Outings with TGirls and GGirls

Another “where I went and what I did” post. It’s what the readers like best!

So I went out one evening midweek to join the usual Brick Lane Set. I think that name sounds rather sophisticated, like socialite darlings of the ’20s talking over literature in witty ways. But most refer to them as the Brick Lane Posse, which sounds like a bevy of cowgirls moseying down the road to so as to deal with all the Indians! Actually, it’s a bit of both.

So that night we had a big group: Rachel, Denise, Helen Louise, Stephanie, Pippa, Irene, Jemima, Suzi and me. Started as usual with drinks at the Verge bar (although I was being boring and having orange juice as I had a serious work thingy to do the next day). Here we are (some of us). You wouldn’t believe how popular group photos of TGirls are – wait till this goes on Flickr.

Circle of friends: l-r: Rachel, Helen Louise, Stephanie, me, Suzi, Jemima

We chatted about spouses and dresses and photos. And then we marched off to argue with the curry touts. Rachel is very good at playing them off against each other so we get freebies and discounts. Steph wanted a change from City Spice and I’m inclined to think we should spread out net wider, but that’s where we went, having bagged 25% discount and three free bottles of wine. Suzi doesn’t think much of the wine there but since it’s free and we argued for it, we were damn well going to drink it, like it and not fuss! Darling, it’s the principle of the thing!

Unlike in the past it was quite quiet there that evening and so we sat upstairs rather than in the basement. The local young men outside the window could therefore see us and took rather an interest in us. I waved and blew a kiss at them which really set them off! Silly boys. One was prepared to be photographed with us but went all coy when Pippa waggled her stockinged leg at him. Darling, we won’t bite you … hard. So it’s just us girls here.

The Spicy Girls: hot chicks after a curry! l-r: Suzi, Rachel, Stephanie, Pippa, me, Irene

You know, these ladies love to dress up. Rachel had a beautiful red dress, the always-lovely Stephanie was in a little black number with stunning butterfly belt, Irene very feminine in her skirt and blouse, Pippa in a delicate floaty number picked out for her by her daughter and Suzi looking smart, elegant and sophisticated as she always does. For me, I guess that a drink and a curry merit just a casual look so I turned up in leggings, boots and a little daisy dress, but I did feel self-conscious when faced with all this glamour. Must scrub up better next time!

So, that was my outing for the week with TGirls.

At the weekend I went out with two of my closest female friends, Jan and Daniela. (The GGirls of the title = genetic girls.) We ate lunch in Soho in two parts: main course at Melanie in Old Compton St, now a firm favourite, and pudding at Princi in Wardour St where the cannolo siciliano was just amazing: a large brandy snap filled with cream with choc chips and candied orange. Heaven! Bang goes the diet, though!

And then we went round Kingly Court off Carnaby Street, the street that’s been reinventing itself from its groovy swinging Sixties image, baby, to be full of cuter versions of your normal high street shops, with some unique local dress boutiques, too. Anyway, Kingly Court, on three floors round a courtyard, is full of little craft boutiques, tiny art galleries and fitness centres. http://www.carnaby.co.uk/static_content.cfm?page_id=20

Kingly Court. (c) Art Alive

I love the Things British outlet where about twenty craftspeople at a time display their lovely little items of silver, leather, card, glass and other materials. http://thingsbritish.co.uk/ [NB site no longer exists]. We enjoyed some seriously good tea at Camellia’s Tea House on the top floor, each variety being served in a different type of pot and cup. They have dozens to choose from. According to the receipt, our order was taken by Mum. It was great to catch up with my two pals and chat about family, politics, work and future ideas for art shows. And, of course, I’m just their friend. Who cares that I’m in a skirt? In fact, Jan thinks it’s “awesome” to have a T friend. My girlfriends are totally awesome, too, and I love them.

Looking forward to seeing both sets of ladies again soon.

Future stuff: well, Tiff and Gina are coming to London at the end of the month and Tiff wants to go back to Sarastro’s. I’m sure we can sort that. And I’m booked into Sparkle in July. Truthfully, though, I’m a bit troubled by trans stuff and trans life at the moment and am thinking about my future direction. Maybe more about that soon, too.

Sue x

Big anniversaries, big evaluations

My parents recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Think of that. 50 years under the same roof with the same person. That’s even longer than I’ve be around (which kind of makes sense!)

I can’t boast such a grand total, but this week marks a significant anniversary for me: the fifth anniversary of my taking voluntary redundancy from a career that was going nowhere and making me miserable, and then finding fulfilment. When I signed the agreement to go in 2008, I was scared: of the unknown, of losing regular and acceptably paid work, the only serious career I had ever had. I had very little time to make the decision, too. But I felt that if I didn’t take the opportunity, I would be left wondering what might have been. Even with the plans I had vaguely made previously, I could never have believed what the opportunity would let me achieve in just five years.

I immediately found a new and far nicer job. Only part-time and much more lowly pay, but a delight. I had planned to take it for perhaps 18 months but actually stayed for over four years. I studied for professional qualifications, wrote a book, visited new places, and set up my own business. But the main achievement was to step from the closet where I had hidden my crossdressing and female desires since toddlerdom and pursue real life as the woman I have always wanted to be treated as. I was determined to do it, too. I went to the Boudoir dressing service twice that first year to discuss with Jodie Lynn, the proprietor, the sorts of clothes that would suit me best and to learn more about makeup. And then I went back and bought a wig off her (the one on the left). 

That Boudoir magic, 2008

My first wig shop visit straight after my first makeover at Mac, 2010

At Jodie’s suggestion, I joined the Angels website and I was first seen in public at their tenth birthday bash at Pink Punters in 2010. From then on it’s been a steady progress to normal life as a woman and acceptance by friends and public alike. I feel I’ve been treated better as a transwoman than I ever was as a guy, although to be fair, it’s not like I’ve ever had anything very serious to do as a woman, like get employment or arrange a mortgage, though I really don’t anticipate problems if I do live full-time as female. The best acceptance yet was doing that art show last autumn with my femme name on the advertising and being regarded as just another artist there. At last, my lifelong wish and achievement: just treat me as one of the girls, just as any other person, and I’m happy.

So I guess that redundancy is not the end of the world, but a new beginning of life. It was for me.

It’s been beautiful spring weather and so I took an anniversary day off just to stroll around London on my own, enjoy the sunshine and the blossom, do a little window shopping and people watching, and admire the view of the city from Primrose Hill, north of Regents Park.

Nobody takes much notice of a solitary TGirl strolling around. Which is just how I like it.

I also decided to celebrate by joining the Brick Lane set for drinks and dinner again. But that’s a post for a different day!

Sue x

A lesson in beauty

I've been delighted to be working this week on a project involving a beauty product. The 'ordinary' women who have been selected to promote it look absolutely radiant.

It's not just the product that makes them beautiful, of course, but the delicate makeovers they have had before being interviewed, and the professional hair care.

But not even that. The fact that they are being pampered and are receiving minor celebrity treatment is also obviously boosting their self-esteem. But mainly it's their being allowed to speak for themselves as valued people which is bringing out their inner confidence and innate self-worth that, in turn, promotes their physical beauty - the smiles, the sparkling eyes, the healthy features, the enthusiasm. Not all are convinced by or like the product, but that's just fine in this exercise. The honesty is refreshing and the openness brings out the genuine side of their natures.

Why am I considering this? Partly because - and let's be honest here - since I am still attracted mainly to women, they please my eye. But it's also because they have given new inspiration to my own look and boosted my aspiration to womanhood. Mainly, though, it's because it shows that valuing someone and treating them well is the best way to bring out their true beauty and worth. I have been accepted and treated better as a trans woman in public than as a guy, and that in turn has boosted my confidence and therefore my attractiveness, which in turn promotes acceptance. It's a virtuous spiral.

Treat people well. The dividends will be greater than your investment.

Sue x

"Playing dress-up"

It’s a month of serious work and family dos but I had a couple of girls, Rebecca and Gillian, round yesterday to give them a chance to dress at my place. “Guess you’ll be playing dress-up,” says Mrs R when she goes away leaving hubby behind. Yup!

My own latest dress-up session has so far gone on every single day for nearly 17 years (from the day I stopped purging my clothes and accepted I was trans), with breaks of a few hours for things where it has been better to look like a bloke on the outside, such as employment. My women’s attire has long since filled all my wardrobes and drawers and such men’s clothes as I have are falling apart and, truthfully, I’ve forgotten my male sizes. It’ll be a while before I live full-time as a woman but essentially I dress as one. Not everyone can, though, so time to dress as a woman can be precious and the trans and gay clubs and dressing services of Britain’s cities perform a vital service. But I like company and so, from time to time, I have friends round so they can dress in a safe environment.

Anyway, Rebecca and Gillian came early and got dolled up. They’re both experts and can safely be left to transform into very smart-looking women. We drove to Richmond (the one in Greater London, not Yorkshire, and which they have rather nicely named after me) and took a few photos around the town green before having lunch at a very nice French restaurant overlooking the River Thames. Apparently it was the first time either of my companions had been out to eat in daylight, and it’s always exciting to be with a TGirl enjoying a “first”. Pity about the rain, and that Becca had to go early as the Mrs seriously doesn’t approve of her dressing escapades, but Gillian and I enjoyed a bit of frock exchanging at home as we are a similar size. I suspect photos of her in my ballerina dress will crop up on Flickr for all those drooling admirers of hers. And I shall enjoy the nice little dresses she left for me when (if) the summer comes.

A very nice lunch with a view of the Thames. Becca's photo.

My thoughts recently have been running over various things connected with my socialising with other TGirls. TGirls who are married are very common indeed. But their circumstances all differ. Some have wives who are supportive, a few have wives who cannot support or live with them, some have wives who don’t approve and would rather not know more, some have wives who tolerate but don't participate, some have wives who do not know and, it is felt, would be better not knowing. All TGirls want to dress and the frustration of finding the opportunity can be terrible. Many lies are told and covering scenarios are built to try to deflect attention from what ‘hubby’ or ‘dad’ is doing on ‘his’ day off. This is the reality of the trans life for so many. I, on the other hand, can dress any day as I have no obligations to a wife or family, but I wish I had a partner to love; yet finding a partner who can accept that I am not really a guy is very difficult. It really restricts your choice. All this creates an unenviable position for TGirls. So I try to help other TGirls in a little way and have fun wherever we can, which seems to help make those golden dressing opportunities more memorable. Sadly, not every trans person appreciates that and I have been thinking over last year’s unjust abuse that suddenly exploded from several quarters at once as it has made me more cautious and disinclined to continue supporting trans issues on a political level. More on these thoughts another day. For now, just enjoy the picture of three TGirls having a nice meal together as friends and being looked after very well by the waitress who took the photo.

Sue x

Glad the fun is getting more local

You know, ever since I first exited my cocoon some three years ago and heard my heels clicking across the real world, I’ve been wanting to meet as many girls like me as I can and make new friends. Thanks originally to Angels I managed to meet people from all over the UK and in my first year of leaving my own home dressed I went to such far-flung places as Salisbury, Manchester, Leeds, Portsmouth, Brighton and Milton Keynes. But a night out in, say, Nottingham, Manchester or Leeds costs £150-£200 when you take train fares and hotel rooms into account. That’s crazy and has always left me longing for something similar in London. However, apart from poor-quality clubs like Way Out or Trannyshack, or going out with the Boudettes (which will also set you back a lot), there really isn’t a T scene here in London. In many ways that reflects the fact that you don’t need one, that you can go anywhere and do anything that anyone else does, without fear. But it’s made it very hard to meet others like me. Things may be changing now as I consider my next London lunch. There are two dozen fairly local girls I can email now to see if they want to join me, and I’ve managed to make contact with the Brick Lane Set, as you know, and now a new group, TG London, who like to visit museums. TG London’s events have so far kept clashing with other stuff I’m doing but I will get out with them soon.

So, late afternoon Wednesday of last week, I met up again with the fabulous Pippa and her fabulous-for-other-reasons friend Amanda for a spot of shopping in Covent Garden. Now Amanda is a normal girl about town, whereas Pippa likes to stand out. This was, I believe, Pippa's first ever proper shopping excursion, which is a special moment in the life of any TGirl. Well done, babe. It was fun to be with you and share your excitement.

Pippa and Amanda negotiating the cobbles in Covent Garden. Pippa's photo.

Anyway, the cobbles of the square in Covent Garden were not what a girl in five inch heels needs so we took Pippa to the Globe for a drink and were joined by my old pal Kimberley, who is looking really beautiful these days. So after Pippa went off to glam up even further for Trannyshack, Kim and I went for dinner, and afterwards dropped in on Joanne working hard behind the bar at the Cambridge. I had a serious work project the next day so there was no prospect of a return to Trannyshack. Just as well, as the North African guy (see previous post) had made a particular request that he come home with me after my next visit! I’m playing hard to get.

And then on Friday I went back to Brick Lane and was delighted to meet up with my pal Angela visiting from the Isle of Wight, Irene and Rachel again, and meet Joanne Tran and Rebecca George for the first time, both of whom I’d heard much about. Here we all are in Verge.

Verge Bar 22/3/13. l-r: Rebecca, Rachel, Irene, me, Angela, Joanne. Rebecca's photo.

And then we eschewed the Mexican and chewed the curry at City Spice where Rachel blagged three free bottles of wine from our favourite tout. To be honest, the chicken goa which I had with coconut rice was beautiful and in a street where many of the Indian restaurants are much of a muchness, this is not a bad place at all, despite the dubious practice of touting for trade. Here we all are:

Stuffing ourselves at City Spice. Rebecca's photo.

It was too cold for the usual photo outside and we all wended our ways. But I was glad to have had two opportunities to get away from the desk last week and to meet local girls. Rebecca in particular lives quite close to me so it would be nice to meet up with her again soon. At last, a local TGirl after three years of hunting! To be honest, my local LGBT group are nice boys, but I’m the only TGirl among the gay chaps and so it’s not so great for me.

It was perishing cold and, even with my longest skirt, heaviest boots and all sorts of warm underthings (which are not for discussion), I was frozen waiting for trains and buses home. Which is why I decided not to go to the Magic Theatre on Saturday. Such a shame, but it’s a two and a half hour journey home from there by night buses, and I ain’t doing that in sub-zero temperatures in a party outfit! A pity as I wanted to say hi to many girls there: Helen Essex and Ria Lacey especially, and have fun with Angela and Irene again. Oh well, there’ll be other opportunites. And at least and at last I now know local girls I can go out with regularly and get to sleep in my own bed afterwards and not fork out a fortune. Those Notts and Lancs girls are fabulous, but this local social stuff is beginning to work for me, especially as my lifelong friends are also more than happy to come out with me as Sue.

Forthcoming highlights: shopping with ‘real’ girls; being religious and trans (heavy); weekend lunch with the ladies; preps for Sparkle and Erotica; more artworks; new London venues blog. Let’s face it, this blog is surely better than your super soaraway Sun, or the Daily Mail.

Sue x

Work hard, play hard, seduce hard!

This is a kind of sequel to my last but one post.

I’ve had a lot of work this last fortnight. I won’t reveal details but I work for myself in a varied field involving a lot of international contacts. Anything from French TV licencing, German motorway construction, Italian nuclear waste management, Belgian pensions, American diplomats, Canadian web design, Filipino scientists, Pakistani law. Oh, and champagne promotions and beauty product advertising. That's just in the last couple of weeks. The point is that I use my male name and credentials which have a certain profile in my field now, but can work as female from my studio or my home. Best of both worlds, in effect. And, let’s face it, business needs a bit of acumen these days so going full-time female on an official basis with all its social and professional upheavals is avoided.

But being busy hasn’t stopped me from getting out one or two evenings a week. Let’s face it, I need time away from the desk/computer/easel.

So Wednesday of last week I joined the Brick Lane Set for dinner. Gillian came to mine after work to dress and we drove there but it took ages in the London traffic and we got shot off in the wrong direction after one tiny mistake in Central London. That’s one reason why I don’t drive here any more. But we had a good evening with Rachel the Organiser Lady and her posse including Suzi, who was out for the very first time, and the glamorous Pippa. I’d also invited my friend Irene. Here we all are at the Verge Bar.

The Brick Lane set in Verge; me, Pippa, Suzi, Rachel, Irene. Photo taken by Gillian and lent to me by Pippa.

 

I’m always thrilled to be with a girl on her first trip out. It makes the occasion very special. Well done, Suzi. You are very elegant and are lovely company. Hope it’s the start of a joyous life out in this big exciting world of ours.

We went off to eat at Loco Mojito http://www.locomojito.co.uk/ [NB site no longer active] where I’ve been a few times before. A Mexican that stands defiantly in a sea of Indian restaurants! Food wasn’t bad but the wine (a pinot grigio rosé) was terrible – the bottle was some bin end with a £2.99 label still stuck on it, and I won’t tell you what they charged for it! And they didn’t serve coffee. But, to be fair, that was the only time I’ve felt slightly disappointed there.

By the way, if you clicked on the link, you’ll be amused or irritated by the music or maybe both. 

Us in Loco Mojito, Pippa's photo.

Pippa and I decided the night was young and headed off to Soho. We had a drink in Escape bar, a karaoke sort of place which, truthfully, is not my thing and so I dived into Trannyshack next door, which is what Madame JoJo’s is on Wednesdays. I described my first visit to Trannyshack last summer here http://suerichmond.blogspot.co.uk/2012_06_01_archive.html

This time, as a lone girl, I was beset by Admirers, a special breed of men who love TGirls. Within moments of entering one had his paws all over me and was saying in an accent I couldn’t place, “Nice lady, come to toilet”.

Now why would I want to come with him to the toilet?

“Nice lady, come. Come to toilet. Toilet nice. I got condom.”

“No, toilet not nice.”

He looked at me in surprise: “But toilet nice!” he exclaimed as if it was a self-evident truth.

I politely declined. Apart from the fact that the toilets there are in any case cramped and inadequate, and, more to the point, that I don’t fancy that with a strange man, it somewhat dismayed me that this chat-up line was something that presumably brings him occasional success.

Then I got a drink. The barmaid rammed a block of fused ice cubes into the top of the glass with her fist. It wedged there inelegantly like an iceberg on an empty container ship. Darling, please use tongs, not the hand you handle money with. Yuck. I didn’t enjoy my drink as a result. Should’ve made her do it properly but it’s hard to concentrate when some bloke is pawing you.

So I left the bar and sat down. Bad move, as the next admirer plonked himself down next to me and grabbed my knee. “I think you have nice soft bottom” he said in his North African accent. I pointed out that that was my knee and that it was probably a bit hard. Not in the least bit put off, he continued his silver-tongued litany: “I come home with you tonight and we f***?”

Er, how about no?

He downed his beer, got up and said, “Wait, I go to toilet. I full of wee tonight.” A few minutes later he was back, having bought himself another beer, and went through the routine all over again. Hmm. Buy a girl a drink and maybe see if things improve? Nope, not on his radar.

These encounters are at once amusing and tragic, a tranny tragicomedy, the tranny shock at Trannyshack. They must get off sometimes, these admirers. But the total lack of finesse and charm is staggering. At least these two weren’t scruffy and menacing-looking like other admirers I’ve seen. My mood wasn’t helped by Pippa then bouncing in announcing, “God, the real women in this place are just gagging for it!”. Miss Dusty O, the compère, then announced a noisy T rock band and I realised my visit had not been a success. You win some, you lose some. Truthfully, the T scene is not really my thing as I prefer a normal venue like a restaurant, café, shop, pub, etc. But I’ll give Trannyshack a third visit some time and see how that goes.

As ever, I’d just missed the night bus and had to wait almost 30 minutes for the next one. I’d selected my knee-length leather skirt and mock-croc boots for the evening and they kept me warm in the chill wintry air, as well as my thick coat. Finally collapsed in bed at 3.30am and slept in all the next morning. Truthfully, I’m getting a bit too old for this!

This post is longer than I expected, so I’ll tell you about this week’s shenanigans in a new post. Thanks for reading, and I hope you had a giggle.

Sue x

A tourist in my own city

As mentioned in my previous post, my friend Kay Denise came to stay this weekend. I’ve known KD for some years and she writes this blog here about her adventures: http://kaydenisepublicblog.blogspot.co.uk/. In the past we’ve only ever met in Manchester, for the Northern Angels dinner once and at Sparkle where, last year, she had, in my opinion, the best outfit at the burlesque evening at Eden. Her Flickr pictures are here so you can judge for yourselves: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaydenise/ [NB Link no longer functional].

KD’s wife came too, and she is a really lovely person and we hit it off at once. I know I’ve made a new friend. Quite apart from the fact that women who accept TGirls are very special in my book, she’s a genuinely warm person that it would be impossible not to like.

But enough of embarrassing my guests! Here’s what I did with them as a tourist in my own city.

They came on Friday and we just spent an evening quietly at my home. But on Saturday we went out to London and I was pleased to be able to take them first to the UK’s best coffee shop which, as I am sure you are all aware by now, is Vergnano’s on the Charing Cross Road. By the time we left after our perfect cappuccino it was nearly lunchtime so we popped into the Cambridge pub further up the road to say hello to Joanne, my pal who’s the top barmaid there, and then went on to join lovely Petra at Melanie (again) in Old Compton Street for lunch. Melanie is another restaurant where the staff now know me well and are very welcoming – indeed, the chefs were waving at us from the kitchen! The portions are enormous and I’m not sure any of us finished our lunch. But it was good to be able to catch up with Petra and relax over a nice lunch and for the KDs to meet friends like her here.

Ladies who lunch: me, Petra and KD.

Well, what can one do in this part of London? A spot of shopping in Seven Dials and Covent Garden with their quirky boutiques lining the tangle of streets and yards. The Cambridge Satchel Company has now opened a store in Short’s Gardens, Neal’s Yard (home of the eponymous remedies) has a blue plaque to former resident Monty Python (apparently), funky retro clothing is available in Pop Boutique in Monmouth Street, lovely Tabio hosiery in Neal Street, Kurt Keiger shoes with its fabulous mirrors is in James Street, some outstanding street performers and living statues to see all over the Covent Garden area (Eddie Izzard started out here), trinket stalls in the markets, Stanford’s wonderful map shop in Long Acre, the varied cafés of Endell Street... We took a break for a cup of tea at my favourite café, La Roche on St Martin’s Lane. We saw the sights and the bright lights of Shaftesbury Avenue, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square with its Swiss carillon, and then sheltered from the icy wind in the warmth of my favourite pub which, as I’m sure readers also now know, is the Chandos just off Trafalger Square with its booths, compartments and sofas, warmed by fireplaces at either end and with no distracting piped music, TVs or fruit machines.

We ended the day with dinner at Wong Kei in Wardour Street, generally known as Wonky’s, the last outpost of Chinatown. It’s far from grand but the food is good, fresh and hot and the prices are the best: you can easily eat a full dinner here for under a tenner a head. London is reasonably priced if you know where to go.

And so to bed for a long night’s well-earned sleep. On Sunday we went for a stroll in my local area and although the wind was keen we enjoyed the parks. I was sad to see them go as I certainly enjoyed their company. I believe it was quite a special weekend for them but I dare say KD will tell you all about that from her perspective in due course. Thanks to them for coming and visiting me. It was a really nice weekend.

*

Coming up: a night out with the girls in Brick Lane on Wednesday, the possibility (work permitting) of joining the TG London group for a visit to the Soane Museum on Saturday and maybe, just maybe, a return to the Magic Theatre on the following Saturday. I’m sure there will be more girls visiting me at home to have a chance to dress as the easter holidays approach.

As for here, I have been working on a piece, as requested, about my experience of being brought up in a religious household and how it affected me as a trans person. It’s not an easy essay to write.

Thanks for reading. May you all have a happy time this month. And keep warm. Not even my fluffy wig is keeping out that icy wind!

Sue x

Busy bunny, with friendly interruptions

I was very ill with flu in December and didn't feel properly well again until the end of January so I’ve gradually been catching up. Business has suddenly picked up these last few weeks so I’ve been unexpectedly busy, which partly explains the lack of attention to the blog.

However, I’ve had some pleasant interruptions, too, the highlights of which included the following.

Firstly, another visit from Gillian who came over for a girly evening and I was happy to let her try out a few of my outfits as we’re a similar dress size if altogether different heights.

I also really enjoyed meeting Becca who writes this blog here http://rebeccas-introspective.blogspot.co.uk/. We had a nice chat and got to know each other better over a particularly good meal in Chez Lindsay in Richmond in SW London, a French Breton restaurant. The waiters were very attentive to us. I look forward to seeing her again soon.

Last night Tina Penny visited London again. She was last here about 18 months ago and we spent a nice evening with Joanne, Mike and Helena, meeting at my favourite watering hole, the upstairs Opera Room at the Chandos pub just off Trafalgar Square. Then on to another nice meal at Melanie’s in Soho, with plenty of giggles.

Rounding off the weekend with a dinner at Melanie's in Soho. NB the peep show opposite is nothing to do with us.

Just thought I’d mention that it was in the Chandos last week that I happened to sit opposite four young gay men, or two gay couples if you prefer. They were just chatting and laughing and occasionally stealing a kiss and having a cuddle and it was really lovely to see. Seeing people in love makes me feel all fuzzy. It’s a straightforward pub, though a nice one, not a gay venue and I hope that soon there’ll be no need for any specifically gay venues at all and people can just have a nice time out without being fearful of disapproval.

This coming weekend I’m expecting Kay Denise and her wife to stay for a couple of days. I’m sure we’ll find something to do in this vast, amazing city.

Well, now it’s back to the workface. My work hours have to be very flexible these days, but then that helps me fit in lots of time with my girlfriends.

Sue x

Blog Award - Q&A fun

The Liebster Blog Award is given bloggers who have less than 200 followers. 

Liebster is a German word meaning sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, pleasant and valued.

It is a casual award to show appreciation for the blogs that you follow and a fun way to be more involved in the blogging community.

The rules…

Create a new blog post similar to this one. Start off by writing 11 random facts about yourself, and then answer 11 questions which were left for you by your nominator. Then you can nominate up to 11 blogs and leave 11 questions for them to answer in return.

Don’t forget to link back to the blog of the owner who nominated you!

And that would be Samantha of Samantha’s Blog. Her blog is a good read, nice and varied, open and honest. Here she is: http://samanthatgirl.blogspot.co.uk/

11 random facts about me:-

1. I still have a bump on the back of my head which I grew just after falling off a pram which I was trying to use as a stepladder, age 3.

2. I was (and I believe that technically I still am) a member of the Airfix Modeller’s Club and still have all my certification and vouchers, and a welcome letter signed by the president, Dick Emery. (He liked models so much he actually married a few.)

3. I like travelling on the London Underground. It’s true, I actually do. Maybe this makes me a Boris Babe (oo-er, missus).

4. I love mushrooms.

5. I never found it strange to play with toy soldiers whilst wearing a dress.

6. I never eat pudding unless it has chocolate in it.

7. My favourite colours are grass green and cerise. But they don’t go together.

8. My favourite form of entertainment is live theatre of all kinds.

9. In 1985 I bought myself the cheapest electric kettle in the Argos catalogue. It has been making my tea every day since.

10. I still have no idea what algebra is all about.

11. Despite having first been aired 30 years ago, this sketch still cracks me up every time I see it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS2N1mBsEdM

Samantha’s questions and my answers:-

1.  What are your Religious beliefs? Are you Spiritual or Atheist?

            Convinced atheist.

2.  Favourite Cartoon growing up?

            This is the hardest question here. So many great cartoons. My tastes developed as I grew so I guess I’d go for Mary, Mungo & Midge, Wacky Races and progress to Dangermouse. You said cartoon, not animation (in which case, how about the Clangers, Camberwick Green, the Herbs, and Morph)

3.  What trait(s) do you deplore in other people?

            Rage, shouting, domineering and aggression. Save them for the sports pitch.

4.  What was your favourite subject at school?

            Believe it or not (in the light of the answer to 1), Scripture. OK, so things went wrong.

5.  Astrology... Load of Horseshit or perfectly believable?

            I’m an astronomer (albeit an amateur one), so astrology makes me cringe. But, to be fair, astrology was mainstream science once. It would be great, though, if we could really plan daily life according to the motions of the planets.

6.  What sort of traffic warden would you be?

            I’d make a terrible traffic warden as I’d be way too compassionate. Besides,  those polyester khaki uniforms some councils supply now – no way! This girl has standards!

7.  Every xmas people always seem to say "You're difficult to buy presents for" and your left thinking 'Eh? You could have bought me this or that'...

    What xmas present would you buy yourself every year because nobody else ever buys it for you?

            I actually do buy myself two presents each year that no-one else buys me. One to appeal to my feminine side, and one to appeal to my boyhood side that I can’t quite shake off. The feminine gift is always fancy hosiery, the boy gift is usually a book about London’s transport history.

8.  What is the funniest thing that has happened in your job?

            Caption competitions: we used to cut dull photos of staff doing worthy things out of the in-house mag, paste them on a sheet of paper and circulate them for people to write captions to. Some were hysterical, and much better reading than the mag itself.

9.  What is the best internet enabled 'SmartTV' around at the moment?

            Err … I guess TV here stands for Television not Transvestite. Apart from that, I’ve no idea what the question means. It’s something modern. Now pass me that chisel, I must continue with the Pharaoh’s blog inscription.

10. Have you ever cheated death or serious accident?

            Yes. When I was 5 I ran across a road in Italy. A van driver did the world’s most award-winning emergency stop. The burnt rubber on the tarmac was there for ages after, and it was constantly pointed out to me as an admonition. A few days after my non-death we happened to encounter the driver, a local baker, in a car park. He ruffled my hair and said he was glad I was OK, though he’d been pretty shaken. Guess Italians aren’t all bad drivers!

11. Hypothetical scenario: How long would you let this go on?....

An anonymous billionaire is privately funding this.

You will never meet them. They are not filming or recording any aspect of this; they simply enjoy knowing they have this kind of power.

Each day you are woken up by a man peeing on you. This man has been hired by the billionaire to pee on you. They are regularly checked by doctors to make sure they are healthy and infection-free. Regardless, urine is sterile. Stinky, but harmless.

As soon as the pee hits your face (and oh yes, he'll aim for the face) you can jump out of bed and go to the shower. While you are showering the man who pees on you will switch your mattress, put on new sheets and leave £300 in cash on your dining room table.

The above situation will happen every single day for the rest of your life until one evening you decide you do not want to be peed on the next morning and cancel. Then it can never start again. Ever.

A few conditions:

-You may have as much or as little interaction with the man who pees as you want

-The man who pees will act as an alarm clock/wake-up call. You can tell him to begin peeing at 6:30am and that's exactly when he will start.

-If you share the bed with someone he will be aiming for you. Spashback onto the sleeping partner is a possibility.

-If you go on vacation he travels as well. He will typically stay in the hotel room next to yours.

The question is: How long would you let this go on?

            Samantha, you do worry me sometimes!

            Well, let’s turn this question around. In order to earn £300 a day (£110,000 a year, though arguably taxable) and have someone else make the bed, all I have to do is get peed on. Since on many days in my life I’ve had a far worse time and earned a hell of a lot less, I’d go with it. Get up late, spend £300 very enjoyably through the rest of the day – beauty salon, lunch in a smart restaurant with a girlfriend (salade de pis-en-lit?), theatre … – then come home to a crisp, newly made bed. Thanks, Billionaire! Although I know my friends would take the piss, I’d say your canny wee scheme gives new meaning to the term ‘executive jet’.

Here are my 11 questions to 11 other bloggers:-

1. What does the number 11 mean to you?

2. Look up at the moon. What do you think of?

3. What’s your favourite kind of holiday: beach, city break, skiing, adventure … or what?

4. What’s your possession which carries the most sentiment for you?

5. What sort of cheese do you like best and do you like to eat it with anything? (If you don’t like cheese, feel free to condemn it here)

6. Must bra and panties always match?

7. What’s the thing you like most in other people?

8. What’s your favourite tipple? (No, I’m not buying, just curious.)

9. Why does Superman wear his underpants outside his trousers?

10. Which TV programme had the most influence on you as a kid?

11. Congratulations, it was a tough selection procedure but you have been appointed captain of Trans World Spacelines’ first mission beyond the bounds of Earth. Your spaceship is ready; all life support systems, hyperdrives, suspended animation pods, defence shields, engines, computers, etc are state-of-the-art and can take you anywhere; your crew, some of whom are listed below, are fit and drilled (and proud to wear those fabulous uniforms you designed); the ground staff and mission controllers are in position; and the people of the World are excitedly pressing their noses to their TV screens awaiting the launch. The choice of destination is yours, Captain. Where will you fly to, and why?

So my 11 bloggers of choice ("Blake's 11") are …

Emma “Sarah Jane” Walkey http://moreearththansea.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie “Leia” Byrne http://elizabethbyrne.blogspot.co.uk/ [NB discontinued]

Becca “Trinity” Pink http://rebeccas-introspective.blogspot.co.uk/

Grace “Trillian” Johnstone http://stateof-grace.blogspot.co.uk/

Tina “Scully” Scott http://tinastparty.blogspot.co.uk/

Kay Denise “Uhura” Green http://kaydenisepublicblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Diana “Ripley” Richards http://dianasreflection.blogspot.co.uk/

Kara “Starbuck” Rowe http://karalouise.wordpress.com/

Bobby “Cassiopeia” Sox http://bobbysox1965.blogspot.co.uk/

Lucie “Padme Amidala” http://lucys-wittering.blogspot.co.uk/

Ann “Barbarella” Drogyny http://transfastic.blogspot.co.uk/

And anyone else feel free to join in.

Sue x

Another week in the life ...

Well, last month's posts here seemed to generate huge interest, especially the Our Different Journey answers. In fact, I've just now reached 10,000 hits on this blog (as the insistent stats inform me when I log on). The Our Different Journey site now has several more stories, which are fascinating. I'm sure most other TGirls will enjoy reading the contributions and any non-trans person will be enlightened. Lynn, Bobby and Stella are good friends of mine so I feel I know them better now, but Caroline and Becca are very interesting. Here's the link again.

http://ourdifferentjourney.wordpress.com/ [NB Site no longer active]

This week has been a mix of stuff. Work, of course, punctuated by a day off on Tuesday to go shopping (at last) and meet up with Susan Sometimes, a TGirl of eminent good sense and taste. I bought a stretchy black skirt, some floral print leggings, a pair of black court shoes and a sexy pair of seamed tights to go with my burlesque outfit. Jonathan Aston are always the best range for eye-catching hosiery.

Later in the week someone who likes to crossdress as a woman but has few resources or experience came over. I think my new friend was very happy with the outfit, although lessons in makeup and how to walk in heels will have to be dealt with another time. And by the way, don't put a woman's wig on a man in drag without makeup or he ends up looking like a superannuated '70s rocker!

But a big family reunion today meant that all my lovely red nail polish had to come off and I had to check carefully that no signs of femininity were left and be a bloke. I won't go into why I can't come out to them about my being trans, but the results of my doing so would be disastrous. Oh well, it's a rare event so I can tolerate it every so often.

And so life goes on in this kind of way here ...

Sue x