A former gay pub, one of the first sites of the gay community in London, has been added to the Historic England register in recognition of its vital role in LGBT+ history and architectural significance.
The Boltons, also known as The Bolton served as a respite for LGBT+ people in the mid-1950s and became a central gem of the bustling LGBT+ scene at Earl’s Court Road through the 1970s and 1980s.
Kensington and Chelsea Council planning officers applied for listed status not only for it’s place in LGBT+ history books, but for its detailed “Flemish Revival” style of architecture, noting in particular its staircase and upper floor guest rooms.
Cllr Cem Kemahli, lead member for Planning and Public Realm, said: “The recognition of this historic pub as a listed site stands not just as a tribute to its architectural importance but also celebrates its role as a cherished hub within the LGBTQ+ community.
“The preservation of buildings like this one echoes our history and diverse communities in the borough.”
The echoes of the historic building sound even louder when talking to those who know The Boltons at its best.
Trevor*, a retired 70-year-old, first visited The Boltons in 1971, shortly after moving to London at 18 due to being kicked out by his parents.
Despite living homeless for two years afterwards, Trevor had many positive memories of that time and of Earl’s Court.
He said: “London in the 70s was the most amazing, friendly, wonderful, safe place to grow up.
“[Earl’s Court Road] was the gay centre of London at that time – for the whole of the 70s, that’s where gay people went.”
The Boltons was where Trevor first met Peter, the love of his life.
“One night I was sitting in the corner upstairs and talking to some friends, and he just walked in, and I went ‘Oh my God’.
“I walked over and I said to him ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ and he went ‘No’.
“I just sort of turned around to walk away and he went ‘I’ll buy you one though’ and the rest is history”.
Peter tragically passed away in 1995 from HIV AIDS.
For Trevor, the AIDS epidemic destroyed the Earl’s Court gay scene.
He said: “So many people died and so many people were desperately ill.
“A lot of the clubs suffered from the AIDS epidemic because people just weren’t going out.
“People were afraid to go out, afraid to touch you..”
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Jamie Griffen, who was a bartender at The Boltons from 1983 to 1986, also remembered when AIDS struck Earl’s Court.
Jamie said: “We just lost hundreds of people – I mean, literally hundreds.
“A lot of the customers from The Boltons were amongst the first wave of HIV casualties because of the jobs they were doing, as they were rent boys, or because we’d just come out of a period of gay liberation, and we had the sex life we wanted.
“So, we just got to a point where we were really happy with what we were, who we were, then AIDS hit.”
Jamie went on to work with AIDS patients as a social worker, before he experienced burnout and became an agent for dogs in films.
He’d first come across the local gay scene at Earl’s Court in 1983 after running away from home at the age of 16.
A young Jamie found local gay bars by following two men into The Colhearne, a bar just a stone-throw away from The Boltons.
He said: “I had no idea what [The Colherne] was, I was this little naive guy from Scotland and I was wearing white.
“I remember that they walked into The Colhearne, which was pitch black and full of leather guys with moustaches and dark glasses.
“I walked in, not knowing anything, and I just heard this guy shouting ‘Lunch has arrived!’”
Jamie explained he then came across The Boltons where, within two weeks of moving to London, he began working and living.
Jamie said: “At that time in the early 80s, lots of our customers – me included – were all running away from something, and in Earl’s Court we found a family.
“It was a very supportive and it completely transformed your life the minute you arrived there.”
Jamie also enjoyed the perks of working at The Boltons.
He said: “To get a job in one of the main bars, you would almost become a local celebrity!”
He particularly recalled his 21st birthday party, which was held in the upstairs bar of The Bolton’s and proved to be a night to remember.
Jamie said: “Three guys – they were robbers and thieves, I’m sure – but they turned up with 6 crates of champaign and said ‘Here, for your birthday’.
“There was probably about 60 people there, it went on until about four or five in the morning.
“It was the best 21st birthday ever, obviously.”
Frankly, there were enough stories of The Boltons from Jamie and Trevor to fill a book, let alone a simple article.
From meeting first loves and losing friends, to raucous 21st birthdays and a million tiny acts of liberation, The Boltons unequivocally houses a history worth protecting.
Image and video credit: Kensington and Chelsea Council
*Full name not included for anonymity
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