Gay London Life | Dec '25 Edition - Magazine - Page 18
Welcome
Aboard
The Old Ship in Limehouse will drag you into the
festive spirit this December, whether you like it or not
We’re always wanging on about The Old Ship in Limehouse to anybody who’ll
20th. It’s all free, so turn up, get a pint and find yourself a stool — perhaps not too
listen, but don’t just take our word — Time Out included the East End boozer in
close to the performer if you’ve got a fear of audience interaction, although you
its recent list of top 50 pubs in London. See? It’s not just us.
do know they can smell that on you from a thousand feet, don’t you?
Why do we love it so? Well, we could mention the welcoming atmosphere
Aside from Christmas Day and Boxing Day, The Old Ship is open right
or the charmingly old-school decor, but the main reason that punters have
through the festive period, including a party on Christmas Eve to get you
kept flocking back to the pub since landlord John Bell took over in 2012 is the
properly in a tizzy over Santa’s impending visit and a New Year’s Eve Party,
weekend cabaret, with traditional drag queens and big-voiced singers taking
tickets for which will be available to buy at the bar. They’re even open all day
to the stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. And that’s different ones
on New Year’s Day to soothe any hangovers and help you break Dry January
each week, so you’d have to keep coming for a while before you started to see
pledges in record time. You can always start on the 2nd, we won’t mention it
the same faces treading the boards.
if you don’t.
By way of example, you’ve got Britain’s only drag tribute to the wartime
warbler herself, Queera Lynn, on Friday 5th December, the gravel-voiced Mrs
17 Barnes Street, E14 7NW
Moore on Friday 19th, and the Whore of Hampstead Heath, Sandra, on Saturday
Nearest Station: Limehouse
18
