Dear Campaigners,
It’s been an eventful few months for the Black Cap’s owner, Steve Cox. You’ll recall he bought the pub in 2010 and ran it through his company Faucet Inn, which was one of several vehicles he was using to buy up pubs and turn them into luxury flats funded by offshore ‘investors’. Lots of people were doing that sort of thing back then and making lots of money, but Mr Cox bit off more than he could chew with the Black Cap!
Nearly ten years later we and Camden Council continue to resist his redevelopment plans, and he admitted to the Camden New Journal on 10 January that ‘the saga had cost his company a large amount of money’ – poor dear! In fact Faucet Inn was placed into administration by HMRC in late December after repeatedly failing to file its 2017 accounts. This followed on the heels of KuPP, another of his companies, going into administration in August after a similar series of filing delays and making a loss of £181,000 a month. And just a few days ago Companies House began striking off another Cox company, Grasshopper 2007, for failing to file accounts.
Faucet Inn doesn’t own the Black Cap but its administration matters. First, it adds to the growing pile of evidence that Mr Cox’s whole portfolio of businesses are struggling and it adds to the pressure for him to do the decent thing and let the Cap go at a sensible price.
Secondly, the Black Cap is mortgaged to a secret mostly-offshore company called Roundshield LLP (acting through another company named RS Luxembourg II SARL), which also lent money to Faucet Inn, and we have reason to believe that Mr Cox was using Faucet Inn’s cashflow to pay the mortgage on the Black Cap (and on Mr Cox’s other pubs).
With Faucet now in administration, that’s unlikely to be possible. So Roundshield may cut its losses and call in its mortgage on the Cap – which could see the building sold off in a hurry.
If the building does suddenly come on the market, we want to make sure it will go to an LGBTQ+ operator or group that understands and values the community, the business, and its history and potential.
Mr Cox told the Camden New Journal: ‘We have been in discussions with a very interested operator, who we believe will invest in the Black Cap and reopen it as a public house, cabaret and music venue. They are a good, London-based bar and music venue company. The pub will have an LGBT flavour.’ We are not impressed.
Mr Cox has announced deals before and nothing’s happened. If it’s true, this operator has not been liaising with us or with local or LGBTQ+ communities, and is apparently happy to operate the Cap on just two floors with the second and third floors being redeveloped. The promise of just ‘an LGBT flavour’ is not good enough. We’re trying to find out more about this supposed operator and its plans: we’ll keep you informed.
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LGBTIQ HUB AT CASTLEHAVEN
As we continue our fight to bring back Camden’s best place for a drink, a dance, and a drag show, we’re also excited to be involved in its perfect counterpart: a new safe and sober social space just up the road at Castlehaven Community Centre. Started by the wonderful Outside Project and Castlehaven Community Association, the LGBTIQ Hub is open every Monday evening from 6pm. There’s tea and coffee, biscuits and snacks, activities and services, friendly faces and a welcoming, supportive atmosphere.
Since it started in November, the Hub has offered a variety of guest services including sexual health check-ups from CLASH, clothes swaps and repairs from G(end)er Swap and Siobhan Finnegan, haircuts from Open Barbers, hate-crime support from Camden LGBT Forum, fibrecrafts with the Radical Knitters, life-drawing with Pride Punx, and special events for Christmas Day and NYE. Read about it in the Kentishtowner!
We had the pleasure of hosting the first Hub evening of 2019. We chatted with guests about queer spaces, drag and cabaret, and the history and future of the Black Cap. It was a lovely, thoughtful and fun evening, and we look forward to hosting more evenings at this new community space soon. Check for updates from us, the Outside Project, and Castlehaven Community Association on social media.
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GOLDSMITHS COLLEGE FILM
A wonderful short film has just been released about the #WeAreTheBlackCap campaign. If you never had a night at the Cap you will certainly get a flavour of its magic here. If you did this film may well bring a little tear or two of joy and sadness.
Many thanks to Filmmakers: Rosalind Chaston and Georgie Worth
Assistance from: Sab Astley and Paddy Edgley. Thanks also to: Richard Alwyn
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WANT TO BE MORE INVOLVED?
Join the #WeAreTheBlackCap Facebook group and follow us on Instagram and Twitter
Post and share your support and your #IAmTheBlackCap selfies on social media (and tag us!)
Join our vigils and become a regular BlackCaptivist: 2-4pm every Saturday outside the pub, and live on Instagram.
Come to fundraising events and other campaign actions
Get in touch!
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LGBT HISTORY MONTH EVENTS
2019 LGBT History Month theme is ‘Peace, Activism and Reconciliation’ and we are involved in a few events that might be of interest to you Black Captivists:
1st Feb. 19 – Loudest Whispers Annual LGBT Art Exhibition.
LOUDEST WHISPERS the annual Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender art exhibition, supported by the CAMDEN & ISLINGTON LGBT FORUM, as a showcase for the nationwide LGBT+ History Month returns and is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Black Cap campaigners Alex Green and Miss Krystal Ball lead the performers at the launch night event.
The Gallery Space, Conference Centre
St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London, NW1 0PE
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18th Feb. 19 - #WeAreTheBlackCap 4 years fighting: a retrospective photography exhibition and talks.
Curated by Peter Herbert from the Arts Project and Chris Barlow from Outings in Art
6pm, Castlehaven Community Centre, 23 Castlehaven Rd, Camden Town, London NW1 8RU
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24th Feb. 19 - Back to the Black Cap: a reunion social
A friendly get-together for anyone and everyone who loves the Black Cap: regulars, irregulars, staff, and performers. Come and have a drink, share your memories of the Cap, maybe reconnect with old friends and make new ones!
4.30-10pm at the Edinboro Castle, 57 Mornington Terrace, NW1 7RU
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And as ever, thank you so much for all you do. Without you we would never have got this far or be in such a commanding position.
Yours sincerely
Aoife
Alex
Ben
Chris
Jamie
Lazare