Journalist CJ DeBarra founded the Notts Queer History Archive.

Nottingham’s Pride has a rich history that spans over 28 years since it began. From its early days on Broad Street to the city-wide extravaganza that it is today, Pride has grown in size, added a march, hosted the Cheeky Girls, faced protests and now found a new home in Sneinton Market. 

But what was queer life like in 1997?

CJ, from Notts Queer History Archive, takes us back to September that year for the first ever Pink Lace event. 

The original Pride was held on Broad Street in the centre of Hockley. What began as an idea among friends grew into a big celebration outside the front of Broadway, bringing together the queer businesses that existed either on the street or in close proximity. 

An obvious choice was to get the LGBT+ pubs involved. There were quite a few open then, including Admiral Duncan on Huntingdon Street, Lord Roberts on Broad Street and Jacey’s bar also on Huntingdon Street. All pubs are within walking distance of each other. The pre-Pride party was held at the House nightclub on Huntingdon Street, which hosted a mixed crowd of gay, straight and transgender clubbers. Today, the club still stands as an abandoned shell of itself since it closed in 2012. If you were in the area for the Pre-Pride party then you could visit The New Forester’s on St. Ann’s Street, which was not to be confused with the occasional queer, Foresters’ Inn on Huntingdon Street. 

If house music wasn’t your thing, then you had your choice of nightclubs. Nottingham was on its way to having a record number of nightclubs. By 1999, the city was dubbed ‘the clubbing capital of the Midlands’ and had 23 nightclubs for a population of 270,000. This choice would have included Deluxe on James Street and Cello’s for the lesbians. Cello’s was a pop-up event held at different venues, including the Meadow Lane bar – yes, that’s the Notts County grounds bar.

It’s unclear how many people officially came to the event, but newspaper reports tell us there were thousands.

A mobile van was parked on the street, close to traffic. The mobile stage welcomed a variety of different performers, including an orchestra. A spokesperson for Pride said that the money raised would be donated to local HIV/AIDS charities, along with the Princess Diana Memorial Fund. Princess Diana had died two weeks before the event. Nottingham Pride has been traditionally held in September for years. It was purposely chosen so that, at the time, Nottingham would be the last Pride of the season. This is why, officially, Nottingham was the last Pride celebration of the century in September 1999.

Pride was backed by lots of local shops that called Hockley home. This included the legendary G-Force clothing, along with Culture Vulture and Kreem. It was hoped that the influx of queer people into the area would mean an increase in spending in local businesses. This also included some of the trendy bars in the area. Hockley was not as developed as it is today, but the starting points of gentrification can be seen towards the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

Attending the event was a massive step for a lot of people. Many people felt too nervous to attend, fearing friends or family would spot them. For some, this was a professional choice as they worked in schools during a time when Section 28 was in force, so worried that another teacher or child would see them. 

The launch of Pink Lace came just days after the launch of Operation Shield. This was a massive initiative that aimed to reduce hate crime in the city, including that experienced by the gay community. Violence was still a big concern, but the fractured relationship between the police and LGBT+ people meant that hate crimes weren’t always reported. Local health campaigns such as The Gai Project and Notts Lesbian and Gay Switchboard worked with Nottingham police to encourage reporting and set up a special phone line for LGBT+ people. 

For many, Pink Lace was a joyous occasion that gave queer people the chance to celebrate themselves in a way they never had before. Visible, together and in the middle of the city, they called home. 

This is something that Prides across England continue to offer now. It was then, a defiant act of resistance to celebrate queer joy publicly regardless of the homophobia that was rampant in Britain at the time. It is still an act of resistance to celebrate queer Pride and joy today.

A look back in pictures 

Since the first Nottingham Pride in 1997, the event has evolved into a huge celebration every year in the city. Here are just a few pictures captured over the years:

Pride march in 2013.

Pride march in 2014. 

Pride march in 2017.