Viva Brighton Issue #30 August 2015

its and bobs...............................Pub: the marine tavernThe Marine Tavern, according to its landlordLee Cockshott, is known as ‘The Gay Cheers’.This is due, presumably, to the banterful interchangesbetween its regulars. The nicknamedoesn’t seem to fit the day I go in. Thefive or so men huddled round the bar seemto barely have the energy to lift their pints.To be fair, it is 2pm on an energy-sappinglyhot July weekday afternoon, so it’s not thebest time to judge the pub’s atmosphere. DuringPride, for example, the clientele take overthe whole of Broad Street, dressed in all sortsof outrageous get-up, which I can’t imagineever happening in Boston’s most famous. OnWednesdays and Thursdays there’s a free shotwith every drink, which should soon raise thetempo a little. On Sundays it’s jammed withpunters enjoying one of the best-value roastsin town. Pub quizzes on Mondays come witha free curry thrown in. Another nickname forthe pub, according to G-Scene, is ‘the littlepub with the big personality’.The pub is tiny, but it was even tinier backin the day. Lee shows me a card they keepbehind the bar with the back-story of the establishment:a Marine Tavern was first listedin Broad Street in 1862, at no 13. By 1884 thepub had moved next door to its current premises,though ‘pub’ might be pushing it. TheTavern was only half its current size until anextension in the 50s, and in the earlier dayswould have been little more than a hole in thewall selling beer.Apart from various reported hauntings theTavern, like many little city-centre locals,hasn’t left much of a mark on history. Until2002, that is, when landlords Steve Chillingworthand Nat Robinson took over the placeas a feeder bar for their Harlequin Nightclub,which particularly catered for the transgender customers.They gave up involvement in the London-Roadareaclub to concentrate entirely on the Broad Streetventure in 2005, and worked tirelessly to make it a communityhub as well as the centre of numerous fund-raisingactivities. Their legacy lives on under Lee, and Natis still to be seen there, compering the Monday quiz.Alex Leith; painting by Jay Collins....15....