# the Great Western - Cardiff



## Jim2k5 (Oct 27, 2006)

i was down in Careleon (sp?) tonight at the Bell Inn for the cider and cheese festival and someone told me that the great western on the end of St Marys Street (station side) is a gay pub, i have never heard this before and was jsut wondering if it was true? any ideas anyone

Jim


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## Col_Buendia (Oct 27, 2006)

In my experience, in Great Westerns men walk around bandy-legged, wearing leather trousers and outrageous hats, and usually carry ropes for the purposes of tying up bulls. So clearly a gay pub then


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## llantwit (Oct 27, 2006)

It never used to be, I don't think. Unless I'm missing something too. Subways, the club that used to be downstairs definitely wasn't - more a greaser metal-head place that was.


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## Biffo (Oct 27, 2006)

Not to my knowledge but it hasn't been open for years. 

I used to go to Subways downstairs and, as mentioned, it was a bit of a rough rock/indie type thing. Prior to Subways I think it used to be called The Tunnel (early 80s?) and that may have been a gay club/bar.


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## phildwyer (Oct 27, 2006)

Biffo said:
			
		

> Not to my knowledge but it hasn't been open for years.
> 
> I used to go to Subways downstairs and, as mentioned, it was a bit of a rough rock/indie type thing. Prior to Subways I think it used to be called The Tunnel (early 80s?) and that may have been a gay club/bar.



Don't think so--before Subways it was the Lion's Den.  I played there, it wasn't gay.  They are probably mixing it up with the nearby King's Cross.


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## editor (Oct 27, 2006)

I used to play gigs there! 

Don't think it was ever a gay bar, but the nearby Kings Cross bar (by Caroline St) is a good gay/mixed bar though.


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## phildwyer (Oct 27, 2006)

Is there an echo in here?


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## Jim2k5 (Oct 27, 2006)

phildwyer said:
			
		

> They are probably mixing it up with the nearby King's Cross.



yeah tahts what i thoguht and i even said that but this bloke was adament that the great western AND the Kings Cross where two of cardiffs biggest gay pubs, and im pretty sure the great western isnt a gay pub.


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## phildwyer (Oct 27, 2006)

Jim2k5 said:
			
		

> yeah tahts what i thoguht and i even said that but this bloke was adament that the great western AND the Kings Cross where two of cardiffs biggest gay pubs, and im pretty sure the great western isnt a gay pub.



Well there's one way to find out...


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## Brockway (Oct 27, 2006)

Jim2k5 said:
			
		

> yeah tahts what i thoguht and i even said that but this bloke was adament that the great western AND the Kings Cross where two of cardiffs biggest gay pubs, and im pretty sure the great western isnt a gay pub.



Kings Cross and Golden Cross are the main gay pubs. Maybe he's confusing it with that gay pub that was attached to Cardiff Central Station but which closed down a few back - can't remember the name.

Anybody remember the Gayday pop factory in Merthyr? It produced gayday lemonade and gayday orange squash. Went out of business for some reason.


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## mpython (Oct 27, 2006)

The Golden Cross nearby is a gay pub now isn't it?


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## Ranbay (Oct 27, 2006)

Maybe they mean the Golden Cross down the road.


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## Ben Bore (Oct 27, 2006)

I think the Golden Cross is a gay pub


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## llantwit (Oct 27, 2006)

Isn't the Golden Cross (down the road) a gay pub?
Sorry


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## phildwyer (Oct 27, 2006)

llantwit said:
			
		

> Isn't the Golden Cross (down the road) a gay pub?
> Sorry



I think you're confusing it with the nearby King's Cross.


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## Dai Sheep (Oct 27, 2006)

Jim2k5 said:
			
		

> i was down in Careleon (sp?) tonight at the Bell Inn for the cider and cheese festival and someone told me that the great western on the end of St Marys Street (station side) is a gay pub, i have never heard this before and was jsut wondering if it was true? any ideas anyone
> 
> Jim



The Great Western is not a gay bar. It's where a lot of the pissed up younger revellers go for late night drinking/mayhem (not so much since a few other places open later now).


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## editor (Oct 27, 2006)

llantwit said:
			
		

> Isn't the Golden Cross (down the road) a gay pub?
> Sorry


This review suggests so:


> A traditional low-key frolic spot by day, a bustling, gyrating party-fest by night, to call the Golden Cross popular would be an understatement. Like calling Jordan a tad uninhibited or Kate Lawler a bit talentless. Evenings tend to be male dominated but the atmosphere is less frantically camp come daylight. There’s always something interesting on be it cabaret, karaoke or their rocking quiz…Get down like you don’t have to get up in the morning then join the cruising kids for a divine Sunday roast recovery. An all round beauty of a venue.
> http://tinyurl.com/ymbqzz


Make that a deffo:


> There are currently six full time gay venues in Cardiff. The Golden Cross, The Kings Cross - the oldest gay bar in Wales, Bar Icon and Lush are gay bars whilst Club X and Exit are gay clubs based at the heart of the gay scene on the city's Charles Street.


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## zog (Oct 27, 2006)

Brockway said:
			
		

> Kings Cross and Golden Cross are the main gay pubs. Maybe he's confusing it with that gay pub that was attached to Cardiff Central Station but which closed down a few back - can't remember the name.
> 
> 
> > the pub you're thinking of is the red dragon, where M&S is by central station.
> ...


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## zog (Oct 27, 2006)

And the sunday dinners in the golden can be recomended


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## andyg (Jun 10, 2014)

the tunnel club was in the lane behind the waterstones bookstore and also the david morgans warehouse it was definitely a gay club and it played high energy music also the kings cross was at the top of caroline street the x club was in charles street


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## Gavin Bl (Jun 11, 2014)

blimey, you thought about that one for a while  went to the tunnel once, prob about 1990 - was indeed a gay club.


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## editor (Jun 12, 2014)

Ah, the Tunnel Club. 



*snorts poppers.


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## nogojones (Jun 12, 2014)

editor said:


> Ah, the Tunnel Club.
> 
> 
> 
> *snorts poppers.




Wow! nice one. We used to go to the Tunnel quite a bit. One of the few places in Cardiff at the time where you went out to dance. and the poppers


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## Gavin Bl (Jun 12, 2014)

nogojones said:


> and the poppers



I really should have paid more attention when I was younger


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