As mentioned in my post on what lead up to London's Pride event changing its name to 'Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride' in 1996, until that happened, the London Bisexual Group used to pay around £100 for a stall in the festival's "marketplace".

In 1993, the minutes of the LBG executive suggest that the group paid for two 2m x 2m stall spaces at the festival in Brockwell Park. At the moment, I cannot if a supplied table was supplied or if we took a pair of folding table ourselves.

In 1994, the cost of what we wanted – again in Brockwell Park – was going to be £150, but this was found from another source..^[1]The minutes call it a 'grant', but don't say who it was from.

.. so up to £100 is to be spent "again" on things like a self-build marquee type thing to act as a protection against rain /wind /sun /whatever else June weather brings.

Then-LBG committee member Giles came up with a design for and then built what was labelled 'The Bi Tent': a large piece of white tarpaulin fabric forming the back and the roof of a small shelter against the elements, supported by six poles.^[2]"It were just a windbreak with a roof, but 'twere a tent to us.." as the Four Bisexuals sketch would say if anyone wrote it.

"6 x 8' uprights   pierced in each end
12 x 6' ^[3]An obvious typo for " i.e. inches rather than feet! spikes for above
2 x double length guys – front corners A+B
3 x single length guys – front + sides C
2 x 8' ridges – metal joint at centre.
7 x wire pegs
7 x heavy pegs.

      wire peg rear of tarp first
then   rear uprights + ridge
then   centre forward upright
          + guy C1
then side forward uprights
          + guys AB
then side guys C"

I don't remember Giles helping put it up in 1995 – apologies if I am wrong about that! – so those instructions were sufficient to get it right then…

Primitive compared to what was to come in 1996 and 1997, yes, but it was a major improvement over whatever it was we had before,^[4]You could, and I would, say that it was also a major improvement over what happened in 1998-2003… if not beyond. thank you Giles. After the first year, we had no hesitation in using it the following year.

The holes in the back that you can see in the photos of it being used in Victoria Park in 1995 were made the previous year, when the wind at the top of the hill at Brockwell Park^[5]It did mean we had a glorious view, including – in the distance – of the main stage. One of the things that made Brockwell Park such a good venue was the way that the slope meant so many … Continue reading threatened to blow it over.

I have no idea what happened to the actual tent – anyone?

(The colouring of the paper is from storing it for many years with some newsprint – sorry to professional archivists who are wincing! It's now in an acid free cover in an acid free folder.)