Today is all about…November 2023

As November was coming to a close, I wanted to reflect on the month and celebrate the small wins, albeit short-lived.

Cruella Braverman was finally sacked by the government. What for I hear you ask?

Was it for using Nazi-esque language? No!

Was it in relation to saying being gay (or a woman) are not enough to claim asylum? Don’t be silly!

How about saying people who are homeless were because it was a lifestyle choice? Again, no!

I could go on, but I’d be writing for a long time.

In fact, I don’t even think she was sacked due to calling pro-Palenstine marches ‘Hate marchers’. Though I don’t think it helped!

I would say it was more in relation to her attack on the police they allowed the legal marches to happen!

Whatever the official reason for her demise, this evil excuse of a human is out of the government. Although something tells me, like a bad smell, she will be back!

Talking Points

Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing is one of those movies that has a special place in my heart. Superbly written and acted!

While this young queer wasn’t out at the time of release, it felt like there was a small awakening.

Since I have seen the stage production at the Royal Exchange and loved it, it feels like a production I will always go to see it on.

When I heard about a new production being shown at HOME, we had to go and see it.

The programme

First things first, where was the fucking programme?

I feel cheated when I go to the theatre, and I can’t purchase a programme that I can glance at while waiting for the show to start.

It’s where I learn about the cast, and it gives them the recognition that they deserve. Even the website was lacking this information, and I just found it disrepectful IMO!

My ritual was disrupted, and I wasn’t pleased. LOL!

The show

The staging was simple, yet effective. The front of terrace houses was the main setting!

When they needed the bedroom scenes, the bed just appeared through the wall.

In the end, the walls opened up to show a huge disco ball and loads of other people dancing. I presumed they were backstage staff, I would have known if they had a fucking programme!

The cast themselves were great, and while the essence of the play was the same, seeing it done by a predominately black cast brought a fresh new approach.

I absolutely loved Sandra. Shvorne Marks who played her was superb. She delivered a Sandra that both felt modern, yet still the Sandra we have become to know and love.

This was another great production of the brilliant masterpiece from Jonathan Harvey.

Homobloc

So I attended my first ever Homobloc…with no idea what I was actually going to!

A week before the event I chatted to a friend who mentioned that they had a spare ticket, and I said I would take it. Granted, I was a little intoxicated!

The next day, while on another drunken night out, I confirmed for the second time that I would take the ticket. It was then I forgot all about it!

A few days before the day, I was asked to pay for the ticket, and I thought “Shit, I really am going! Fuck, what do I wear? Wait. What am I actually going to?”

The Outfits

Now, my understanding of Homobloc attendees is they liked to make a statement with what they wore to the event.

Think Mighty Hoopla/Coachella but in winter, and in an old train station depot!

A little under-prepared to think of anything fancy, I remembered that I had a top that my husby bought me a few years ago in Gran Canaria.

Think, a string vest but for the 21st century. I like it, but have never worn it due to my body dysphoria about my stomach!

However, I felt good, so I decided to wear it!

The acts

If I am honest, I had no idea who, what, or where anything was.

Okay, I knew it was located at the Mayfield Depot, but I don’t know the floorplan. I feared I would get lost. In fact, I did! However, it only happened once.

As for the acts, there were only a few names that I recognised including Jodie Harsh & Jessie Ware, so I was more than happy to follow the group as long as the music was good!

I’ve I had known that I was going a lot earlier, I would have been able to do some research on who was performing so I was more “down with the kids”.

We did end up in Star & Garter, where we watched a singer wearing a teddy bear skirt while singing and perform something so bizarre that I loved it.

I wish I knew their name so I could see what else they have released!

Overall

A great time was had at Homobloc, and the group that I went with made my first experience worth it.

Would I go again? Yes. However, I would probably like to be a little more prepared next time!

Llandudno

The last time that the husby and I visited Llandudno was in 2010. His family were there, so we decided to pop over for the day.

13 years later we are returning on a cold November with the family to scatter the last of my mother-in-law’s ashes.

The original plan was to drive there and back on the same day. Plans changed, the the leaving time to get there was getting earlier and earlier. And I need a lie-in at the weekends!

So, we decided that we would drive over the night before and stay over.

I was missioned to go as cheap as possible, but I categorically refused to sleep in a room that was kitschy and all the same colour pink! I got a headache just looking at the pictures!

I did find a cheap(ish) room at Dunoon Hotel. Turns out a room with a view really does count. We overlooked the courtyard/backlot, which could explain the cheaper price for a 4-star hotel!

Surprise

The father-in-law was in Llandudno for the weekend dancing, so we thought we would pop over to his hotel and surprise him, but he had already sat down with his group to eat so decided it could wait until tomorrow.

We went to get something to eat ourselves. The only place we could find was a busy bar. So we sat outside in a heated shed with some blankies!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t mind the shed. We weren’t weren’t cold, and it was nice to chill (pardon the pun), without the hustle inside.

The food, however, was a little questionable. While the husby seemed to have a lovely freshly made meal, I, on the other hand, had a frozen meal!

Once eaten, we decided to get some drinks and snacks and head back to the hotel to watch the latest episode of Doctor Who.

The Scattering

The scattering of Beryl’s ashes was done at the Great Orme, a place she liked to visit.

As we were walking climbing the hill to Llandudno Ski & Snowboard Centre, we were reminiscing on the last time we came and went on the taboggans.

There was talk of repeating the experience, but this time the nephews would need to go down on their own, as they’re too big to go between my legs now!

Common sense prevailed, unfortunately, and we just had a coffee instead.

The scattering of the ashed overlooks the beach, its a view that we all admire when we come up here.

As well as Beryl, we scattered some of Archie’s ashes too. Archie was the family dog, who died recently due to ill-health.

‘Today is all about…’ photos