Opening Doors London Quarterly 12 Winter 2015/2016

Q12 Winter 2016 ODL’s magazine by and for the older LGBT+ community

r e t Win ts i u r F

ODL is supported by

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Farewell from the Old Q Team Who can believe that 2015 is fast disappearing with a New Year hot on its heels? The cliché is undoubtedly true: the older you are the more quickly time spins by.

For this Q team it’s time for contemplations and decisions. It’s been a busy, entertaining and frustrating year, one which has led us to make a hard decision.

From this issue we are stepping down as the editorial group for Q. We are proud of what we have achieved over the last three years. We’ve learned a lot and the twelve issues we’ve produced since April 2013 have steadily improved. We want to thank all of you who have read, written for, or been involved in the production of Q. A special thanks go to Taylor Love Taylor who was an important part of the editorial group for the first year, and to the ODL office staff for their enthusiasm and support.

However the time has come for us to hang up our Q hats. Although it’s been one hell of a journey, our enthusiasm for the magazine has waned.

It’s not the hard work per se which is the problem. There are still many positive aspects to Q. As an editorial team we have met two evenings a month at Tavis House to plan, brain storm, argue, and laugh – and then spent time finding writers, illustrators, and always, searching for more members to join the Q team. And that’s only part of the process.

But you know what? We don’t have a clue how many of you read it, or even like, or dislike the articles we publish.

We wonder if Q tries to be too many different things for too many different groupings under the LGBT* umbrella. Did we spread ourselves too thin and end up pleasing few?

We haven’t managed to expand the Q team when it comes to gay men, trans people or bi-sexuals.

Our group of three lesbian and two gay men (all ODL members) and three younger volunteers, two of them gay men and one a lesbian, have had a terrific time creating each issue of Q. The present team of Alison, Mike, Sue, Tony, Barbara, Jamie, Fiona and Adrian have enjoyed working together.

We really do hope to see Q live on in ODL. For now the current Q team are leaving you with our farewell finale. Please enjoy it! And have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year.

PS Huge thanks to Alison Read, Q’s patient, committed and creative coordinator throughout.

Without her we might have floundered long ago. Q

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Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk

Cocktails - a feast for the eyes, as well as the palate

Tony and David spent a happy afternoon sifting through recipes, both classic and new, mixing, tasting and enjoying a selection of cocktails (hic).

A Special Drink A cocktail is more than an ordinary drink, as well as being tasty, the appearance should excite. They should be fun and not boring; creating an excuse to be frivolous and decorative. Some are indeed (very) alcoholic, but there are also some alcohol free recipes to satisfy the health conscious and the motorist.

The Drinks Cupboard Despite what you see at cocktail bars in films, it’s not necessary to have a vast array of different sorts of spirits to make cocktails. With six bottles of alcohol - vodka, gin, Cointreau, tequila, red and white vermouth and some trimmings - Angostura, lemon juice, orange juice, grenadine plus for long drinks, tonic, ginger beer, cola, bitter lemon, it’s possible to make a fair range of cocktails. Have some fun with the decoration - cherries, slices of orange, lemon, lime and cocktail umbrellas, crepe paper fruits, sparklers, straws. Don’t forget the ice! The very lazy can buy a bag of ready crushed ice.

Have Fun As with any recipe, it’s important to follow the quantities in order to create the authentic cocktail. A standard tablespoon is approx 15ml. Most cocktails have ice, which offsets the sweetness. The use of a cocktail shaker is good for theatre, but nobody will know if you have stirred everything in a kitchen measuring jug! When making a cocktail in layers, start with the densest (most sugary) at the bottom, and pour the lighter liquid in, over an upside down spoon, so it lies on top. It will look the part in the correct glass, but will taste as good in any glass. Do watch the alcohol, 25ml of a spirit is one UK unit.

Recipes Here’s the recipes, old and new, that we tried and enjoyed.

Mary Queen of Scots. Slice of lemon, sugar, 25ml whisky, 12½ml Drambuie, 25ml Green Chartreuse (herb liqueur). Rub lemon slice around rim of glass, dip in sugar, allow to harden. Shake the rest with ice, strain into the glass. Put a cherry on a stick, and use to decorate.

Tequila Sunrise. 10ml grenadine syrup, 100ml orange juice, 25ml tequila.

Into a tall glass, pour the grenadine, and let it settle, shake the orange juice with ice, and strain gently down the side of the glass, float the tequila on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon. Slowly insert a straw, and twist slightly.

Sex on the Beach. 25ml vodka, 25ml peach schnapps, 25ml cranberry juice, 25ml orange juice.

Shake with ice, and pour over 3-4 cubes of ice in a highball glass. Decorate with lemon or lime wedges.

Cosmopolitan. 25ml vodka, 12½ml Cointreau, 25ml cranberry juice, 12½ml lime juice. Shake with crushed ice, strain into a cocktail glass, decorate with a slice of orange.

Lamborghini. 25ml Kahlua (coffee liqueur), 25 ml Sambuca, 25ml Bailey’s, 25ml Blue Curaçao (Cointreau is similar). In a cocktail glass, pour the Kahlua in first, then the Sambuca over the back of the spoon. Mix the Bailey’s and Curaçao in another glass, and float on top using a spoon.

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Glacier Mint. 25ml Creme de Mènthe, 50ml vodka, dash of lemon juice. Pour Creme de Mènthe into a chilled cocktail glass. Mix the vodka and lemon juice with ice, strain, and pour over the back of a spoon onto the top. Decorate with a slice of lemon or mint on the rim of the glass.

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Adam’s Apple. 25ml Calvados, 12½ml white vermouth, 12½ml gin, 2 dashes Yellow Chartreuse (herb liqueur), dash of lemon juice. Stir with ice, strain into cocktail glass, serve with a cherry on top to garnish.

Long Island Tea. Serves 2. 25ml gin, 25ml vodka, 25ml white rum, 25ml tequila, 25ml Cointreau, 35 ml lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sugar, cola. Mix all except cola. Almost fill a tall glass with ice cubes, pour the drink in, and top up with cola. Decorate with lemon slice and sprig of mint.

Non Alcoholic Cocktails.

Honeymoon. 25ml maple syrup or honey, 20ml lime juice, 25ml orange juice, 25ml apple juice. Mix the liquids thoroughly first (warming if necessary) then shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.

Slave’s Red ****. A few raspberries (tinned ok), 50ml raspberry juice, 50ml orange juice, 12½ml lemon juice, 25ml tonic/soda water. Place the raspberries at the bottom of a cocktail glass. Shake the other ingredients with ice, and strain into the glass. Decorate with lemon/lime slices.

Other Classic Cocktails.

White Russian, Caipirinha, Harvey Wallbanger, Margarita, Bloody Mary, Metropolitan, Pina Colada, Daiquiri, Manhattan, White Lady, Mint Julep, Buck’s Fizz, Bellini, Mojito, Glühwein, Mai Tai, Hummingbird, Negroni, Blue Hawaiian, Planter’s Punch, Screwdriver, Between the Sheets, Swimming Pool.

A useful website.

Enter the list of ingredients in your drinks cupboard, and it tells you what you can make! http://www.makemeacocktail.com/ And don’t forget: http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/

Cheap Eats, Tasty Treats

To keep with the theme of this issue, we at ODL wanted to highlight some hidden gems; great London restaurants that offer unbeatable value and delicious dishes. Here is what we came up with….

Artichoka The Algerian café on Queen’s Crescent, Gospel Oak is so new they don’t have a sign yet. I’ve followed them from a market stall to their new premises, hunting down their delicious freshly home baked savoury snacks, cakes and treats. A mix of the familiar quiche, brownies etc or Mediterranean cuisine - mahjoub and borek, spinach filled pancakes and wonderful syrup soaked cakes, fig tarts and tasty meringues - I never dreamt a meringue could taste this good. All the usual teas and coffees and they are now offering soup and a dish of the day. Very friendly and happy to explain what everything is and they check if you want the spicy or not spicy version. Perfect for a sit down and a snack, they are open from 7am to 7pm.

96 Queen’s Crescent, London NW5 4DY

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Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk

Regency Café The pretty Regency Café is an art deco style cafe on Regency Street, Pimlico. It first opened in 1946, and has been used as a film location on several occasions.

Do go for hearty £5 breakfasts (including the best fry ups in London for my money) and the rather ‘unique’ service. Gino and Claudia, who run the kitchen with a razor-sharp precision and bellow completed orders with amazing projection, are true characters. A word of advice – know what you want before you get to the till and never, NEVER try and bag a table before you’ve been served, especially if there’s a big queue. You may get told off!

7-19 Regency St, London SW1P 4BY Marie’s Café This cafe in the back streets of Waterloo is so tiny you might walk right past and miss it. It’s a greasy spoon by day, but in the evening becomes a tasty budget Thai restaurant. Be prepared to queue, (recommendation in itself) but it won’t be for long.

Starters (approx £3) include spring rolls, Thai fish cake, chicken satay and vegetable tempura, mains (approx £6) include stir fry, red yellow or green curry, pad thai. Bring your own wine (£1 corkage per person). Good range (including veggie) of tasty food, with reasonable sized portions.

90 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AB

Lahmacun Delights Hungry, hungover and broke? Then head to the ‘Lahmacun House’ on Stoke Newington Road.

For £2.50 you can get a wood-fired turkish pizza - the lahmacun - and it comes with a super fresh salad. Add a handful of change and you’ll have the best ever ayran, a salty yoghurt drink like a lassi. You can eat in at the few tables or take-away.

Finish with Turkish tea in a glass with a lump of sugar - they serve no alcohol. They’re open seven days a week, from mid-day till late at night.

Mangal Pide and Lahmacun Saluno, 27 Stoke Newington Road N16 8BJ

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Christmas Stockings

When I had a nightmare as a child and cried out, my mother would come in to comfort me. To dispel fear she used to say to me ‘Think about Christmas’. It always worked. Christmas had not yet assumed its ambivalent nature, full of family tensions, duty and boredom. It was a magical world of snowflakes, Baby J, angels (so very like fairies), friendly animals and tiny bright lights on a tree (which didn’t flash yet). And of course Presents. I was lucky. I don’t think there is anything more exciting than the discovery of a heavy stocking lying on the end of your bed in the pre-dawn twilight: it is up there with good sex and live broadcasting.

My mother used to put our stocking presents into one of her own old laddered nylons. The nylon obscured the gifts but guided by wishful thinking you could run your hands over them and guess.

I will never forget the way the nylon stretched between and around the presents, the orange in the toe. My brother would come in with his stocking and sit on my bed but we were not really allowed to open them until it was light. We tried to hold off, feeling the shapes and wondering.

For me there was, too, that faintly erotic charge created by grown up female accoutrements.

When we at last opened the gifts it was exciting of course, but nothing as spectacular as that fondling of strange shapes in the nylon in the mysterious light of creeping dawn.

Lindsay River

Festive Disaster I took my first girlfriend home for Xmas to the unsuspecting Mary and Reg Humberstone, the parents.

‘Have a sausage roll’, Mary said. ‘No’, Jean said, ‘I’m not hungry’. ‘Oh go on’, Mary said. ‘No thank you’, Jean said. ‘Go on, go on, go on’, Mary said.

Jean gave in and Mary came in with a flourish and a tin. She opened it to reveal a white sausage roll so large it barely fit the tin, filled with mince and gristle.

Jean bore it bravely and we weren’t offered a glass of sherry as we would have one next day and there is such a thing as too much fun.

The chicken was white even though apparently 6

roast and the potatoes swimming in lard and also white and the one glass of sherry was not enough to fill us with cheer.

We slept in my old room. Mary didn’t falter but the cup shook in the saucer as she brought a cup of tea in and then went and got another. This was the closest we got to acknowledgment of our relationship.

Jean said she would never come there again and she meant it.

But you can’t swap your parents and Mary was not of the class or peers who discussed such things.

I was so relieved when we left it was worth going, like banging your head against a wall and then stopping.

Nic Humberstone

Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk

Xmas in a Can As a child growing up in South Africa, Xmas day came in the middle of summer and was always very hot. And we were Jewish so we didn’t celebrate it at all - it seemed easier to ignore Christmas in those days (the 1950s and 60s), and perhaps also in that place. What we did instead was to go to the beach and have a picnic. We were not alone, there were other Jews, Muslims and various refuseniks who would also be at the beach instead of wrestling with a turkey in a hot oven. What did we eat? Nothing fancy but I remember my mother’s egg mayonnaise sandwiches - her standard picnic fare – were pretty good.

Twenty years later and I’m again at the seaside on Xmas day, this time on the Suffolk coast with my partner and our daughter. We’re in a cottage

for a few days and have brought with us all the stuff for a proper Xmas lunch. On the morning of Xmas day we decide to go for a walk and end up taking longer than expected. So by the time we get back we’re too hungry and tired to cook dinner. We look around and the only other thing we have is a tin of Frey Bentos chicken pie. We stick it in the oven put some veggies on to cook and half an hour later a wonderful pie emerges. The pie crust rising up from the flat tin seems like a sort of magic when you’re hungry. Anyway it was delicious. The next day we cooked our Xmas dinner and went home pretty happy.

Or so I’ve always thought, but when I recently joked about it to my daughter, she didn’t seem that amused.

Barbara S

Bad Holiday Mommy Christmas days long ago when the kids were very young. I used to spend the day with them and their father, leaving my girlfriend unsympathetic, pissed off. Oh dear. But I never wanted to forge a new happy family with my children and her - the object of my love, my lust. One marriage was enough.

What to do? Gone for days every week, could I not be a good holiday mommy? The question remained unsolved: who should come first on Christmas Day? Children or lover?

Those times in my old home with the children opening presents, a turkey in the oven (untouched by me, I wouldn’t know where to stick what in where or when). Those ambivalent days. I was a bad mother, yes, I knew that for sure, but now I was a bad lesbian as well. Humming fuck it all with crackers and fairies and more.

Sometimes the juggling appeared to work. Until mid-toss one sparkling ball would spin out of its arch. Then it all came clattering down, down, down. Kids confused. Husband sad. And girlfriend, ah girlfriend, on the phone accusing. I didn’t blame her, or the kids, or the husband. But did I have to blame myself: Ms Guilty, Ms Selfish?

Even after I had long left my split-into-pieces-life, a genuine living-on-her-own, finger licking lesbian, I never had the urge to cook turkey for anyone.

Sue O’Sullivan

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You Are What You Eat We spoke to Nutritionist Naomi Mead from Food First to discover the best ways to maintain a healthy diet

As we get into our 50s and 60s, eating well to stay healthy becomes increasingly important.

Unavoidably some things can start slowing down. For example, the production of glucosamine that helps repair cartilage, leading to a gradual deterioration of the joints. While glucosamine-based supplements may help, you can’t go wrong with some good old fruit and veg.

By eating a variety, you’ll get a good dose of the required nutrients. Remember: the deeper the colour, the greater the antioxidant content!

Vitamin B12 also plays an important role in the functioning of the brain and nervous system, and in the formation of red blood cells. However, to release B12 from food and absorb it effectively, we need stomach acid, the production of which also slows down as we get older. If it’s not being adequately absorbed, vitamin B12 can lead to anaemia, the symptoms of which can include fatigue, brain fog and memory problems. But never fear, GPs can test for B12 levels and remedy this quite easily.

Good eggs Age-related eye diseases also become more prevalent in the over 60s. Helpfully there are some foods that can support good eye health; green leafy vegetables are jam-packed with the important antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. Many studies have shown that lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Eggs are also a great source of these antioxidants.

When it comes to day-to-day eating, many of the things we learnt growing up still hold true.

Try and plump for an unprocessed diet that’s rich in plant foods. The key is to ensure at least half your plate is filled with vegetables (and the more colour and variety the better) at every mealtime.

It’s also worth including plenty of good fats in your diet in the form of foods like oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and extra virgin olive oil. Ensure that you contain enough protein in your diet as we all require more as we age. Inexpensive, easy to prepare foods like eggs are an excellent source.

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The fat of the matter While there is still a lot of negativity surrounding eating fat, don’t forget that fat is crucial for the functioning of our entire body – from boosting metabolic rate and producing essential hormones, through to helping our brain and heart function efficiently. It’s also important for satiety (keeping us feeling full), and for healthy skin and nails. But don’t get carried away, trans fats (often called hydrogenated fats) found in deep fried and processed foods, should be avoided.

Bon appétit and good health! Q

One of Your Five a Day

David Shenton

Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait Swept up in the aftermath of the Great British Bake Off – I decided it was time.

It was time for my very own personal Bake Off. Ingredients prepped, oven on pre-heat, all I needed was the lovely Sue Perkins to glide into my kitchen. I was ready for my Bake Off Challenge. Suffice to say the arrival of Sue didn’t happen, however never one to be deterred, I soldiered on with my Guinness Cake recipe.

Now not being a regular (or even mildly frequent) baker I chose this recipe because it ticked all the boxes - it looked straightforward and it involved Guinness and chocolate.

Genuinely, it is a simple, straightforward recipe, but the end result is impressive – it’s moist, chocolatey, tasty hot/cold – and doesn’t require having to buy the entire supermarket baking aisle to make.

Quite frankly Sue massively missed out!

Ingredients (makes about 12 slices) for the cake 250 ml Guinness 250 grams unsalted butter 75 grams cocoa powder 400 grams caster sugar 142 ml sour cream 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 275 grams plain flour 2 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda for the topping 300 grams cream cheese 150 grams icing sugar 125 ml double cream

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Method 1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin.

2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices and heat until the butter’s melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

4. When the cake’s cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing.

Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.

5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Fiona McGibbon

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What Does the * in Trans Mean?

Q readers may have noticed the use of an asterisk after the word trans. Recently ODL adopted its use in all their publications. But is everyone clear about what it means? Q asked Derek Freeman who works on Campaigns and Policy for ODL to explain.

Putting an asterisk (*) after the word trans acknowledges the diversity of experiences people have of gender and how they choose to express that experience. Trans* can then be understood as the most expansive and radically inclusive umbrella term to describe various communities and individuals with nonconforming gender identities and/or expressions.

The * is a symbol that can stand in for particular words or letters which make a new word of trans. For instance, transgender or transsexual.

The * is also inclusive of identities that do not start with the prefix trans, but can be understood under the trans* umbrella, for instance gender fluid. (See glossary) For some people becoming trans men or trans women might mean taking hormones and having surgery and transitioning from living full-time with one gender presentation to living full-time with another.

For others it will mean adopting a mixture of those elements of each gender role that suits them best and makes them happiest. Some approaches will be right for some people, alternative ways will be right for others. There is no one path that fits everybody, no single correct choice and no magic wand.

‘I have always been attracted to the slogan, There are as many genders as there are people.’

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Gender Freedom Gender is often referred to as a ‘binary’, meaning two – male and female. The term ‘nonbinary’ refers to people who don’t believe that there are just two genders and who live outside of the gender binary classing themselves as neither exclusively male nor female.

For me personally the socially constructed conservative concepts of binary gender – men are like this, women are like that, boys in blue, girls in pink - and the strictly curtailed scripts and emotional, sexual, and psychological roles rigidly attached to them always felt like prisons. They aim to discipline and restrict who human beings can be, limit how we can love and feel and express ourselves. While true for many people, this is perhaps most keenly felt by members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* communities.

Freedom of gender expression as well as of sexual and emotional expression between consenting adults is at the essence of our ongoing LGBT* movement not just for equality but for liberation. In this way, the trans* asterisk reminds us of the breadth and richness of that experience and aspiration. Q

Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk

TRANS GLOSSARY Includes, but is not limited to the following: Agender - without a gender Androgyne - the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics. This is what some trans* people whose genders cannot be classified as strictly male or strictly female call themselves.

Bi-gender - someone who sees themselves as both masculine and feminine.

Creatively gendered - people who take a creative or self-constructed approach to their gender identity, presentation and expression outside of binary norms.

Cross-dressers - are usually comfortable with the gender they were assigned at birth but enjoy wearing clothes often identified with the opposite sex.

Genderfluid - people who identify as having a fluctuating gender identity.

Gender identity - a person’s internal sense of being a woman, man, both, or neither.

Gender rich - having a rich internal sense of gender, and range of gender expression and presentation Gender Queer - people may identify as being between genders, or as neither man nor woman.

FtM and MtF - people initially assigned to one sex who often undergo a social and /or medical transition.

Third gender - a concept embracing individuals who categorize themselves as neither man nor woman.

Trans men and trans women - people who are

labelled/assigned one gender at birth but who have an internal sense of the other.

Lick Your Plate Clean Food is sticky and crunchy dribbling and spilling stirring shredding pulling apart cattle and chickens and bulging-eyed fish squeals and screams baking and steaming sprouting ripening glistening dying smells and sharp flashes of lemons and limes * Food charms and alarms with meaning and chaos it is peace it is war it is friendship and toast family and roast lovers and cream snapping beans butter and spice savouring rice goodies galore or pleading for more it is sustenance absence plenty and poverty needing still wanting tasting yet starving our pleasure our pain SOS

Transsexual - people with a deep conviction

that their gender identity does not match that of their appearance or the gender they were labelled at birth. This ‘condition’ is called gender dysphoria by the medical profession.

Many will undergo hormone therapy and some will also have ‘gender confirmation surgery’ to become compatible with their internal sense of gender identity.

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Celebrating Solidarity Marlene Rodrigues reports on her installation on asylum seekers and an event to raise funds for LGBT refugees

The evening was fine in Vienna. Warm, agreeable.

My art installation 1000 Sunken Boats could be seen from the street through the large windows of my atelier. Black and white, 1000 little paper boats on a black background and a video projection.

This art project, born from a simple idea – to honour and remember the people who are perishing trying to cross dangerous waters to seek asylum in the ‘European paradise’ – transformed itself in a collective work.

I chose the evening of October 3rd to celebrate the end of the exhibition which had been running since June. It turned out to be a very special day: in the afternoon more than 70,000 people went to the streets in support of open borders for the immigrants and in the evening at least 150,000 attended a benefit concert.

My goal was to collect money for a LGBT project in Vienna giving safe shelter to LGBT refugees who, because of their sexual orientation, end up living under excruciating conditions in the overcrowded refugee camps.

My friends and neighbors volunteered to help with drinks and food for the buffet. Kusum, who is from Sri Lanka and has been living in

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Vienna for more than 30 years, works as a cook in a organic vegetarian restaurant, transforming with her spicing and cooking talent whatever ingredients are put in front of her. She prepared 100 vegetarian wraps (thinly sliced raw vegetables, rocket leaves, feta cheese and spicy sauce wrapped in Mexican wheat tortillas). Others brought their own homemade cakes, quiches and breads.

The streets were full of people and they came and went, tasting the delicious food and putting their financial contribution into our donation box.

At two in the morning people were still lingering on the sidewalk, talking, discussing the present situation and enjoying being together.

The next day we proudly transferred a good sum of money to the Rosa Lila Asyl Project. Q Marlene Rodrigues http://1000versunkeneboote.blogspot.co.at/ http://dievilla.at/asyl/

Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk

Lunch with Alan Wakeman

Alan Wakeman who died, age 79, in July 2015, was a radical pioneer in the Gay Liberation Front of the early 1970s and a decades’ long denizen of Soho. In 2014 Q was preparing a Gay Pride issue (Q6). When we decided to write about the early days of GLF many GLF stalwarts said Alan was the man to talk to.

And so it was that on a fine summer’s day in June 2014 Alison and Sue found themselves on Denman Street in central London looking for a red door opposite the Piccadilly Theatre. We had been invited to a vegan lunch which Alan promised would be delicious. Stepping shoeless into his flat - a tidy, tiny palace of bohemian décor stuffed with historical documents, photos and memorabilia, was a treat in itself. But it was Alan, eccentric, generous, willing and able to share not only his knowledge of everything which led up to the formation of GLF and after, but also his personal memories, which struck us most. Lunch was delicious and he provided us with gold for that issue.

We sat round a pre-laid table in the flat’s small kitchen which looked out on one of those secret behind-the-scenes London views: fire escapes and plants and hidden lives. From there Alan had originally been able to see the statue of Eros until a huge ad site blocked it.

After lunch we were instructed to make ourselves comfortable on piles of colourful hippy cushions on the floor while he dug out a video featuring the late lesbian activist Jackie Forster who Alan had warm and admiring memories of. He liked women. So we lounged, all three of us, and enjoyed the film. Alan, being a yoga devotee, was enviably supple, demonstrable as he gracefully got up and down to fetch this or show us something.

We left feeling honoured to have spent time with Alan in his unique home, to have experienced his generosity and his still evident passion for gay liberation after all the years. We used the material he provided us with pleasure. On the cover of Q6 we used the words from one of Alan’s GLF songs (oh, we forgot to mention that he had a band and wrote songs!) surrounded by badges from the time. Q

From My Soul Came Alive, Alan’s reflections on the 40th Anniversary of the GLF

‘This, for me, and I suspect for other GLF pioneers, was the tipping point and I personally believe that as our gay consciousness grew GLF was the only possible outcome, exploding as it did like a rocket scattering laughter and pride and sequins and stardust in a thousand trajectories across the western world.’

You can find that issue of Q Summer 2014 at: http://openingdoorslondon.org.uk/newsletter/ and two obituaries for Alan: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/20/alan-wakeman-obituary http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/08/12/gay-liberation-front-pioneer-alan-wakeman-dies/ You can still look at Alan’s website, a written and visual treasure trove of historical material. http://www.awakeman.co.uk/Exit/biography.htm More on Alan at http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/interviews/interviewees/alan-wakeman/

Photo by Susan Croft, courtesy of Unfinished Histories.

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News from the ODL office By the time this edition of Q has hit the streets we will know the outcome of our second stage bid to the Big Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund.

To say that there’s a lot riding on the bid is an understatement so please keep an eye out for news - we’ll report on social media as soon as we hear. The bid was submitted for just under £500k to support our vital service delivery over the next four years.

Good news, ODL won a ‘highly commended’ European Diversity Award for our marketing campaign supporting older LGBT* communities.

We only lost out to Barclays Bank. The ongoing marketing and promotion of ODL is an important part of our fundraising and our new ‘look’ has attracted a lot of attention and valuable support from different corners.

Carsten does all the graphic design, branding and social media images as a volunteer for ODL. Our 120+ volunteers Carsten at the EDA awards make ODL what it is. Congratulations to everyone who works so hard in so many ways.

The wonderful London Frontrunners presented ODL Manager, Stacey, and ODL Ambassador and Age UK Camden LGBT* Champion, John, with a cheque for an incredible £6,000. This,

combined with other fundraising undertaken

by GLEE PwC, Age UK staff, QBE Europe and some great individuals, brings the total from this year’s Pride 10K run to just over £10,000.

Far more than our wildest expectations - thank you everyone and especially the organising team from the Frontrunners for such a wonderful event and fundraising achievement. ODL is also lucky enough to be the beneficiary charity again for next year’s event.

Lots of super people support our Raise a Glass scheme (only a fiver a month) - could you join this great club? Please have a think about it, full details are on the ODL website. Get your friends to join in and support ODL. Send them a link to the short film on the ODL home page to see why ODL is so important.

We always welcome fundraising ideas, useful contacts or direct donations to keep ODL services going strong, please contact: tom.blackie@ ageukcamden.org.uk or call 020 7239 0400. To donate please visit www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk Q

Stacey and ODL Ambassador John with Frontr unners and the cheque

YOUR ODL Quarterly ODL Quarterly is the magazine for members of Opening Doors London, put together by ODL

members and volunteers.

This issue of Q was put together by: Tony Smith, Sue O’Sullivan, Mike Harth, Jamie Reece, Fiona McGibbon, Barbara, Alison Read and Adrian Johnson.

Huge thanks to everyone who wrote, drew and contributed to Q12: Susan Croft, Jessica Higgs, Lindsay River, Nic Humberstone, Jo Nesbitt, Naomi Mead, David Shenton, Derek Freeman, Jean Fraser, Marlene Rodrigues, Tom Blackie, Ian Townson and Taylor.

Magazine and logo design: www.laurasalisburygraphicdesign © All articles, cartoons and photographs are copyright of the author, artist and photographer. The views and opinions expressed in ODL Q Quarterly are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily those of the editorial group, Opening Doors London or AgeUK Camden.

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Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk

Pets’ Corner: Visiting Pablo

We have a visiting cat called Pablo. He lives next door but one, but he spends a lot of time here.

He’d certainly move in permanently if we fed him enough. This arrangement has been going on for about eight years now; his owners (!!) are aware, and happy about it.

Pablo is waiting at the back door at 7.30 in the morning, scratching at the door - he gets attention before I have my morning coffee, he has me well under control. OK, we aren’t supposed to feed him, but we do give him a bit of breakfast. He’ll go out for ten minutes (could that be him getting his proper breakfast?), then come back in and settle down on the sofa.

That’s enough exercise until midday, then he’ll have a wander round the house and see what we are up to. He’s clever - he knows that where we have been sitting, it’s warm; if you stand up, he instantly moves in! He’s particularly fond of the chair in front of the computer - it’s not worth the scratches to try and move him from there; have to perch on the edge, and share the space with him.

He used to catch mice and birds, but he’s getting older now - just the occasional mouse. out of his own accord later, but sometimes we Thankfully, he doesn’t fight with the other need to send him home at bedtime. neighbourhood cats any more. He has us well Oh, and he refuses cheese and milk, and likes trained, making sure he’s comfortable. He might sprouts and peas! Q go out at 5pm, presumably to have his proper tea, Tony Smith and then he’s back at 7pm. If we’re lucky, he’ll go

Opening Doors London Contact Details Opening Doors London (ODL), Age UK Camden Tavis House, 1–6 Tavistock Square London, WC1H 9NA Tel 020 7239 0400 Email: odl.info@ageukcamden.org.uk Website: www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk Stacey Halls ODL Manager Paul Webley Befriending Coordinator Email odl.befriending@ageukcamden.org.uk Derek Freeman Campaigns & Policy

Liam O’Driscoll Development Coordinator Kate Hancock Development Coordinator Chryssy Hunter Volunteer Coordinator Tom Blackie Fundraising & Project Development Tom.Blackie@ageukcamden.org.uk ODL Quarterly Email odl.quarterly@ageukcamden.org.uk

It’s easy to join ODL. Get in touch with Kate or Liam by email, phone or post.

Q12 Winter 2016

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Down Memory Lane

Gay Life in 70s Lancaster Ian Townson had his memory stirred after reading the piece by Carol Smith in Q11.

The Farmers’ Arms, on the corner of Penny Street near where it crosses the canal, was the hub for gay people, druggies, lefties, students and a few shady characters with lesbians monopolising the dart board, including my sister Janet. In contrast the Oddspot café was run very discretely in an alley way off Market Street for more closeted gays when it was difficult to go public.

Some local youths arrived to taunt the ‘lessies’ and ‘poofs’ in the Farmers. There was an almighty fight but we threw them out. The landlord arrived, looked at the mess and just said: ‘Did we win?’ This was about 1971 with Rod Stewart’s Maggie May playing constantly on the jukebox.

I was a Townie but we got on well with GLF students some of whom lived together at West Road.

Carol Riddell and others bravely came out as trans and Quentin and Michael were as camp as hell. We

Zapping the Gates

Taylor remembers the divide between lesbians and lesbian feminists in the 70s and 80s.

In the early 70s I went weekly to the lesbian meeting at the Three Wheatsheaves on Islington Green. The women had seceded from GLF (Gay Liberation Front) and, in a spurt of political activism I had found this venue near my home.

The landlord put a notice on the door: ‘Private Ladies’ Meeting’. Occasionally the male drinkers (one woman referred to them as ‘lezzie lashers’) would try entering at their peril.

We held ourselves aloof from more traditional lesbian clubs in a politically smug manner. Nevertheless, we were intrigued as well as somewhat horrified and contemptuous of the Gateways.

We decided to take an ‘action’, so we leafleted outside the Gates about our meetings, marches and conferences. Some of us decided to cross the line into this alluringly incorrect place. After finding a member to get us in we were soon regulars. In truth, there were not 16

travelled to Bradford to ‘zap’ a psychiatry conference at the university with D J West pontificating on ‘homosexuality’. We took control and Don Milligan addressed the audience in a frock. That’s when I met a crowd from Brixton where I eventually moved into a gay squat in 1974.

A bizarre moment came when we had a ‘gay’ disco at the Catholic Club opposite the Farmers with Hell’s Angels as security guards. Drugs were around in those days, and sometimes the whole pub would be ‘high’.

I am 65 and still politically active in LGBT/Left Unity/Unite TU/housing and welfare rights. Q many other places to go and there we could authentically connect to our history. We were predictably shocked, in puritanical fashion about the dress and role playing of ‘butch’ and ‘femme’, when we wore jeans and velvet.

We decided to show them how it could be different, so one week we went dressed butch in ties and suits, or as near as we could get to the correct dress code at the Gates, and danced together in butch duos. The regulars were bemused. A few were affronted by such bizarre behaviour, but on the whole, carried on regardless.

After all they were there for a good time.

The plan was to go the following week all dressed femme. But nobody could bring themselves to do it, so our politically correct action fizzled out.

I always understood the Gates in Bramerton Street, Chelsea, was on Church Commissioner’s’ property which amused me no end. Q

Gina Ware, proprietor of Gateways © RB Kensington & Chelsea/ John Bignell

Opening Doors London (ODL) www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk