A new bar opening in Newcastle on Friday is out to pay tribute to the late Adrian Gadd, a much-loved figure on the city's gay scene, and help create a lasting legacy.
Adrian, who died in January after suffering a bleed on the brain, was known for his pioneering work in shaping the city's LGBT scene as well as his sense of humour and love of gossip.
His death at the age of 62 came as a huge shock to those who knew him from the pubs and clubs he'd owned around the scene.
Tributes poured in and now his best friend Paul Ward is ensuring he's remembered as he launches Oscar’s Bar & Lounge on the corner of Scotswood Road and Churchill Street at 5pm this May 21.
Paul is licensee of Newcastle’s oldest gay bar The Yard - a post which Adrian previously held - and Oscar's is just below, in the former home of Heaven’s Above.
The building has undergone a major revamp and the new bar boasts an impressive drinks menu, a dedicated cocktail waiter and one cocktail is named after Adrian himself: an original creation called Ada’s Pina Colada.
There's an Oscar In Carnation cocktail too, inspired by Oscar Wilde who the bar is named after.
Paul is keen to capture a sense of Adrian's legendary humour and love of life and gossip and thinks he and Wilde shared similarities.
He said: "We recently lost Adrian, who was passionate about ensuring Newcastle’s gay community had a venue where they felt safe."
With Oscar's, he plans to create a welcoming environment for people to chat and share their stories and life experiences.
He added: "Adrian was known for his biting wit and glittering conversational skills and was a well-known personality - all attributes that were attributed to Oscar Wilde, so what better way to build on Adrian’s legacy with a new bar for the gay and gay-friendly community named after the Irish poet and playwright."
He said since the 1850s there have been around 50 pubs in Scotswood Road - and his is one of a few still standing - and suggests that Wilde himself might even have enjoyed a drink in one of them during the lecture of tour of Britain which brought him to the city in 1883.
Quotes from Wilde adorn the walls of the bar and Paul added: "Wilde’s taste for Champagne or absinthe has become so legendary so we’ve got it on the menu - added with Adrian’s love of gossip it’s a perfect combination."
