On the 3 May 2024 Stuart from The AIDS Memorial (Instagram) contacted me to say that a photo of my dear friend Andrea Philippe Regard would be featured in the ‘Live to Tell’ segment of Madonna’s ‘Celebration’ concert being held in Rio on 5 May.
The Aids Memorial was a direct inspiration for the Brighton AIDS Memorial, so Andrea’s inclusion in the show in his home country was both a wonderful surprise and an honour. Andrea loved Madonna and when we chatted in my café, ‘The Immaculate Collection’ was often played – it sound-tracked the last months of his life.
Stuart who lives in Scotland started The AIDS Memorial account on Instagram in April 2016. Every day, those who’ve died from AIDS are remembered via pictures and words from the people who knew and loved them, as well as first-person accounts from those who are long-term survivors of HIV and AIDS.
Thank you Stuart for your inspiration and kindness. Big love Harry x
One of the most important intense interests is following the Welsh band the Manic Street Preachers. Within them I unknowingly found a queer community and a disability community. It’s started with just liking the music, buying CDs from Our Price with money made from babysitting at £2 an hour.
The band particularly missing guitarist/lyricist Richey Edwards; openly talked about mental health and what we would look back now as neurodivergence. Bassist Nicky Wire would dress androgynously on stage with glitter, skirts, feather boa and tiara. He wrote one song with lyrics “I wish I had been born a girl”. Despite all members of the band being straight white men, in a world with zero queer visibility, this was the queerness I could access. (Watch Loves Sweet Exile video!) Through internet forums I met other fans, we would meet hours before shows and queue to get to the front. Once I queued over night and other times we had parties with tea and cake. I am still friends with some of these people, 25 years later.
This photo was taken at Brighton Centre 12/12/02, the first time I saw them live, taken on a cheap film camera.
Maria Jastrzębska shares the powerful stories behind the three objects she is donating to our Queer Museum.
Polish-British poet, feminist, editor, translator and playwright, Maria has published three full-length volumes of poetry and two pamphlets. She is the co-founded Queer Writing South and South Pole.
In this interview Maria talks about being a girl scout, feminist activism and intersectionality, and the inherent queerness of poetry...
Recorded remotely on April 29, 2021
Interview by: Roni Guetta and David Sheppeard
Editing and original music by Olive Mondegreen
Photo of me on the steps of No.6 Percival Terrace - where I lived with my second Brighton boyfriend. Note that No.7 is under construction. In fact, 7-12 had collapsed some years before as a result of a sink-hole underneath the building. Rebuilt in the same late Georgian style in the noughties, the row is complete once again.
Marlborough Theatre Brighton Fringe 2012 Brochure designed by Sarah Ferrari.
Pink Fringe LGBTIQ+ programme highlights include:
A Right Pair - Bette Bourne & Paul Shaw
Trouser Wearing Characters - Rose Collis
Mae-Day: I'm Not Waving I'm Drowning - Mae Martin
Rachael's Café - Little Fly Theatre
Marlborough Theatre Brighton Fringe 2013 Brochure designed by Sarah Ferrari.
Pink Fringe LGBTIQ+ highlights include:
Adventure Misdaventure - Nick Field
A Right Pair - Bette Bourne and Paul Shaw
Night After Night by Neil Bartlett and Nicholas Bloomfield - performed by Paul Shaw Nicholas Bloomfield
Sister Acts - Mzz Kimberley and Son of a Tutu
Marlborough Theatre Brighton Fringe 2015 Brochure designed by Sarah Ferrari.
Pink Fringe LGBTIQ+ programme highlights include:
Big Girl's Blouse - Kate O'Donnell
Miss Behave's Gameshow - Miss Behave with Harry Clayton-Wright
Hard Graft - David Sheppeard
Chisteene Machine
Marlborough Theatre Brighton Fringe 2016 Brochure designed by Sarah Ferrari.
Pink Fringe LGBTIQ+ programme highlights include:
Naked Boys Reading
Sissy's Progress - Nando Messias
Break Yourself - Ira Brand
Funeral Doom Spiritual For Male Soprano Piano & Electronics - M Lamar
Help! I Think I Might Be Fabulous - Alfie Ordinary
King of the Fringe
Joan - Milk Presents
Stud - Ivor McAskill
The Daily Grind - Laurie Brown
Women's Hour - Sh!t Theatre
Marlborough Theatre Brighton Fringe 2017 Brochure designed by Sarah Ferrari.
Pink Fringe LGBTIQ+ programme highlights include:
Triple Threat - Lucy McCormick
Makin in Rain - Nicole Henriksen
The Comforter - Stacy Makishi
OUT - Rachael Young
Gypsy Queen - Hope Theatre Company
The Dog and Pony Show (Bring Your Own Pony) - Holly Hughes
Sex Education - Harry Clayton-Wright
Who Do You Think You Are? Barbara Brownskirt
The Girl From Oz - Courtney Act
Maurice’s story - 19 December 1987
‘I developed swellings in my glands and my bowel movements became difficult. I told my doctor, whose reaction was “glands, that’s nothing - feel mine. I hope you’re not becoming obsessed with your bowels.” I was sent for a blood test, but as there was no HIV test in 1982, I was told that I must have picked up a virus which had now gone. But I think that it could have been HIV as two years ago I was diagnosed as being antibody positive. Since that day, I have to thank the Sussex AIDS Helpline, from whom I had support from the first moment of the shock of my diagnosis. I very soon joined the Helpline myself - it was the only way I could cope with everything. I had to know as much as I could about AIDS. After a while I realised I wanted to work with people with AIDS, so I did a course in massage techniques, so I could offer something useful to the people I worked with.
Because I have had a full life, I can’t be too sad, though I’m not ready to go yet and I’m going to put up a fight. The people I feel sorry for are the young ones who thought they had a full life to lead, and now live in fear and doubt.
Today at St. Peter’s Church, I witnessed the most beautiful service of my life – a memorial to those in Sussex who have died of AIDS. Bless whoever in the Helpline who first thought of this. I shall remember it for the rest of my life, however long that might be, and I shall remember my departed friends.’
Maurice died on the 12 January 1988, quite suddenly but peacefully.