In ye olden days (ok, like 20 years ago) London used to be full of small neighbourhood queer bars that had more of a community feel than the bigger, anonymous drinking establishments in the West End. And, if it was a lesbian bar you were after then your best bet would be to head to Stoke Newington in the north east of London, which has been described by today's guest as a 'lesbian mecca'. 

And, who is today's guest? Well, it's none other than lesbian romance novelist Clare Lydon, whose London Romance series has been described as “The L Word, set in London.", so she knows what she's talking about when it comes to London and lesbians. 

We caught up to talk about her time living in Stoke Newington, her beloved lost space, Blush Bar, which was open from 1997-2015, and why pool is the sport of choice for so many lesbians. 

Do you have any memories of Blush Bar of fighting over a pool table that you want to share? Well, if you do please get in touch - you can contact me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as @lostspacespod, or you can go to my website www.lostspacespodcast.com and leave a comment there. 

To find out more about Clare visit her website http://www.clarelydon.co.uk where you can download some free stories, and mark your calendar, as Clare's next book, Big London Dreams, is out on July 28th.