The New Penny, Call Lane, Leeds - DSC07544

The New Penny is a gay pub in

The Calls The Calls is an area and street by the River Aire in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England. This district falls within the City and Hunslet ward of the City of Leeds Council. Formerly an area of industry in Leeds, it has now been regene ...

area of

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. It is reported to be the oldest continually running gay pub in the UK.

History

The pub started as the Hope and Anchor in 1953. Although difficulty with the law meant it was a secretive place, it was the first gay venue to open outside

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. In March 1968, the Hope and Anchor was featured in an exposé-style article in the local ''Union News'' and possibly as a result of this article, the content of which was soon reprinted in a national newspaper, ''The People'', the pub was targeted and "completely wrecked" by football fans following the Leeds United v. Glasgow Rangers match at

Elland Road Elland Road is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Premier League club Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the 14th largest football stadium in England. The g ...

on 9 April 1968. A period of closure followed, and after a change of ownership it reopened as The New Penny. The pub has hosted various well-known

drag queens A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...

on its stage, including

Lily Savage Paul James O'Grady MBE DL (born 14 June 1955) is an English comedian, broadcaster, actor, writer and former drag queen. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, very popular in ...

, Anna Glypta, Fats and Small, Sisters Slim, Amber Dextrous, Miss Orry, and Ricky Glass. The New Penny is hosted 7 nights a week by its talented resident drag queens such as Glitz Von Winkle, Nova Gina & Miss Sordid Secret. The New Penny is one of the most popular venues in Leeds, attracting a diverse crowd of gay and straight patrons. It regained its popularity when drinking laws were relaxed to allow a later licence, usually meaning it is the last venue to close its doors at weekends on the Leeds gay scene. It is also involved in the annual

Leeds Pride Leeds Pride is an annual LGBT Pride celebration held in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. History Leeds Pride first took place in August 2006 (then called Leeds Gay Pride) - there had been previous Pride events in Leeds such as ''Hy ...

event. On 19 October 2016,

Leeds Civic Trust Leeds Civic Trust is a voluntary organisation and registered charity established in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England in 1965. Affiliated to the national charity Civic Voice, its stated purpose is "to stimulate public interest in and care for the b ...

awarded it a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

"for providing a safe venue for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Penny Pubs in Leeds 1953 establishments in England LGBT culture in Leeds Leeds Blue Plaques LGBT pubs in the United Kingdom