Memories by Becky Tebbett
Becky Tebbett's Lesbos epiphany creates ArtPride
Becky Tebbett is an artist. She explained the background to ArtPride. "ArtPride is a group of women that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgendered anything like that come together because there's are a lot of creative people, creative ...
DV8 in the mid 00s
Becky says “DV8 was even more studenty. It was a more chilled out, studenty version of The Gale (Nightingale). The Gale has a more ‘Euro-poppy’ commercial kind of look to and feel to it. It was really obviously that they were trying to be really span...
Twiggy like a weird muppet
Becky describes ‘Twiggy’. “Twiggy, the strangely dressed, quite often in heels kind of welcomer to DV8 club. Twiggy would talk to people in the queue, would chat to people as they came in, have jokes with people, just have a laugh really, kind of be ...
Bar staff nice at DV8
Becky says the bar staff in DV8 “were really nice; always really busy. They never used to have enough bar staff in there so they were serving people really speedily. You used to have to wait ages for a drink. The people on the door were always really...
Homophobia in McDonalds
“I had come up to Birmingham with my girlfriend. We were in McDonalds in Cherry Street right in the centre of Birmingham, the one near the cathedral. It was New Year's Eve 2004 and we were all completely in the spirit of it, in a jovial mood, and we ...
Homophobia over Pride 2005
Becky describes a further homophobic incident. "At Birmingham Pride, May Bank Holiday 2005, a load of Asian kids about fourteen, fifteen, sixteen again gave us loads of abuse outside New Street station. I was being all lovey dovey with my girlfriend....
Argument at school over section 28
Becky is pleased that Section 28 (clause 28) has been repealed because she’s thinking of becoming a teacher. “I wouldn't be even thinking about being a teacher if it wasn't for Section 28 being abolished. It was something I had to deal with when I wa...
It kind of burnt down
“Angels is a bar on Hurst Street. “It kind of burnt down (I couldn’t believe it) then built up again”. Becky feels that the old Angels, pre-rennovation was much more comfortable. “When I first came out (2002/4) it was a lot better than it is now. It ...
The premier lesbian venue
“The Fox is the premier lesbian venue in Birmingham. I think it was their ten year anniversary this year but that's from Andy the manager. It’s kind of a secret venue because it’s hidden from the main Hurst Street.”...
Thoughts on the Nightingale 2002-7
By November/December 2005 I was coming to Birmingham every Saturday night. I used to leave Worcester on the night and try to get into The Gale (Nightingale) before 10p.m. when it was free. I would spend all night in The Gale then get the first bus ho...
Coming out to myself and friends
Coming Out – initial awarenessBecky was living in Worcester, when she came out in 2002, aged 23. “I kind of had lots of thoughts about that sort of thing way before then. I decided I knew when I was about thirteen or fourteen. I always said to myself...