Gay life in early 60s Brixton?

[quimcunx]

This bits good tho...

He's from San Francisco. Seems a reasonable question.

 

[story]

sfactor - you'll likely be interested in the British tradition of Trade as well.

This link gives an outline.

 

[sfactor]

Thanks story, that's a great link! There is such a distinct divide between the Quentin Crisp world and the shirtless lawyers on horse tranquilizers. I think, especially the more I work on this play, that I prefer the sauciness and courage of the former age.

 

[laptop]

I live in San Francisco... and we are a bit provincial here.

But you're not really a seppo, 'cos you do sarcasm an' irony

I never made it to Brixton until the 70s.

But I think the contrast you're looking for would be that between a not-quite successful RADA accent ("I am in the thea'atre, dahlink") and Sarf Lunnun ("Ah'm inna the\er, luv" where "\" = 'glo\al sto\' = glottal stop).

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

 

[Neil-NewX]

If there's one book you absolutely have to read it's 'Queer London: Perils and Pleasures in the Sexual Metropolis, 1918-1957' by Matt Houlbrook. Don't think Brixton is mentioned specifically but it does mention other South London locations including Bermondsey baths. His whole take is that it's too simplistic to see London gay life as totally repressed before the gay liberation movement. He identifies this whole semi-public sphere, although he does argue that things got worse in the 50s compared with the 30s.

Kenneth Williams' diaries are also worth a read (he was Sandy in Julian & Sandy).

 

[sfactor]

Thanks for those recommendations. The whole era of pre-gay liberation is so misunderstood and simplified, and the more digging that's done the more complex it becomes.