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Hanbury Arms

Hanbury Arms, Kemp Town

We just wanted a place to dance

By Linda, lesbian activist

"Lots of Brighton dykes have happy memories of the weekly discos we held here in the late 1970s and early '80s. We left the Hanbury after five men beat up two of our customers. 'If you want to be a man you can fight like a man,' they said. None of us wanted to be men - we wanted a place to dance."

Image and text from the 'My Brighton' museum exhibit

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

I remember it as the Mausoleum. It was an incredibly different sort of pub - it always felt a bit adventurous going there! I was sorry to read about Linda's experiences there; Brighton always seems such a tolerant place.

By Lesley (03/08/2006)

The building had been a mausoleum in its earlier life. I was a student at Brighton Training College in Eastern Terrace during the early 1960's. There used to be a wonderful Indian mural on the wall, featuring elephants, etc. There was often a piano being played, and the landlord, Mr Cliff Poole, always finished the evening by singing "Around The World" at the top of his voice. I and other fellow students had some great times in the Bombay Bar.

By John B lackburn (04/02/2008)

Re Linda's comment: We may be gay females but that does not mean we want to be men. Uh um quite the contrary and those chaps are living proof as to why we certainly wouldn't want to be men!

By Byker Byrd (13/11/2008)