UK’s first ever LGBT history app

Writer and historian Rose Collis and programmer Stephen Watson are launching ‘Brighton’s Pink Plaques’, an app about Brighton’s LGBT history — believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. Based loosely on some of her ‘Walkie Talkie’ tours, the app features original text and photos by Rose, and takes users on three themed ‘trails’ around the city’s LGBT history: Hotels, Pubs & Clubs and Shops & Cafés.

The pair — who met when Rose joined Rainbow Chorus, with whom Stephen had sung for nine years — hope it will be the first in a series of collaborations, combining original historic research and images with state-of-the-art computer software.

Stephen Watson has been a programmer for 26 years and lived in Brighton for nearly 30. ‘When Apple released the iPhone was in 2007, and then opened the originally closed device to third-party developers, I realised that perhaps I could write apps for iOS’, he explains. ‘A few years ago, I found myself on one of Rose’s talks about Brighton’s LGBT past and found it absolutely fascinating and thought that whilst, her personal tours are the best, there is only one of her. What if you wanted to have your own personal tour by Rose and she was busy, or on holiday, or the next tour was the day after your holiday ends? Within these thoughts, the seed of the Pink Plaques app was born. The rest, as they say, is history…’

‘When Stephen showed me how apps worked, I realised they were absolutely perfect for delivering history to people in the most accessible way, and for combining my research and images’, adds Rose. ‘Whether people are living in Brighton, East Sussex, or Brighton, Australia, they can find out more about some of this city’s historic LGBT people, places and events.’

‘Brighton’s Pink Plaques’ will be available from the end of February, price £1.79, via the App store, which can be accessed from iTunes (Mac or Windows) or any iOS device (iPhone, iPod touch or iPad) running iOS 4.2 or higher.