The Admiral Duncan, the iconic gay pub on London’s Old Compton Street, is under threat of permanent closure.
A spokesperson for owners The Stonegate Pub Company told OutNewsGlobal, “The Admiral Duncan, Retro Bar and the Kings Arms have been closed since March when the Government ordered a national lockdown.
“The myriad of restrictions placed on pubs and bars has meant it is not possible to reopen these businesses at the current time and they will remain closed until restrictions are eased.
“Like many businesses across the capital the introduction of the 10pm curfew and subsequent further local tiered restrictions have had a significant impact on thousands of businesses, as well as further reducing footfall in town and city centres and undermining consumer confidence. The combination of these factors and subsequent impact on sales and volumes, means that we are having to rebase our business accordingly, whilst the restrictions remain.”
Since 2006, an estimated two-thirds of London’s LGBTQ+ venues have closed.
The Admiral Duncan gained notoriety when, on 30 April 1999, a neo-Nazi nail bomber, who we will not name here, detonated a bomb in the pub killing Andrea Dykes, 27, who was pregnant, together with her friends Nick Moore, 31, and John Light, 32.
