Heads up! We’re working hard to be accurate – but these are unusual times, so please always check before heading out.

A load of pony – queer meanings in Cockney rhyming slang
Did you know that cockney rhyming slang is littered with many different ways of saying ‘gay’? Here are a few of our favourites
‘Iron’ (‘Iron hoof’ = ‘poof’)
In Cockney rhyming slang, only the first word is generally used. So the abbreviated form of 'iron hoof' is 'iron', the queer meaning of which is highlighted in the title of this week's talk . Any Old Iron is also the name of an old music hall song, which was a big hit for Peter Sellers.
‘Perry’ (‘Perry Como’ = ‘homo’)
An irresistible rhyme with the king of easy listening, who died in 2001. Como himself was hetero and married to wife Roselle for 65 years.
‘Ginger’ (‘Ginger beer’ = ‘queer’)
Gingerbeer is the name of a London-based online network for lesbians. Asked why they chose that name, the organisers replied: ‘Gingerbeer is cockney rhyming slang for “queer”. We also like drinking beer with ginger-haired people.’
‘Haricot’ (‘Haricot bean’ = ‘queen’)
The humble haricot is better known as the main ingredient in a tin of baked beans. It’s also slang for ‘effeminate homosexual’ or ‘queen’.
‘Stoke’ (‘Stoke-on-Trent’ = ‘bent’)
According to ‘The Ultimate Cockney Geezer’s Guide to Rhyming Slang’, ‘Stoke’ means ‘bent’ in the sense of ‘criminal’ or ‘gay’.
Top LGBT interviews
A Maureen Chadwick Interview
The lesbian playwright talks about the struggle to put gay women centre stage
An interview with Dean Atta
Dean Atta's tackles the touchy subjects of homophobia in hip hop and the ‘reclaiming’ of the ‘N’ word
An interview with Christopher Fowler
His new memoir ‘Film Freak’ recalls Soho in the late ’70s
'Sex is one of the great gifts'
Pedro Almodovar, talks about passion, death and his new in-flight comedy 'I'm So Excited'
An interview with Ed Lyon
Modern opera star Ed Lyon on the changing face of an art form
A darker shade of gay
Justin David takes a look at the after-hours lives of London's gay icons
VG Lee - Funny Lady
How does the comedian compare stand-up to performing as an author?
Twitter, HIV, Superheroes & Me
Kristian Johns has transformed his own experience of HIV into a superhero epic