixton Fairies', a group of outrageous, radical gay men who lived in a set of 14 back-to-back squats around Railton Road in the 1970s.

They'd knocked all the gardens through to form a large communal space and the community was in the forefront of Gay Liberation Front activity at the time. A gay theatre group called 'The Brixton Fairies' grew out of this scene.

I was hoping I could get my mate to write a piece about this fascinating part of Brixton history, but sadly as a writer he'd require a shuffle of fivers for that.

I've tried to research the story myself, but a shuffle through google brought forth barely a peep.

So has anyone any memories, news, photos about this 1970s squat?

And who'd like to write a feature for the site (for free, natch)?!

My brother us in the pics and squatted on Railton Toad I'd love to hear more about the days please armoone@hotmail.com

 

[friendofdorothy]

Revolting Gays!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.revoltinggays.com/&ved=2ahUKEwiRpNiYmo38AhWNilwKHbVNDR4QFnoECAcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1appySJehbuC375iBZKEF9

Ian Townson has written this wonderful site recording the history of the squats and sharing his extensive photo collection.

 

[Jesterburger]

What happened to the squatted properties and communal garden? Are any of the founder community still there?

 

[Pickman's model]

since this thread has been bumped - ive been meaning to ask this, and its not exactly the right thread for it but:
i had a book once that id like to see again
it was small, size of your palm
it was about sexual liberation
iirc was published in the 1990s
....i remember it saying that it was written in a brixton squat

any ideas??
longshot i expect

reckon it might be from the 121 centre, they used to have a duplicator in there. plus all manner of activities going on. have you tried the internet archive? they've a great ton of anarchist and similar ephemera on there

Fozzie Bear, does this book ring any bells with you?

 

[ska invita]

thanks for bumping
it was great
it had pictures
not a lot of text but very to the point

 

[friendofdorothy]

What happened to the squatted properties and communal garden? Are any of the founder community still there?

still there. Some of the surviving members of the squats still there too. But owned / run by the Brixton Housing co-op

 

[Puddy_Tat]

transpontine has posted on teh tweeter today about a fairly substantial academic work 'FAIRIES, FEMINISTS & QUEER ANARCHISTS: Geographies of squatting in Brixton, south London'



link here (opens as PDF but there's a lot of it)

(hmm - showing up as 'tweet is unavailable' but it's there on teh tweeter. will leave it for now in case it's a technical problem that sorts itself out.)

 

[danny la rouge]

showing up as 'tweet is unavailable'

All tweets (Xs) have been showing up like that for me. Not just here. I think it’s a Twitter thing.

 

[Dystopiary]

transpontine has posted on teh tweeter today about a fairly substantial academic work 'FAIRIES, FEMINISTS & QUEER ANARCHISTS: Geographies of squatting in Brixton, south London'



link here (opens as PDF but there's a lot of it)

(hmm - showing up as 'tweet is unavailable' but it's there on teh tweeter. will leave it for now in case it's a technical problem that sorts itself out.)

It's showing up for me at this time Puddy. Not signed in.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

It's showing up for me at this time Puddy. Not signed in.

yes - showing for me now.

elon must have been buggering around with the settings again...

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Revolting Gays!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.revoltinggays.com/&ved=2ahUKEwiRpNiYmo38AhWNilwKHbVNDR4QFnoECAcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1appySJehbuC375iBZKEF9

Ian Townson has written this wonderful site recording the history of the squats and sharing his extensive photo collection.

Oh that's great. Just spent a good while going through that with my mother and aunt.

Even found this photo on there.



That's my father on the right. Apparently my aunts shoes too.

We hadn't seen the photo before

Some nice memories. A fair few sad ones too at those no longer with us.

 

[friendofdorothy]

Oh that's great. Just spent a good while going through that with my mother and aunt.

Even found this photo on there.

View attachment 387082

That's my father on the right. Apparently my aunts shoes too.

We hadn't seen the photo before

Some nice memories. A fair few sad ones too at those no longer with us.

I know the chap on the right he still lives round here.

which page / section did you find that photo on?

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I know the chap on the right he still lives round here.

which page / section did you find that photo on?

drama queens — Revolting Gays

www.revoltinggays.com