Duckie, a group of veteran LGBTQ club runners that emerged out London’s Vauxhall a quarter of a century ago, has launched queer history project Take Courage, which is asking those who attended Vauxhall’s gay pubs in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to share their thoughts on the “heyday” of London’s queer scene.
The collective said: “The 1970s, 1980s and 1990s were the heyday for the gay scene in London and three backstreet boozers in Vauxhall – the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), the Market Tavern and the Elephant & Castle – were the spit and sawdust cultural epicentre of these halcyon times.”
Did you visit these pubs of Vauxhall in the last century?
Do you have any stories, photos or ephemera from those days?
The group has organised a community consultation event in Vauxhall, which takes place on Wednesday, October 16 at Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre, for people to discuss their memories of the time. To attend on the night email takecourage@duckie.co.uk to reserve a place.
The group added: “We want to form an intergenerational group of old and young people – Vauxhall Volunteer Veterans and Virgins (VVVVs) – to dig deep into the personal and public archives of the period.
“Were you a punter, prowler, promoter, performer … or part of the furniture in these pubs?
“This project is for older people that were there in Vauxhall back in the day and for younger people that were not there, but love a bit of queer history and want to join the dots.”
While the RVT remains a popular venue, the Market Tavern and the Elephant & Castle have both closed down.
Email simon@duckie.co.uk for more info on Take Courage
