Sadie's Bar Royal

Just off Wood Street - a dimly lit street beside the heart of Liverpool’s early gay scene - the Bar Royal graced (or disgraced, depending on who you ask) many queen’s hearts. More commonly known as ‘Sadie’s’, it is often remembered for its 70’s decor resembling “your nan’s living room”, its sticky carpets, a vibrant disco room and of course, the infamous Tony Sadie who ran the club until its closure when he suddenly passed away in the late 1980s. People often remember the club for its exclusiveness, with the owner Sadie and his doorman Reg heavily vetting guests upon their arrival, bolting people in to create a protected community of mostly gay, transgender and cross-dressing individuals. Here, they were free to be more expressive of their identities and dance the night away.

Interior of Sadie’s Bar Royal, as remembered by Pat Taylor today. Left photograph courtesy of John Harrison, Right photograph courtesy Pat Taylor.
“When I think about all the people we lost to AID’s, I imagine them in Sadie’s Bar, up in the sky, dancing away.”
 - John Harrison
“In 1984, I was asked by Sadie to work one night a week in his club, the Bar Royal in Wood Street... as a single mum to four, I jumped at this extra income... the clientele were 'gobsmacked' to see a female behind the bar, as generally women were not allowed into the club. I was totally embraced by the gay community, and over the next 8 years, I made so many beautiful friends and learned so much about the social history of being gay in the 1950s/60s, and what crap the old time queens went through”
- Pat Taylor
I had the pleasure to speak with Pat Taylor who worked at ‘Sadie’s’ for over 10 years. Her vivid descriptions of the venue helped us to rebuild a model of this once-lost space. From Sadie’s window beside the entrance, where he would police who could enter, to the smokey disco room, this model allows us to reconnect with our LGBTQ+ history, transcending time to understand the significance this place holds for a generation of LGBTQ+ people.

We appreciate that this model may not be accurate to everyone's recollection, but it exists here as a personal memory of this space - another way that Sadie’s Bar Royal lives on today. 
Remember it differently? Share your story with us! 

Sculpture of the front bar at Sadie's Bar Royal

↑Back to Top