Gina Mortlock parties with Bird La Bird at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club
You know where you stand with Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. Before you even walk in, you know what you’re going to get: a room full of weird and wonderful people dressed up to the nines, oodles of nudity and some darn good music. It's probably the club that most aptly embodies the term ‘jolly good knees up’. So I never miss an opportunity to sample the delights they have to offer. This time I’ve been invited to the Butch Femme Throwback Ball, which should be interesting.
As we walk round the corner I’m a little taken aback by the queue, which I have never seen make it out of the door, let alone span the length of the club and then some. This night certainly is very popular with the ladies, and as we get through the door we're greeted by a room full of women dressed up in the suggested butch attire: slicked hair, beer in hand. Everyone certainly makes the effort here.
I’m barely through the door when ‘Baby Love’ blasts out of the speakers and I prepare to fight the crowds to get to the compact dancefloor, which I dance my way to. Throughout the night DJ Marlo does a cracking job of pumping out tune after tune, and with a slogan “no new music, no cheese, no shite”, it's easy to see why. Ahh the good old days when you didn’t have to get hot naked girls to writhe around to get people interested in your songs. That said, the beautiful host Bird La Bird soon comes onto stage dressed in her habitual burlesque corset and starts… well, writhing around. A night of classic cabaret ensues, and when the crowd hears who the next guest is they grow impatient for her arrival.
After a lengthy introduction naming but a few of her many feats, Lois Weaver is welcomed to the stage with a more than hearty round of applause. By the time she leaves the stage I’m still not exactly sure who she is, but I certainly know a hell of a lot about her. For instance how she was turned on at the age of 3 by sitting on her mother’s knee. Each to their own. Apparently she’s big in the lesbian community, and was beefed up to be a kind of mother to all lesbians. And by the way the crowd was looking adoringly at her it seems she is. Maybe they just wanted to sit on her lap too?
Knowing how the club rolls I expected rather a lot more nudity, but instead the evening is actually quite restrained. This night seems more about having a good time with like-minded fellows rather than getting your jollies, which is a nice change. It has everything you need for the ultimate ladies' night: a room full of women, too much wine and a raging lesbian’s life story. All of this makes for another great evening at the Working Men’s Club.
Photo Credit: Lord Leng
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