I’m spending ten days in England to see friends I didn’t see back in the spring. And to go out with them as Sue.
My first proper stop was Brighton, which I’ve been to several times before as Sue (see below). I stayed with Stella who lives on the nearby Downs in a house with a beautiful garden that her wife has nurtured to perfection over the last decade.
The rain was torrential as I went there, and also each night, but in the afternoons it was warm and sunny. We relaxed in the garden on Friday but on Saturday we decided to go out shopping.
I wore my oldest and most comfortable pair of ankle boots - I’ve had them for 20 years. As this was my first time out in high heels for six years, I wanted to make sure my feet could cope after all the time away, so a pair I knew to be reliable was essential. I proved that you never really lose the knack as I stomped several miles along the busy streets without difficulty. I also wore an old paisley skirt with autumnal tones and a pink sparkly sweater. The weather was uncertain so I took my scarf and coat too and semi-opaque tights. And a big patent leather handbag with room for a pair of black patent ballet flats in case my heels proved too much. I did put those on for the last ten-minute walk back to the car.
Brighton is probably the most alternative city in Britain and it’s estimated that 15% of the population fall under he LGBTQI+ umbrella. Frankly if you aren’t lesbian, or an artist, or a vegetarian, or smoking dope, or all the above, then you don’t really belong there! It attracts a disparate crowd, from music and motor sports enthusiasts, international tourists, stag and hen parties, to people who like the old-fashioned seaside atmosphere. Something for everyone, I guess. But only an hour from London. The point is, no-one took any notice of two T-girls.
Here’s me with my purchases: toiletries from Boots and posh (but heavily discounted) makeup from Mac. I like discounts.
The main shopping streets don’t just contain the standard shops of every high street in the world now but have a lot of independent businesses. The old Lanes are best, with an eclectic mix of cafés, pubs, jewellers, sweet shops, antique and junk shops, quirky odd products, and all sorts. Here’s one place that sells nothing but rubber ducks!
We had a cheap, light lunch in a café, stopped for a glass of bubbly mid-afternoon and later enjoyed a really outstanding ice cream. Brighton’s like that.
Here’s me with my glass of something like prosecco in the quiet back yard of a bar tucked away in a already half-hidden corner of the Lanes. Stella is a professional photographer and this apparently is an artistic pose. I’m not so sure that an upwards projection is ever flattering! Discuss.
We drove home along the coast road. This is the new i360 viewing pod that replaced the ferris wheel. The pod of people rises slowly up the pole … and then comes down again.
So it was a good day that started wet but got warmer and sunnier. I got plenty of exercise in my heels, saw pretty shops and enjoyed the company of an longstanding friend. It was my third trip out as Sue this year after several years’ drought. I feel comfortable visiting old haunts with friends at the moment, till I find new girlfriends in my new home in Italy.
Manchester is my next stop.
A dip in the archives
Previous trips to Brighton include:
Pride in 2010
Pre-Sparkle 2011
A weekend with Stella in 2013
A spring break in 2014
I’ve just realised that the skirt I wore last weekend was the same I wore in summer 2011! It’s now officially designated my Brighton skirt.
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| Mini golf in Brighton 2011 |
Sue x
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