Day Trips in the Vax Era

 Yesterday was a beautiful day and I decided to take a day trip to try to get used to the idea of shopping, travelling and eating out again - it seems like a lifetime ago that this was last possible. Armed with my post-vax Green Pass and my face mask, I went to Ventimiglia, the town on the Italian border with France.

I confess I felt odd doing something that once was so normal but has been difficult or even forbidden since early last year. Like I was treading new ground. You may feel the same about the strange way life is going on (or not) where you are.

Ventimiglia is a curious place. It's part ancient settlement (and I mean ancient: humans have lived in caves here for maybe half a million years), part border crossing with a large community of refugees and of migrants from former French colonies all trying to get to France, and part market town with a lively atmosphere. This year they've completed a  circular harbour

as well as erected a statue to the most famous Ventimiglian, the Black Corsair, "Lord of Ventimiglia", who is actually a fictional character from the works of Emilio Salgari, prolific Victorian writer of swashbuckling yarns that so influenced Hollywood. I can tell you that his novels are exhausting reading, being relentless adventure and action!

The old city is interesting with its steep, winding streets, city walls and gates, faded stucco and unusual churches. A very creepy experience was this church, the Oratory of the Black Confraternity, which is dedicated to funerals. The only light filters in through a single window, there is no seating, just a black and white (mainly black) floor and decoration in jet-black and bone-white marble. Skull motifs are everywhere, in the lace of the altar cloth, in the skull-and-crossbones reliefs on the base of the black altar columns, in the altar rail. Even the spindly coats of arms seem skeletal. The dead, crucified Christ has been taken down from the cross and is laid on a shimmering silk cloth in front of the altar. 

 

This is the one photo I took before getting out of this place. Zoinks, Scoob! Sure is creepy!

Back in the sunshine here's one more picture just to illustrate how the old town sits on a rocky crag overlooking the sea with heavy masonry shoring it up.

I ate a good lunch in a decent little restaurant where the locals eat (NB always go where the locals go and avoid the tourist traps).

I didn't have time to visit the Roman remains such as the theatre, the Balzi Rossi caves where cavemen lived or the Hanbury botanic gardens, but there'll be other occasions for those.

It was good to do things that were once normal again.

Where shall I go next week, I wonder?

A dip in the archives

Last time I wrote about the Nottingham Invasion that has just celebrated 100 outings since it began. I have just come across this official photo from the Oceana nightclub there, which I remember them taking on my first trip to Nottingham but then forgot about.

And also this lovely group shot in the Queen of Clubs on my third trip.

It's always fun to come across these old reminders of days out and about.

Sue x

Good trans news

 The weather continues to be beautiful and two good pieces of news have reached me from my old home in Britain: the "Nottingham Invasion" event celebrated its hundredth outing last week, and a court of appeal ruling overturns a recent judgment so that puberty blockers are again available to trans children.

See my dip in the archives below for news on the Nottingham Invasion.

For the court ruling, you could do worse than read Claire Flourish's well-written assessment here: Doctors can give medical treatment to trans children

As for me, I feel that now that the summer season is winding down, the outdoor pool has just closed till next year and I am vaccinated in a country that is being very cautious with Covid, it's time to start doing the tourist thing again. I live in a very picturesque region with a lot of history. Photos in due course!

Very September scenes: morning glories and misty mountains

  

A dip in the archives

So the Nottingham Invasion made it to 100 outings last Friday night. The event started nearly ten years ago to encourage TGirls to go out en masse to regular nightclubs, bars and venues not specifically dedicated to the LGBT community. I went a few times in 2012-14 and these posts are among the most popular on my blog. I even had a comment from a Nottingham carpet supplier after my thoughts on the carpet in Oceana!

Nottingham Invasion

Nottingham Invaded Again 

Nottingham: My Third Invasion

Nottingham: The Only Place to Invade!

In the Revolution bar, Nottingham, 2014 with Rachael and Rachel

Yes, that's the Nottingham, England, where Robin Hood outwitted the Sheriff, where King Charles I raised his standard, and where the Trip to Jerusalem is claimed to be the oldest pub in England. The city is worth a visit in its own right: Nottingham tourism

The only joke I know about Nottingham: 

    Robin Hood and his Merrie Men broke into a music store last night.

    They made off with the lute.

Sue x

Nottingham: my third Invasion

 

As I’ve said before on these pages, the TGirls in Nottingham have really sorted themselves out and have a lot of activities to keep them amused and sane. The monthly Nottingham Invasion is one of the better monthly meets around the country mainly as there is no ‘gay ghetto’ to confine the wanderings of the trans posse. The Invasion bossladies, Sam and Maddy, are to be commended for making this such a success.

So, as previously, I stayed in the very pleasant New Gables hotel run by Debbie and Maria, and met some of my oldest and closest friends there. I booked a table at the recommended Noor Jahan restaurant where we ate a substantial, tasty and good value meal with attentive service. Recommended. I was particularly pleased with being addressed as Madam on the phone. My female voice is improving.

Good food and good company. At Noor Jahan with some of my closest friends. 

Left to right: Jo, me, Ange, Maddy and Tiff.

New Foresters pub is the gateway to the proceedings and where most of the girls meet first for a drink and a chat. We moved on to the Newmarket Inn, an Australian gay pub which I hadn’t visited before and which had a party on to celebrate its first birthday. I quite liked its traditional interior (see picture). The TGirls at the bar are really beautiful. On the down side, I found the karaoke too loud.

At the Newmarket Inn

Another venue I’d not visited before was the Queen of Clubs which was not bad apart from the deafening music throughout which makes conversation impossible except in the quite pleasant ladies’ loos. I jerked about a bit which is what passes for dancing with me.

And finally to the NG1 club which is my favourite Nottingham venue as it has an attractive bar area where you can have a conversation without having to shout over the music, which is confined to a completely separate dancefloor area.

So that's a brief summary of the venues we visited. For me it's not the locations that count but an opportunity to meet up with some really nice people and catch up with all our news.

Nottingham has really got a lot to offer the out-and-about TGirl and I now recommend it to all girls who want a good night out and are prepared to travel. Many thanks to Tiff, Maddy, Ange, Jo, Gayna, Lynn, Rachael S., Rachel K.S., Holly and all the girls for another great evening.

Sue x

Nottingham invaded again

I went to the Nottingham Invasion in January (see below) which turned out to be very good night out. So much so that I felt it was worth repeating. Unfortunately, because of unexpected work stuff which delayed me, I left London late and got stung for higher train fares, which was very annoying (and painful in the purse). However, I was pleased to be able to help out all sorts of visitors to London with directions and help in using ticket machines. Although that caused me to miss one train I was actually chuffed that nobody seemed to be put off asking a TGirl for help – I guess I’m more confident these days and try to look my best. Being addressed as “Madam”, “Miss”, “Darling”, “this lady” makes me happy.

I stayed at the New Gables hotel again, which is very good value, comfortable and friendly, and was where my friends were staying. I didn’t get there till 6.15 but at least all I had to do was change from my well-worn leggings into my new dress, lace tights and 5½ inch stilettos (killer heels had been agreed on beforehand). I hardly ever wear a dress – I’m more of a co-ordinates girl – whereas most of my friends come to these events in pretty ones so it was time to blend in!

Met up with Tiff, Mrs Tiff and Maddy all in their lovely posh frocks, Gayna in a smart blouse and skirt, and Joanne who had her fabulously best goth outfit yet, and we took a taxi to the New Foresters pub. Nice to catch up, albeit briefly, with Samantha and her partner Vicky, and with Sophie whom I hadn’t seen since Sparkle, as well as Tanya T and Marcia whom I’d met last time. I was glad to meet Lynn Jones for the first time as her comments on Facebook always crack me up and was introduced to Rachel Katie Sparkle. Spoke briefly to other girls, Emma, Jenny, well-endowed Alexia, but it’s had to remember all names.

Joanne, goth

Now you can’t hang around a pub all evening (can you?) so the Invasion was duly marched off to Oceana which does an entry deal for us girls. Truthfully, I don’t quite know what to make of this place. The gloopy carpet, the smell of decay, the malcoordinated noise and the violent dancefloor lighting strike me as being the ideal location for students of modern history to spend an evening: not only do they have fun with their mates but they get an appreciation of a night assault at Ypres with its slimy horrors underfoot, the stench of death, the deafening noise and the contorted bodies jerking in the flashes, like a whole battalion of fancy dress fusiliers caught on barbed wire. The girl going round offering you a shot doesn’t exactly contradict the image. Still, on the plus side, the ladies loos are nice as club loos go (but please put the seat down, girls), we get in cheap, we’re accepted by the staff (and at least some of the punters there) and you can have a bit of a giggle, especially as there’s a rivalry between the local hard men and the TGirls as to who can score highest on the punching machine. I suspect the hard men feel threatened by the TGirls – but let’s show that we’re ready to dish it out if necessary! An hour or so of Oceana is OK.

On to NG1 which has a pleasant bar area with competent staff, a wide range of drinks and comfortable seating where the music is merely background and you can hold a conversation. We were latched onto by a total whackpot who threw himself onto us “divas” in such an unselfconscious manner that I cannot help but record his presence. He tried out our shoes, preened and strutted (because that’s what we do, apparently), asked Mrs Tiff if she was a transvestite, declared his boyfriend had just walked out on him (we were surprised) but despite being insanely inconsolable he managed to fiddle with someone else in the gents before the evening was out. He said he was a mental health nurse. Evidently one who likes to take his work home with him. What a pest!

Fewer good photos from this event, sadly, but this is one of the odder ones. Gayna, Tiff, me, Maddy at NG1 bar. Photo taken by Joanne who wanted an interesting angle. Now, I've heard many excuses for being drunk ...

Now, sensible girls take coats and flats with them so they don’t have to stagger up and down the freezing streets in nothing but their frocks and stilettos. And they get a lot of stick for it from diehard trannies. But they have the last laugh as their friends stagger back to the pub with painful feet and goose pimples. Ha ha ha!

We fell in to the New Foresters again for chips, which are good and cheap there, and were entertained by the antics of a couple of drunk and menacing admirers. Quite a night for weirdo watching! And people say TGirls are strange! I'm also told the girls behind the bar dress just in knickers and fascinators because that's their outfit for the cabaret turn at the pub. Sure, but a missing skirt puts me off ordering a burger bun!

Anyway, it was good to catch up with friends. Sadly, I thought it best to leave the next day rather than trying to make a weekend of it. I missed breakfast as it takes me ages to put my face on, but that just goes with the territory. Despite the excesses I managed to fit into my skinny jeans for the journey home. (Actually, its being Nottingham and St Patrick’s Day I should’ve worn green tights to blend in!) Here’s a mystery, though. I took a case and a bag to Nottingham, but came back with everything fitting in just the case. Weird! But hey, weird is what we like. 

Thanks to fabulous Sam and lovely Maddy for organising, Maria and Debbie for being welcoming, Tiff, Mrs Tiff, Gayna and Joanne for being brilliant friends and all the other girls who make it a good evening, and to staff at the New Gables, New Foresters, Oceana and NG1 for being welcoming. 

Sue x

[Updated 16/7/18 to change a photo]

Nottingham Invasion

There are several places where TGirls can have a really good night out and be accepted in the local community. Nottingham seems to be becoming one of them, especially because of a very active trans group there, Nottingham Chameleons. Last month saw the first Nottingham Invasion where some 35 TGirls descended on various venues in the city. This month witnessed the second invasion. I happened to have a free weekend and went to see what all the fuss was about.

Well, I was suitably impressed and thrilled by my evening. Samantha, whom I’d met before at one Leeds First Friday, and Maddy, a good friend, organised the event. They’re both beautiful, enthusiastic and very approachable girls and the whole event exuded fun and friendship. Apparently some 55 girls attended this time. This could become a very big thing!

The generals plan the Invasion. L to R: Debbie, Maddy and Sam.

I myself decided to make a weekend of it. I have close friends in Nottingham and Emma W’s wife Jackie is not far away so it was an opportunity to see them as well as catch up with many T girlfriends and make some new ones. I booked into the New Gables Hotel, a small, good value and nicely kept hotel run by Maria and Debbie who were very welcoming and friendly.

I chose to wear the leather mini I’d worn on the bar at Olympia in November with my favourite patent boots, silver top, Jane Norman jacket and neon tights. I met Maddy at the hotel along with Tanya W, Joanne D and Chrystal W. Nottingham’s trans community can be proud that Tanya was prepared to come all the way from Essex, Joanne from York, Chrystal from Durham, and myself from London. Chrystal probably gets the long-distance trannying prize on this occasion especially as she drove back that same night. There’s dedication to the cause!

We went to the New Foresters pub, also owned by Debbie and Maria, where we met up with the other invaders, including local girl Gayna, and Tiff and her brilliant wife Dawn who always comes out with us, all close friends. Both Gayna and Tiff were suffering physical ailments and were ribbed mercilessly about them on Facebook (which is our way of showing that we care) so it was to their credit that they came out. I was particularly keen to catch up with Samantha and Em Vicky. Em’s been a huge inspiration to many as her transition has had such positive support from her family and her employers. I hadn’t seen her for 18 months and she’s looking so gorgeous and is very sweet. Read Sam’s and Em’s worthwhile blogs through the links from mine [Update 18/8/20: Samantha and Em's blogs are no longer on my blogroll as readership is no longer open to the public]. I got to know a few other girls including Michelle, Penny and Tanya T. There were some lovely outfits, too. I love the way so many TGirls really make an effort to look their best.

 Girls having fun. New Foresters pub. L to R: Tanya, ?, me, Gayna, Maddy

Well, after eating, drinking and chatting at the New Foresters we went to the Oceana club. We’d been offered a special deal by the management who seemed very keen on us visiting. The place was a little empty to start with but filled up as the evening wore on. I’d say the place had a good dancefloor, reasonably priced drinks, decent ladies loos and space to move. I wasn’t so keen on the very sticky carpet and bartop or the very odd £1.80 fee for leaving a coat at the cloakroom. But it was worth visiting especially when they were keen to have us. Some girls were delighted by the punching machine and a few good whacks were given to it. God knows what that does to false nails!

So on to NG1, a club close by. I found the bar area very pleasing with attractive decor, plenty of seating and attentive staff. The dancefloor was less interesting, but considering I dance like a constipated chicken I’m not your best guide to such things.

The best thing was that a girl called Cristobel came up to me and said she was the Nottingham University trans officer and why were there so many TGirls out tonight. So I told her and pointed her in Sam’s direction. Looks like she could get the next invasion advertised at the university and swell the numbers. I also met a girl called Stacey who said this was her first night out and what luck it was that the T community was out in force.

NG1 club bar. L to R: Tiff, Christobel, Tanya T, Michelle. 

Like me and all TGirls, Tiff has a symbiotic relationship with her camera.

We finished the evening back at the New Foresters and ate chips and enjoyed ourselves till a disgustingly late hour before being herded out into taxis and back to the hotel.

All credit to the organisers for a fantastic night. I can’t do this every month but I will visit again in 2012. Keep an eye on this event, girls, it looks like it will be the next Big Night Out.

Sue x 

 

[Update 18/8/20: surnames have been removed from this post as some of the girls here have transitioned and want more anonymity.]