faustus | Entries tagged with canterbury

Local and national press - see, say, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8049841.stm - has announced that Canterbury Pride fears that the council is insufficiently gay-friendly - the council responds with the declaration that they've spent a whopping four grand since 2005. That's nearly a thousand a year. The last Pride march was in 2006.

It just so happens that my local was a gay bar in the mists of time - specifically lesbian, I gather - and another place I drink less often but now owned by the same person as my local also had a gay reputation. More recently the gay bar the WestBar became the CityBar and shut, reopened, and I think shut again. Bar 11 - gay friendly* - has rebranded. Bar 11 is now The Jaggy Thistle, presumably to attract the Scottish squaddies from the barracks. I have not heard whether Bar 11's previous clientele have embraced the squaddies with open arms, and what the squaddies feel about that. On the other hand, the gay night at one of the local clubs is one of the most popular in town.

Still, it's hardly the council's job to run pubs of any kind. Someone has been misquoted or is being silly.

I do ponder how The Canterbury Tales are going to police cheaper admission to their attraction ("The Canterbury Tales, said it would be offering members of the LGBT community a discounted admission fee until 30 June to encourage further "pink tourism".) It's not as if there's a membership card, like the Arts Fund or the RAC. A short quiz on Eurovision? The wearing of a green carnation?

* This was the site of a minor assault by a racist homophobe on someone who frankly would tax the mildest and most open minded of individuals. T is no respecter of anyone's personal space - but B is a bigot at the best of times. Dickheadedness is race-blind and sexuality-blind. In some cases both sides in a court case should lose.

ETA: The Daily Hate Mail has predictable comments on its coverage at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1181301/Canterbury-city-simply-isnt-gay-according-equality-campaigners.html

Current Mood: amused

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MF Road: The Imp's for sale sign. Yes, the third owners in as little number of years clearly cannot afford the lease. It's a cliquey boozer full of local people in an area which is 60% or more students.

Guildford Road: ROAD CLOSED. This isn't stopping people parking on it, nor people driving on it. In fact it's busier than usual. The actual digging is happening at Zealand but they will work down. It looks like a foot is beeing stolen off the pavement.

Corner of Stour Street/High Street: Post Office is for sale. Yes, it is moving into WH Smith's. Oh joy. That'll work.

Caffe Nerd: Back of barrista: THE BEST ESPRESSO THIS SIDE OF MILAN. I suspect you went there to fetch it, the amount of time it took.

Castle Street: on a doorstep. A tartan blanket and a cucumber, the latter still wrapped in plastic. I suspect I really don't want to know.

Current Mood: confused

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It's a good thing to have visitors, because you end up doing stuff you otherwise wouldn't get round too. Partly, I guess, it's making sure you don't run out of things to do - but I still haven't done the Abbey, Roman Museum or the Canterbury Tales (the experience not the pub). I had an email from nhw, artw and family that they were staying just down the road, and did I fancy meeting up? I was busy that night, but could give them a city tour if they fancied it. As is my wont, I rather anal retentively provided them with three different transportation options, and we rendezvoused outside the Castle Street car park. (Everyone tries to park in Watling Street or Whitefriars, which is closer to the shops but so much busier.)