Val Dunn
Notes for a talk I gave to Lesbian History Group on 6 May 2023. I was accompanied by Tess Joseph and Marika Mason. An audio version of this talk can be found on the Lesbian History Group website.
I could only get information from diary entries because I have placed my papers at the London Metropolitan Archive. The entries were very brief indeed and at no time did I write the word ‘lesbian’ in them. I don’t know who I thought might get hold of the diaries, but I had a real fear of people finding out about me. I only wanted to be out to people I felt I could trust.
Poster for Camden Lesbian Centre
16 August 1983: My first meeting with the lesbians planning to set up a lesbian centre. I had just finished my first 2-year lesbian relationship and was thinking I wasn’t being much of a lesbian when I saw an ad in my local newspaper – the Camden New Journal – for lesbians to join a group of lesbians at Kentish Town Women’s Centre in Malden Road. This was my introduction to the Women’s Liberation Movement.
I was older than the other women in years, but they had more lesbian feminist experience, so I had a lot to learn. They seemed very sure of themselves and I was a bit intimidated, but they made me welcome. At the time, I was working as secretary to the Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Library so it was a big cultural change – scary but exciting. I’d get home from work and change from my work clothes to my lesbian ones.
We had several meetings talking about the possibility of having a lesbian centre. I said that if we decided to go ahead I would commit to that. I couldn’t imagine that a local authority would fund such a thing.
Ann and Janet, Jennie and Fran + other women and a member of the Crossroads Women’s centre were at that first meeting. Emmie and Maria, Sharon Tess and Davena came later. Two Camden workers from the Women’s/Grants Committee: Judy and Vida also joined us later. They were really keen to help us.
The GLC under Ken Livingstone was opening up equalities issues at that time. Otherwise I doubt if we would have had the idea of a lesbian centre – Janet worked at the GLC…
22 January 1984: Judy and Vida got funding for a worker to make a feasibility study into the need for a lesbian centre in Camden. We agreed to have a job-share and set up interviews for workers, something I had never done before.
25 June 1984: We met the workers, Janet and Laura, on their first working day. We had acquired an office in Malden Road. Our cheque book was in the name of R Lilian because we didn’t want to use the word ‘lesbian’ at the bank! The name was in memory of Dame Lilian Barker, the first female Assistant Prison Commissioner, who was a dyke and had lived in Camden.
We had many meetings discussing policy issues and our constitution. We were often criticised for not doing enough for different groups. We also ran benefits – social events – for fund raising. These were hard work, but great fun.
14 August 1984: We met to talk about a grant application with Judy and Vida. It took some time to find a venue but we finally settled on a council owned shop front in Phoenix Road.
Sometime in 1985: At the planning meeting about Phoenix Road at the Town Hall local residents were very loud in their objections to having a lesbian centre near them. They even shouted that they would fire bomb it. Councillor Barbara Hughes had to warn them that they would be thrown out of the meeting if they didn’t calm down. We won!
Late 1985: A meeting was set up to meet two black lesbians -Louisa and Aquela – to talk about their needs. It was agreed that they would have autonomous space at the centre for their meetings and we would share the space at other times.
Still later in 1985: We thought it would be a good idea to meet the staff and parents of St Aloisuis RC Church School, which was in the same road as the centre, to try to allay any fears they may have had. We were a fine bunch of diverse lesbians who went to that meeting. At first everyone was on their best behaviour, but very soon people were saying that they didn’t want a lesbian centre near their school – we would be a corrupting influence, etc. After more abuse someone said that they didn’t want their girls to know about lesbians. That was the last straw for me. I thought ‘why are we putting up with all this abuse’. I got up and shouted ‘You need educating’, or some such, and stormed out. I was gratified to see that the group followed me out. There were six policemen outside when we left. I don’t know what they were expecting. We didn’t ask!
During 1986: To advertise the centre we arranged for each of us to go to talk to other lesbian groups. I went – with Tess – to Sappho, Jackie Forster’s Lesbian group in a pub in Notting Hill. I was rather anxious about this as I’d never given a talk before. Someone asked why we needed another lesbian place. I said that we weren’t in competition with them but is would be nice to have other lesbian places to go, especially as it was our own space.
April 1987: A meeting was set up with Matrix, a feminist architectural company, for a site meeting at Phoenix Road. They were aware of the need for the building to be accessible.
Later in 1987: I had been talking about changing my joh and was encouraged by Emmie to apply for an Access Course to study Social Work. I left school at 15 so had minimal education. I applied to Hillcroft College, a residential, women-only college in Surbitan, and was accepted. This meant that when term started I would only be at home at the weekends, so I left the Management group and, sadly, lost touch a bit with the centre.
25 September 1987: I start my Access Course at Hillcroft College.
31 October 1987: The opening of the Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group (CLC/BLG) is launched at Phoenix Road.
I don’t know when the centre finally closed but I have a diary entry of 2 October 1995 when Jan Russell gave me the job of cleaning the centre when I was unemployed.
Everything was sent to the Glasgow Women’s Library to be housed with the Lesbian Archive and Information Centre papers which had originally been kept at the London Women’s Centre.
I remember that time with great affection and gratitude. It was the happiest and most fulfilling period of my life. I am so glad I found those lovely lesbians at the Kentish Town Women’s Centre.