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Lionel Strawbridge And Laurie Williams, The Nightingale Club, I'm Kat Strawbridge, Tracing Family.

Kat7272

Kat7272

master brummie
Hi

Can anyone tell me about Lionel Strawbridge please?

Does anyone know where he came from?

Although we share the same surname, I cannot find much info on him other than he was involved with a club called The Nightingale and The Jug.

Thanks

Kat
 
There's a death for a Lionel John Strawbridge listed Bham, April 1995. Dob is given 26 Apr 1922. Would this be him?

It appears he was born in Devon, birth registered 1922 Exeter.
 
Hi MWS, yes, that's the info I have found, but thank you for mentioning it as it confirms what I have seen.

What I am hoping to find out is if someone knows why he came to Birmingham, if he came to Birmingham and he wasn't born here.
 
Hi Kat, I don't know if this is any help but Lionel Strawbridge was the partner of Laurie Williams who was a leading light in the Birmingham Gay scene for many years. I met Lionel on a few occasions when they owned The Jug.If you check out this website : www.gaybirminghamremembered.co.uk you may be able to find out some more information. Hope this helps in your search.
 
Thank you Lansor, that's helpful. I have seen the website you recommended, and I tried to send an email where it says contact us, but for some reason it didn't go through.

I will just have to keep on hoping that someone see's the post and can perhaps put me in touch with someone who knew a bit of his family history. Or even someone that knew Lionel through Laurie Williams with some knowledge of him.
 
Hi again. Just a thought but the Library of Birmingham may be able to help as some years ago they were compiling a Gay Birmingham Archive. Try their archive department. Or there is a LGBT centre at 38/40 Holloway Circus B1 1EQ which may be able to help. Laurie was very high profile. He was a friend of and election agent for Roy Jenkins back in the day. We are all getting on a bit now but there is going to be more than one person who knew Lionel. It's just a question of tracking them down. Good luck with your research.
 
That's great Lansor. I am going to go back to the library, so I can look that up. Also I can get in touch with LGBT. Not only that, the information you have given me is interesting.

It's great to learn about any of the history of LGBT, but especially where Birmingham concerned.

I will let you know how I get on.
​
 
I have been in touch via email with LGBT Birmingham. They have been very helpful and as Lansor said, the library holds the LGBT archive. Also, my email was circulated within LGBT Birmingham to see if anyone else had any information or memories to share.

I have since been contacted again to tell me that they are considering adding my search to a newsletter and their facebook page.

LGBT have been very helpful as have the Birmingham History Forum.

Hoping to have some information to share with you soon!
 
Hi all

LGBT Birmingham have been in touch and are adding my search for any information on Lionel to their newsletter.

I will let you know how things go. Hopefully I will have some news to share with you soon.
 
Hi Lansor

No, nothing as in the way of news, LGBT Birmingham have added my search to their March newsletter.

I have found him on the electoral register in Soho Hill in 1955, but other than that, nothing else.

I went to see one of my relations last weekend and he said that he could remember a member of the family telling him that a man researching his family tree in the late 1960's went to the blacksmith's in Abbey Street and we think that this could have been Lionel. It seems that the Strawbridge's knew of all the other Strawbridge's around the Hockley area, but as Lionel was born in Exeter, well, perhaps that was why the Strawbridge's in Abbey Street didn't know of this person.

Of course, it may not have been Lionel, but all of the information I have so far adds up to it being him.

I don't know what my next plan of action is regarding the hunt for Lionel, if anyone has any ideas, please feel free to let me know.

Thanks for asking Lansor.
 
HI again, something i've just remembered that has been nagging at me. Have you tried Gay Birmingham Remembered? I remember someone sent in a post about Laurie. In fact more than one. I haven't had time to surf the site, i don't know if it's still current, but it should be worth a look. They have a phone number 0121 773 0663 and an email, dave@gaybirmingham remembered.co.uk. Anyway give it a whirl. Let me know how you get on.
 
"I first met Laurie Williams and his partner Lionel Strawbridge in 1977. I was a student at Birmingham University where, during term time I helped run the Birmingham University Gay Society, (GaySoc). In the 1970s The Nightingale Club, at Witton Lane, was often very quiet during the week and only got going at the weekend. Some gay friends introduced me to The Jug, then at 8a Albert Street and now demolished. I was greeted at the door by a man who called everybody �bab� and who wore two wigs at the same time � Laurie Williams. The Jug was a dive, and everyone knew it. It was in the basement of a tacky wine bar and was entered via a narrow twisting staircase. The whole ceiling was adorned with a complex array of bamboo canes, some of which had tiny jugs dangling from them. The bar was a hole in a wall no bigger than a couple of cash points and decorated with empty wine bottles submerged in plaster. The barman would go into a room
at the back to pour the drinks. There was a small stage with a dressing room at the left. The brown vinyl floor was not carpeted and there were about ten plastic tables with chairs and gingham tablecloths. There was a persistent musty smell of stale smoke and beer. It reminded me of a scene from Cabaret."

I knew i'd get there eventually. This is from gay birmingham remembered. I'm quite enjoying this detective work. Another piece in the jigsaw.

Cheers
 
Hi Lansor

Thanks for looking into that and posting your findings. I hadn't seen that info but I have contacted gayBirmingham remembered, but I didn't get a reply. I will try it again and may even give them a ring.

Thanks for jogging my memory, I will let you know how I get on.
 
No info yet on Lionel, but I have contacted gaybirmingham remembered. Hopefully I will have some news soon.
 
Hi Lansor. I haven't been online for a while either, sorry for the late reply.

No, I haven't heard anything.

I have been doing more research into the Strawbridges of Stockland and we believe that Lionel came from Devon, so I am hoping I may come across something that links him to some information. Obviously I will post any info I have.

Thans for asking Lansor.
 
Hello Kat, been away for a while and just wondered if you found out anymore about Lionel?
 
Hi Lansor, you beat me to it! I was just about to post an update.

I have found a member of the Stockland Strawbridge's with some great information on the family, but still nothing on Lionel.
It is still a mystery, but with all of the things I have found on my search for our family history, it is not going to surprise me if I do find anything about him. Perhaps it will just take time. Thanks for being interested, I will be sure to add any info I find.
 
Hello Kat,

I don't know whether you have seen the 1939 Register entry for Lionel, but he appears to be lodging with William G and Agnes F YOUNG & their children at Trinity Cottage, Tiverton, and occupied as a General Paper Mill Worker. Trinity Cottage (single not plural) also appears to have nine households living there, and was close to Gingerland Farm, near Cullompton. This now appears to be a large livery stables operated by Gingerland Livery Services and I have not been able to locate the cottage on Google Maps. Hope this helps.

Maurice
 
Hi Maurice

Sorry late reply on this one, I've had a year of recovering from a couple of operations etc, so I haven't really thought much about the search for Lionel. I haven't seen the entry that you have seen in the 1939 register. I kind of tried not to look as there are loads of Strawbridge's in Devon and I have stuck to just my Birmingham lot. But I will add your findings to my information, and thanks for letting me know. I cannot help but wonder what made him relocate to Birmingham, and how Lionel got friendly with Laurie Williams. Thanks again Maurice.
 
A couple of months back the folks from Birmingham LGBT started a history project about the Nightingale to coincide with its 50 year anniversary. If they had any success, you might find they know more than they did then. It might be worth getting in touch with them again if you haven't since 2018.
 
I have just emailed LGBT Birmingham regarding info on the Nightingale.I will let you know what comes of it.

They were very helpful in the past by adding a request to their newsletter, but unfortunately nothing came from it.
 
LGBT Birmingham have replied to my email just to say that the person collating the info on The Nightingale will get back to me asap.

So no news yet but kind of them to acknowledge my email.
 
Kat7272 said:
Hi Lansor, you beat me to it! I was just about to post an update.

I have found a member of the Stockland Strawbridge's with some great information on the family, but still nothing on Lionel.
It is still a mystery, but with all of the things I have found on my search for our family history, it is not going to surprise me if I do find anything about him. Perhaps it will just take time. Thanks for being interested, I will be sure to add any info I find.
Click to expand...
Hi I run a facebook group Birmingham Gay Scene History and Memories, if you wish to join and pose the question there, someone maybe able to assist, I remember both Laurie and Lionel from the Jug on albert street and when it moved to water street/livery st.
 
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