The Trades Hall was a popular venue for gay men’s discos and women-only discos during the 1980s. It was also a venue for meetings of the Lancaster Gay Group. This had developed from the CHE group and met regularly to discuss issues, listen to speakers, arrange social events and take part in national conferences or demos etc. It usually met in a room above whichever bar was being frequented at that time such as the Trades Hall or the Farmers Arms.