08/03/2022
Earl’s Court in London was one of the UK’s first gay villages. Well, it might not have a history dating back to the 1720’s, a period when historian Rictor Norton found evidence of a lively and developed gay coffee house scene. But, Earl’s Court was certainly established as the Capital’s largest gay village by the nineteen fifties, comprising shops, clubs and bars. It saw legalisation of homosexuality in 1967, the rise of the modern Gay Liberation movement, and coped with compassion and humanity during the AIDS crisis. It was only eclipased by the newer Soho gay scene during the nineteen nineties. Now, reports QX Magazine, a group has been set up to preserve the legacy of Earl’s Court and plans to have a presence at Kensington and Chelsea Library for posterity. If you have memories, leaflets, flyers or badges to share from the Earl’s Court days, then contact Councillor Linda Wade, The Town Hall, Horton London, or visit the Facebook page Earls Court Gay Heydays.
