A StoneCrabs Theatre Company Project
David is an openly gay man who lived as a monk for seven years before moving to the Isle of Wight in 1975 where he met his first partner. He owned a hotel on Sandown seafront and a guesthouse in Totland. He is passionate about his work as a volunteer with the gay men’s health… Continue reading David Froud
‘Late onset lesbian’ Caroline was born in 1966 and came out aged 46. She moved to the Isle of Wight in 2000 due to her then husband’s job. She has three grown up children and is passionate about equality and diversity and LGBTQ+ rights.
Callum is a gay man who was born in 1990. He works for local government and has been a volunteer for Isle of Wight Pride. After moving to the mainland to go to university, Callum returned to the Island and still lives here.
Listen to the story of a man who prefers to remain anonymous. He identifies as gay or queer and was born at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport, Isle of Wight in 1977. He describes difficult times at school and how he was inspired to come out to his parents by a Channel 4 show featuring… Continue reading Anonymous
Medina Bookshop is a small, friendly, independent book shop on the High Street in Cowes. We stock a variety of books including contemporary fiction & non fiction, children’s, local interest and antiquarian maritime. 50 High Street, Cowes Facebook Page
This is an inclusive bar where everyone is welcome, run by Michael Salmon at 74 Union Street, Ryde. It holds various nights from music and comedy to drag acts and LGBTQ+ business brunches. You can follow Bar 74 on social media. A relaxed wine bar that provides a safe space for the community to come… Continue reading Bar 74 – Ryde
This is a safe, social space to discuss and share a love of literature, books with LGBTQ+ authors or characters. We select one book per month with LGBTQ+ characters and read it in our own time before getting together to discuss it. We invite anyone to contribute to our recommended reading list which can be… Continue reading Bendy Book Club
(1854-1900) Oscar Wilde visited Ryde on the north coast of the Isle of Wight in 1884 to give a lecture on ‘Dress’. We found contrasting reports of his visit in issues of the Isle of Wight Observer and he had photographs taken by Hughes and Mullins, professional photographers on Union Street in Ryde. You can… Continue reading Oscar Wilde
(1837-1909) Algernon Charles Swinburne is buried at St. Boniface Church in Bonchurch, Isle of Wight. He was an openly gay English poet, playwright and novelist. His childhood was largely spent at East Dene in Bonchurch, Isle of Wight. In 1848, Swinburne went to live with Reverend Foster Fenwick at Brooke Rectory in West Wight, before… Continue reading Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1882-1941) Fiercely intelligent feminist writer Virginia Woolf had various affairs with both men and women, most famously a ten-year affair with Vita Sackville-West. Her connection to the Isle of Wight comes via her great-aunt, Victorian photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron who made her home at Dimbola Lodge, in Freshwater.
