The Joiners Arms
East London LGBT pub and nightclub
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Joiners Arms was an LGBT pub and nightclub on Hackney Road in East London.[1]
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| The Joiners Arms | |
|---|---|
Joiners' Arms | |
  The Joiners Arms Location within London Borough of Tower Hamlets  The Joiners Arms The Joiners Arms (Greater London) | |
| General information | |
| Location | 116-118 Hackney Road, London, E2 7QL, England |
| Coordinates | 51°31′47″N 0°04′29″W |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Closed | 2015 |
The original pub, which closed in 2015, had been central to the East London gay scene since it was opened in 1997 by David Alexander Pollard.[2] It had been described as "Britain's trendiest gay dive"[3] with gay public figures including Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Patrick Wolf known to have frequented the venue, and with events hosted by gay entertainers Scottee and Jodie Harsh.[4] The venue had been open to a range of gay subcultures such as the bear scene and drag queens. Due to its late night opening and free entry, the Joiners Arms had a reputation for being a "last chance saloon" and sometimes having a rough crowd,[5] but this has also been described as part of its appeal.[3]
Plans were announced in 2014 to demolish the venue and replace it with a block of flats,[6] but supporters of the venue successfully campaigned to have it recognised as an Asset of Community Value.[7] Tower Hamlets Council only allowed the construction to proceed if the development included a pub that would "remain a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-focused venue for a minimum of 12 years". This was believed to be the first time that the sexual orientation of a venue's customers had been included as a condition of planning approval.[1][8]