Ted has now been running his club since 1990 and it is a firmly established venue for T girls and their admirers every Thursday night. He also runs a more chilled out evening on Sundays and Mondays.
Thursday night is well known by the established community but there may be many newcomers who are unaware of one of the premier meeting places in London.
I wrote an article a few years ago on Teds Place for a magazine and append a slightly amended version below so that you can get the flavour of the evening.
305a North End Road,
Fulham,
W14 9NS
0207 385 9359
The Friendliest Place in Town.
Darkroom
Admirers welcome
London's top Night Club
for TG's and their friends
TED’S PLACE
Hidden away in Fulham, west London, is one of the scene’s best known bars.
Walking down the North End Road, you won’t see flashing lights and bouncers outside the door of one of the oldest venues for trans people. In fact, you could walk past the entrance without knowing it was there. For those in the know, there is a big sign in the window in red proclaiming:-
OPEN
305
Described as the ‘Friendliest Place in town’ it provides a unique meeting place for T girls, friends and admirers every Thursday night from 7 pm to last orders at 2.00 am.
The staff are wonderfully friendly and you are warmly welcomed by Ted,
who will invariably greet you with ‘Hi Babe. How’re doing?’
The club is in the basement and is a blend of bar and disco with music mixed by resident DJ Dennis (who also DJ’d at Ron Storme’s club in Stepney).
The club started in 1945 and was originally run by Ted’s uncle as The Sports Supporter’s Club, through to 1990, when it closed. If it hadn’t been for a chance remark by Ted’s mother, as they were walking past, that the premises were empty, the Club as we know it would never have evolved.
Ted had been running the bar and functions at The Hurlingham Club, in Fulham, and decided that he had the right experience for taking number 305 on. Ted’s Place was born. It ran as a general bar until 1992, when it became a women only club (Fannies), which won the Women’s Best Bar Award in the Pink paper for two years running.
Along with the regular evenings, there were Blind Date and Karaoke nights and Ted found that a number of T girls were coming along. He tells me that he had read an article in the Beaumont Society magazine and decided to start advertising in Time Out Thursday and Saturday nights for T girls and their friends. On Saturdays he arranged cabaret, with well known artists, such as Dave Lynn. This was about fifteen years ago but because of pressures on Ted’s personal time and the fact that other clubs provided venues on the Saturday night, the Club is closed Saturdays, apart from occasional special events.
It is possible that Ted could proclaim the Club to be by Royal Appointment. The story goes that one evening four young men arrived wearing male garb but faces made up as girls. One or two of the patrons thought they recognised one of the heirs to the throne and later they were spotted being whisked away in a car bearing HRH.
In fact Ted’s is host to many Queens and Kings if you think about it, so no big deal.
Ted’s has visitors from all over the world and caters for all T girls at whatever stage they are at. There are changing facilities in the loos but you must get there at opening time before the rush starts and I warn you it is very cramped.
Images from Teds Place, past and present:
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