The Old Moseley Arms
1978
Bridget said “The biggest meeting place round here
(King's Heath) was the Old Moseley Arms - the ‘Old Mo’ which was quite amazing
really – in the public bar at the front, were prostitutes, tramps, alcoholics,
police drinking, and a huge lesbian clientele. The landlord and landlady were a
wonderful straight Irish couple, their daughter was a policewoman.
We used to go
down on a Saturday night and drink and play pool in the room at the back, which
was entirely women really. We could still be there and have a fry up breakfast
on Sunday morning, on occasions! That was really where we went for day to day
socialising for all of us, as opposed to the once a month disco. For at least
ten years, the back room at the Old Mo was the epicentre for lesbians.
There
was a ladies’ five a side football team formed and although we were the heavy
drinking heavy smoking dykes, we won the local cup one year, god knows how!”
Contributed by: Barbara Carter, 53, Bridget Malin, 62