Archive and Museum Collection
Each month, we’ll be sharing stories from the collections at Newham Heritage Centre. From rare photographs to historic objects to documents, our archive and museum collections reveal the rich, diverse history of the borough and its communities.
This regular feature highlights newly catalogued items, special finds, and fascinating pieces of local heritage — offering a glimpse into Newham’s past through the collections we care for.
Phases
October
Remembering the East London Gay Community
by Cas Bradbeer, Heritage Officer, October 2025
Oh, what I would give to go back in time and experience the Tricky Dickies gay discos on Saturdays at Pigeons on the Romford Road. DJ Tricky Dicky on the decks, Double D providing cabaret entertainment, and a lovely bunch of regulars joining in the fun from the East London Gay Community (ELGC)! Based at a workers’ co-operative in Stratford during the 1980s, the ELGC made frequent visits to Pigeons, advertising Tricky Dickies in their newsletters. Newham’s archives hold a collection of these documents, offering a window into the area’s vibrant gay scene. The ELGC organised a busy social calendar, from Coffee Evenings at Sandy’s house in East Ham to Dungeons & Dragons at Martin’s place in West Ham, to group trips for Variety Nights at the Theatre Royal (now Stratford East). They hosted several fundraisers, too, such as in 1986 when they took over the West Ham Municipal Baths (where the Atherton Leisure Centre is today) to stage a Shocking Pink Party in aid of the Newham Lesbian & Gay Trade Union Group. Founded in 1978, the ELGC ran regular events like these for over three decades.
A helpline was established in 1984 to support mutual aid in the group. Members could be trained up as volunteers for their Contact Group, who would answer thousands of calls a year from people in need of advice. The newsletter also helped people by signposting to local organisations such as youth groups, trans groups, music groups, inclusive churches, pubs and healthcare providers. This was immensely helpful in tackling isolation and feelings of hopelessness in a time where there was an AIDS crisis, no online search engines, and very little queer content in mainstream publications. Complementing these listings, personalised support was provided through visits from the likes of the Gay Bereavement Project and the Newham Police Support Committee. Here, they were able to voice their concerns and clarify their rights surrounding major political issues for the community like inheritance and policing.
Primarily, though, they were a social group, hosting joyous events like the 1984 Christmas Party at Bill and Tony’s house in Stratford. The following month’s newsletter provides this amusing anecdote of their festivities: “The drag act was followed by John who provided a doughnut supper using a very novel serving technique – some said he got down to the bare essentials of entertainment. It was done quite artistically and proved to be quite a stimulating experience, though it was unfortunate there were not more doughnuts to go round! Acknowledgement must also be made of the very lifelike coat stand employed by John – we wonder where such exquisite items are acquired.”
You can find out more about the ELGC and Newham’s wider queer histories on our Newham Heritage Month website. Here, we have some highlights from last year’s programme, for which Cameye Arts produced Footprints of LGBTQIA+ Humans in Stratford, recording fascinating conversations with longstanding members of the community. Also, we’ll have a range of other queer materials from our collection (including some brilliantly illustrated Tom Allen Centre advertisements) on display at Senate House on November 4th for the History Day fair. Our stall will be part of the Queer History Trail, alongside dozens of other heritage organisations. We’ll even have reproductions of the ELGC newsletters available for people to repurpose at the fair’s zine workshop! The day is free to attend, although booking is required (register on the Institute of Historical Research website).