Friday, day off work. Last year, about this time I dropped into the London Alternative Fashion Week in Spitalfields on the off chance, and saw a couple of shows, I quite enjoyed it , though I could see much at the back of the crowd. So this year, decided to go, get there early for a better spot and take loads of photo’s. Outfit for the day was, well rather over the top, bright tee shirt, tiny little skirt, leopard skin tights, leg warmers, lots of bling. I think it worked, but I wish I could of matched the legwarmers to the tee shirt, neither of my 2 pairs of range legwarmers (I have at least of dozen in assorted shades) matched. Actually the first go with this look was with an even shorter skirt, but I bottled that one.

The idea was go try and go a bit alternative, well more sort of trashy (and tarty I guess) really, but something that would stand out. I hoped this would work at the show, but then there was the issue of how it would go down elsewhere in broad daylight…

Packed big camera and big flash in my funky new slingshot bag and off I went. Bipped by a white van driver on the way to the bus stop, yes definitely wasn’t inconspicuous. Buses toward Spitalfields took an age, traffic around Holborn was a mare, had to change buses here, so got a drink while I waited. And even getting a drink took a while, EAT had a problem with the ice. Not the best of starts, but I finally get to Liverpool Street just before lunch.

Did some railway station spotting before walking off to Spitalfields. Yes people are looking, but that’s all.

The show was due to start at 1:15, they are still setting up and the models are practicing their moves.

There are a bunch of photographers already there, grabbing the best spots at the end of the runway, at least and hour and a half before it starts! I really don’t have the patience for all that. Any do they really need those foot and a half long monster lenses to capture models who will be only a couple of metres away? Instead wander around the market, look at the fashion stalls and shops.

Find a nice little spot with a plain wall and an empty stall to pop the camera on and get the “I was outside honest photo” (or 3).

While I’m doing this 2 men walk over, one has another of those high end Canon DSLR’s with a big lens. They ask nicely if they can take my photo, I reply rather stupidly, “Well I’m not a model or anything”, (Who do I think I am even saying that, like they could of mistaken me!) they say they just want some local colour. I stand, they snap, but then they ask for a few poses, I oblige. Tart or what. They compliment and thank me afterwards. Wonder if those pics will turn up anywhere?

Lunch time, had planned to get a bite at one of those nice food stalls in the market. But they have all gone, in fact the whole market is a bit on the empty side, they are redeveloping it at the moment, but I don’t see why they have to get rid of the food places, they where always very popular Make do with a salad at a chain place, wasn’t to bad. Salmon salad, still managing to stay off the meat (well apart from fish).

Find a spot by the show, still have 25 minutes to wait, but I grab a seat near the front and hopefully well positioned. Even more photographers/videographers have arrived, it’s pretty busy.

The event support a children’s charity (yes I put some money in the bucket), a bunch of small children are lead up to the reserved seats in the front row. And so it begins, 12 shows, each with about a dozen outfits, some of the models look professional, some, especially from the design schools look like students, modelling there own outfits.

The designers I saw where …. Problem is I didn’t note down the running order But I found a web site that did.

They where :-

1. Ucreative at Rochester
2. Bahar Akpour
3. Olga Yuzhaninova
4. Linzie Elliott
5. Manit Pal Sing Wadhwa
6. Jasmin Frei
7. Waltham Forest
8. Wayne Bailey
9. Lova Moller
10. Sarah Ormanroyd
11. TRAID
12. Ricardo Ramos

The children on the front row got very bored later on and starting running around a bit, don’t blame them, its there age, no it’s the daft adult who thought a bunch of 5 year olds would want to sit and watch and hour and a half or so of fashion show who needs a reality check. Photographing it all was turned out to be harder than it looked, my position wasn’t great, and I got complained at if I stood up too tall, so was constantly trying to dodge heads and hats to get a clean shot. Plus the models where moving, they only stopped very briefly at the end of the run way to do a couple of turns. I was shooting with an 18-55 lens, not the fastest lens in the world, and I have having to shoot with least a 1/160 of a second shutter to prevent motion blurring, so even with the flash (diffused), exposure wasn’t optimal. Plus I could have done with a bit more zoom. I guess a 18-100ish f2.8 or something lens would be ideal, so I guess those monster lenses the pros had where a good idea. I took over 200 shots in the end, had to switch over to JPG from RAW half way through as I was running out of space on the card. I like to think some of the pictures came out OK, and I think it was good photography practice, working getting my technique and timing down. Again I montaged the pictures to prevent Flickr flooding. Hrm you would think all those pictures of pretty girls would be more popular? There was a finale where they all came back on at the end and then I got a few more pics afterwards as some of the models where still willing to pose, plus captured a little more “colour”.

And I was exhausted. Who’d of thought taking all those pictures would be so tiring, concentrating and all the bobbing up and down must of done it. Fashion shows can be exciting. As for the clothes themselves, well not really that much was what you could call wearable, a few where quiet nice, I like the grey and orange outfits, sort of futuristic cabin staff, sort of thing to wear on the 2038 London to Tokyo suborbital scramjet, the gladiatorial Britannia ones where wild, but not really suitable for popping down to Tesco’s, but the Flamenco inspired ones could be go down well at the Magic Theatre.

What next, well I needed some refreshment and to get my feet up for a bit so headed off across the city to find a bar. But I like all that vertical glass and steel and popped off a few more shots as there was still some room on the memory card. As I’m taking one shot, a man, sort of smart causal dressed, American by the accent, approached me and asked if he could use my camera to take a picture of me and then I could email the picture to him. But there was something about his facial expression and tone I didn’t like, I sort of waved him off. “TRANNY” he said loudly as he walked off. Well hun you aren’t in Kansas anymore, was the witty come back I thought up five minutes later, I kept my mouth shut instead. Tranny chaser, unlikely, more just wanting to confirm what I was, anyway, wasn’t a nice man.

Carry on and found an almost empty All Bar One for a glass of wine. Settle in to a corner with my drink and read another couple of chapters of my book. Want to stop in in Newlook to pick up a couple of things, there’s one near Moorgate, plus I can get the train home from there, so carry on across the city. Still getting a few looks, but not everyone looks, which is slightly unexpected considering this is suitville and I’m so not dressed to blend in. Shops, checkout Boots, HMV, Hotel Chocolat, New Look, come away with a green khaki top (khaki linen is in), still looking for a short fitted skirt in that material though (can’t find one anywhere), another little black skirt and some chocs (well I had to). Security guy in Boots calls me “MATE” cause I joined the wrong queue for the tills

Home, nah the day is still young, plus I need to go to the Supermarket, racks brain, well there’s one the other side of the Barbican and can get a bus home from there, so keep heading east. Get lost a bit in the Barbican, always do, it’s a 3d maze. The Barbican is sort of an Arcology, a little city within a city, all 3d and futuristic, well it probably was when it was built, but is now a sort of Brutalist folly of rain stained brown concrete. But it’s also quite green, the plant life seems to soften it considerably. It will never be beautiful, but it’s quite “interesting”, to me anyway.

Find my way out and stop for a coffee at a Branch of Pret a Manger. Bit of a reminisce this, that particular branch of Pret used to be the “Masque Bar” where Trans-Mission used to be held. First tranny club I ever went to, only managed to get there 3 times before it closed Ask the girl serving to take a picture for old times sake

Stop off a Tesco Metro for loo roll and wine, Aussie guy in the street make a comment about it taking all sorts to his mates, then bus home. Teenage girl clocks me, whispers to her mates, but that’s all. Many other say they have problems with teenagers, but generally I find they do notice, but don’t really seem to mind. Home, feet up, have some of that wine, and chocolate Yes the outfit had been far to much, but on the whole the reactions weren’t unmanageable, and it was kind of fun, I don’t want to try and blend in all the time

But wait that’s not all. What to do in the evening, drink the rest of my wine and fall asleep? Watch a DVD? Sort out all those 100’s of photo’s? nah I dressed up and wanted to go out. But where? Googling found a club, lower the tone a primarily Lesbian night, but it seemed sort of easy going and fun, hopefully accepting of T in GLBT? plus it was held in the Oak Bar on Green Lanes, local, walking distance even. Not sure what it would be like, not sure of the reaction I would get, but oh what the hell, I can always walk home, lets go.

As I walk down the Green Lanes to the the bar, I’m “Hey Baby”ied from a man slow moving car on the other side of the street. He’s seen a tall blonde in a short skirt out alone at night, oh dear, but as this happens I pass a mini cab office where a number of youngish men are hanging out side. One sees me in the better light and shouts to the car driver in something Eastern European, who then shouts “Chick with Dick” at me and drives off. I don’t know who was more embarrassed.

But apart from that I get to the bar in 1 piece. OK not the best starts to a night out, but once inside, I pay my the cover charge, £5, but the girls collecting the money are smiley and offer me some sweets. It’s not very full, and those who are there appear to be wearing cowboy hats, country and western is playing and no one is dancing. I’m fairly early for a club, half 9 or thereabouts, but I wasn’t quite expecting this Get a glass of wine and find and empty table in the corner. After I finish the wine, think about going home, it’s still pretty dead, and I’m sitting alone, but well there still might be those blokes around so I decide to stay. Get another drink, a pint, cause everyone else is drinking them. Can’t really even try to blend in though, I’m in a micro skirt and heels, and have quite long blonde hair, pretty much everyone else (male and female) is jeans, tee shirt, short hair.. There are a couple of girlier girls in dresses, but still I really stand out like a sore thumb (order of the day really), I guess they took one look at me and went thought “Drag Queen”. Watch the documentary about Buster Keaton that’s playing on the TV screens, there’s no sound, but that isn’t really necessary for a film about a silent film star.

The music starts to change, the place is filling up, people are starting to dance, and I start to dance along too In the corner on my own, but it’s a start. It gets better after that and the dance floor is heaving later on. Plus a few start to talk to me, a couple of girls comment on my legwarmers, a very drunk aussie girls chats incoherently to me at the bar, I’m pulled into the Conga line, dancing around to Abba and Madonna, all sorts really, fun There’s a few bits of entertainment, a water pistol gunfight, some line dancing. I really wish I knew about the western theme before hand, I would of worn by cowboy hat, its furry and lights up (they don’t seem to have a proper website, but there are posters up about it in the bar, but you would have to be a regular to see them).

By 1 I’m dead on my feet, time to call it a night as I’m leaving, one of the girls who was DJing earlier (I think she’s one of the night’s organisers) asks if I’d lost a chain, checks neck, no all there, but she points out my belt, there are 2 chains on it, there where 3 at the start of the night, oops. But they have found it, and it’s returned. Big Thanks. Overall it was a good night, I’m glad I stayed on, was impressed by the friendliness of the place and the air of fun and silliness, no attitude was to be found, and even though, I think, I was the only tranny in the place (It appeared to be 85-90% GG, mostly lesbian I would guess, though one could fall under the “Drag King” label), very accepting. Would like to go again, perhaps though arrive and stay later, find out the theme beforehand and with company? And maybe not in such a short skirt. Only complaint, it got rather warm (or was I just over dressed) a lot of people jumping around in a small space with no air conditioning you see.

Walked a different way home to try and avoid the previous encounter. OK late night, a lone, tired and bit drunk tranny in a very short skirt, not big or clever, I tell people not to do this then go and do it myself! Stuck to well lit streets though. Still a van driver slows down and offers a me lift, he obviously didn’t get a good look at my face, I just ignore and he drives off. Find a chicken shop on Newington Green that’s still open, Ahh chips. Cooked fresh too. Blonde moment and I head the wrong way off the Green, realised quickly and about turn, and there’s a fox. A urban fox in the middle of the street, wow, fumble for the camera, try not to drop chips. Get one very poor photo in the wrong mode.

But eventually I make it home in one piece, only more one lad shouts out as he drives by, again going by what he said, he saw a blonde in a mini skirt not a tranny though (unless he was am admirer?). Check email. post something, deslap and collapse.

And there’s more. Well its Saturday now, usual Helena day, so why not. Lie in till 8am, that’s late for me, especially on a girlly day, but get up eventually and change. Friday was the silly day, so tone it down considerably on Saturday, just a long sleeved top, black combats and soft boots.

Go much smaller up top to, just a couple of pairs of small chicken fillets instead of the forms. Yesterday was probably too much attention, so today try to blend in more. Legs where aching, strange, don’t think I over did it the day before? Land lady was around on Saturday morning, a well timed dash got me out the building without been seen.

First thing I wanted to do was visit Denise Anderson, as she was running a stall in the Haringey Independance day event thingy, had to stop by the bank first, walk to Finsbury park to visit a cash machine, was planning to get a bus from there, but it’s a lovely day, best of the year so far, so decide to walk it. Going over the park is nice and follow the side streets up through Haringey.

Actually its getting a bit warm now, glad I decided to skip the jacket. It’s a fair old walk, but stretching the legs should help with the aches. Find the place, its all very er “worthy” very politically correct, lots of people with stalls about help and support groups and important causes and the like. As a shallow blonde weekend princess I felt a bit fake. Find Denise and her partner Mike on their Spectrum TG support stall and chat for a bit.

I did manage to get to one of their Spectrum Haringey meetings once the previous year, but being on at 7:30 on a Tuesday was very difficult for me, I’m often not even back from work at that time, so I couldn’t attend any more. But Spectrum Haringey is no more, is now Spectrum London and is meeting in a new venue on Tuesday in Camden. Still unfortunately at the same time though, so its unlikely I’ll be able to join you if you go to that. It was only going to be a flying visit, was just trying to show a little support, but wasn’t really much help

Catch bus to Turnpike Lane, far to warm for walking, wander around the wig shop there, think about going dark haired, but there all a bit cheap and nasty, so get the tube into town. Had to go to MAC for some foundation and powder, had almost ran out due to all these Helena days. Walk though Soho from Leicester Square, lunch, lunch, fancy sushi, cold beer, cold fish, cold veg. Yo sushi on Poland Street provides than and it’s on to MAC. The main store is being refurbished so they have temporary store around the corner. It’s tinny, but the very smiley and very camp guy who serves find the stuff I need. They are painting another man out side for a Viva Glam promo.

Pi

Sexist I say, its always men being painted, can’t they paint a girl Get an Oreo cookie milkshake (nice:)) and go shopping down Oxford street for a bit. Bit aimless really, was feeling very tired and a little out of it, so it was just drifting, only purchase was a DVD, the new Futurama one, “Benders Big Score”. End up in Forbidden Planet, but no, still to many books to read before I buy any more. But outside, there’s people promoting the London Sci Fi Film Festival and there’s Storm Troopers Guess who just had to get her photo taken with them. The Empire seems to have fallen on hard times though, storm troopers aren’t half as buff as they used to be.

Got to utter the immortal line, “Aren’t you a little short for a storm trooper” The trooper was a little confused by this, but had to agree

Try a few more shops, still can’t find exactly the khaki skirt I want, H&M have a pleated one, but its not right. End up in Tesco’s getting some more groceries and yet another bus home.

Amazing how a change of outfit changes the reaction, In comparison to Friday I’m barely noticed all day, usual looks and double takes, but not nearly as many as before, no shouts from cars or blowing of horns either. One girl near Turnpike Lane exclaimed to her friends “I swear that’s a man” but that’s it verbal wise. Mini skirts are dangerous powerful things and should only be used with caution.

New neighbour sees me as I enter the building. Not sure what they thought, haven’t seen them since. Watch my DVD and have an early night, its Futurama, if you like it, you’ll like the DVD, if not, er start with the TV episodes It’s full length, but is really just like a long episode, but with a more convoluted time travel plot (than usual). Possibly not the best Futurama ever but still worth a watch if you li…. BBBBBZZZZZZZ Benders Big score is the best Movie ever, watch it and watch it over again repeatedly. All Hail to the Glory of the Hypnotoad BBBZZZZZZZZZ

That’s it this time, definitely no more Helena for oh a couple of days, on Sunday I have laundry to do and had 300 odd pictures to sort out (must take less photo’s!). And my legs still ached.

Should be Rocking on Tuesday though, and there’s that Sci Fi Film festival.

Wednesday, popped to the bank and… where’s my card? Bugger, lost another one I loose my debit card about once every 8 months, total ditz. I’m pretty sure I lost it in exactly the same place as last time too, buy stuff in Sainsbury’s on the card, get cash back, checkout person hands me the cash, my brain thinks, that’s the change, transaction complete and I walk out the store with my card still in the machine. Doh! Replacement will take a week. Get money out of savings account on other card to cover. Not the end of the world, but a pain. Plus sort of limits the shopping, but I suppose that’s a good thing. But there was this skirt, and that pair of shorts, and the scarf and that other pair of shorts, and a bed sheet and a present for my sister in law and … oh well.

Saturday, had planed to go see a band,  the The Pretty Route , but that gig was actually had been moved to the week before, and they had a problem updating their Myspace page to let the world know. Thanks for Jessica from the band and Laura for warning me about the date change, still intend to see the Pretty Route at some point, but there next London gig is likely to be in June. So what to do? wanted to go out but didn’t fancy the usual tranny haunts,  a trawl of the club listing had turned up a couple of comedy nights in Islington, I like comedy clubs, but haven’t been to one in ages and never as Helena, hrrmm a definite maybe, but then this turns up. The Gypsy Hotel looked mad, strange, certainly different and could be fun. Plus it’s pretty local, if it was pants, I could always walk home. Had been talking to Laura Handbag about a night out together, and she said she was up for it as well. Plan then.

Dress new little brown skirt, looked OK with thin black tights, but bad weather was forecast so on with the thick woolly tights as well. Plus they’re a whole lot more modest (As Pandora mentioned on my Flickr stream, that skirts a bit “Greyhound”) and less attention seeking. Hrmm running out of makeup, trip to MAC will be required soon. Take pictures, that bed sheet wasn’t for the bed, new backdrop, bigger this time so it fills the frame, grey instead of black, so black clothes show up better, but hopefully won’t be as difficult to get a good exposure as it is against the white wall. Seems to work, in fact I think these are some of the best “Studio” style shots I’ve ever got. Also they where shot in full manual mode, flashes manual too, with minimal post processing, does that make me a real photographer

But that’s a whole lot of effort and money to get a picture of an aging tranny in a Primark mini skirt, oh well, such is my vanity. 11ish and I’m outside, hrmm not that cold after all. Waiting for bus, there’s a man and two kids at also waiting in the bus shelter, do my best to look innocuous, but the man decides to take his kids and walk somewhere. Not sure if he didn’t like the look of me or what Bus comes, short ride to Dalston. Actually I could of walked, but want to save the legs, its going to be a long day.

Wander around the shopping centre a bit, but not really looking for anything in particular, but a skirt from Atlantic is purchased, short, black, but very casual. At £3 I couldn’t say no. Get cappuccino and croissant (cost more than the skirt) for 2nd breakfast and pop across the road to Peacocks for a look see. Couple of things catch the eye, but then a security guard approaches me and asks me to leave the store. No food or drink is allowed you see and I still have the coffee. He’s really polite and calls me Madam and I am in the wrong, so leave without a fuss.

The reason I’m in this part of time isn’t really for the shops, I was actually making sure I knew where that club was. Find it, just a small entrance on the high street with a poster on the door. Slightly mysterious (and a bit grubby to be honest). What lies beneath?

Right, club located, next port of call was to be Bethnal Green, why , well I’d never actually been there for one and there was a couple of places I wanted to go and have a look at. Could get a bus there from further up in Stoke Newington, as I walk up there, a bloke mutters “tranny” at me as I pass him, tell me something I don’t know mate.

Bus driver looks at me like I’m completely stupid when I ask if he’s going to Bethnal green, he is, but I was slightly confused by the fact he’s still got Finsbury Park on the front sign, which is the other direction.

Jump off the bus as it passes through Hackney, well there’s a Primark you see, but it’s just a browse. As I wait for the next bus, I pop into the church yard thingy by the stop, the pictures come out a little spooky

(OK I messed with it to try and make it look spooky). Doesn’t take long for the next bus. So this is Bethnal green, its, well, quite green

Had some directions to a couple of places I wanted to visit, first was a restaurant Bistroteque, well it was lunch time anyway. It’s becoming quite famous, sort of arty restaurant and bar, but it has entertainment and cabaret on in the evening, in fact that evening there was a comedy drag lip sync type thing on. Apparently its becoming a bit of a celeb hangout, Kelly Osborne has been spotted there don’t you know

So I follow my directions and end up here :-

That doesn’t look like a restaurant to me. Re read the directions I wrote down the night before, I didn’t follow the directions to Bistroteque, I followed the directions to the Bethnal Green Working Men’s club, Doh! The BGWMC was another place I wanted to find, it’s runs some quite odd alternative nights, Burlesque and them some, had been thinking about going to one, but wanted to know where the place was first. But it all looks closed. Is that mural on the wall a Banksy? Sit in the nearby park and find the right directions to the restaurant.

Bit of a walk, but I think I’ve got the right street now, but where’s the restaurant? I’m looking a bit lost I guess, a young man in a big old BMW slows down and asks if I’m looking for something. I hope he was going to offer directions. I wave him off and walk back to the only place that could be a restaurant, well actually it looks like an entrance to a site or factory or something, but there where a few tables as well. Peering in, yes, there’s a sign, well hidden around a corner, this is Bistroteque, but it still doesn’t look like a restaurant, and looks closed, where’s the entrance? Um and er a bit then try a door and follow some stairs up. Another door, and well that does look like it could be a restaurant, still nobody about but I hear noise. Walk further in and ah a kitchen and bar, sort of lurk around for a couple of minutes before I’m noticed, can they seat 1 for brunch? Yes and am shown to a table. Is making it hard to find an attempt to make it more exclusive? Or just awkward? But the room when I get there is nice, and nearly full of bright young things enjoying their meals. Healthy, worthy food, nah, order pancakes and a glass of wine. Well it’s still all veggie, have managed to avoid meat for over 2 weeks now, well apart from finding some bacon in a quiche I thought was a tomato one in the work canteen. Coffee and bill, swear they undercharged me for the food and coffee by about 20% . There’s a service charge, so I don’t leave a tip, but they where actually very nice and the food great, perhaps I should of. I’ve read reviews where the service was highly criticised, but I didn’t experience anything like that. Definitely want to do dinner here sometime and see the show afterwards.

Even the loo was interesting, cute murals. The forecasted rain seems to be holding off, so decide to try and walk off lunch in the park. I’m pretty sure Victoria park is nearby and head off. The park is pretty big, so it’s hard to miss really and find it fairly easily. Victoria park is big, its probably the biggest park in London that nobody has ever heard of, if you don’t live around here you probably don’t know about it, Regents and Hyde parks are very famous and plenty of people have heard of the likes of Finsbury Park, Hampstead Heath, Wimbledon common etc, but Victoria park, no. Dunno why that is. Perhaps it’s not the prettiest, but it has got the canals and a couple of lakes and isn’t that bad. I like to go a cycle around it on a summer evening.

Its grey and overcast, not raining though, the light is very flat, not the best for photographs, but the camera comes out anyway.

Also start pointing the camera at graffiti and the like, a bit of urban decay can make for good photo’s (but not really his time).

After the park, well I had some directions to an alleged shopping centre nearby, but really not in the shopping zone, so just sort of wander off down streets that look interesting. Common thing for me to do really just walk down a street cause I like the look of it if I have nothing better to do. End up on Roman Road, and Ooo there’s a market. See, just wandering about can work.

A real East End market, sort of half expected to see Del Boy down there trying to sell off some dodgy gear. Lots of clothes to, lots of bright colours, and plenty of knock off bags. I’m going off them now, they’re just too badly made. But its not that big, so what next, try to find that shopping centre, or look there’s a bus heading west, OK, jump on, put feet up.

Back of the bus, feet on the seats, bad girl or what But time is getting on, decide not to go to the West End, as I’m always there, jump off at Chancery Lane and walk back towards Islington. Ponder getting another bus, but the feet are holding up, even in 2″ heels, so keep walking. But that’s making me thirsty, another glass of wine? Glance in the places in Exmouth Market (which isn’t on) but nowhere looks right. Nice bag shop though.

Carry on up the hill, Clockwork is closed, so end up at the Salmon and Compass on the end Chapel market. Sort of a half pub, half bar type thing, quite empty, but just full enough of young Islingtonites to take up all the nice squashy seats, so just a regular table, large glass of white and read though a couple of chapters of my current book, Killswitch by Joel Shepherd, yet more sci fi, 3rd in the series, but I think he’s getting better at pacing, but it still could do with more plot and less waffle (looks who’s talking). Get text from Laura, wants to meet at “The Green” Islington at 7:30, OK, just enough time to get my shopping and stop back at the flat to freshen up.

Check local shops, cause, well, they are there, then Sainsbury’s, don’t leave cash card in the reader cause I don’t have one. Lad on the checkout is quite chatty and a girl points out my carrier bag has tear in it and then it’s yet another bus home.

But that’s just a pit stop, refresh the makeup, loose the thick tights (hey it’s a night on the town, I can show a bit of leg), different boots, check mail, one more glass of wine, not even time for more photo’s and it off back out again.

The Green, once saw a sign out side it that described it as Islington’s premier straight friendly middle class gay bar, in a sort of tongue in cheek manor, Laura said it had recently been refurbished, and it looks nice inside, not very big though. Actually was a little nervous, never had been in here before, and looking around, I definitely appear to be the only T* present. Get a glass of wine, a table, some complementary nibbles (always a winner with me) and text Laura, who replies she’s there in 5. Read another chapter of the book. Always carry a book if you think you will have to sit around for any period of time. But Laura’s pretty much on time (I was early) we get more wine and talk, and another drink or two, talk and talk a bit more.

Food, dinner, think the plan was original to eat there, but the menu is rather short and not much in the way of veggie, so I suggest Masala Zone a couple of doors up. It’s a modern take on the trad curry house, part of a chain of course (virtually everything in London is), and it was quite trendy when it first appeared a few years ago, but it seems to still be going strong, in fact we have to wait a few minutes for a table to become available. Plenty of veggie options here, but what sort of Indian restaurant doesn’t. Veggie thali and another bottle of wine, getting a little wobbly by now. Food is good, maybe slightly spicier would of been nice, and you do need some extra bread to soak up all the sauces. Service was nothing to complain about either

About now I had sort of planned to go to that Gypsy Hotel thing in Dalston, but it has gone 9, I was definitely tipsy, the trip would require a couple of bus rides and well, neither of us where all that bothered about it. Maybe do it next month. We tried another bar, but it was full, so it was back to The Green for a few more drinks and chat. I moved on to cocktails, Laura to red. A girl commented I looked better in a skirt than she did, and her friend agreed The rest of the customers didn’t seem to mind us and the staff where great, chatty too, but perhaps a little dizzy Cocktails well mixed, can’t quite remember what they all where, but some had raspberries in them.

I must have been babbling incoherent drunk by now, which is a change from my usual babbling incoherent sober person. Many thanks to Laura for putting up with me bending her ear, she looked fabulous too. To be honest I’ve found Laura a bit intimidating in the past, but she was great company on Saturday, Laura, lets do this again sometime. The camera did come out, and some pictures where taken, but they will have to wait.

At quite a late (for me) hour I waved bye bye to Laura and got a bus home, ate something, fell asleep and woke up at 5, still in makeup, with a mild hangover and a blister on my toe.

Next week : Alt-Fashion

Big weekend planned, nights out on Friday and Saturday, so preparations started early. Thursday I took the camera with me to work, plan was to just take snaps of the shop (Cop-Copine) where I bought that black dress I wittered on about last week, as they had a mannequin in the window with it on and I needed a guide to see what it is supposed to look like.

But it was such a nice morning, and at that time (I left for work about 6:15) it was what photographers and film makers sometimes refer to as the “magic hour”, with the low sun making very pretty shadows and highlights, so even the mundane looks good. So faced with all these nice vistas I had to start taking photo’s didn’t I.

To save the flickr masses (the majority of which just seem to want to look at trannies in their pants) from being bombarded with all these pics, I montaged them into one, it’s chronological and does detail most of my journey to work, but perhaps I’m putting to much info online here The really good light had gone by the time I got there, but there where still a couple of nice views, actually, I’m quite proud of that set of photo’s, some of my best IMHO, but it’s the sun, not me that made it all look so good. Tried the same on the way home, but the light wasn’t with me, so ended up with fewer usable pics. The 1 GB card in the camera was limiting the number of shots I wanted to take, as the RAW pics take up rather a lot of room (The little G9 can shoot RAW like the big Nikon)

Friday, working from home, office has a VPN set up so it’s not hard, most of my work just needs a laptop and net connection. My boss is OK with me doing this but it’s not something I can get away with that often. Actually do do some work, including the all important email at 7am to show I am working But it’s really just so I can skip the journey home and don’t have to rush to get ready to go out. Down tools at fourish and change. Very high waist skirt and blouse that doesn’t have a top button (didn’t realise this till I tried it on, first time wearing it). Also the cuffs on the blouse are too tight and I end up popping the buttons off them Try a few photo’s, skirt doesn’t show against the black, but a crop gets a nice face shot, take the black sheet down and try against the wall, but the exposure goes all screwy, I must be doing something wrong, but there’s no time to trouble shoot. Get a usable pic after some tweaking of the levels in post.

I was wearing courts for the shots, but changed to kittens before going out, after my last experience with them and dinner with Jessica (See post Spending the Weekend), I didn’t want to look that ridiculous again. Plan for the evening was another dinner with Jessica Hart, who was up in London for the weekend, she’s a popular girl and actually about 7 people (from the Angels forum) where turning up for the meal, Lexy and Clarissa who I’d met before and 3 new faces. Destination was Camino, the smart Spanish place we failed to get a table at a couple of months ago, but this time should be OK, we (well Jess actually) booked The table was for 9, but I was out the house by 7:30, a big contingency factor, but well transport in London is unpredictable and I wanted a drink before dinner anyway. But the buses all turn up fairly quickly and I’m there in 15 minutes. But as before, it’s packed, in fact it may be even busier. This is conjecture but due to the ongoing gentrification of Kings Cross, a number of smart business and creative types have been attracted to the area, and I reckon these sort want somewhere local that’s as smart to eat/drink after work, places like Camino, and since there aren’t that many places like this around KX, Camino gets rather busy.

Since none of the other girls are here and the bars to full, I move on. Since there’s a very cold biting wind, I don’t want to be outside for longer than necessary, duck into Boots in the station, there was a couple of bits I needed, but this tiny branch doesn’t have them, carry on to St Pancras then, it has more shops and I can get there by tunnel avoiding the cold. Sure I spot another T-girl in the Kings Cross Tube ticket hall, but I don’t think she’s one of our party. As for being spotted myself, not quite as much as my last trip out, the long skirt, opaque tights and big coat ensemble is all rather less attention seeking I guess, but even with kitten heels it takes a bit to find my walk, walk so much better in boots for some reason.

More shops have opened in St Pancras recently, including a bigger branch of Boots and they have what I was looking for (A nail varnish harder spray if you must know). Decide to wait out in a wine bar, Des Vins, in the station until its time to eat (with a glass of wine naturally), had a paper back (Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon) with me just in case I had to hang around. But I get a rather disjointed call from Clarissa, a mixture of poor reception, my poor interpersonal skills and trying (and failing) to talk in a fem voice makes it a bit confusing. Thought I was going back to the restaurant to meet up with her, but decide to finish my drink first, but halfway though that I look up from my book and there she is She found me. Clarissa gets a drink and we natter for a bit before heading back to the restaurant. The table isn’t ready quite yet, so more wine Just as I’m about to text (find texting in girl mode easier than having to talk out loud) Jessica when she turns up. In jeans :O So you’re definitely a real TS then Jess

Table is ready now, but we are still short of the rest of the party, but we don’t have to wait long. Lexy and her partner Jo, Helen and her partner Elizabeth arrive a few minutes later. We where actually expecting Andrea in boy mode, but a pretty brunette with ringlets turned up instead Turns out it was Andrea’s first time out in public, talk about going in at the deep end, in a big busy regular restaurant. Makes my terrified 5 minute dash to the local off licence look pathetic, big respect to Andrea, you looked great too hun. We talk and eat, and open several more bottles of wine, recollection starts to become hazier now, but do remember I took some pictures

Menu is a bit limited, especially as I’m still trying to avoid meat, but find something with nice dumplings and tomatoes and stuff and the Spanish Crème Brule type thingy for desert was great. Staff at the restaurant where a little run off their feet, it was a busy night, but I can’t really complain about the service, and they didn’t bat an eyelid at the transgendered (party consisted of, I think, 2 GGs, 3 TS, whatever I am, and don’t know what Helen labels herself with (not that she has to anyway) ). In fact acceptance wise, the bar, the restaurant the shops etc, all perfectly fine, and barely a second glance from the other customers

Coffee, chocolates bill (£30 a head, not unacceptable given the quality of the place and the amount drank/eaten) say goodbyes and tube home. Don’t need chips Big huge thanks to everybody to letting me join them, was a great night, let’s do this again sometime.

Saturday morning and heads a little fuzzy but I wouldn’t call it a hangover. Had another night out planned on Saturday, and it could be a late one, so decide to save the face and the good clothes till later and slobbed around in boy mode.

Needed to pop to town for more stuff, decided to walk, need to burn some of those calories. Slightly worried about all the police, forensics people and tapped off areas on Pentoville road just up from the restaurant, something must of happened last night, I’ve head from all but Lexy and Jo, they where all fine and didn’t see anything, Lexy/Jo you OK? I heard you two gave Helen and Elizabeth a lift, so I guess if they are OK you are.

Town, for some strange reason I popped into Camino again, to get a bite for breakfast and to see if there was any word on the trouble up the street. No word on what went on, but the Tortilla was nice. Stop at PC world for a 2GB SD card (as I said I was getting frustrated by the 1GB one), chemist for razor blades and shaving oil (stuff I wouldn’t buy in girl mode, oh who do I think I’m kidding) and yet another camera shop for a 2nd brolly. NO MORE CAMERA STUFF! Didn’t like the shadow from the 2nd flash even when it was diffused and bounced, brollies seem to stop these completely. Stop in Forbidden planet on the way back, Alastair Reynolds is due to be signing his latest, House of Suns, later on, I like his stuff, so wait and get signed book, or go home, hrrmm decisions, no, too many books still to read and time is getting on, move on.

The quite a bit longer route than normal home took me past the restaurant I was due to be eating at in the evening. Always like to do a bit of a scout before so I know where I’m going when I’m against the clock. Menu looks good, but not cheap, get more cash out.

Change, still not a lot to shave off, a few cuts. Makeup, much heavier than last night, full panda job on the eye’s and dark lips, the idea is to go slightly scary and severe instead of demure or come hither, as the plan is to go to the Way-Out club after the meal and I don’t want to try and look particularly appealing in that place. Finally get around to wearing that Cop-Copine dress. It’s all black, black and more black with black highlights, but hope the mix of textures and fits (skin tight and shinny to floaty and matt) make it more interesting.

Exposure is still weird, but taking the camera of manual to aperture priority seems to help. But the shutter speeds are to slow and the pics are a bit fuzzy and again they are a bit dark. Brolly does its thing though and the clamp it’s attached to works far better on a broom handle than the lightstand. Need to RTFM and learn how to work the flashes manually. Spend to much time fiddling with the cameras, so am out latter than I wanted to be, but the bus turns up immediately, and I get to the restaurant on time. Hey, sometimes you just get lucky.

The restaurant is Smiths of Smithfield, I’m early for food, but we are all meeting up before hand for a drink in the bar. Only have met a couple of the attendees for tonight shindig before, so don’t immediately recognise anyone, but two girls sitting at a table beckon me over. They’re the two Jenny’s, Jenny Jackson and Jenny Sand. I get a bottle of white (was drinking red the night before so have to maintain a balance ) and we talk and wait for the others to turn up. Louise does promptly (first time on the tube, go girl) followed by Jessica (again ) this time in quite an eye popping leather dress. She swears it’s from Marks and Spencer. I think my clothes aren’t to shabby in this refined company, but my nails, oh dear, everyone else has such nice nails, mine, short with some quickly applied uneven varnish in not exactly the right colour and chipped as I didn’t leave them to dry long enough slightly embarrassed.

The other 3 in the group haven’t turned up by the time our table is ready, we give them a couple more minutes then go up to the table. The restaurant actually has multiple floors, we are on the 2nd in the less formal Bistroish part, the top floor is the fine dinning room, but as Jenny Sand pointed out, they only actually have one kitchen, so the food in the 2nd floor is pretty much the same as the top, just cheaper. The top floor gets table cloths though

We don’t have to wait to long before the rest turn up, Kieron, Mags and Nikki. The night had been organised through the Roses Forums, so it’s Angels on Friday, Roses on Saturday. Slightly different crowd, the Angels group where a bit younger (I felt old) and more TS leaning, Roses slightly older and less TS focused, possibly a reflection of the forums themselves? Food was ordered. We skipped the starters (my wallet and waistline breathed a sigh of relief) and on to mains, I think 7 burgers and 1 fishcake between the party where ordered, guess who ordered the fishcake. Slight confusion with e burgers as everyone seemed to have ordered them cooked differently, but my fishcake and accompying new potatoes was rather good, nice and hot too.

Camera came out, of course it came out

Desert is skipped and it’s straight to coffee. Another slight relief, but the bill turns out to be exactly the same as it was the night before, did drink quite a bit though Braved the ladies and then it’s a Taxi to the club. SOS was a nice place, think a full 3 course meal there would cause me to explode though (financially and physically). Staff where very nice to us and we got no hassle from any of the customers, again all very accepting. In fact I can’t remember when I have ever got poor service from a restaurant for being trans, might have been sir’ed once, got some grief from a customer once ages ago, but apart from that, its pretty much always a good experience.

Last call is the WayOut club.

Saturday was actually the WayOut’s 15th birthday bash, and this was the catalyst the nights meet up. It’s busy, busier perhaps than I have seen it before, lots and lots of girls, start to feel old, fat and dowdy again. Though the mixture of the severe look and being old, fat and dowdy means the admirers ignore me totally, which is good Get a round of drinks in as needed some Red Bull and hit the dance floor.

But all that wine and carbs are having an affect and the Red Bull is fighting a loosing battle, tired already. Music is a bit rubbish as usual too Kind of abandoned the group, sorry, unsociable I did have a good time though and SOS was great, like I said before, lets do it again sometime.

Cabaret comes on, they have got a few more acts than usually, but well, it’s more quantity than quality. They try hard, and some look really good, but its mostly just lip syncs. Take photo’s. Also take photo’s of the floor, Helena like pretty lights.

Again montaged them, in fact I ended up montaging them all this week. By two I’m dead on my feet, Taxi home. Lightweight Love strikes again. No chips required this time either, but there was that chocolate muffin calling to me when I got home …

Try to have a lie in on Sunday and fail, don’t know why. Monday and my face is all spotty and work is dull.
Next weekend should rock though.

Dashed from work on Friday, wanted to get some stuff before the shops shut. Managed to get to Tottenhamcourt Road by 5:20. A chance browse through the CLS group on Flickr turned up the fact a certain shop (who’s name I forget, but I know what it looks like) had just the little bit of plastic (an SG-31R plastic fans) I wanted, and yes where still open and they had it in stock, sorted On a role now, so dash to another shop I whose web site was advertising some other kit I wanted, make it there at 5:29, and, they don’t stock that thing at the shop, it’s just through their web site Oh well, wander down Oxford street looking at clothes instead. Chance drop into another camera shop, Jacob’s, and they do have it, a little clamp with a brolly that’s got a shoe to mount my flash on. But what to attach the clamp to? More money spent on a light stand.

Yeah more camera shopping, it’s all getting a bit obsessive no more camera stuff! (this month). Tested it all back at the flat, slight problem, the brolly has a non removable black backing so it can only be used as a bounce brolly not shoot through, not a big problem (as I don’t understand the effects of either really). Other problem was the clamp didn’t fit the stand, it’s too skinny.

Consulted the universal guide to fixing stuff :-

If it doesn’t move and should         :- Use WD40
Else If it does move and shouldn’t  :- Use Duct Tape
Else it doesn’t need fixing.

So wrapping a long length of duct tape around the stop of the stand made it wide enough for the clamp and it all worked. Not particularly stable though. Test shots bouncing the flash off the brolly onto Ian proved promising, definitely a more flattering light, even he didn’t look to bad The plastic thingy blocked the visible light from the controlling popup flash perfectly as well. Almost have a basic studio setup now.

Well that’s the techy bit over, onto the weekend proper. Not a big weekend, though, was on call again, at year end and I volunteered for it, my work colleagues thought I was mad. But Helena nights out for most weekends in April have been planned (What! next thing you know I’ll have a social life), so as needs must. Bit slow getting out, faffing around with the camera last night stopped me from getting stuff ready beforehand, so more to do. An then there was a little photo shoot with the new lighting

Fairly cute and fashionable outfit IMHO but still pretty practical, mostly all Primark though, cheap skate. Quite happy with my look and out by 11ish. Oh, lots of people around, and Oh, some are wearing football shirts. Have to top up Oyster in the tube station, there’s warnings about a match, I forgot to check, should always check, d’oh! But it should all be over by 3:30, so decide to get out of the neighbourhood until then. But have to stop for coffee first (caffeine, caffeine, I’m an addict) and there’s Cop-Copine.

I’ve mentioned them before, even been in for a look, but never bought anything. But I had seen this dress in the window mid week, and I really liked the look, and was something I could wear, so I wanted a closer look. Don’t think the sales girl was all that comfortable with me, but she tried not to show it and was helpful (unlike some “soccer enthusiasts” who had some words for me on the way there), yes they do have it in both 12 and 14 and the price, £80. That’s a lot, Primark would sell its like for a tenner, but I was actually expecting 3 figures. Try it on, the 12 fits, just (bight to tight across the shoulders), moment of madness, yes I’ll take it, but decide to go with the 14 as its meant to be a bit floaty. It’s a sort of peasant tunic dress, longish sleeves, not to low at the front all black and slightly transparent. The mannequin displaying it matched with black leggings and big boots, giving it a sort of an industrial edge, tight/floaty, hard edged/pretty and mixed textures/all black, very black. Will wear it with shinny American Apparel leggings and my usual clumpy boots and a waist belt, probably next week, big night out is planned. My first proper bit of designer clobber, well you can’t wear Primark all the time. Even the bag they put it in is cool. Carrying my big designer label shopping bag with pride I get the bus to town.

Jump off around Covent Garden and meander through the shops. No real plan for the day, part from getting a book signed, Neil Asher was signing his latest Space Opera “Line War” in Forbidden Planet at one, so thought I would pop along to that later. As I’m meandering, I seem to be getting a lot of looks, glares even. But checking my reflection, no can’t seen anything too bad, in fact, I think I look good, so to hell with them, I’m gorgeous today, and don’t let it get me down. Later, looking at the photo’s and well, I did look a bit blokey, and the open jacket and blouse is fairly masculine and doesn’t give much of a shape. Plus I’d had some problem lumps (ingrowing hairs, sob ) on the face during the week, and it was still a bit of a mess, had tried my best to cover it up with foundation and concealer, but it still showed a bit. OK so I didn’t look that great, but I was in a good mood that day and that’s what carried me through I think.

Book signing, done one of these before, but well slightly more apprehensive this time. You see I’ve read Mr Asher’s blog, The Skinner, it’s linked on the left. He’s a bit of a right wing ranter really, not the most accepting sort perhaps? I don’t agree with his politics, but I do like his books, a bit a modern space opera with expositions it goes does well every now and then. But it was fine, he smiled was happy to sign the book and posed for a photo

Thanks Mr Asher, reading the book now. What now, couple more shops then lunch. Little Japanese place on Old Compton Street, Taro, provided a very nice Chicken Teriyaki Don (Meat!) and a Soho Pret served up more coffee and a Love Bar Read a couple of chapters of the book while waiting, hate sitting alone twiddling my thumbs in a restaurant. During the planless (or clueless) wanderings camera comes out.

Eventually I ended up wandering into the Troccaderro again, bit of a shabby tourist trap really, but I just sort of like it. It is starting to be a bit of a destination for the Otaku and Cos players, saw blue and pink haired girls playing on the dance dance revolution machines, couple of gothic lolita’s in Claire’s Accessories and I’m pretty sure that was Sephiroth wandering though the arcades. Actually there’s this little Japanese toy/book place with an Internet café opened up there too, well since we on the Japanese tip, have a look, and wander into another signing session quite by accident. Mr Paul Nicholson aka Terratag is signing Ghost in the Shell : Stand alone complex mechanise. He’s actually the designer of the Laughing man logo, and there’s a new Laughing man DVD out (just a cut of the first season of GitS : SAC really). Actually I had no idea who he was until then. Bought a T-shirt for Ian as he (we?) is huge GitS fan, and got it signed, didn’t get the DVD, as I all ready have the entire series on DVD.

Well that’s shopping done, Ian and Helena both got clothes for a change. Well not quite, a couple of bargain DVD’s in Zaavi got purchased. The unread/unwatched book and DVD stacks are growing again. Spent the next few hours just drifting through the West End, Regents street, Oxford street, this shop, that shop, really just for a look, taking a picture of anything that caught my eye. Checked mail in that big free internet café on Regents street (know to some as the “Apple Store”), then went for a nosey in the new Banana Republic flagship store, nice shop fit, but the clothes didn’t look anything special, overpriced and a bit dull if you ask me. The decoration in the stairwell was the most impressive bit.

Weather was starting to go bad, spitting with rain, getting cold. Dam, it had been so nice all week to. Another reason to keep looking in shops, warmth. Never used to understand why women kept complaining it was cold all the time, do now. More pics, started talking shots of my reflection in mirrors, metal and glass, me and my vanity. Montaged them into a sort of collage.

Other pictures got the montage treatment too, stops me from flooding the flickr stream with too many pics no one really wants to see.

Good long wander around Selfridges, Diesel jacket on the ground floor to die for, but after buying that dress and all those camera bits, it would kill me financially. Also some lovely La Perla underwear upstairs, some great Lightsabers that make all the right noises and everything downstairs (yes of course I had a play with them ). Maybe next month. Interesting photo exhibit in the basement floor as well, groups of photo’s of different people all in the same pose wearing similar clothes.

Last stop was Marble Arch Primark, packed as usual, only thing I liked the look of (that I didn’t already have) was scarf, and couldn’t be bothered to queue to 15 minutes to pay for it. It’s the end of the street, football fans must of gone by now and its cold and my feet hurt, time for bus home, missed bus, looked around a shop, missed next bus, looked around another shop, finally managed to get next bus.

Bus goes up Pentonville Road, past that bar I like, well no need to get home right away. Stop for a glass of a wine and a cheeky cocktail and read another couple of chapters of the book in Clockwork.

After that, pic up more wine and some food in Sainsbury’s before getting another bus home. Home, boots off, feet up, open wine, drink a little, fall asleep.

Sunday and it’s snowing when I get up, but it doesn’t last. Various systems whinge and need fixing, find time to do a little baking (add water to packet mix, blitz, put in oven, hey presto fresh muffins ), sort out the photo’s and do some laundry. Smack my head on washing machine door.

Hope the week is as short lived as the snow, as it’s all go next weekend.