Admiral Duncan pub
Encyclopedia
The Admiral Duncan is a pub in Old Compton Street
, Soho
in the heart of London
's gay district
. It is named after Admiral Adam Duncan
, who defeated the Dutch fleet at the Battle of Camperdown
in 1797.
blast when the Neo-Nazi David Copeland
, who was attempting to stir up ethnic and homophobic
tensions by organising a series of bombings, detonated a nail bomb
which killed three people and wounded around 70.
The dead were identified as Andrea Dykes, 27, four months pregnant; her friend, Nik Moore, 31; and John Light, 32, the best man at the wedding of Andrea and her husband, who was himself seriously injured.
There is a memorial
chandelier with an inscription and a plaque
in the bar to memorialise those killed in the blast and the many more who were injured, several very seriously.
A large open air meeting was spontaneously organised in Soho Square the Sunday following, attended by thousands. Among the speeches was one from the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner who undertook to maintain a crime scene van outside the pub until the perpetrator was found to take witness statement and gather evidence; and that the van would staffed entirely
with openly gay and lesbian police officers. This was a turning point for the often tempestuous relationshipe between the LGBT community and the Metropolitan Police,
It was once in the ownership of the Scottish & Newcastle
Brewery but changed hands in 2004 and is now owned by the Tattershall Castle Group.
The exterior of the bar was repainted in a black and pink motif in late 2006. In late 2005, Westminster City Council
decreed that the Admiral Duncan and all other LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) bars and businesses that operated in its jurisdiction, including those in Soho and Covent Garden
, remove their pride flags
claiming that such flags constituted advertising which was forbidden in its planning laws. Businesses would be required to apply for permits to be allowed to fly flags but those businesses that did apply for permission found their applications turned down for spurious reasons. Following media allegations of homophobia in the Council, the I Love Soho campaign and intense pressure from the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone
, the Council rescinded its directive and Pride Flags were once again permitted to be flown.
Bar manager David Morley, who survived the bombing, was murdered in London on 30 October 2004.
Old Compton Street
Old Compton Street runs east-west through Soho, London, England.- History :The street was named after Henry Compton. who raised funds for a local parish church, eventually dedicated as St Anne's Church in 1686...
, Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
in the heart of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's gay district
Gay village
A gay village is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people live or frequent...
. It is named after Admiral Adam Duncan
Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown
Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan was a British admiral who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown on 11 October 1797. This victory was considered one of the most significant actions in naval history.-Life:...
, who defeated the Dutch fleet at the Battle of Camperdown
Battle of Camperdown
The Battle of Camperdown was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797 between a Royal Navy fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch Navy fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter...
in 1797.
Bombing
On 30 April 1999, the Admiral Duncan was the scene of a bombBomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
blast when the Neo-Nazi David Copeland
David Copeland
David John Copeland is a former member of the British National Party and the National Socialist Movement, who became known as the "London Nail Bomber" after a 13-day bombing campaign in April 1999 aimed at London's black, Bangladeshi and gay communities.Over three successive weekends between 17...
, who was attempting to stir up ethnic and homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
tensions by organising a series of bombings, detonated a nail bomb
Nail bomb
The nail bomb is an anti-personnel explosive device packed with nails to increase its wounding ability. The nails act as shrapnel, leading almost certainly to greater loss of life and injury in inhabited areas than the explosives alone would. The nail bomb is also a type of flechette weapon...
which killed three people and wounded around 70.
The dead were identified as Andrea Dykes, 27, four months pregnant; her friend, Nik Moore, 31; and John Light, 32, the best man at the wedding of Andrea and her husband, who was himself seriously injured.
There is a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
chandelier with an inscription and a plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
in the bar to memorialise those killed in the blast and the many more who were injured, several very seriously.
A large open air meeting was spontaneously organised in Soho Square the Sunday following, attended by thousands. Among the speeches was one from the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner who undertook to maintain a crime scene van outside the pub until the perpetrator was found to take witness statement and gather evidence; and that the van would staffed entirely
with openly gay and lesbian police officers. This was a turning point for the often tempestuous relationshipe between the LGBT community and the Metropolitan Police,
History
In December 1881 a customer received eight years penal servitude for various offences in connection with his ejection from the Admiral Duncan publichouse by keeper William Gordon.It was once in the ownership of the Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle plc was a "long alcoholic drinks" company with positions in 15 countries, including UK, France and Russia. It was headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. In the last 20 years, S&N expanded significantly from its home base to become an international business with beer...
Brewery but changed hands in 2004 and is now owned by the Tattershall Castle Group.
The exterior of the bar was repainted in a black and pink motif in late 2006. In late 2005, Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council and is entitled to be known as a city council, which is a rare distinction in the United Kingdom. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors...
decreed that the Admiral Duncan and all other LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) bars and businesses that operated in its jurisdiction, including those in Soho and Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, remove their pride flags
Rainbow flag (LGBT movement)
The rainbow flag, sometimes pride flag, LGBT pride flag or gay pride flag, is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride and LGBT social movements in use since the 1970s. The colours reflect the diversity of the LGBT community, and the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride in...
claiming that such flags constituted advertising which was forbidden in its planning laws. Businesses would be required to apply for permits to be allowed to fly flags but those businesses that did apply for permission found their applications turned down for spurious reasons. Following media allegations of homophobia in the Council, the I Love Soho campaign and intense pressure from the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, the Council rescinded its directive and Pride Flags were once again permitted to be flown.
Bar manager David Morley, who survived the bombing, was murdered in London on 30 October 2004.
External links
See also
- List of terrorist incidents
- Violence against LGBT people
- London Gay Men's ChorusLondon Gay Men's ChorusFounded in 1991 by a group of six gay men, the London Gay Men’s Chorus is now, with around 190 singing members and over 230 members in total, Europe’s largest and best known gay choir.-Introduction:...
(external links section)