UncategorizedCOMPTONS - SILVER ANNIVERSARY PARTY

COMPTONS – SILVER ANNIVERSARY PARTY

26/11/11: It seems the gay scene certainly has come of age this year with a spate of bars celebrating their anniversaries. With the likes of the Duke of Wellington (10 years), Halfway II Heaven (20) and Village (20) all just recently popping the champagne corks and giving us the most heinous of hangovers to remember them by, it was time for the grand ol’ dame of Soho to commemorate her birthday!

No we’re not referring to Minty or that kooky mature lady with the mega long braided hair and ‘Jackie O’ sunglasses that sometimes sits outside Café Nero, we are of course writing in reference to Comptons of Soho!

It was 25 years ago that Mr & Mrs Comptons rechristened their venue and opened the doors to the baying gay public. It was the start of a revolution for central London as the poofs flocked in to mix it up with the prossies, pimps and other salubrious Soho locals.

Needless to say, our gay ways and penchant for boutique shopping, coffee shops and over-priced dining paved the way for the area’s rise from a once derided seedy stripper’s hangout to the glowing Mecca of metropolitanism – no, it’s not officially a word, but we just declared it one, so there.

And so, with such aplomb and grandiosity, Comptons celebrated her grand old 25th birthday last weekend and the old girl at the helm, Neil, threw a bash to be proud of.

Earlier in the evening the mounting (oo-er) and unveiling of one of Neil’s etchings showing the original facade (I’m resisting the obvious etchings gag) kicked-off proceedings, and then it was shots, pints and cocks ‘til falling over time – hhhm, just us then.

The butch boys behind the bar were be-glittered for the occasion, possibly vajazzled, too, but we didn’t have time to find out and lovely Joe Public created acoustic merry hell on the decks of the poofter packed palace.

Fan-fuckin-tastic night out! Happy birthday old gurl!

Comptons of Soho, 51-53 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HN
Photos by Chris Jepson
Words by Cliff ‘grandma’ Joannou and Chris ‘grandpops’ Jepson

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