Afternoon Cream Tea at Rochdale Town Hall: A Delightful Experience

Nestled within the stunning Gothic architecture of Rochdale Town Hall, the afternoon cream tea experience at The Martlet Kitchen is a delightful treat for the senses. The grandeur of the Grade 1 listed building, with its ornate carvings and sweeping staircases, sets the perfect backdrop for a leisurely afternoon.

We started with a small bowl of tomato soup, accompanied by a samosa and onion bhaji. The afternoon tea menu offers a selection of traditional finger sandwiches, including egg mayo and watercress, local honey roast ham and pickle and cream cheese and chive. Each sandwich is crafted with care, providing a delightful balance of flavours.

The highlight of the tea experience is undoubtedly the freshly baked fruit scones, served with seasonal fruit jam and clotted cream. The scones are light and fluffy, making them the perfect accompaniment to the rich and creamy clotted cream.

For those with a sweet tooth, the selection of desserts is sure to impress. The carrot cake and chocolate cake are standouts, offering a delightful combination of sweetness and texture. The macaroons with vanilla butter cream are equally delightful, providing a perfect ending to the meal.

The service at The Martlet Kitchen is attentive and friendly, ensuring that guests feel welcome and well-cared for. The staff are happy to accommodate dietary requirements, making the experience enjoyable for everyone.

Overall, the afternoon cream tea at Rochdale Town Hall is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. The combination of delicious food, beautiful surroundings, and excellent service makes it a must-visit for anyone in the area.

More photos can be seen here.

Who was thong inventor Rudi Gernreich?

The first leaves are falling and autumn is coming, so it must be time for an article on those two narrow straps that sit just above the hipbone, their edges cutting into sun-tanned flesh: the thong. 

These days, thanks to the revival of fashion from the 2000s, it seems to be everywhere: sticking out of low-rise jeans, shimmering underneath transparent beach dresses or revealing derrieres on the beach. 

But what many people might not know about the thong bathing suit is that its creation was political – and its creator a gay man. 

July 1974: Los Angeles’ last summer of nude bathing 

“Everyone was nude,” a lifeguard recalls in the newspaper LA Times. In the summer of 1974, Venice Beach became a sea of bare bottoms. Nobody knows exactly how the famous beach in Los Angeles became a popular location for naturists, but hippies readily popularised the nudist craze, taking advantage of the fact that there was no explicit ban on nudity yet. 

But the naked summer dream didn’t last long: First came the press, then the police. After nudity made headlines, Los Angeles promptly banned it altogether. 

What does this have to do with the thong?

Rudi Gernreich, an Austrian-born designer who lived in LA, rebelled against the ban by creating a tiny piece of fabric for all genders that covered only the bare minimum.  

The designer was not interested in sexualising bodies. On the contrary: He wanted to set them free.

“The liberation of the body will cure society of its sexual hang-up,” Gernreich once said.

It wasn’t the first time he broke taboos with fashion. 

Gernreich was born into a Jewish family in Vienna on 8 August 1922. He was 16 years old when he fled the Nazis with his mother in 1938, and they settled in Los Angeles. His father had taken his own life shortly before. To survive, his mother sold baked goods door-to-door and young Rudi washed corpses that were to be autopsied. 

“I do smile sometimes when people tell me my clothes are so body-conscious I must have studied anatomy. You bet I studied anatomy,” Gernreich said, referring to this job, in an essay in Moffitt and Claxton’s “The Rudi Gernreich Book.” 

His actual studies, however, were in art; he went on to work as a costume designer and a dancer. His designs often show his fascination with bodies in movement.

‘Winter or summer, male or female, everybody will dress alike’

Gernreich was ahead of his time. While homosexuality was still a criminal offence in the US, he co-founded the Mattachine Society, one of the first organisations for LGBT+ rights in the US.

For Gernreich, the future of fashion was unisex, and he promoted queer styles long before they became an established concept. 

“Clothing will not be identified as either male or female … women and men will wear skirts interchangeably … the aesthetics of fashion are going to involve the body itself,” he predicted back in the 1970s.

Gernreich freed the nipple

In 1964, Gernreich presented a design that went down in history as women’s first topless swimsuit: the monokini. The provocative piece, which covered the bottom up to the midriff, featured two straps that left the breasts completely exposed.

Gernreich believed that women should be allowed to show their nipples just as men do, and above all, that they should be the ones calling the shots when it comes to their clothing.

“I don’t like to dictate women what to wear,” he said in an interview in 1966.  

The designer, who died in 1985, remains a pioneer of body positivity, and his legacy marks how little has changed surrounding prudery – as today Instagram censors images of female nipples, and society still sexualises nudity.

Detention

One of our members will be performing in Gary Clarke Company’s DETENTION on Wednesday, 8 and Thursday, 9 October at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre at 7.30pm.

DETENTION explores the impact of Section 28 – a piece of largely hidden legislation from Thatcher’s Conservative Government which “prohibited the promotion of homosexuality”.

As part of the community cast, she will be performing alongside the professional cast and other local participants to explore the effects of this legislation through movement and dance.

DETENTION is a bold and moving exploration of the violence, loneliness, protests, debates, unlikely allies and the remarkable individuals / organisations of the time amidst the political and social upheaval.

If you would like to come and show some support, you can book your tickets here from £15.00.

Hope to see you there!

Timeline of same-sex marriage in Europe

Year in which same-sex couples are allowed to marry

The Netherlands introduced same-sex marriage 16 years before Germany and 24 years before Liechtenstein.

Play the Rainbow Lottery and support Out In The City

The UK’s first and only lottery supporting LGBTQ+ good causes.

Welcome to the Rainbow Lottery, the exciting weekly lottery that raises money for the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ good causes totally, openly and exclusively.

The hope is to make a difference to good causes so they can carry on their vital work – which helps us all. Play the lottery, support the community – it’s fun, it’s simple and everybody wins!

How the lottery works:

• £1 per ticket – that’s right, unlike many other lotteries, the lottery tickets are only £1 per week.
• For every ticket you play, 80% goes to good causes and prizes.

£25,000 jackpot prize

• Match all 6 numbers and you win the JACKPOT!
• Every month there is a Super Draw. On Saturday, 27 September one person will win a £1,000 Aldi gift card (or £1,000 cash or plant 1,000 trees!)

Buy tickets here.

Bridgewater Hall

We’re delighted to advise that The Bridgewater Hall has again offered us FREE tickets to various performances from the International Concert Series, BBC Philharmonic and The Hallé.

We really appreciate the support of Bridgewater Hall. Last season 67 different people enjoyed 35 concerts.

Last Saturday, despite a bus strike and atrocious weather, eleven of us made our way to the Bridgewater Hall to see the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert was recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast in Radio 3 in Concert on Tuesday, 28 October at 7.30pm.

The performance was the season opener and included a pre-concert performance of Julia Wolfe’s LAD – nine bagpipers playing drones. She is the Composer in Residence this season.

The concert proper opened with Julia Wolfe’s Fountain of Youth.

Augustin Hadelich brought his incredible artistry to one of Sergey Prokofiev’s most celebrated works – Violin Concerto No 2. The first piece brought blocks of orchestral sound, whereas this work was more precisely expressive with ravishing melodies.

After an interval, the concert ended with Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony with huge emotions and passionate melodies painted on an epic musical canvas, which could only have been written by a gay man.

International Celebrate Bisexuality Day

International Celebrate Bisexuality Day is on Tuesday, 23 September 2025.

Also known as Bi-Visibility Day, it is a global annual event celebrated on this date since 1999 to recognise bisexual people, their community and the history of bisexuality. 

The day serves as a grand finale to Bisexual Awareness Week, which runs from 16 to 23 September. 

While records have shown that several cultures throughout history openly embraced bisexuality, in recent years the LGBT community and especially the bisexual community has been marginalised.

What it is: 

• A day for celebrating bisexuality and promoting cultural acceptance of the bisexual community.
• A day to advocate for bisexual rights and raise awareness about unique challenges, such as biphobia and bisexual erasure.

Key aspects of the day:

• Visibility: 

It increases the visibility of bisexual individuals and the broader bisexual+ community. 

• Community: 

It creates platforms for bisexual people to connect with others and build community. 

• History: 

It highlights the history of the bisexual rights movement and the journey towards greater acceptance. 

Other Names and Languages:

English	International Celebrate Bisexuality Day
Arabic	يوم ثنائية الجنس الدولية
German	Welttag der Bisexualität
Hebrew	ום ביסקסואליות הבינלאומי
Korean	국제 양성애 일
Norwegian	Verdensdagen for biseksualitet
Spanish	Día Internacional de la Bisexualidad

Your Story Matters – Take Part in This Research

Cesar Augusto Kampff, a psychologist and PhD candidate in the Graduate Programme in Cultural Diversity and Social Inclusion at Universidade Feevale, Brazil is conducting groundbreaking research in Brazil, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.

The study is on the psychological aspects involved in the processes of recognising and sharing one’s sexual orientation (coming out) among cisgender lesbians and gay men aged 50 and over.

He is kindly requesting your participation in this research, which is essential to better understand the experiences of the mature lesbian and gay population, give visibility to these life stories, and build knowledge that helps combat violence, prejudice and discrimination.

Research like this is only possible with the support and voices of those who have lived and continue to live these experiences. Your contribution will help strengthen public policies, support practices and initiatives that promote respect for diversity.

The interview can be conducted via a questionnaire, which can be sent by e-mail so you may answer it at your own pace.

Thank you in advance for your trust and for sharing your story.

To participate or learn more, please email cesarkampff@gmail.com

Rainbow Train

On Wednesday, 17 September Out In The City members took over the East Lancashire Railway to mark the end of the Pride season in Greater Manchester. We decorated our carriage with rainbow tablecloths and flags to make the “Rainbow Train”.

The train journey covers 12 miles through stunning scenery from Bury to Rawtenstall. We all enjoyed travelling on the “Rainbow Train” and visiting the town of Rawtenstall. During the journey we chatted with our steward – Maureen – who pointed out some of the sights such as the Peel Tower.

More photos can be seen here.

Brian Epstein

Brian Samuel Epstein (19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was an English music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1961 until his death in 1967.

Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him in charge of their music shop, where he displayed a gift for talent-spotting. He first met the Beatles in 1961 at a lunchtime concert at Liverpool’s Cavern Club. Although he had no experience of artist management, Epstein put them under contract and insisted that they abandon their scruffy image in favour of a new clean-cut style. He also attempted to get the Beatles a recording contract, eventually securing a deal with EMI’s Parlophone label.

Within months, the Beatles were international stars. Some of Epstein’s other young discoveries had also prospered under his management. They included Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, Tommy Quickly, Cilla Black and The Big Three. In 1967, he died of a combined alcohol and barbiturate overdose, ruled as accidental, at the age of 32.

Epstein’s homosexuality was not publicly known until some years after his death, although it had been an open secret among his friends and business associates. While Epstein was in the British Army, he commissioned a tailor to make him an officer’s uniform. He wore the uniform when cruising the bars of London, but was arrested one night at the Army and Navy Club in Piccadilly by the military police for impersonating an officer. Epstein managed to avoid a court martial by agreeing to see an army psychiatrist, who learned of Epstein’s sexuality. After ten months he was discharged from the army on medical grounds for being “emotionally and mentally unfit”. Epstein later stated that his first homosexual experience was when he returned to Liverpool after being discharged.

Epstein spent a year studying acting at RADA, but dropped out shortly after his arrest for “persistent importuning” outside a men’s public toilet in Swiss Cottage, London. Cottaging, as it was called, was one of the few public ways that gay and bisexual men could meet, especially if they were closeted.

McCartney said that when Epstein started to manage the Beatles they knew that he was homosexual but did not care, because he encouraged them professionally and offered them access to previously “off-limits” social circles.

Although the group, Lennon in particular, often made sarcastic comments about Epstein’s homosexuality to friends and to Epstein personally, no one outside the group’s inner circle was allowed to comment. Epstein went on holiday to places such as Amsterdam, Torremolinos and Barcelona or Manchester at weekends, as the attitude towards homosexuals there was more tolerant than in Liverpool, even though Liverpool did have several gay bars.

There were reports of a brief sexual encounter between Lennon and Epstein during a four-day holiday in Barcelona in April 1963. Lennon admitted in a 1971 Rolling Stone interview that he knew Epstein was a “fag” and that he (Lennon) enjoyed “playing a bit faggy and all that”. Addressing the rumours again later, Lennon told Playboy in 1980, “Well, it was almost a love affair, but not quite. It was never consummated … but we did have a pretty intense relationship”.

Soni Wolf

Soni S H S Wolf (19 September 1948 – 25 April 2018) was an American lesbian activist. She described herself as a dyke, and was also a motorcycle enthusiast and former US Air Force Vietnam-era veteran.

She co-founded the Dykes on Bikes (DOB) after their 1976 San Francisco Pride parade debut, and rode with them each year from 1978 until her death in 2018.

The group is a highly visible symbol of empowerment and LGBTQ pride. Wolf nurtured DOB’s worldwide chapters and fought for their right to use the reclaimed term dyke, they fought and won two lawsuits against the US Patent and Trademark Office so they could trademark their name and logo.

DOB does philanthropic work for LGBTQ causes and organisations around the world. In June 2019, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Wolf was one of fifty inaugural heroes to be named on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honour placed inside the Stonewall Inn, and within the Stonewall National Monument.

Dykes on Bikes

In June 1976, a group of 20 – 25 lesbians decided to ride their motorcycles in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade which had started in 1970. They led the parade to prevent their bikes from overheating due to idling behind the slower-moving walking contingents. Some motorcyclists had done the parade before then, but it wasn’t as organised.

One of the riders noted them as being “dykes on bikes” which was overheard, and reported in the city’s main newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle. The Dykes on Bikes (DOB) formalised within a week of the parade. Although the name originator isn’t known, Wolf, who started riding with the group in 1978, embraced the name, and helped the new group become one of the most visible, and empowering symbols of the LGBTQ communities.

In 2016 she was sainted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as someone who “dedicated their life to fundraising, activism and human rights”.

Queer Poetry Upfront Performance Night

The Queer Poetry Upfront Performance Night at Queer Lit, Manchester was a vibrant celebration of LGBTQ+ voices, offering an intimate platform for both emerging and established poets. The atmosphere was electric from the outset, with the bookshop’s cosy setting fostering a sense of community and inclusivity that made everyone feel at home.

Performers took to the stage with a diverse array of poetic styles, ranging from deeply personal confessions to sharp, witty social commentary. The raw honesty and vulnerability displayed captivated the audience, who responded with enthusiastic applause and heartfelt cheers. Standout performances included moving pieces on identity, love, and resilience, all delivered with a remarkable blend of passion and poise.

What set this night apart was the open-mic segment, which encouraged audience participation and showcased the breadth of talent within Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community. The event was expertly hosted by Jide Macaulay and Lauren Temple (standing in for Rachael Hill), ensuring a supportive environment where every voice was valued.

Overall, the Queer Poetry Upfront Performance Night at Queer Lit proved to be a powerful and uplifting experience – one that highlighted the importance of queer spaces in amplifying underrepresented stories. It was a night brimming with creativity, courage, and connection, leaving attendees eagerly anticipating the next gathering.

Ann Bannon

Ann Weldy (born 15 September 1932), better known by her pen name Ann Bannon, is an American author who, from 1957 to 1962, wrote five lesbian pulp fiction novels known as The Beebo Brinker Chronicles. The books’ enduring popularity and impact on lesbian identity has earned her the title “Queen of Lesbian Pulp Fiction”.

Bannon was a young housewife trying to address her own issues of sexuality when she was inspired to write her first novel. Despite her traditional upbringing and role in married life, her novels defied conventions for romance stories and depictions of lesbians by addressing complex homosexual relationships.

Her books shaped lesbian identity for lesbians and heterosexuals alike, but Bannon was mostly unaware of their impact. She stopped writing in 1962. Bannon has received numerous awards for pioneering lesbian and gay literature. She has been described as “the premier fictional representation of US lesbian life in the fifties and sixties”, and it has been said that her books “rest on the bookshelf of nearly every even faintly literate Lesbian”.

Her first book, Odd Girl Out, was published in 1957, and became Gold Medal Books’ second best-selling title of the year. Based on Bannon’s own experiences, the plot involved a lesbian relationship between two sorority sisters in a fictional sorority at a fictional midwestern university. As was custom with pulp fiction novels, neither the cover art nor the title were under the control of the author. Both were approved by the publisher in order to be as suggestive and lurid as possible.

Lesbians depicted in literature were relatively rare in the 1950s. It was the publisher’s policy in any novel involving lesbianism that the characters would never receive any satisfaction from the relationship. One or both usually ended up committing suicide, going insane, or leaving the relationship.

Bannon’s books were popular because they were so different from anything else being published at the time. Bannon insisted on the continuity of lesbian love, while everything in her culture was speaking of its quick and ugly demise.

Greta Garbo (Greta Lovisa Gustafsson) born on 18 September 1905 was a Swedish and American actress. She was a premier star during Hollywood’s silent and early golden eras. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, she was known for her melancholic and sombre screen persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances.

Catch up

Hello! … We are back! Due to computer problems we have not been able to send our regular emails.

We had a trip to Astley Hall in Chorley, held a Pride Party, had a guided tour of the exhibition “Turner: In Light and Shade” at the Whitworth Art Gallery, visited the Helmshore Mills Textile Museum and held a board games afternoon.

There are photos from the Textile Museum here.

Candlelit Vigil

This year’s Vigil at Manchester Pride was extra special, marking 40 years of George House Trust supporting people living with HIV. 

At the Vigil, we heard from two of their founders, as well as many people living with HIV, healthcare professionals and partners. There were Positive Speaker volunteers up on stage, showing the world what living with HIV can look like in 2025, as well as volunteers from other roles, staff and supporters, dancing and celebrating our community.

“It was truly an honour to be part of such a moving evening, representing George House Trust and sharing in the energy of the Vigil. The love and solidarity in the room were deeply felt.” – Jide, Positive Speaker 

The Vigil was an amazing opportunity to raise awareness and tackle HIV stigma, reaching an audience of thousands both at the event and online. Nathaniel Hall, one of their inspiring Positive Speakers, produced the Vigil and the wonderful video shown on the night.

George House Trust raised an incredible £10,914 at the Vigil, an increase of around £3000 on last year’s total. They are so grateful to all the volunteers who raised funds on the night.

For anyone who couldn’t be there, or who just wants to relive a very special night, full coverage of the Vigil is available online here:

Boogie Woogie Bisexual

This ’40s singer had a secret gay past that’s now coming to light.

The Andrews Sisters are the legendary wartime trio instantly identifiable to anyone who’s heard the almost eerily uniform sound of the singing sisters on soundtracks, in documentaries, or in any of the many feature films they appeared in.

The Andrews Sisters weren’t just chart-toppers in their own right – they also collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business, from Frank Sinatra to Bing Crosby to comedy duo Abbott and Costello.

Defined by their insanely close harmonies and jingoistic hits, the three sisters took the world by storm just as America was entering World War II with songs like “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön.”

Listen to “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”. It’s still a certified bop.

But behind the sisters’ decades-long successes, there was a lot more to the story. All three of the sisters married men, but Maxene (aka “the sister on the left” in most photos) had a much more complicated sexuality than anyone knew at the time.

As explained by historian Amanda W Timpson, Maxene didn’t view herself as a lesbian, but when she fell in love with two women in later life, she started to see that her sexuality was much more fluid than the time openly allowed for.

Maxene initially married a successful music publisher, but after that marriage broke up, she fell in love with her next partner, who happened to be a woman.

As Timpson explains, Maxene assumed this was something of an anomaly, and that she’d fallen in love with the person, not the gender. But when she and her long-term girlfriend broke up, Maxene began dating another woman, Lynda Wells, who was also Maxene’s manager.

The two met, amazingly enough, at a party held by Broadway legend Elaine Stritch in the ’70s, and they stayed together until Maxene’s death. Because gay marriage wasn’t on the table, in order to secure legal rights and be part of each others’ family, Maxene ended up legally adopting Wells later on.

Strange as this method might seem, it wasn’t an uncommon route for lesbian and gay couples to take in the years before marriage equality. The Japanese lesbian novelist Nobuko Yoshiya did the same with her partner Chiyo Monma in the late ’50s, as did civil rights fighter Bayard Rustin and his partner Walter Naegle, along with many adults in the later 20th century.

According to Wells, Maxene’s sexuality didn’t play a part in her life, despite her significant relationships with women. While the couple was out to friends and family, they didn’t see it as important to go public with their relationship, even in the post-Stonewall era. Simply put, they felt their relationship was their business, and nobody else’s.

But when Maxene suffered a heart attack later on, they started to think seriously about the future, leading to discussions of Maxene – who was much older than Wells – adopting her partner. This ended up being a smart move, and when Maxene died in 1995, Lynda was able to retain her legal right to the home and possessions they shared.

We don’t know too much more about the relationship, but Wells, who is still alive today, is at work on a biography of Maxene. Many long term gay partnerships had to hide their love from the world just to survive, and even those that didn’t were subject to strange loopholes just to protect each other in the event of a tragedy. Maxene and Lynda’s story is one of the happier examples of a love affair that found a way to thrive, despite a challenging era for lesbians and gay men.

Bus travel

Last week, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham announced a raft of changes to the Bee Network bus services. 

Pensioners were also set to benefit from the changes. The mayor noted that during August, more than 100,000 journeys were made by disabled and older people before 9.30am.

The end of time restrictions could be made permanent as transport bosses analyse passenger feedback, patronage and pass usage before making a decision.

In the meantime a second trial is set to continue in November.