15 Madeira Place, was once the location of Pigott’s Bar…

‘I started going to Pigott’s in 1950 when I was twenty and it was mostly girls. This little lady used to play at the piano with her jangling bracelets; cigarette hanging on her mouth. And we used to have this sing-song, the old tunes, ‘Don’t laugh at me cos I’m a fool’ that’s right, ‘Freight Train’, that was Laurie’s tune.

I think the bar went in a sort of a half moon and there was only one entrance. It was terribly small, there was room enough for a piano, and there weren’t many seats. It was quite tatty, all really dark brown. It was just ordinary working-class. There weren’t any professionals there, they probably had their own places to go. I think normal people used to go to Pigott’s for sightseeing. It was noted that it was a gay pub, because in those days people knew exactly where the pubs were because there weren’t that many. You’d get ordinary people, fellas or couples come in. They’d probably be out drinking and come in just for a laugh. You’d probably get a few comments but if they were outnumbered, you wouldn’t be too bad. They would probably just sit there. The men might make a few remarks, you know, ‘Come over ‘ere darlin’. What you need is a good man.’ Most of our concern was the fact that’d be there in your regalia — because when you went out you dressed up your regalia — that you’d be discovered by someone and that would be you’d be branded. My biggest fear was that one of my customers would come into the pub. I think I would have died.’

From here walk downhill along St. James’s Street to the traffic lights on the Old Steine. Cross the Old Steine and continue along St. James’ Street with the fountain on the left. Cross the next set of traffic lights and turn left. Take the first alley on the right: Steine Lane. At the end of the lane turn left into the Lanes onto East Street. Walk down East Street towards the seafront. Stop at the third turning on the left, Pool Valley.