I would guess it was in the 1980s Ken Payne opened a gay club called Mandate in Carlisle Street, St Kilda. It was very successful until it wasn't. It was formerly called Sweethearts but I am not sure if Payne owned the business then. I don't know why it closed. It could have been noise issues for local residents. Yes, yours truly attended a number of times.
One New Year's Eve I locked the car keys in the boot of the car, so we just left the car there overnight...well, it was morning by then. The next day, somewhat hungover, I caught the 377 bus, my first time on a public bus with air conditioning, to retrieve the car. It was a hot day and the air conditioning was very effective, as it roared away. I must have used a 69 or 79 tram for the last kilometre, or maybe I walked.
Payne kept hearing older gay men lamenting the loss of Mandate and so thought a massive development in St Kilda Road, St Kilda would be successful. Called Precinct 3182, the post code, it certainly was on opening night. I remember seeing my still current doctor there. Within one area, there was an old train carriage. Bit by bit, it closed down. All those who lamented the loss of Mandate were not regular customers. The pub lasted longer and it was a really nice place. I learnt to play pinball with some skill (I'll be back) and we had great fun times. Ray picked up a crop duster pilot one evening. A couple of straight guys rented a house opposite us in Balaclava and they would go there for a drink at times, and they were fun. Once with our Brother Friends we won a trivia quiz. I have nice memories of the venue, but eventually it closed too.
I am unable to find a photo of the gay entrepreneur Ken Payne online but among my trinkets, I did find these dog tags that were given out on opening night.
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I frequented a pub that awarded 4 free pints to the highest pinball score each week. I won it twice. Was also a wizard at that traditional pinball game that was free with earlier versions of Windows. Anticipate and concentrate.
ReplyDeleteNice work, Tasker. But how much did you feed into the pinball machines to win 8 free pints? I never came across the free pinball with Windows. Mind, I am not a tech game player.
DeleteLove the dog tags. And wonder just how many are left.
ReplyDeleteI can think of places I loved that have closed down but none in this city despite it being the city of my birth.
I do know some people kept theirs, EC. I've posted about them elsewhere. I suppose there aren't too many treasured buildings in Canberra, aside from the obvious very important ones. I've never visited the old Parliament House, to my regret.
DeleteRay picked up a crop duster pilot when he was with you? Maybe you mean he literally picked the fellow up just to show off his muscle power. I became pretty good at pinball when I was at university and loved the knock sound when I won yet another replay.
ReplyDeleteYes YP. The crop duster wasn't too heavy. You and Tasker played pinball. Maybe it a Yorkshire thing.
DeleteCarlisle St was such a great centre of shopping activity, food and social life in the years we lived in St Kilda. I don't remember Mandate, but I wonder if the area offers the same range of excitement this century.
ReplyDeleteHels, it is quite different now. It is still a local shopping area for many people and the English and Irish backpackers add a lot of atmosphere.
DeleteYour memories of Mandate and Precinct 3182 capture not just places, but a whole era of community, chance encounters, and the bittersweet passage of time
ReplyDeleteYou are mostly right Roentare but I wouldn't say bittersweet. Times moved on.
DeleteYou do wonder if places close because they’ve fallen out of favour (not the in place) so people don’t go there or because fewer people going makes it look unpopular so even less people go……if you catch my drift
ReplyDeleteCathy, I've seen so many places fall out of favour and it may well be in the case of Mandate.
DeleteMandate. Clever name for a gay bar.
ReplyDeleteKirk, that never occurred to me until I was writing this post.
DeleteBill is always lamenting that nothing stays.
ReplyDeleteDiane, life and times move on, and we must. But we can remember our history too.
DeleteGood memories then Andrew. All things change, some for the good and some not so good.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I do like change for the better, but it isn't always.
DeleteI was a bit too old when pinball machines appeared I think, I never tried to play and didn't want to. They were always surrounded by young people anyway.
ReplyDeleteRiver, I thought I was too, until I wasn't. It is not the kind of thing I ever thought I'd be interested in.
DeleteThe dog tags are fun.
ReplyDeleteJB, they are unless you are wearing them for the purpose they were intended to be used for.
DeleteA little piece of history.
ReplyDeleteIt is that, TP.
DeleteNice souvenir! Well, that's the way of nightclubs, isn't it? They're hot and then they're not, and everybody starts going somewhere else. (Or they go online, which seems to be what's happened in recent years.)
ReplyDeleteWhile 'online' killed many gay businesses Steve, in this case it was before online. As you say, it just fell out of fashion I guess.
DeleteGood memories but sad in a way too, Andrew.
ReplyDeletePat, there have plenty of good times elsewhere since.
DeleteInteresting trip down the memory lane. Liked that bit about locking the key in boot of the car!
ReplyDeletePradeep, it was the first of twice locking keys in the boot.
DeleteI miss gay bars! Although Waikiki is still a place where we have our venerable hulas bar and Lei stand as well as a number of smaller institutions, I guess it's the apps and social media that are killing off the gay bar? Honolulu even had a few great women's bars. Fortunately back in my day. Ah well up to the kids now to ruin what we built I suppose lol
ReplyDeleteHulas is known around the world. Yes, you are right about apps, but not fully. There are still a few venues for gay men to gather. I don't know of any women's bars now. But at my age, I am out of touch.
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