}
OH430 Interview with Andy Foyle (OutStories Bristol)
Please note this is not a full, complete transcript but a detailed summary of the recording
V08_Foyle1 [00:00:18] Interviewer introduction. Andy Foyle gives full name and DOB.
V08_Foyle2 [01:20:26] Early years. Born in Devizes, initially lived in Allington. Memory of water accident around age 2. Youngest in family: brother – close in age, 1 sister, 4 year older. Lived in Wells. Best friend called Andrew, ‘demonstratively close relationship’ [07:23]. End of friendship. [11:07] First feelings about being gay. Liberal family views. Teenage years. Learning about sex. Negative views of homosexuality in education book. Relationships. [16:16] Start of sexual relationships. Experiences of meeting gay men. Mentions relationship with Philip. Discusses relationship with an older man, Michael. [25:55] Relationship with girl at school in fifth form. Discusses Elaine, Christian youth groups. Fell in love with Elaine. Took on heterosexuality with Christianity (now called Bath Christian Church). [29:05] Felt like life turned around by 17. Views on previous experiences. 7 years without crying or drawing. Describes background experience of art. Previous experience of religion – choirboy. Parents’ view of new religious beliefs. Adult baptism. Mentions getting engaged in sixth form (to Elaine), and marriage after school. Discusses effects of marriage on education. Discusses experience of marriage and sex. [35:00] Discusses feelings for men while being married. Describes going to independent, ‘extreme church’. [41:04] Church’s attitude to homosexuality. Describes going through exorcism, expectations around this. [42: 30] Describes experiences of gay scene in Bath. [43:30] Describes telling wife about homosexual feelings and relationships. Discusses church’s response. [46:33] Mentions job at Ministry of Defence, context of 1980s depression. Describes Elaine leaving. [48:48] Rejected religion after end of marriage. Describes feelings now about religion. Mentions views on children when married. [51:00] Describes coming out to parents. Mother and father’s response. [56:52] 1980s Bath. Mentions emotional reaction to end of marriage. Went to Garrick’s Head. Describes coming across it as a gay bar, people who went there, atmosphere. Mentions ‘widow Clegg’. Mentions club ‘the Underground’, death of owner. Types of clothes worn there. [01:02:13] Visits to Bristol. Mentions ‘the Elephant’ (gay bar) and a gay sauna. Describes meeting good friend in the American army and discusses ‘chaste’ relationship – ‘some of the happiest days of my life’. [01:08:14] Describes meeting John, partner of 18 years. Met in park, in Bath. Discusses beginning of relationship and initial break. Next relationship with Rod, lived in Winterbourne. Describes relationship and its end. Discovered Rod died. Reaction to this, cycles of depression. [01:16:04] Describes this changing, re-starting relationship with John, moving in, moving to Bristol. Discusses involvement with the social organisation Gay West. Describes cafe culture. Producing the newsletter. Gay West now.
V08_Foyle3 [00:51:30] Moving to Bristol 1988, Brislington, mentions why chose area, describes working for WHSmith (Swindon), then Intel. Describes coming out at work, as part of a talk show. Mentions political context – Thatcher, AIDs. [4:30] Coming out at Intel, involvement in employee gay group. Describes less-frequent interaction with Gay West. Describes role a contact at Gay West in Spartacus. [9:43] Mentions ‘Scarlet Coat’, lesbian bar. Discusses social role of women’s centre. [11:38] Clause 28 – hearing about. Political profile of Gay West in early 1990s. Gay right-wing. Discusses involvement in political action. Rally in London. Describes police response and police relationship with gay groups. ‘Social atmosphere was quite ugly’. [18:23] Describes response to changing political situation – risk of recriminalisation, plans to move to Holland. [20:39] Relationship between gay community and the press. Friends’ experience of abuse. [22:19] Describes being arrested for cruising, summons on Christmas day. [24:24] Describes how atmosphere changed, gay rights as human rights, changing legislation, more mainstream to be gay. Bristol gay scene expansion only around 2000. Describes late 1980s/1990s bars and gradual expansion. [30:38] Recollects growth of Old Market. Mentions rumour that council encouraged growth. Recent observations compared to 1980s drinking culture. [35: 19] Expansion of scene beyond bars – different groups. Involvement in gay choir – met in house in Stoke Bishop; 2007 new LGBT choir – now Sing Out Bristol. Mentions stepping back following father’s death. Mentions involvement in LGBT History group – from first meeting. Describes its initiation. [40:35] Pride in Bristol – ‘a patchy career’. First one in 1970s. Clear memory of 1991/1992, Pride at Watershed. Small event through 1990s. Discusses ‘Mardi Gras’ in 2000s, attached to ‘The Pineapple’ (gay bar). Recounts understanding of Pride in 2007. Mentions John as ex from 2000. Describes Pride’s revival in 2010 and views on this for sustainability. [49:40] Notes groups as a highlight of being in Bristol, describes a maturity to the scene.
V08_Foyle1 [00:00:18] Interviewer introduction. Andy Foyle gives full name and DOB.
V08_Foyle2 [01:20:26] Early years. Born in Devizes, initially lived in Allington. Memory of water accident around age 2. Youngest in family: brother – close in age, 1 sister, 4 year older. Lived in Wells. Best friend called Andrew, ‘demonstratively close relationship’ [07:23]. End of friendship. [11:07] First feelings about being gay. Liberal family views. Teenage years. Learning about sex. Negative views of homosexuality in education book. Relationships. [16:16] Start of sexual relationships. Experiences of meeting gay men. Mentions relationship with Philip. Discusses relationship with an older man, Michael. [25:55] Relationship with girl at school in fifth form. Discusses Elaine, Christian youth groups. Fell in love with Elaine. Took on heterosexuality with Christianity (now called Bath Christian Church). [29:05] Felt like life turned around by 17. Views on previous experiences. 7 years without crying or drawing. Describes background experience of art. Previous experience of religion – choirboy. Parents’ view of new religious beliefs. Adult baptism. Mentions getting engaged in sixth form (to Elaine), and marriage after school. Discusses effects of marriage on education. Discusses experience of marriage and sex. [35:00] Discusses feelings for men while being married. Describes going to independent, ‘extreme church’. [41:04] Church’s attitude to homosexuality. Describes going through exorcism, expectations around this. [42: 30] Describes experiences of gay scene in Bath. [43:30] Describes telling wife about homosexual feelings and relationships. Discusses church’s response. [46:33] Mentions job at Ministry of Defence, context of 1980s depression. Describes Elaine leaving. [48:48] Rejected religion after end of marriage. Describes feelings now about religion. Mentions views on children when married. [51:00] Describes coming out to parents. Mother and father’s response. [56:52] 1980s Bath. Mentions emotional reaction to end of marriage. Went to Garrick’s Head. Describes coming across it as a gay bar, people who went there, atmosphere. Mentions ‘widow Clegg’. Mentions club ‘the Underground’, death of owner. Types of clothes worn there. [01:02:13] Visits to Bristol. Mentions ‘the Elephant’ (gay bar) and a gay sauna. Describes meeting good friend in the American army and discusses ‘chaste’ relationship – ‘some of the happiest days of my life’. [01:08:14] Describes meeting John, partner of 18 years. Met in park, in Bath. Discusses beginning of relationship and initial break. Next relationship with Rod, lived in Winterbourne. Describes relationship and its end. Discovered Rod died. Reaction to this, cycles of depression. [01:16:04] Describes this changing, re-starting relationship with John, moving in, moving to Bristol. Discusses involvement with the social organisation Gay West. Describes cafe culture. Producing the newsletter. Gay West now.
V08_Foyle3 [00:51:30] Moving to Bristol 1988, Brislington, mentions why chose area, describes working for WHSmith (Swindon), then Intel. Describes coming out at work, as part of a talk show. Mentions political context – Thatcher, AIDs. [4:30] Coming out at Intel, involvement in employee gay group. Describes less-frequent interaction with Gay West. Describes role a contact at Gay West in Spartacus. [9:43] Mentions ‘Scarlet Coat’, lesbian bar. Discusses social role of women’s centre. [11:38] Clause 28 – hearing about. Political profile of Gay West in early 1990s. Gay right-wing. Discusses involvement in political action. Rally in London. Describes police response and police relationship with gay groups. ‘Social atmosphere was quite ugly’. [18:23] Describes response to changing political situation – risk of recriminalisation, plans to move to Holland. [20:39] Relationship between gay community and the press. Friends’ experience of abuse. [22:19] Describes being arrested for cruising, summons on Christmas day. [24:24] Describes how atmosphere changed, gay rights as human rights, changing legislation, more mainstream to be gay. Bristol gay scene expansion only around 2000. Describes late 1980s/1990s bars and gradual expansion. [30:38] Recollects growth of Old Market. Mentions rumour that council encouraged growth. Recent observations compared to 1980s drinking culture. [35: 19] Expansion of scene beyond bars – different groups. Involvement in gay choir – met in house in Stoke Bishop; 2007 new LGBT choir – now Sing Out Bristol. Mentions stepping back following father’s death. Mentions involvement in LGBT History group – from first meeting. Describes its initiation. [40:35] Pride in Bristol – ‘a patchy career’. First one in 1970s. Clear memory of 1991/1992, Pride at Watershed. Small event through 1990s. Discusses ‘Mardi Gras’ in 2000s, attached to ‘The Pineapple’ (gay bar). Recounts understanding of Pride in 2007. Mentions John as ex from 2000. Describes Pride’s revival in 2010 and views on this for sustainability. [49:40] Notes groups as a highlight of being in Bristol, describes a maturity to the scene.
