AIDS Archive

16/06/2025

The UK AIDS Quilt is being shown at the Tate Modern, just by the Thames in London, June 12th - June 16th 2025.

Here are some images taken on Sunday 15th June.

23/05/2025

A photo that’s just come to light. That’s me on the left & I have to admit that I don’t recognise the man on the right - apologies if that’s you!

This was taken in about 1985 at County Hall or Conway Hall both in London.

If you can help provide more details do DM me. Thanks

11/04/2025

I’ve now handed over my AIDS Archive over to the .

Now the collection will be looked after as well as being available to researchers and interested people.

Included are various papers, the videos from 1980s and all the posts that appear in this and the Instagram account.

There are also papers and ‘stuff’ from my career in the NHS both at a regional and local Health Authority level.

Enjoy!

22/11/2024

22/11/2024

This is it!

My ‘AIDS Archive’ ready for collection by to be added to their collections.

All the video tapes, photos and documents I've collected along the way.

The wonderful Niamh came this morning to pick it up. That’s almost 20 years of my life from the 1980’s with and the NHS.

A couple of pictures of Niamh and of me to commemorate the event! All for posterity to pick through in the future.

Enjoy

27/04/2024

The archive is featured in this 'Archives or archives'!

15/02/2024

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15/02/2024

This should have been posted via Instagram on Wednesday 14th February:

Today in 1984: 40 years ago I took the first call on the newly launched Terrence Higgins Trust () AIDS Helpline.

Most of my archive has been added over the last year here and on Instagram, Threads & Twitter as well as YouTube.

So I've decided not to continue updating this account as it'll be the same content.

It’s all available via my profile and YouTube

26/09/2023

Today in 1985 - 38 years ago.

The Terrence Higgins Trust gets its first £10K from the Government.

As the then "Press Officer' for THT the progress that we made was small in comparison to the number of programmes that you can see in this Archive and many more beyond. However, I do believe that my willingness to spend time with journalists did place the position of the Terrence Higgins Trust in a unique position to influence them which it still holds today.

The Terrence Higgins Trust gets its first £10K from the Government.As the then "Press Officer' for THT the progress that we made was small in comparison to t...

26/09/2023

Today in 1985 - 38 years ago.

The Terrence Higgins Trust which was given £10,000 was described as:

"A counselling service for homosexuals with the disease." - Whether we had AIDS or not, in those days we were all classed, in the mass media anyway, as victims.

I was watching this as it was transmitted and was angry at this limited description of the Trust so I decided to call Channel 4. Introducing myself by name and as Press Officer for the Terrence Higgins Trust I thanked them for the item but pointed out that as a health charity we help all people affected by AIDS.

I can't really believe that I did this next bit but I then asked the newsroom if they could get a message to the newsreader, Mr Peter Sissions, to correct this statement. We would be very grateful as it was an important correction. I said that I understood it as a big ask and that timings for these programmes was very tight but........

There is probably a more full record of this conversation at Channel 4.

I recorded the end of the bulletin in the vain hope that something might be said and as you can see at 6:11 they made an almost full correction. This gave me hope that there was some point in challenging reports.

At a later time I spoke to the Teletext (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext. http://www.teletext.org.uk/) people when they used the phrase 'AIDS victims' and I ask them to change that to 'people with AIDS' and before my eyes the change was made as the page refreshed. I managed to build a relationship with many journalists and learned more about how the newspaper and television industry really worked.

I remember calling Channel 4 again after a report on HIV and haemophilia and the phone was passed to a very wary Andrew Veitch (https://www.theguardian.com/environme...) . He was very relived when I thanked him for his sensitive report.

Sadly, the progress that we made was small in comparison to the number of programmes that you can see in this Archive and many more beyond. However, I do believe that my willingness to spend time with journalists did place the position of the Terrence Higgins Trust in a unique position to influence them which it still holds today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QXGI5kiB5U

The Terrence Higgins Trust which was given £10,000 was described as:"A counselling service for homosexuals with the disease." - Whether we had AIDS or not, i...

05/09/2023

September 5th 1985 - 38 years ago Thames TV Daytime with Sarah Kennedy

This is the first programme that I remember taking part in. Tony Whitehead asked me to go with him I had no idea at the time that I would take part in the programme, you can tell that from my 'performance'!

However, as one of the first programmes on AIDS and one to feature Bill Ayers as one of the first, if not the first person, with AIDS to appear on camera it seemed important to participate.

The media onslaught had begun earlier in February when the ‘Gay Plague Kills Priest’ hit the headline on the front page of The Sun.

As always in these programmes we were in the audience and never the presented as the 'experts' - I don't know if that was a homophobia, class or what.

This is one of the programmes where I am not too sure of the date. If you have evidence of the transmission date then do send it to me.

This is the first programme that I remember taking part in. I had started working at the Terrence Higgins Trust as an 'office administrator' which meant tha...

03/09/2023

18th August 1985 - 38 years ago. BBC Choices: Sexuality

asks - Is homophobia getting n the way of understanding AIDS - Dr Pinching said “Yes”.

men’s actions & the oppression of women by men. Sexuality is political.

ChoicesBBC OneAt 15mins - Germaine Greer asks - Is homophobia getting n the way of understanding AIDS - Dr Pinching said “Yes”. W...