Stephen Tennant - A Queer Walking Tour

Stephen Tennant (1906-1987) was a ‘professional beauty’, artist and attributed as being ‘the brightest’ of the ‘Bright Young Things’ circuit of artists, writers, partygoers and scene-stealers in the 1920s. The Bright Young Things are traditionally associated with London, and Bloomsbury in particular. Tennant spent most of his life outside of London, either at Wilsford Manor in Wiltshire or his later home in Bournemouth. This tour will focus on his encounters and friendships in London.

This walking tour lasts about 90 minutes, and perhaps not surprisingly, is primarily located around Bloomsbury, the home to many parties that Tennant would have attended, and friends, lovers or acquaintances that Tennant would have had. The names of other notable Bright Young Things, members of the Bloomsbury set or notable LGBTQ+ people from London’s history are link to throughout this document if want to look them up in greater detail.