Girls day out in London

 (or: this blonde and this brunette went to Chinatown.)

I am visiting England at the moment. It’s been a while since I went out fully femme but I had the opportunity this week and, despite the London Underground being on strike, I arranged to meet up for lunch in Chinatown with my lovely friend Stephanie. 

I have been staying in a hotel in Teddington at the very South Western limits of Greater London. I was nervous about my looks as I think I am getting old and saggy but actually, once I was made up and my hair was fixed, I think I look cute enough.

I wore a short floral dress, a black cardigan and oldest pair of boots I have, which certainly needed a polish after years in storage. 

 

It was only later that I realised this was the exact same dress I wore last time I met Stephanie in London two years ago. D’oh! 

It was a pleasant sunny spring day but not really warm so I had my thick coat and sparkly scarf and was glad of them. I have never felt warm in London which is why I moved south.

I wondered if I’d be nervous after this long time away from the scene but actually I walked out of the hotel feeling confident and happy and took the train up to town. Because of the transport strike I walked to the centre from Waterloo, wandering into a few shops along the way, and through Leicester Square where they were preparing for the première of The Devil Wears Prada II. 

I met Stephanie under the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus. The great thing about being out in a big city is that it’s actually in the most crowded places that you are least likely to be outed as a trans woman. That midnight trip to the post box we all start out with is the sure fire way to be spotted, whereas big crowds are too busy with their own business to take notice of you.

Stephanie likes oriental food and I was happy with that so we had lunch in the heart of Chinatown.

Afterwards the tout on the door took our photo with all the lanterns in the street.

And then we went shopping in Covent Garden. I ended up buying some lipsticks and nail polishes as my stocks have been dwindling. We also took a stroll down to the river and sat in the Embankment Gardens where we had had this great photo taken with our friends back in 2013.

We went to Trafalgar Square where we posed under the Fourth Plinth I’d seen last year as it is currently home to an artwork of trans people’s faces. 

And by the fountains. 

We ended our day with a quiet drink in the snug corner by the fireplace at the Chandos pub that’s always been my favourite pub location. It’s become expensive, though. A small bottle of pear cider is over £7.50!

Thanks to Stephanie for being lovely company as ever and for defying the strike and battling her way into the city centre on the buses to meet me. Best wishes to Grace who would have joined us if things had been less fraught. I’ll see you next time.

I finished by trying a Franziska-style elevator shot back at the hotel. Not great, but it’s my first attempt!

Well, that was a shot in the arm. There is nothing more joyous that having a day out en femme for a bit of sightseeing, shopping and lunch with a friend. I felt recharged and very content. 

Sue x