The Joiners Arms

The Joiners Arms was an LGBT pub and nightclub on Hackney Road in East London.^[1]

Key Information

The Joiners Arms
Joiners' Arms
The Joiners Arms Show map of London Borough of Tower Hamlets The Joiners Arms Show map of Greater London
General information
Location	116-118 Hackney Road, London, E2 7QL, England
Coordinates	51°31′47″N 0°04′29″W / 51.529605°N 0.074654°W / 51.529605; -0.074654
Opened	1997
Closed	2015
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The original pub, which closed in 2015, had been central to the East London gay scene since it was opened in 1997 by David Alexander Pollard.^[2] It had been described as "Britain's trendiest gay dive"^[3] with gay public figures including Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Patrick Wolf known to have frequented the venue, and with events hosted by gay entertainers Scottee and Jodie Harsh.^[4] The venue had been open to a range of gay subcultures such as the bear scene and drag queens. Due to its late night opening and free entry, the Joiners Arms had a reputation for being a "last chance saloon" and sometimes having a rough crowd,^[5] but this has also been described as part of its appeal.^[3]

Plans were announced in 2014 to demolish the venue and replace it with a block of flats,^[6] but supporters of the venue successfully campaigned to have it recognised as an Asset of Community Value.^[7] Tower Hamlets Council only allowed the construction to proceed if the development included a pub that would "remain a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-focused venue for a minimum of 12 years". This was believed to be the first time that the sexual orientation of a venue's customers had been included as a condition of planning approval.^[1][8]