Last weekend I went to the Women in Tune Fundraiser in the fabulous lesbian village- Todmorden in Yorkshire. Women in Tune is a women only festival in Wales that promotes women’s involvement in music.
For any dykes out there who aren’t aware, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge are two villages in Yorkshire full of lesbians. And they are the cool sort of lesbians- the feminists, the politicals, the bohemians and the eco’s.
In an age where the gay scene is more or less gender-neutral, homogeneous (young and trendy), de-politicised and consumer-orientated, these two villages provide lesbians a rare opportunity to socialise in women only and socially conscious spaces.
Todmorden has a women only disco once month. Women come from all over just to go and even camp outside.
Hebden Bridge has a lesbian owned hotel that runs a monthly women only disco and a lesbian wine bar. In fact, go to any cafe or bar and it will be full of dykes! Hebden Bridge even has its own feminist reading group.
Nearby there is also the women’s holiday centre, that provides cheap holiday accommodation to women and children.
(Photo from Tod Facebook)
I used to go to Tod and Hebden regularly when I lived nearby. I had a radical feminist punk friend who was living on a canal boat at the time. The boat had no electricity and a compost toilet! There were loads of other lesbians living in canal boats nearby. We used to go to the discos and then crash on her boat after- those were the days!
Other great women only nights that I ‘ve been to are the Amazone disco in Lancaster, the Touch of Class disco in Bolton and the Women’s Aid benefits in Manchester.
The above women only discos are organised *by* women *for* women with often the proceeds going to a local women’s charity. Pink Sofa usually has full details of the discos.
So if you’re fed up with Canal Street, the clones and the apolitical, non-gender specific, (hetero-influenced) sex obsessed ‘people’ bars, and want to socialise in a woman-loving and woman-orientated space, then head to the above.
