Forbidden Fruit, 119 Queens Road

[Richard]

The 'Forbidden Fruit' (daft name) was supposed to be Hastings only Gay Bar, opening in 2014 and closing in 2015.
A 'Gay' or 'Gay-friendly' pub was perhaps a bit adventurous in that location (near Morrisons) and it had a strange atmosphere, to my mind anyway, it was formerly called the 'Imperial'.

The Brewery chain that owned it has sold it off at last and the new owners are installing a micro-brewery and Pizza-Oven.
It will revert to its former name 'Imperial' and plans to open around the end of June/July.
We should get some interesting beer and I look forward to what will be my nearest local becoming a great success.

[Geoff]

Well this is good news. So glad it hasn't seen the same fate as so many of our pubs, turned into flats or a corner shop. Worst case has to be the Oddfellows.

The Norman Arms (St Leonards) and Kings Head (Ore) could do with someone coming along to revive them. Fingers crossed!

[ColinL]

The word "Fruit" did have negative connotations within the male gay community years ago. Maybe they were using it as a self-deprecation and reclaiming language by the community itself as has been done with the word 'queer' as in the TV series Queer as folk" , or the group Queer Nation, or gender-bender.

Society has changed very quickly in recent years. Happened to see two gay characters on Hollyoaks at 7-00 pm the other night who were shown in bed together. It was only after 1997 that the Section 28 provisions banning education institutions 'promoting homosexuality' were repealed.

[Richard]

Clearly wanting 'forbidden fruit' is not necessary in the light of modern thinking and freedoms for same-sex relationships
Demand for Gay equality probably goes back to the 'Anti-Slavery' movement, following the American Civil War and the 14th Ammendment to the American Constitution, which promoted equal rights, the Ammendment became part of the Constitution in 1868.
This eventually developed into an 'equal rights' interpretation, suggesting that all people should be treated equally, regardless of their sex or sexuality, or race, colour or age, and etcetera.
General Custer was still fighting Indians in 1876, so he may have been a little out of step with events, but he got his just desserts after a bad piece of planning and was ambushed and killed in the Battle of Little Bighorn.
The Indians were supposed to keep inside their 'Reservations' but it seems they had gotten in the way of settlers and Gold Prospecters, (supported by the U.S. 7th cavalry) pushing into the Montana Territory, who wanted the land of the Cheyenne and Sioux Indian for settlement and mining.

I wonder what beers will be on offer at the new/old 'Imperial'?

[Richard]

Before the road name change it was listed at no. 80 St Andrews Road in the 1871 census.
(it was granted its first license in 1869)
There would have been both a slaughter house and a gasworks in the immediate vicinity in the early days of the pub's existence.
It was known to regulars as the 'Imp'.

[Richard]

The new owner of what will be re-named the 'Imperial' Pub again, is a celebrity from a popular TV Antiques Show who also has a Pub in Wadhurst.

[Insomniac]

Well this is good news. So glad it hasn't seen the same fate as so many of our pubs, turned into flats or a corner shop. Worst case has to be the Oddfellows.

The Norman Arms (St Leonards) and Kings Head (Ore) could do with someone coming along to revive them. Fingers crossed!

I believe the Kings Head is being knocked down Geoff, I was told what was being put there, but can't remember. It has been struggling for years, I remember playing football over at Hillcrest a few years ago and going there for a post-match drink/grub and it would've been dead if it weren't for both teams visiting. It'd also changed hands numerous times since, which tends to be another tell tale sign that a Pub's on its death bed unfortunately.

Back on subject, it does possibly sound it was being a bit too 'try hard' in trying to attract LGBT. The places I know of in this town that become known for being gay friendly don't tend to open as a gay bar, but seem to be adopted as place of preference?

[Geoff]

The King's Head Ore was a bit out of the way so i'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. I hope they do something with the existing building rather than knock it down and start again.

I always saw the original Imperial as a working man's type pub so I guess going straight from that to a designated GLBT venue didn't do much to keep the existing customer base.

For memory's sake here's a couple of pics of the two pubs courtesy of Geograph...

The Imperial, Queens Road

Kings Head, Ore

[Richard]

I think the 'Forbidden Fruit' closed down because there was too much volatility amongst the LGBT participants (numerous incidents of fighting at the pub).
The Police involvement in dealing with disturbance affects the issuing of a new licence and the Brewery were therefore only too happy to sell it off on the open market.

I also suspect that LGBT people are an 'edgy' bunch rather than any local intolerance being the real cause of any punch-ups.
The renovation is continuing apace and in another few weeks we should see a new interior ready for business.

(GLBT Geoff - what's that?)

[ColinL]

Fighting?
Was it handbags at dawn!

If considered to be non-pc, some gay people now use words that were considered anti gay such as queer or battyman & similar words to challenge the negative use, thus neutralising the negativity.

Strangely enough, the CHE (campaign for homosexual equality) around 1973 used to meet appropriately, at the Queens Hotel