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Wales Online
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
The much-loved Cardiff pub which has survived so much but could now close for good
The much-loved Cardiff pub which has survived so much but could now close for good It's nostalgia meets eccentricity at the Golden Cross which is Wales' oldest gay bar The Golden Cross is a legendary Welsh pub, but faces an uncertain future (Image: John Myers ) In a hidden corner of Cardiff's city centre, now swamped by modern high rise hotels and offices, is Wales' oldest gay bar. Of all the anthems played at the grade-II listed Golden Cross pub in the shadow of John Lewis and the second St David's shopping centre, Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive would be fitting. It's nostalgia meets eccentricity at the pub which dates back to 1863 and became a gay venue in the late nineties having previously been set for demolition. Now glitter portraits of stars including Welsh legends Ian H Watkins, Gareth Thomas and Tom Jones decorate the walls of the dark room at the rear. It's rather PG-guidance compared to the sort of dark room you'd find in Gran Canaria or Sitges, and yet it's where kinky lovers of Cardiff's leather scene regularly meet for a late night intriguingly described as 'anything goes'. The main room features a long L-shaped bar - one of only 14 remaining ceramic bar counters left in Britain. The room appears almost unchanged from Western Mail archive pictures taken in the nineties, and includes an open space with a raised stage. It doesn't look like much, yet the tight room where punters cram on a Friday and Saturday night has become a mecca for drag cabaret which rivals anything you'll see in Europe. You'll regularly find Amber Dextrous, Dr Bev and Baroness Mary Golds ripping the crowd to shreds - all in fabulous taste. This picture of John Gallagher, then new manager of the Golden Cross, was taken in June 1986 after the pub was refurbished following it being saved from demolition (Image: Mirrorpix ) Article continues below A third room, where custodian Rob Burnett chats to us about his decade running the place and sometimes having to prop it up financially himself, is a throwback - the sort of pub room which feels like you're sitting in your nan's dated lounge. Challenge is on repeat - usually Bullseye or The Chase - on the television which hangs from the wall. "After everyone was allowed to come back after Covid so many people said it was like coming home," Rob tells WalesOnline ahead of Wales' biggest queer weekend in the calendar - Pride Cymru in Cardiff. "That's when I knew we'd cracked it. I think that's what a pub should be. It's a community above anything else." You can read all the updates from Pride Cymru in Cardiff here. A third room, where owner Rob Burnett chats to us about his decade running the place and sometimes having to prop it up financially himself, is a throwback - the sort of pub room which feels like you're sitting in your nan's dated lounge (Image: John Myers ) This weekend the Golden will be a picture of gloriously colourful chaos in what will be Rob's last Pride Cymru here and he's putting on a street party to celebrate. Rob, who is originally from Portsmouth and made his money in the motor transport and cleaning industries, took on the pub in 2015. 'It was an old man's dying pub really,' he recalls. "I remember a lot of hype in the community when people heard it was being rescued. "It's a very loved place. It's not just running any old pub. We've got a married gay couple here who have been together for 65 years - they've seen it all, and lots of young LGBT+ people too who feel they need a safe space. It's so important. "It was something I'd honestly never planned on doing but after being here I could see how much people truly cared about it. It would have been such a shame to see that lost. I'd never run a pub before but I'd been successful in business and thought I'd give it a go." Leonard Davies, then manager of the Golden Cross, leans on the bar in January 1979 (Image: South Wales Echo ) A decade on, the Golden again finds itself on the edge of closure. Rob is desperate to find a custodian but is concerned time could run out. A countdown to the pub's closure if no-one is found to take it on is above the bar, in the hope someone will come forward. In an era where fewer people are going to the pub and the younger queer folk of Cardiff seem to be more partial to an iced matcha latte than a pint of lager, the Golden is proving a hard sell and yet Rob says he can't lie to potential custodians about how difficult it has been at times. 'I'm concerned about it,' he explains. 'I'm trying to separate emotion from a commercial sense. The building is so expensive to run. If you stick entertainment on stage costs go up but if you don't stick entertainment on stage the crowd disappears. This weekend is the biggest in the calendar for the Golden - Pride Cymru (Image: John Myers ) 'It's a rock and a hard place. At times I've had to prop it up myself with my own money from my other business. I put it out there on social media about a £2 door charge and most people say it's fine and they'd happily pay but then of course it's very difficult attracting a younger crowd when charging on the door. "We're also finding now a lot of the younger crowd don't drink either. Many come in looking for a pint of water or a non-alcoholic drink. We've had to expand our range of non-alcoholic stuff but also soft drinks. "The rising cost of living has significantly impacted people's spending. People used to come out multiple times a week and those same people come once a week now. I can't lie - it's hard. But I don't regret doing it. We've essentially done it as a social investment and it needs someone to take it over who really loves the place and wants to keep it going." Rob arrived in Cardiff having had a varied life. Realising he was gay in his twenties when he already had a wife and a daughter, he came out at 27 and began a new life (Image: John Myers ) Rob arrived in Cardiff having had a varied life. Realising he was gay in his twenties when he already had a wife and a daughter, he came out at 27 and began a new life - although he has always prioritised being a father. "I was married at 23, a dad by 25 and this year I'm going to be a grandad - although I'm definitely not being called grandad, I'll be called papa," he laughs. "I came out when my daughter was three years old. It was very hard at the time. I had no real gay outlet. I am now in contact with one gay friend who I went to school with back home and to our knowledge we are the only two openly gay people who were at that school at the time. "I came out in 2000. I was living with my family in Dumfries in Scotland at the time, where there was no gay bar or obvious gay community. But I did meet someone who was clearly openly gay and when I saw him and saw how happy he was in himself and how accepting people were of him, I realised the possibility of being myself and realised I could be gay. "We were quite different. He was young, single and free. I moved to Milton Keynes but travelled back to Scotland every weekend to keep up the relationship with my daughter. The way I saw it was that it wasn't her fault and my first responsibility had to be and will always be as a dad.' The pub in 1999 just after it began operating as a queer venue. It is now Wales' oldest operating LGBTQ+ venue (Image: Mirrorpix ) Rob, who has been honoured with a top three place in this year's WalesOnline Pinc List, has been a father-like figure to many who've come through the doors at the Golden too. 'You can't be a shrinking violet when you run an LGBTQ+ venue. You can't be someone afraid of sticking their head above the parapet. It's not just about opening the doors every day. "People will always need places like this. Look at the recent Supreme Court ruling against the trans community. We have to make sure trans people especially now do not feel on their own. They must know they have a community in Cardiff's LGBTQ+ spaces.' Rob says while LGBTQ+ people might always face challenges, Cardiff is a friendlier place now. 'When I first came to the city even the bars wouldn't talk to each other. I asked for a coffee with all of the other LGBTQ+ venues and only three turned up. We put our heads together and decided to stop competing with each other and work together, agreeing to do our cabaret nights on different days, and it worked brilliantly. Mary's and I have worked really well together over the years. If I'm not drinking in here I will be in there.' While many queer venues have now changed their tag line to all-inclusive to welcome straight punters, others have remained just for LGBTQ+ or, in some circumstances, still gay men only. Some queer venues even only allow gay men with membership cards and say they rely on their strict entry codes to remain profitable, and Rob says he can see a 'dilemma' but ultimately it's 'ethically wrong' to turn down people who don't identify as LGBTQ+. Inside the Golden Cross in April 1991. The long L-shaped bar is one of only 14 remaining ceramic bar counters left in Britain (Image: Mirrorpix ) 'For years we've wanted our own safe spaces as LGBTQ+ people and then we got them. But following that more and more we were accepted into straight spaces too. We're now in a position where we'd be accepted as our authentic selves in most straight spaces in Britain. 'Gay bars still like to be known as gay and sometimes shun the appearance of straight people in their bars. To me that's ethically wrong in Britain today. In my mind you can't fight for equality and then say: 'Well these are our safe spaces so straight people aren't welcome.' 'We have lots of straight people who come in and feel it's their home too. Fantastic allies. One straight couple comes in and they dance with us every Sunday evening. When I say community it really is all encompassing. I think it has to be.' Article continues below Rob reserved special mention for Baroness Mary Golds, who he said has been a "huge part" of the Golden's success over the last 10 years.
Metro
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Strictly star says show left her in more pain than childbirth
A Strictly Come Dancing star has detailed the horror injuries she sustained from competing on the BBC series. Angela Scanlon took part in the 21st season of Strictly in 2023 alongside dance partner Carlos Gu. In week 10, she left the show, finishing in sixth place, after being voted out following her Cha-cha-cha performance of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive. However, according to the Irish TV presenter, 41, competing in the series was absolute agony, and she said she would often have 'raw bleeding blisters'. Speaking to former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison on their Get A Grip podcast, Angela explained: 'I've had two children without pain relief and would do that 10 times over in a day than have raw, bleeding blisters. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. 'You have to put the goddamn shoes on and do a Viennese waltz – my heels have never had so much action. 'You put a plaster on and, because you're sweating like a donkey, it falls off. You put socks on with your ballroom shoe, and you're still rub-a-dubbing. 'You're raw.' Angela married her entrepreneur husband, Rory Horgan, in 2014 and has two daughters with him – Ruby, seven, and Marnie, three. She also gave birth to her first daughter, Ruby, in 2018, while Marnie was delivered in 2022. Angela is far from the first Strictly contestant to suffer a bit of wear and tear. In last year's series, Nick Knowles revealed how he was forced to undergo two operations after an emotional elimination. The DIY SOS star, 62, explained that he had a 'rollercoaster' of a time. 'I think it was the right result in the end, and it means I can now get the various bits of me that are falling off sorted out,' he shared, having needed a week off ahead of his departure due to injury. Nick shared that he's still keep to maintain his rhythm, though, including by dancing with his pro. 'I might have an operation on the arm this week, then another operation on the knee in a couple of weeks, so I can get myself sorted. More Trending 'I genuinely fell in love with dancing. After I've had my operations, I'm gonna do some more training with Luba (Mushtuk), and I've got important things to do… I'm getting married next year and Luba is gonna help choreograph the first dance.' Proving that Strictly is no easy feat, during the same series, professional Nadiya Bychkova was left with a 'swollen and bruised' thumb when it 'snapped' during training. View More » The 35-year-old had been partnered with Olympian Tom Dean, but they became the first pair eliminated from the competition. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Is Ncuti Gatwa leaving? Our Doctor Who experts know who should take over MORE: Doctor Who is wasted on Disney – ditch it or it risks dying MORE: Ashley Walters calls out BBC's Who Do You Think You Are for rejecting him after 'year of research'
West Australian
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- West Australian
Spotify AI tool Seat Belters promotes driver safety with playlist hack, based on fresh research
You're driving down the freeway and a car screams past with frenetic music blasting from the windows. There's every chance those blaring beats are directly linked with the driver's reckless behaviour. We know music can have a powerful effect on our emotions, and it turns out it has a major impact on how safely we drive, too, with studies showing songs with a beat-per-minute count of more than 120 to be the worst culprits. These up-tempo tracks have been proven to negatively affect reaction times and overall awareness, producing more erratic driving patterns and riskier on-road attitudes. New research from Allianz Australia reveals one in three (32 per cent) Aussie drivers believes music affects their driving, with a third of those (33 per cent) reporting decreased concentration when listening to high-bpm music on the road. But if you think this category of music is reserved for heavy metal or bass-rich techno, think again. Your favourite song may well be within the BPM danger zone. Taylor Swift's pop banger Shake It Off and OutKast's Hey Ya! both come in at 160bpm, while Beat It by Michael Jackson (138), I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor (132) and Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC (173) are all well over what is considered safe for on-road listening. At exactly 120bpm, Lady Gaga's Poker Face, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk, Adele's Rolling In The Deep and ABBA's Dancing Queen are also just out of bounds. According to Allianz's data, more than half (52 per cent) of Aussie drivers sing along to music while in their car and 44 per cent will crank up the volume when their favourite song comes on, potentially creating dangerous conditions without us even realising. Road safety expert Andry Rakotonirainy has investigated the connection between auditory inputs, like music, and cognitive performance while driving and was fascinated by the findings. 'The emerging data from Allianz Australia is particularly interesting to me, as it shows how music tempo can influence concentration, reaction time and even speeding, highlighting the need for me to explore this further, especially as in-car entertainment becomes more pervasive and immersive,' Dr Rakotonirainy says. 'When we think about running, we often choose fast-tempo music to push our pace. The same concept applies to driving, as higher bpm tracks can subconsciously encourage faster speeds and reduce concentration. 'It's not surprising that the tempo of the music we listen to can influence how we behave behind the wheel.' Yet clearly it's hard to pick a harmonic hazard if earlier examples are anything to go by. Dr Rakotonirainy says there are some genres that are more likely to have a lower bpm, in the 'ideal' range of 60-80, including classical, ambient, acoustic and jazz. 'These types of genres generally have slower tempos and fewer sudden changes, which could help maintain a steady pace and reduce the likelihood of risky driving behaviours, such as speeding or reduced reaction times,' he explains. Some popular songs that fall into the 60-80bpm category are The Beatles' Let It Be (72), Etta James' At Last (87), Billie Eilish's Ocean Eyes (73), Sam Smith's Stay With Me (84) and TLC's Waterfalls (89). However, we don't have to manually look up the bpm of our favourite songs to make sure they are suitable for driving. Bolstered by the research, Allianz has partnered with Spotify to create a new in-app tool, Seat Belters, which generates personalised playlists that sit within the 60-80bpm range while considering users' music interests. Utilising Spotify's steaming intelligence to promote a more focused state for those behind the wheel is a crucial innovation, Dr Rakotonirainy says. 'Tech platforms like Spotify have enormous reach and can personalise content in real time,' he says. 'By embedding safety-focused experiences like Allianz Seat Belters into everyday music listening and making the experience available to all Spotify users, Allianz is helping to encourage safer driving behaviours at scale.' He adds, 'If Australians could take a moment to consider the music they are listening to before getting behind the wheel, it could have a positive impact on their behaviour.' As for whether there is a genre of music that can turn us into better drivers, there isn't yet conclusive research. 'Driving behaviour is closely linked to psychological states such as mood and arousal,' Dr Rakotonirainy says. 'Music has the potential to positively influence mood and enhance the driving experience. However, from a research perspective, isolating the effect of specific types of music on driving performance is methodologically complex, due to individual variability in music preferences, baseline mood and driving context.' While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, Seat Belters aims to strike a balance — especially when 58 per cent of Aussie drivers say they 'always' listen to music while on the road and 13 million people around the country are active Spotify users every month. 'The in-app experience is a great chance for music lovers to combine safety and entertainment in a fun, relatable and accessible way,' Dr Rakotonirainy says. As artificial intelligence infiltrates our daily life at an exponential rate, Dr Rakotonirainy is continuing to investigate the intersection between technology and driver safety. 'While many people are familiar with automated or driverless cars, technologies heavily reliant on AI, its potential goes well beyond automation — it will improve safety,' he says. 'AI can also enable real-time monitoring of driving conditions, detect distraction or drowsiness, assess cognitive load, and even adapt in-car environments or vehicle speed accordingly. 'Beyond music, AI could also enhance route planning and deliver smarter in-vehicle alerts, creating a more responsive and human-centred driving experience.' + To create your own personalised Seat Belters playlist, visit + Allianz's research was conducted in April 2025 and sampled more than 1000 Australians aged 18 and above who hold valid driver's licences and listen to music while driving.
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
I Will Survive icon Gloria Gaynor insists she's not a 'feminist'
Gloria Gaynor doesn't consider herself a "feminist". The 81-year-old disco icon - who is best known for her defiant anthem 'I Will Survive' - has insisted she "loves men", and explained that the notion she embraces feminism is the biggest misconception people have about her. She told the Metro newspaper's 60 Seconds column: "People say to me, 'And since you're a feminist...' Erm, no. Not really. "I love men. I grew up with five brothers, and I love men. "I love men who know who they are and are strong enough to take their place, but also strong enough to recognise a woman's strengths and who are able to allow her to exercise those strengths and realise that women are to be partners and not opponents." Gloria noted that her 2003 documentary 'Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive' - which reflected on the previous 10 years of her live - was a way for her to show her true self for her fans. She said: "It's sort of an outgrowth of the song 'I Will Survive' because, you know, you can have a dinner for people and you can serve wonderful dishes and all of that, but I wonder how many of them questioned, did you get this from the supermarket? "Did you get this from a restaurant? Or did you make it yourself? "And when you can show them the ingredients that went into making whatever it is you made, then they can enjoy it better and they can experience it more fully, and they can make it their own, so that's what I've done." Gloria embraced the same approach with her own life, and explained how people often project their own feelings and experiences on their favourite artists. She added: "I think that, when people see an artist, they make up in their minds different things that they feel about them from what they've seen on stage, but what they are really doing is adding things to their own lives, because that's all they have to work with, until something like a documentary comes out and shows them what the real ingredients are."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The View' co-host insists Gloria Gaynor is actually a feminist after singer rejects title
The ladies of "The View" tried to make sense of why Gloria Gaynor does not consider her iconic song, "I Will Survive," to be a feminist anthem and why she would not label herself a feminist. In a recent interview with the UK outlet Metro, Gaynor said that one of the biggest misconceptions about her is that people think she's a feminist. Her 1978 mega-hit was not so much a feminist ballad, she said, but one that put a spotlight on trauma, as she was dealing with some of her own struggles at the time, including recent back surgery and the loss of her mom a few years prior. She added that having grown up with five brothers, she "loves men." "The View" hosts reacted to Gaynor's surprising take during their "Hot Topics" discussion on Tuesday while also trying to define the word "feminism." 'I Will Survive' Singer Gloria Gaynor Says It's A 'Misconception' She's A Feminist Gloria Gaynor performs during the "Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive" premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at Spring Studios on June 9, 2023, in New York City. The table was nearly unanimous in agreeing that the word feminism simply means equality between genders. After sharing her definition, co-host Sara Haines suggested that Gaynor is actually a feminist. Read On The Fox News App "Because I think the feminist movement has changed over the decades, as to who the icons were, what the point and the mission was," Haines said. "But ultimately, feminism is just equality for women to have the same opportunities. So, I think she really deeply is a feminist." Haines and her co-hosts continued to try and define the somewhat divisive term. The common misconception, Haines said, is that "feminism means you hate men." "They don't have to be zero-sum issues," she continued. "To have equality for women does nothing to men." Feminists Argue Trad Wife Influencers On Social Media May Have Helped Trump Win Over Women's Vote "The thing is, you don't hate men," Joy Behar agreed. "What you hate is sexism and misogyny. That should be clear to everyone. Because men are feminists also." Behar later added that women have been "paying attention" to these cultural issues since the second wave of the feminist movement in the 1970s. "I think most women believe in equal rights, in empowering other women," Alyssa Farah Griffin added. "And I think that it becomes this sort of loaded term that people may interpret different ways. Like you're burning your bra, or you hate men." She suggested it's a generational issue, where younger people are more "prone to labels." 'I Will Survive' Singer Gloria Gaynor Suing Ex-producer For $2 Million, Alleging 'Suppressed' Payments Gloria Gaynor performs onstage at the 15th Annual Induction Ceremony for the New Jersey Hall of Fame at NJPAC on October 29, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey. Sunny Hostin chimed in to say there shouldn't be any bad connotations associated with the label, and that it's OK to be a feminist and still admire the opposite sex. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture "I don't know why equality is suddenly a bad thing," Hostin noted. "I don't know why diversity and inclusion and equality is such a bad thing. The bottom line is, you can be someone that supports women having equal rights, and Black people having equal rights, and people that are disabled having equal rights, and people in the LGBTQ+ community having equal rights, and still love a man!" In addition to writing "I Will Survive" to encourage victims of trauma, Gaynor has in recent years also associated the song with her return to faith . "When I read the lyrics, I realized the reason they'd been waiting for me to record that song was that God had given that song to them for them to set aside, waiting for him to get everything in order for me to meet up with them. And that song was 'I Will Survive,'" Gaynor told NPR in 2019. Original article source: 'The View' co-host insists Gloria Gaynor is actually a feminist after singer rejects title
