Lucy Brownson

Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group flyer, featuring their name above an image of a house with the words ,Sharon,s Disco, in a cloud of musical notes.

Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group: Collectives and communities

By Lucy Brownson | Published 15th October, 2021

When Camden Lesbian Centre opened its doors on Saturday 31st October 1987, it signalled the arrival of more than just a queer social venue – the Centre quickly became home […]

Invite to the opening of CLC&BLG, giving details of the date (31 October 1987), time (2-7.30pm), and location (54-56 Phoenix Road) of the event.

Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group: Building the UK’s first lesbian centre

By Lucy Brownson | Published 4th September, 2021

Put the kettle on, will you? We’ve a group of tired women here in paint-splattered overalls, all in dire need of a cuppa! In our previous blog on Camden Lesbian […]

Billboard for Yorkie chocolate, featuring image of the chocolate bar in centre and text above it that reads, 'What do you call someone who takes it one chunk at a time?' Below the bar, someone has wheat-pasted the answer: 'macho bore'.

SPRAY IT LOUD: Feminist culture jamming in the 1980s

By Lucy Brownson | Published 26th August, 2021

If you’d have passed through the East End of Glasgow last month, here’s what you might’ve seen: a naked woman made of stone, crouched on a plinth, her face covered […]

Illustration of a group of people protesting outside a Town Hall, holding placards with slogans like 'Women demand better housing' and 'No to electric houses'

Feminist housing activism in the 1970s-1980s, #3: Community organising and mutual aid

By Lucy Brownson | Published 19th August, 2021

Please note: this post refers indirectly to police brutality and institutional racism & classism. Over the last eighteen months, many of us have gotten involved with community organising – some […]

Letterhead for Outskirts Women Woodworkers Ltd, featuring their name in block serif font below a simple outline drawing of a saw, all in forest green ink on light grey paper.

Feminist housing activism in the 1970s-1980s, #2: Building it ourselves, building it together

By Lucy Brownson | Published 18th August, 2021

This is the second post in a three-part blog exploring the history of feminist housing activism in the 1970s and 1980s. Following on from yesterday’s post on the feminist squatting […]

Illustration of a row of three terraced houses with fists raised out of their roofs.

Feminist housing activism in the 1970s-1980s, #1: Making space for feminist infrastructures

By Lucy Brownson | Published 17th August, 2021

Where are you reading this blog? Are you on the move, commuting to work or school? Perhaps you’re in a public space like a park or a café. Me, I’m […]

Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group flyer. Black type on a sky-blue background reads, "Calling All Lesbians - Do we need/want a centre for lesbians?" Below this text, details of a public meeting to discuss the future of CLCBLG are provided.

Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group: The fight for a home

By Lucy Brownson | Published 31st July, 2021

Tucked down a narrow, leafy street on the edge of Camden, just behind the hustle and bustle of London Euston and King’s Cross St Pancras stations, is the former site of the UK’s only dedicated lesbian centre. It doesn’t bear the usual markers of a heritage site – no commemorative plaques, no signage, not a QR code in sight – but for nearly a decade, 54-56 Phoenix Road was home to Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group (CLC&BLG).