Out and about, with bells on

Just like last weekend, I went out on Friday and Sunday again. This Friday was Kendal’s annual carnival, the "Torchlight Procession", to which I haven’t been for quite a few years, probably the last time was when our band played at the Town Hall dance afterwards. I felt I should go this year, now that I have been relieved of all agoraphobic tendencies. The streets of Kendal are lined with many thousands of people for the procession, and I walked past about half of them on my way into the centre of town. No worries, no fear, no big deal in fact. I suppose if anyone had read me they might have just thought I had lost my float, but I really wasn’t bothered whether they did or didn’t read me. I used the excuse of it being carnival night to wear a short skirt and long white socks, along with a low cut pink jumper and my big fur coat. Quite sexy I thought, not appropriate for a 42 year old I expect is what my family would have thought. Am I bothered though..?

By chance I met my mum, we hadn’t arranged anything, so I watched the procession go by with her. The theme this year was, "A life on the ocean wave", I’ve never seen so many pirates, nor have I ever heard a marching band play "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, strange but true, and it kind of worked well in fact, quite rousing, a chorus of trumpeters playing the guitar riff, and the glockenspiels playing the vocal melody. Anyway I did rather enjoy the whole thing, all very colourful with everyone all dressed up, and it has been a long time. So afterwards I went down the pub AGAIN, god I must sound like a right alco’, where there was yet another band on, and where I met Penny again, who had just finished work for the evening. I knew the keyboard player this time, he’s a lot younger than me but I bought a keyboard off him many years ago when one of mine had broken down. He spoke to me like nothing had happened, so I guess he’d heard the news already! The singer I don’t really know to speak to, in fact I think I’ve only seen him sing once, about 25 years ago, but he saw me talking to the keyboard player and came over and vigorously shook my hand and was generally very friendly. Just goes to show that it’s not just a case of my mates being polite; people I hardly know or don’t know at all come up to me and offer their support/admiration/whatever. And it’s why I think the world is changing in our favour, yes there is still bound to be prejudice out there, but generally people are understanding, tolerant, if not downright awe-struck that there is a transsexual in their OWN town. Cool really.

Sunday I was back down the pub, oh dear, sorry, actually I’m not drinking much, honest I’m not. Today’s band was "Riff Raff", with a singer who looked not unlike Johnny Vegas wearing a bandanna, yet sounded not unlike my old mate Brian Johnson from AC/DC. Good voice, Johnny, shame about the image. Actually Brian Johnson isn’t my old mate, though I have met him and he did get up and sing with our band once, in a pub in Kendal would you believe! Our drummer’s dad was AC/DC’s manager, probably still is in fact, and Brian was over on holiday. It WAS pretty cool when he got up and sang with us, (he did "Rock and Roll" by Led Zep), all our muso friends were there, loads of them from other local bands, you could see all their jaws dropping and them turning green with envy! It even made the local newspaper. It’s the sort of thing you would tell your grandchildren about, but since I don’t intend to have any grandchildren you lot will have to do. Sorry to name-drop, but you know, Brian Johnson… AC/DC!!

Anyway I’m waffling aren’t I. Today’s band were pretty good, despite the Johnny Vegas look-alike, and despite being BLOODY loud (or am I just bloody old?) One of Penny’s friends said that I must come out with them on their next girly night, which means a lot to me, to be so welcomed into their group. I spoke to the singer from the band who want me to join them, I told him to ask me again next year, when I have a few practical issues out of the way. Though there are lots more practical issues heading my way, it would be good to get into a band again, at least for a while. And there were quite a few now familiar faces who I’ve met in recent weeks who I had a bit of a chat with. Super fun. My ears are still ringing.