Patrick recalls his time at the Spotted Dog, currently called The Hop Poles

‘When I was at school the Spotted Dog was the only place that was known as a queer bar; wasn’t known as a gay bar ’cause we didn’t use the word gay then. But it was a dare at school for 2/6d if you dared to go through the door, not to buy a drink, but if you actually dared to go through the door. But if anyone wanted to take the piss out of you at school they’d say, ‘Oh you know Patrick Newley’s been to the Spotted Dog.’ None of us ever, I don’t think, ever had the nerve. It was even a sort of nerve to go into the same street as the Spotted Dog. But that was the only place that we knew that was gay. It was sort of frightening.’

‘I found out one other chap in the grocery trade that we were in, he was married and he was having a terrible time. And he started speaking to me and he says, ‘I need somebody to come with me to this pub.’ And he mentioned a pub, The Spotted Dog. And I said yes, I’d been there before. And he says, ‘You’re not gay, are you?’ and I says, ‘Yes,’ and I blushed like hell. So I says, ‘Why do you want to go there?’ And he mentioned he had met somebody but he didn’t have the guts to go there on his own. He was rather embarrassed about it. Would I go with him? So I says, ‘Yes.’ So every dinner time we’d go down there. Now the rumour worked round like wild fire that we were having a wild love affair and even his wife came to see me about this. And I says, ‘Well, I’m terribly sorry but if he hasn’t got the guts to tell you, I will.’ Well, she wouldn’t believe it. And anyway Frank saw me about the next day and he says, ‘You did something I never had the guts to do.’ He says, ‘And it’s given me the opportunity to move out.’ So he did. And he moved in with his boyfriend.’

From here, walk towards the sea front and take the first road on the right. After a few yards this will cut into West Street. Cross West Street at the crossing point.