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Lucy Diamond 's Entries

204 blogs
  • 28 Jan 2009
    It’s been soooo long since I blogged, but I really haven’t had the time in the last few weeks. Some time ago we had a drummer standing in for ours as he had a wrist injury. The stand-in drummer had started his own band early last year, so I gave him the old, "If you ever need a keyboard player…" I need to start earning a bit more money, and it’s either find a second band or get a "proper job" (as my dad always put it) of some description. Obviously playing music is what I love and what I am good at, so even if it was a rubbish band it would still be better than working in an office again. So anyway, our stand-in drummer put it to his band, one or two I think were sceptical, but they eventually decided to give it a try and invited me over for an audition. I had to learn 6 songs in a week. Now I’m sure guitarists, drummers and bass players could easily do that in a day, but it can be quite time consuming programming sounds on the keyboard, at least it can the way I do it. I like to recreate the record as comprehensively as possible, and have in the past had to create such sounds as Russian zither, Tibetan bells, Mongolian nose-flute, as well as the more regular piano, organ, strings, brass, percussion, various types of guitar, and so on and so on. I’ve even sampled my dad’s trumpet, and my mum singing "Ahhh" (have used her Ahhh’s on two songs now). It’s great fun, it really is, but it has to be done properly. Preset sounds on synthesisers are never quite "right", never the same as the brass section on the particular song you are doing, or whatever. Anyway, I digress… After a week of doing nothing else but fiddling with sounds, working out chords, melodies and counterpoint, and trying to remember it all, I was reasonably happy with everything, which was good, because the day had come… They loved me. I’d seen the band once before and they really did sound better with some keyboards filling it all out, and they all said so, one or two quite surprised I think. They are much more rock orientated than my current band, but have been using a sequencer (rather feebly) so do plenty of songs that require lots of lovely sounds, as well as lots of songs in which I have to imitate a rock guitarist. Fortunately my keyboard is pretty good at that, it even has a valve, just like a proper guitar amp. I thought they’d give me a month or two before gigging with them, as they are already up and running "adequately" without keyboards, but they liked me so much they want me to do their next gig… on Saturday. Gulp! So I’ve had two weeks to learn 28 songs, including the six I did for the audition. My head is spinning with power chords, screaming vocals, and weird and wonderful keyboard sounds. I have breathed, eaten and slept, and not slept, nothing but rock music for a fortnight. I am exhausted. But I’m sure it’ll be worth it, and I certainly don’t want to go onstage unprepared and make a fool of myself. I know it won’t be perfect, probably for a few gigs, but it will be close. We had one rehearsal last night, didn’t even have time to do all the songs, but I think it’ll be alright on the night. I have two more days now to tweak sounds (and have taken on another song to learn) and get it all imprinted into my brain. I am so tired, but so focused. It’s mad, but great. I’m going to need a holiday after all this, which has worked out quite well because me and Gillian had just booked another jaunt to Jamaica when I got offered the job. Can’t believe my last blog was about my last trip, and in my next blog here I am telling you that I’m going back. Well, it’s extravagant I know, it’ll be the last for a while I’m sure, and it WAS very lovely and worth every penny. Ohhh, bring on the beach. But first I’ve got 6 weeks of being an official Rock Chick. Lock up your boyfriends! xx
    1528 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • It’s been soooo long since I blogged, but I really haven’t had the time in the last few weeks. Some time ago we had a drummer standing in for ours as he had a wrist injury. The stand-in drummer had started his own band early last year, so I gave him the old, "If you ever need a keyboard player…" I need to start earning a bit more money, and it’s either find a second band or get a "proper job" (as my dad always put it) of some description. Obviously playing music is what I love and what I am good at, so even if it was a rubbish band it would still be better than working in an office again. So anyway, our stand-in drummer put it to his band, one or two I think were sceptical, but they eventually decided to give it a try and invited me over for an audition. I had to learn 6 songs in a week. Now I’m sure guitarists, drummers and bass players could easily do that in a day, but it can be quite time consuming programming sounds on the keyboard, at least it can the way I do it. I like to recreate the record as comprehensively as possible, and have in the past had to create such sounds as Russian zither, Tibetan bells, Mongolian nose-flute, as well as the more regular piano, organ, strings, brass, percussion, various types of guitar, and so on and so on. I’ve even sampled my dad’s trumpet, and my mum singing "Ahhh" (have used her Ahhh’s on two songs now). It’s great fun, it really is, but it has to be done properly. Preset sounds on synthesisers are never quite "right", never the same as the brass section on the particular song you are doing, or whatever. Anyway, I digress… After a week of doing nothing else but fiddling with sounds, working out chords, melodies and counterpoint, and trying to remember it all, I was reasonably happy with everything, which was good, because the day had come… They loved me. I’d seen the band once before and they really did sound better with some keyboards filling it all out, and they all said so, one or two quite surprised I think. They are much more rock orientated than my current band, but have been using a sequencer (rather feebly) so do plenty of songs that require lots of lovely sounds, as well as lots of songs in which I have to imitate a rock guitarist. Fortunately my keyboard is pretty good at that, it even has a valve, just like a proper guitar amp. I thought they’d give me a month or two before gigging with them, as they are already up and running "adequately" without keyboards, but they liked me so much they want me to do their next gig… on Saturday. Gulp! So I’ve had two weeks to learn 28 songs, including the six I did for the audition. My head is spinning with power chords, screaming vocals, and weird and wonderful keyboard sounds. I have breathed, eaten and slept, and not slept, nothing but rock music for a fortnight. I am exhausted. But I’m sure it’ll be worth it, and I certainly don’t want to go onstage unprepared and make a fool of myself. I know it won’t be perfect, probably for a few gigs, but it will be close. We had one rehearsal last night, didn’t even have time to do all the songs, but I think it’ll be alright on the night. I have two more days now to tweak sounds (and have taken on another song to learn) and get it all imprinted into my brain. I am so tired, but so focused. It’s mad, but great. I’m going to need a holiday after all this, which has worked out quite well because me and Gillian had just booked another jaunt to Jamaica when I got offered the job. Can’t believe my last blog was about my last trip, and in my next blog here I am telling you that I’m going back. Well, it’s extravagant I know, it’ll be the last for a while I’m sure, and it WAS very lovely and worth every penny. Ohhh, bring on the beach. But first I’ve got 6 weeks of being an official Rock Chick. Lock up your boyfriends! xx
    Jan 28, 2009 1528
  • 01 Dec 2008
    I am struggling a little with the cold in this country, but I’ve only myself to blame; it doesn’t help to go jetting off to Jamaica where it’s in the 80’s every day and arrive back to sub-zero temperatures. It’s still very pretty here though, in a different sort of way; blue skies and snow-capped hills surrounding Kendal at the moment. Hmm, I think I prefer blue seas and constant warm weather though. Maybe I’d get bored with it eventually, but probably not. I know no-one wants to hear about my holiday, but I can’t not mention it can I? There’s not a great deal to tell though, it was all about rest, relaxation and recharging, so we spent most of the time lying on the beach and swimming. I really got into the swimming, every morning and afternoon, sometimes for hours at a time. The Caribbean is so warm, so clear, and most days as calm as a lake; absolutely wonderful, and so refreshing. Our resort had two beaches, one which was adult only and clothing optional. After our first day on the main beach and finding ugly white triangle bikini marks on our boobs we decided it had to be the adult beach from then on, and clothes were duly discarded. Bliss. Swimming became even more fun and reached new depths of refreshment. We had an all-inclusive deal, meaning all we could eat and drink, and use of non-motorised water sports. Kayaking was too much effort for me, and we didn’t bother with the glass-bottomed boat trips, but we did go snorkelling one day which was fantastic, like being inside a huge tropical fish tank. Otherwise it was eat, drink, sunbathe, swim and tart ourselves up every now and then. Oh and get chatted up every day, literally. I think Jamaican guys must like older women, we were very popular with them, and also with the group of American guys who were staying at the resort next door and would wander over to our beach every day to watch the sunset and talk to the two European girls. Apart from us two, most of the time our beach was deserted, we were lucky to be there at a very quiet time, so it was all about peace and tranquillity, but with a little excitement thrown in here and there… Having settled in and developed a bit of a tan and had daily offers from young, charming, fit Jamaican men, I started to ask myself why I was being quite so coy. So when yet another guy approached me, this time sailing up to the beach on his fishing boat, I chatted for a while, realised that not only was he young, good-looking, stylish and sexy, but also had a sense of humour, I agreed to meet him the next day for a trip on his boat. I think by this time I had got more used to chatting to guys whilst I was completely naked, and I guess on a nudie beach with nothing left to the imagination, people’s first thought is probably not going to be, "That’s a guy isn’t it..?" I knew this chap hadn’t read me, in fact Gillian and I were getting used to that too, in a nice way. I don’t think we got read much at all throughout our holiday. So after making sure I had dilated well that morning (!) I went off to meet him at the landing point. He was waiting for me out to sea and chugged up alongside me with a big smile on his face. He helped me into the boat and away we ventured, on the beautiful, turquoise Caribbean, to where exactly I knew not. I'm having to think carefully about how much detail I go into here, but this is my diary, which I have chosen to share with this community, should anyone care to read it, my mum being a part of this community. Ah well, she’s very broad-minded, probably more so than some others here… First port of call was a secluded little cove with a little bit of beach. It was lovely, a very romantic setting. We stayed on the boat, and romance ensued… He was considerate enough to take precautions, so even though I had come prepared, I thought that was good of him. Although the cove was secluded and hidden from any possible viewers, it was also known to other locals, one of whom dropped in on his jet-ski, with two American girls on the back. Lucky him eh? After a brief exchange in unintelligible Jamaican Patois, something along the lines of, "Sorry guy, just passing by…" I was told by my new friend, he whizzed off and one of his passengers shouted to me, "You go, girl!" Had to smile, my legs now lowered from my mate’s shoulders. Oops, that’s far too much detail. Sorry mum, but I really don’t plan to make a habit of this… Fishing boats are not the most comfortable place for this sort of activity, so we decided to find somewhere else. We sailed round the back of a small, uninhabited Island, and found a secluded beach. He dropped anchor, we waded from the boat, and found a nice spot on the beach under a cotton-seed tree where I laid my giant beach-towel. Told you I’d come prepared. Much more comfortable. You can imagine the rest. White Jamaican beach, gentle sea lapping on the shore, blue sky, warm sun shining, two people alone on an island… I know, it’s disgraceful isn’t it? I should be ashamed of myself shouldn’t I? I’m not though. It was an experience and I certainly don’t regret it. Would I do it again? Maybe, maybe not. In fact he wanted to spend the rest of the holiday with me, but I said no. I couldn’t be bothered with all that, nice as it was, but it was a one-off, and not the reason I was there. So I had to turn him down and I could see he was genuinely disappointed, but I’m sure he would have just gone up the coast and found someone else the next day. I’ve gone through most of my life feeling somewhat undesirable, so even if it was a bit fickle his desire for me was unmistakable. I mean, really, and I have to admit that was kind of nice. And it was nice to be chatted up every day by other locals and tourists alike, English, German, American… And it’s made me realise that I’m not so hideous as perhaps I once thought. That my tall, athletic (i.e. gangly) figure with an out of place little fat tummy, slightly flattened now by all the swimming, may not be a typical womanly figure; I may not be curvaceous and voluptuous but I can still appeal to men, with and without clothes. I’ve no plans to become promiscuous, some may think I already am, but I’ve also no plans to spend the rest of my life lonely and undesirable. The episode with my Jamaican boy was not a major part of my holiday, despite being a major part of this blog. We met a lot of people, we had a great time, and the place was lovely. I’d like to go back, but anywhere warm would do right now. Pre-op, I never would have gone on a beach holiday, in fact I never went on any holiday during my RLE, and had been abroad only once or twice in the last 20 years. Maybe I’ve realised that the world is my lobster. I’d certainly like to see, and experience more of it. Watch out world, here I come. xx
    1530 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • I am struggling a little with the cold in this country, but I’ve only myself to blame; it doesn’t help to go jetting off to Jamaica where it’s in the 80’s every day and arrive back to sub-zero temperatures. It’s still very pretty here though, in a different sort of way; blue skies and snow-capped hills surrounding Kendal at the moment. Hmm, I think I prefer blue seas and constant warm weather though. Maybe I’d get bored with it eventually, but probably not. I know no-one wants to hear about my holiday, but I can’t not mention it can I? There’s not a great deal to tell though, it was all about rest, relaxation and recharging, so we spent most of the time lying on the beach and swimming. I really got into the swimming, every morning and afternoon, sometimes for hours at a time. The Caribbean is so warm, so clear, and most days as calm as a lake; absolutely wonderful, and so refreshing. Our resort had two beaches, one which was adult only and clothing optional. After our first day on the main beach and finding ugly white triangle bikini marks on our boobs we decided it had to be the adult beach from then on, and clothes were duly discarded. Bliss. Swimming became even more fun and reached new depths of refreshment. We had an all-inclusive deal, meaning all we could eat and drink, and use of non-motorised water sports. Kayaking was too much effort for me, and we didn’t bother with the glass-bottomed boat trips, but we did go snorkelling one day which was fantastic, like being inside a huge tropical fish tank. Otherwise it was eat, drink, sunbathe, swim and tart ourselves up every now and then. Oh and get chatted up every day, literally. I think Jamaican guys must like older women, we were very popular with them, and also with the group of American guys who were staying at the resort next door and would wander over to our beach every day to watch the sunset and talk to the two European girls. Apart from us two, most of the time our beach was deserted, we were lucky to be there at a very quiet time, so it was all about peace and tranquillity, but with a little excitement thrown in here and there… Having settled in and developed a bit of a tan and had daily offers from young, charming, fit Jamaican men, I started to ask myself why I was being quite so coy. So when yet another guy approached me, this time sailing up to the beach on his fishing boat, I chatted for a while, realised that not only was he young, good-looking, stylish and sexy, but also had a sense of humour, I agreed to meet him the next day for a trip on his boat. I think by this time I had got more used to chatting to guys whilst I was completely naked, and I guess on a nudie beach with nothing left to the imagination, people’s first thought is probably not going to be, "That’s a guy isn’t it..?" I knew this chap hadn’t read me, in fact Gillian and I were getting used to that too, in a nice way. I don’t think we got read much at all throughout our holiday. So after making sure I had dilated well that morning (!) I went off to meet him at the landing point. He was waiting for me out to sea and chugged up alongside me with a big smile on his face. He helped me into the boat and away we ventured, on the beautiful, turquoise Caribbean, to where exactly I knew not. I'm having to think carefully about how much detail I go into here, but this is my diary, which I have chosen to share with this community, should anyone care to read it, my mum being a part of this community. Ah well, she’s very broad-minded, probably more so than some others here… First port of call was a secluded little cove with a little bit of beach. It was lovely, a very romantic setting. We stayed on the boat, and romance ensued… He was considerate enough to take precautions, so even though I had come prepared, I thought that was good of him. Although the cove was secluded and hidden from any possible viewers, it was also known to other locals, one of whom dropped in on his jet-ski, with two American girls on the back. Lucky him eh? After a brief exchange in unintelligible Jamaican Patois, something along the lines of, "Sorry guy, just passing by…" I was told by my new friend, he whizzed off and one of his passengers shouted to me, "You go, girl!" Had to smile, my legs now lowered from my mate’s shoulders. Oops, that’s far too much detail. Sorry mum, but I really don’t plan to make a habit of this… Fishing boats are not the most comfortable place for this sort of activity, so we decided to find somewhere else. We sailed round the back of a small, uninhabited Island, and found a secluded beach. He dropped anchor, we waded from the boat, and found a nice spot on the beach under a cotton-seed tree where I laid my giant beach-towel. Told you I’d come prepared. Much more comfortable. You can imagine the rest. White Jamaican beach, gentle sea lapping on the shore, blue sky, warm sun shining, two people alone on an island… I know, it’s disgraceful isn’t it? I should be ashamed of myself shouldn’t I? I’m not though. It was an experience and I certainly don’t regret it. Would I do it again? Maybe, maybe not. In fact he wanted to spend the rest of the holiday with me, but I said no. I couldn’t be bothered with all that, nice as it was, but it was a one-off, and not the reason I was there. So I had to turn him down and I could see he was genuinely disappointed, but I’m sure he would have just gone up the coast and found someone else the next day. I’ve gone through most of my life feeling somewhat undesirable, so even if it was a bit fickle his desire for me was unmistakable. I mean, really, and I have to admit that was kind of nice. And it was nice to be chatted up every day by other locals and tourists alike, English, German, American… And it’s made me realise that I’m not so hideous as perhaps I once thought. That my tall, athletic (i.e. gangly) figure with an out of place little fat tummy, slightly flattened now by all the swimming, may not be a typical womanly figure; I may not be curvaceous and voluptuous but I can still appeal to men, with and without clothes. I’ve no plans to become promiscuous, some may think I already am, but I’ve also no plans to spend the rest of my life lonely and undesirable. The episode with my Jamaican boy was not a major part of my holiday, despite being a major part of this blog. We met a lot of people, we had a great time, and the place was lovely. I’d like to go back, but anywhere warm would do right now. Pre-op, I never would have gone on a beach holiday, in fact I never went on any holiday during my RLE, and had been abroad only once or twice in the last 20 years. Maybe I’ve realised that the world is my lobster. I’d certainly like to see, and experience more of it. Watch out world, here I come. xx
    Dec 01, 2008 1530
  • 31 Oct 2008
    It’s been lovely to do a bit of pampering this week in preparation for my holiday, well ok a leg wax is not considered pampering by most people, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some make it out to be, in fact I quite enjoyed it. The girl was very friendly and chatty, I didn’t mind stripping down to my knickers for a complete stranger, something I would NEVER have done pre-op! She was very good, very thorough, made sure she didn’t miss a single hair, and had a great touch. A gentle massage afterwards with aloe vera gel certainly counts as pampering, and the waxing itself really wasn’t a problem. I think it’s preferable to the epilator, and it looks and feels better with fewer dots and bumps. I made sure to get some free advice on various body-care issues while I was there too! Really quite an enjoyable session, I may go again. My nail colour is still perfectly intact after 2 days, I’m amazed, and getting used to my long nails now. Very vampish really, I should be going out for Halloween , but I’m not, too busy packing… If I can pack my case and get all the way to Jamaica without damaging my nails I will be a happy girl, but I’ll be taking some varnish for touch-ups, just in case. Gillian just happens to have some in my colour that is the same brand as they used in the nail bar, it’s called OPI, seems to be pretty good stuff! Not much pampering left to do now. Will paint my toenails tonight, tomorrow do a bit of buffing and moisturising, gotta look my best for the beach. But first I must go cook, and try not to eat too much, hopefully swimming in the sea every day will work off a bit of this podgy tummy. I’m so looking forward to some warm weather, even if it is humid and thundery, which is quite likely this time of year. Anything is better than cold, wet, and more cold. Well, bye for now girls, see you when I’ve travelled half way round the world and back. xx
    1315 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • It’s been lovely to do a bit of pampering this week in preparation for my holiday, well ok a leg wax is not considered pampering by most people, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some make it out to be, in fact I quite enjoyed it. The girl was very friendly and chatty, I didn’t mind stripping down to my knickers for a complete stranger, something I would NEVER have done pre-op! She was very good, very thorough, made sure she didn’t miss a single hair, and had a great touch. A gentle massage afterwards with aloe vera gel certainly counts as pampering, and the waxing itself really wasn’t a problem. I think it’s preferable to the epilator, and it looks and feels better with fewer dots and bumps. I made sure to get some free advice on various body-care issues while I was there too! Really quite an enjoyable session, I may go again. My nail colour is still perfectly intact after 2 days, I’m amazed, and getting used to my long nails now. Very vampish really, I should be going out for Halloween , but I’m not, too busy packing… If I can pack my case and get all the way to Jamaica without damaging my nails I will be a happy girl, but I’ll be taking some varnish for touch-ups, just in case. Gillian just happens to have some in my colour that is the same brand as they used in the nail bar, it’s called OPI, seems to be pretty good stuff! Not much pampering left to do now. Will paint my toenails tonight, tomorrow do a bit of buffing and moisturising, gotta look my best for the beach. But first I must go cook, and try not to eat too much, hopefully swimming in the sea every day will work off a bit of this podgy tummy. I’m so looking forward to some warm weather, even if it is humid and thundery, which is quite likely this time of year. Anything is better than cold, wet, and more cold. Well, bye for now girls, see you when I’ve travelled half way round the world and back. xx
    Oct 31, 2008 1315
  • 29 Oct 2008
    So, yeah, had my nails done today and wow, I love ‘em. I‘m kinda scared of typing even, but there is certainly no chance of me using the other type of keyboard that features heavily in my life, the one with the black and white keys. I’d have to play it with my palms at the moment, which would probably sound a bit of a mess. It’s nice to have long nails again, they have never been this perfect; all the same length, beautifully coloured (in my trademark, beloved burgundy), and feeling strong and healthy. Even though they aren’t really, they look and feel real! So good in fact, I almost wish I could get into a cat-fight with someone just so I could scratch their eyes out, but not quite; I’m not really that type of person, despite having suitable nails for it. We both went for gels over acrylics, a fiver difference in price. Gillian went for the French manicure, which looks fantastic and probably more classy than my tarty red claws. But I still love 'em just the same. I’m sure they will look great digging into the back of some hunky rasta guy… Sorry mum, I am only joking, honest! On the way back from the nail bar, I popped into Kendal’s classiest beauty salon and booked a leg wax. Oh my god what have I done? I’ve never been waxed before. How hard can it be…? (Famous last words). Still, gotta look my best for the beach. I normally epilate, but it takes ages, it’s a drag, I don’t wanna do it with my gorgeous talons, I can’t be bothered anyway… and if my nails look so much better done professionally then maybe my legs will too. Oh god what have I done… The things we do in the name of beauty eh. I shall try not to think about the impending torture treatment for the next couple of days, and whilst it’s being done I shall lie back and think of Jamaica... Rum punch, white-gold beaches, burgundy nails, hunky man’s back… Just a few more days to go before we jet off. Must decide what to wear; obviously I have nothing in any of my three wardrobes, various cupboards, hidey-holes and organised-chaotical piles of clothes. Then must think about packing my case –  v e r y   c a r e f u l l y; nasty zips on that thing. 15 kilos limit, what a bugger. How’s a girl expected to survive for two weeks with only 15 kilos of clothes? Anyway, I had my last day at work yesterday before my hols. So with the nails to prove it – I am now officially a lady of leisure. For something by which to remember me while I’m gone, like anyone’s gonna miss me… here’s a pic my mum took last night. Our very handsome singer and myself proving that rock n’ roll ain’t all "thrash and pose". We love what we do, we play it like we mean it, cos we do. xx
    1292 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • So, yeah, had my nails done today and wow, I love ‘em. I‘m kinda scared of typing even, but there is certainly no chance of me using the other type of keyboard that features heavily in my life, the one with the black and white keys. I’d have to play it with my palms at the moment, which would probably sound a bit of a mess. It’s nice to have long nails again, they have never been this perfect; all the same length, beautifully coloured (in my trademark, beloved burgundy), and feeling strong and healthy. Even though they aren’t really, they look and feel real! So good in fact, I almost wish I could get into a cat-fight with someone just so I could scratch their eyes out, but not quite; I’m not really that type of person, despite having suitable nails for it. We both went for gels over acrylics, a fiver difference in price. Gillian went for the French manicure, which looks fantastic and probably more classy than my tarty red claws. But I still love 'em just the same. I’m sure they will look great digging into the back of some hunky rasta guy… Sorry mum, I am only joking, honest! On the way back from the nail bar, I popped into Kendal’s classiest beauty salon and booked a leg wax. Oh my god what have I done? I’ve never been waxed before. How hard can it be…? (Famous last words). Still, gotta look my best for the beach. I normally epilate, but it takes ages, it’s a drag, I don’t wanna do it with my gorgeous talons, I can’t be bothered anyway… and if my nails look so much better done professionally then maybe my legs will too. Oh god what have I done… The things we do in the name of beauty eh. I shall try not to think about the impending torture treatment for the next couple of days, and whilst it’s being done I shall lie back and think of Jamaica... Rum punch, white-gold beaches, burgundy nails, hunky man’s back… Just a few more days to go before we jet off. Must decide what to wear; obviously I have nothing in any of my three wardrobes, various cupboards, hidey-holes and organised-chaotical piles of clothes. Then must think about packing my case –  v e r y   c a r e f u l l y; nasty zips on that thing. 15 kilos limit, what a bugger. How’s a girl expected to survive for two weeks with only 15 kilos of clothes? Anyway, I had my last day at work yesterday before my hols. So with the nails to prove it – I am now officially a lady of leisure. For something by which to remember me while I’m gone, like anyone’s gonna miss me… here’s a pic my mum took last night. Our very handsome singer and myself proving that rock n’ roll ain’t all "thrash and pose". We love what we do, we play it like we mean it, cos we do. xx
    Oct 29, 2008 1292
  • 26 Oct 2008
    It turns out that my car is amphibious, which is a good job else I wouldn’t have got to the gig last night. English girls may have heard on the national news about the hoo-ha over the massive mountain rescue operation in the Lake District, when organisers of a fell marathon decided it would a good idea to go ahead with the event despite the worst conditions in living memory. Such is the weather in Cumbria at the moment. Wet. Not that this is anything new of course. I’m quite proud of my little girly car actually. I’ve had it for 8 years and it’s never been out in such weather, along seriously flooded country roads. It was a little scary really, but I guess the worst that could have happened would have been breaking down in the middle of a lake on the road and getting my feet wet. I was so relieved to eventually arrive at the gig, having floated most of the way there. It’s with some relief therefore that next week I will be getting away from this extreme, yet not untypical October weather, and jetting off to JAMAICA! Upon our return from Italy, back to a not untypical British summer, Gillian and I decided that we just had to get away again, somewhere warm. We’re not guaranteed sun in Jamaica at this time of year but it will definitely be warm. We’ve booked an all-inclusive package, food, drinks, pool, private beach, so we don’t have to do anything, except get waited on hand and foot and swim in the sea. How lovely. It’s a bit of a blow-out, and when I get back I shall really have to think about being a bit more frugal for a while. But that can wait until I get back… On Tuesday we’re getting our nails done. My first professional manicure ever. As I don’t have to play the keyboards for a couple of weeks I’m going to get extensions, gels or acrylics, not sure yet, any advice on which might be best would be greatly appreciated (see relevant forum post!) It’ll be nice to have nails again. I did manage to grow them quite long after leaving my last day job, but joining a band again put paid to that. Apart from the fact that long nails get caught in between the notes on my keyboard, plugs, knobs, faders, flight cases, handles and catches and so on really aren’t the best of friends with long nails. So it’ll be a nice girly day with Gillian, getting our nails done, a look round the shops, and in the evening we’re going out to the Thai restaurant. We can discuss final details of our holiday and admire our nails. I got my foreign money. I have seventeen thousand Jamaican dollars. Wow, I must be rich! Nope, it’s only 150 quid. Which I guess means a Jamaican dollar is worth about three farthings. Blimey. Shouldn’t need much money though, we’ve already paid for all we can eat and drink. It would be nice to see some sun, but I realise it may just be warm and cloudy. Hopefully the hurricane season has passed. Hopefully it will not rain 24/7 and we won’t have to drive through any lakes. I wonder if what they say about black men is true… xx
    1070 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • It turns out that my car is amphibious, which is a good job else I wouldn’t have got to the gig last night. English girls may have heard on the national news about the hoo-ha over the massive mountain rescue operation in the Lake District, when organisers of a fell marathon decided it would a good idea to go ahead with the event despite the worst conditions in living memory. Such is the weather in Cumbria at the moment. Wet. Not that this is anything new of course. I’m quite proud of my little girly car actually. I’ve had it for 8 years and it’s never been out in such weather, along seriously flooded country roads. It was a little scary really, but I guess the worst that could have happened would have been breaking down in the middle of a lake on the road and getting my feet wet. I was so relieved to eventually arrive at the gig, having floated most of the way there. It’s with some relief therefore that next week I will be getting away from this extreme, yet not untypical October weather, and jetting off to JAMAICA! Upon our return from Italy, back to a not untypical British summer, Gillian and I decided that we just had to get away again, somewhere warm. We’re not guaranteed sun in Jamaica at this time of year but it will definitely be warm. We’ve booked an all-inclusive package, food, drinks, pool, private beach, so we don’t have to do anything, except get waited on hand and foot and swim in the sea. How lovely. It’s a bit of a blow-out, and when I get back I shall really have to think about being a bit more frugal for a while. But that can wait until I get back… On Tuesday we’re getting our nails done. My first professional manicure ever. As I don’t have to play the keyboards for a couple of weeks I’m going to get extensions, gels or acrylics, not sure yet, any advice on which might be best would be greatly appreciated (see relevant forum post!) It’ll be nice to have nails again. I did manage to grow them quite long after leaving my last day job, but joining a band again put paid to that. Apart from the fact that long nails get caught in between the notes on my keyboard, plugs, knobs, faders, flight cases, handles and catches and so on really aren’t the best of friends with long nails. So it’ll be a nice girly day with Gillian, getting our nails done, a look round the shops, and in the evening we’re going out to the Thai restaurant. We can discuss final details of our holiday and admire our nails. I got my foreign money. I have seventeen thousand Jamaican dollars. Wow, I must be rich! Nope, it’s only 150 quid. Which I guess means a Jamaican dollar is worth about three farthings. Blimey. Shouldn’t need much money though, we’ve already paid for all we can eat and drink. It would be nice to see some sun, but I realise it may just be warm and cloudy. Hopefully the hurricane season has passed. Hopefully it will not rain 24/7 and we won’t have to drive through any lakes. I wonder if what they say about black men is true… xx
    Oct 26, 2008 1070
  • 28 Sep 2008
    Today is my rebirthday. Did I just invent a new word? Well, I’m sure someone has used it before. Post-op girls often decide that they now have an excuse to celebrate two birthdays a year, though hopefully that doesn’t make them age twice as fast. Although it’s a special day for me, I don’t think I’ll be celebrating it in the same way as my birthday (ie presents, getting pissed, eating lots). It feels good to be one year on though. I’m still alive at least. Today was a lovely sunny day, quite warm for the time of year. It’s been nice all week actually, but it’s no longer summer, so it’s all come too late really. Anyway, I spent the day climbing trees, armed with a saw and pruning shears, and making bonfires. Feeling slightly concerned that I was turning into a little boy again, in the evening I did some baking and made apple sponge puddings with elderberry sauce topping using my home-grown organic fruit. After which I had a long soak in a pink bubbly bath with lots of candles to set the mood. Yep, I’m still a girl. One of the puds is in the oven now, so I’ll be making custard shortly and having a midnight feast! This time last year I would have been, um let’s see now, Thai time seven hours ahead of GMT… I would have been ordering breakfast after my first night with my new body. I had scrambled egg and toast. I look back on my time on Thailand with fondness, not because I really saw any of Thailand, just because the whole experience was so special, hard work at times, but special, and wonderful. If I believed in God I’d thank him every day for my special gift. Instead I thank my surgeon. Dr Suporn is an amazing man, his skill verging on genius. My old detested body is gone forever, and I love the new me. Being a girl is brilliant. xx
    1014 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • Today is my rebirthday. Did I just invent a new word? Well, I’m sure someone has used it before. Post-op girls often decide that they now have an excuse to celebrate two birthdays a year, though hopefully that doesn’t make them age twice as fast. Although it’s a special day for me, I don’t think I’ll be celebrating it in the same way as my birthday (ie presents, getting pissed, eating lots). It feels good to be one year on though. I’m still alive at least. Today was a lovely sunny day, quite warm for the time of year. It’s been nice all week actually, but it’s no longer summer, so it’s all come too late really. Anyway, I spent the day climbing trees, armed with a saw and pruning shears, and making bonfires. Feeling slightly concerned that I was turning into a little boy again, in the evening I did some baking and made apple sponge puddings with elderberry sauce topping using my home-grown organic fruit. After which I had a long soak in a pink bubbly bath with lots of candles to set the mood. Yep, I’m still a girl. One of the puds is in the oven now, so I’ll be making custard shortly and having a midnight feast! This time last year I would have been, um let’s see now, Thai time seven hours ahead of GMT… I would have been ordering breakfast after my first night with my new body. I had scrambled egg and toast. I look back on my time on Thailand with fondness, not because I really saw any of Thailand, just because the whole experience was so special, hard work at times, but special, and wonderful. If I believed in God I’d thank him every day for my special gift. Instead I thank my surgeon. Dr Suporn is an amazing man, his skill verging on genius. My old detested body is gone forever, and I love the new me. Being a girl is brilliant. xx
    Sep 28, 2008 1014
  • 31 Jul 2008
    Italy was fantastic, I had an amazing time and really didn’t want to come home. Italian men are outrageous, SO forward. I never went with any, but it wasn’t through lack of offers. I couldn’t quite believe it, and it seemed to be only me in our group that they all went for. Well it didn’t just seem to be, it was. I think they must just like tall blonde women. Or maybe they were all tranny admirers, or being Italian I expect they weren’t too bothered, anything that moves… I’ve never had anything like that sort of attention in England, and I’m certainly not going to complain about it, but most of the guys chasing after me weren’t that hot so I was just polite to them and not too flirty, mostly. There were of course some really hot guys around, but sadly they couldn’t be persuaded to come back to our house and party with 4 women. Ahh well. A couple of days into our trip we drove down the hill, (well it’s more of a cliff really, the roads in the area are quite an experience), and visited the "Grotto Dello Smeraldo" – The Emerald Grotto. It’s a place I visited last time I was there with the family and it was lovely; a cave accessed from the road by elevator, with an opening below sea level that lets in the sunlight and makes the water appear a beautiful bright emerald colour, hence the name, obviously. I remember we had quite a witty old boatman who rowed us around and pointed out various stalagmites which looked like the tower of Pisa and politicians of the day, and played the opening notes of the Cornetto advert on some mini stalactites, which of course is a famous tune in Italy, "O sole mio" I think it’s called. I thought it would be fun to go back and see it again, and it was just down the road from us. The more famous "Blue Grotto" in Capri by the way was a great anticlimax after this; unlike the Emerald Grotto the cave is accessible by sea, so they row you in and row you out again and don’t say a word, and the water is blue. Pretty colour water, but that’s it, really not worth the effort. Anyway I digress… So, we all descended in the elevator and I said "Buongiorno" to the rather handsome and considerably-younger-than-last-time boatman. He chatted to me for a while and then insisted when we got in the boat that I sat in the front seat, right next to him, so he could, "speak English to me", which I think is Italian for "look down your cleavage", or something. He chatted to me between the stalactites and gmites, asking where I was from and what it was like and stuff. The tour was much the same as I remembered it, but the boatman didn’t play "O sole Mio" this time; I guess after 31 years the stalactites had gone out of tune. And we went a little late in the day so less of the water was green because the sun had moved round, but it was still beautiful, and the boatman gave us "Emerald jewels for the ladies" by splashing his oar across the water. Great fun. So out we went and the boatman approached me and said, "You like a private tour?" I couldn’t believe it! "YES PLEASE", cried the voice in my head. The thought of making love to an extremely hunky and handsome Italian boatman in a secluded cave with romantic natural light from underwater seemed, well, bloody amazing. For some stupid reason though I said no. I couldn’t just dump my friends, and I suppose maybe I’m just not that easy, at least when I’m sober. I spent the next few days wondering about it though, very tempted to go back. He did try to persuade me to go on his "private tour", carried on chatting in the elevator, and asked me to stay a while longer as we went out and headed back to the car. "You can come in and play my piano…" he said, having asked me earlier what I do for a living. I wonder if that’s Italian for "play with my organ…" or something? So he was the first of many to chat me up, and certainly the most eligible. I didn’t expect any of this. Having had little experience of such encounters, most of which have been in tranny bars, it was quite a boost. The waiters are the most flirty, but it’s part of their job so I don’t count them, but I did get lots of, "Ahh, bellissimo, young-a lay-dee…" and the like. I think the other 3 girls were feeling a bit left out after a while. "How do you do it?" I was asked. I dunno. It doesn’t normally happen to me. It wasn’t the outrageous Italian flirtyness that made my holiday so great though, it was just, everything. The place was amazing. The view from our balcony was gorgeous, the whole coastline is stunning. The weather was SCORCHIO! Pompeii and Vesuvius were more moving and dramatic than last time. We also visited Herculaneum, a town similar to Pompeii, founded by the Greeks on the other side of the Volcano. It’s still being excavated, most of it being covered by the modern town now called Ercolano. Really interesting. Actually there is still more of Pompeii to be uncovered, but I am told they are now putting the money into preserving the already exposed ruins, which are now starting to deteriorate slightly from being exposed to the elements. More has been excavated though since I was last there 31 years ago, so it was well worth going back, and in fact had quite a different vibe from how I remembered it. The whole area, the whole experience seemed different to last time, but I think that's down to me, and how I have changed. I was 14 last time I was there, in the throes of changing from a cute little blonde child who was often mistaken for a girl, into a slightly gawky teenage boy, who felt slightly ugly, and extremely uncomfortable about the changes happening to my body, and somewhat apprehensive about the prospect of becoming (cue scary music…) a man. I did appreciate the beauty of the place of course, even then, but probably in a way that I thought I wasn’t supposed to. So this time things were different. I feel right now, being there felt great, I loved it. I cried on our last night, having been to Sorrento and Positano (so pretty) that day, and eaten out on a balcony overlooking Positano and the Bay. The meal was fantastico, the setting was idyllic, the sunset was beautiful, and the drive back along the coast road with lights twinkling everywhere just finished me off. I was overcome with the beauty of the place, felt so privileged to be there, and the late-night drive back was just brilliant. I was so sad to be coming home. And here I am and the weather is rubbish. But I’m not sad any more; the memories will stay with me forever and the whole thing has done me the world of good. I am so happy I went. My friends had been talking about going away for a while, and I was always reluctant to go along, worrying about having to dilate every day and my knobbly knees on the beach and piddly stuff like that. But as soon as they mentioned the Amalfi Coast I knew that was one place I wanted to go back to. And I would go again, tomorrow please… We did lots more than I have mentioned of course, but I’m going on a bit aren’t I so don’t want to bore you with all the details. I must just mention though that I had my first post-op swim. We went down to the beach in Positano and Gillian and I had a dip. It was wonderful, I wasn’t even worried about looking silly in a bikini, and I didn’t even mind getting stung by a jellyfish, another new experience for me! So my first proper holiday as the woman I was meant to be. It couldn’t have been any better. Though there was that boatman wasn’t there…? Maybe next time. Ciao! From the right - Laura, Lisa, Lucy, Gillian Overlooking Sorrento Harbour After our swim, hence the "mermaid hair" Popping to the shop in Furore Exploring Sorrento The last supper Statue in Pompeii A happy girl
    1184 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • Italy was fantastic, I had an amazing time and really didn’t want to come home. Italian men are outrageous, SO forward. I never went with any, but it wasn’t through lack of offers. I couldn’t quite believe it, and it seemed to be only me in our group that they all went for. Well it didn’t just seem to be, it was. I think they must just like tall blonde women. Or maybe they were all tranny admirers, or being Italian I expect they weren’t too bothered, anything that moves… I’ve never had anything like that sort of attention in England, and I’m certainly not going to complain about it, but most of the guys chasing after me weren’t that hot so I was just polite to them and not too flirty, mostly. There were of course some really hot guys around, but sadly they couldn’t be persuaded to come back to our house and party with 4 women. Ahh well. A couple of days into our trip we drove down the hill, (well it’s more of a cliff really, the roads in the area are quite an experience), and visited the "Grotto Dello Smeraldo" – The Emerald Grotto. It’s a place I visited last time I was there with the family and it was lovely; a cave accessed from the road by elevator, with an opening below sea level that lets in the sunlight and makes the water appear a beautiful bright emerald colour, hence the name, obviously. I remember we had quite a witty old boatman who rowed us around and pointed out various stalagmites which looked like the tower of Pisa and politicians of the day, and played the opening notes of the Cornetto advert on some mini stalactites, which of course is a famous tune in Italy, "O sole mio" I think it’s called. I thought it would be fun to go back and see it again, and it was just down the road from us. The more famous "Blue Grotto" in Capri by the way was a great anticlimax after this; unlike the Emerald Grotto the cave is accessible by sea, so they row you in and row you out again and don’t say a word, and the water is blue. Pretty colour water, but that’s it, really not worth the effort. Anyway I digress… So, we all descended in the elevator and I said "Buongiorno" to the rather handsome and considerably-younger-than-last-time boatman. He chatted to me for a while and then insisted when we got in the boat that I sat in the front seat, right next to him, so he could, "speak English to me", which I think is Italian for "look down your cleavage", or something. He chatted to me between the stalactites and gmites, asking where I was from and what it was like and stuff. The tour was much the same as I remembered it, but the boatman didn’t play "O sole Mio" this time; I guess after 31 years the stalactites had gone out of tune. And we went a little late in the day so less of the water was green because the sun had moved round, but it was still beautiful, and the boatman gave us "Emerald jewels for the ladies" by splashing his oar across the water. Great fun. So out we went and the boatman approached me and said, "You like a private tour?" I couldn’t believe it! "YES PLEASE", cried the voice in my head. The thought of making love to an extremely hunky and handsome Italian boatman in a secluded cave with romantic natural light from underwater seemed, well, bloody amazing. For some stupid reason though I said no. I couldn’t just dump my friends, and I suppose maybe I’m just not that easy, at least when I’m sober. I spent the next few days wondering about it though, very tempted to go back. He did try to persuade me to go on his "private tour", carried on chatting in the elevator, and asked me to stay a while longer as we went out and headed back to the car. "You can come in and play my piano…" he said, having asked me earlier what I do for a living. I wonder if that’s Italian for "play with my organ…" or something? So he was the first of many to chat me up, and certainly the most eligible. I didn’t expect any of this. Having had little experience of such encounters, most of which have been in tranny bars, it was quite a boost. The waiters are the most flirty, but it’s part of their job so I don’t count them, but I did get lots of, "Ahh, bellissimo, young-a lay-dee…" and the like. I think the other 3 girls were feeling a bit left out after a while. "How do you do it?" I was asked. I dunno. It doesn’t normally happen to me. It wasn’t the outrageous Italian flirtyness that made my holiday so great though, it was just, everything. The place was amazing. The view from our balcony was gorgeous, the whole coastline is stunning. The weather was SCORCHIO! Pompeii and Vesuvius were more moving and dramatic than last time. We also visited Herculaneum, a town similar to Pompeii, founded by the Greeks on the other side of the Volcano. It’s still being excavated, most of it being covered by the modern town now called Ercolano. Really interesting. Actually there is still more of Pompeii to be uncovered, but I am told they are now putting the money into preserving the already exposed ruins, which are now starting to deteriorate slightly from being exposed to the elements. More has been excavated though since I was last there 31 years ago, so it was well worth going back, and in fact had quite a different vibe from how I remembered it. The whole area, the whole experience seemed different to last time, but I think that's down to me, and how I have changed. I was 14 last time I was there, in the throes of changing from a cute little blonde child who was often mistaken for a girl, into a slightly gawky teenage boy, who felt slightly ugly, and extremely uncomfortable about the changes happening to my body, and somewhat apprehensive about the prospect of becoming (cue scary music…) a man. I did appreciate the beauty of the place of course, even then, but probably in a way that I thought I wasn’t supposed to. So this time things were different. I feel right now, being there felt great, I loved it. I cried on our last night, having been to Sorrento and Positano (so pretty) that day, and eaten out on a balcony overlooking Positano and the Bay. The meal was fantastico, the setting was idyllic, the sunset was beautiful, and the drive back along the coast road with lights twinkling everywhere just finished me off. I was overcome with the beauty of the place, felt so privileged to be there, and the late-night drive back was just brilliant. I was so sad to be coming home. And here I am and the weather is rubbish. But I’m not sad any more; the memories will stay with me forever and the whole thing has done me the world of good. I am so happy I went. My friends had been talking about going away for a while, and I was always reluctant to go along, worrying about having to dilate every day and my knobbly knees on the beach and piddly stuff like that. But as soon as they mentioned the Amalfi Coast I knew that was one place I wanted to go back to. And I would go again, tomorrow please… We did lots more than I have mentioned of course, but I’m going on a bit aren’t I so don’t want to bore you with all the details. I must just mention though that I had my first post-op swim. We went down to the beach in Positano and Gillian and I had a dip. It was wonderful, I wasn’t even worried about looking silly in a bikini, and I didn’t even mind getting stung by a jellyfish, another new experience for me! So my first proper holiday as the woman I was meant to be. It couldn’t have been any better. Though there was that boatman wasn’t there…? Maybe next time. Ciao! From the right - Laura, Lisa, Lucy, Gillian Overlooking Sorrento Harbour After our swim, hence the "mermaid hair" Popping to the shop in Furore Exploring Sorrento The last supper Statue in Pompeii A happy girl
    Jul 31, 2008 1184
  • 14 Jul 2008
    Well, not any more… I finally did it. I shamelessly picked up a guy at Sparkle, old slapper that I am, dragged him back to my house and forced him to make love to me. Well actually, he seemed quite willing. It was extremely gorgeous. Words cannot express how good it felt so I probably won’t even try, but it was fantastic, amazing, really lovely. My condition, my transition and everything surrounding it has never had anything to do with sexual preference or motivation. But I am a woman and I have needs, and to at last discover sex as it was meant to be for me is indeed truly wonderful, and quite enlightening. Needless to say I want more… It’s so nice to be desired, to be satisfied, to have a mutual attraction, and to actually get on well with such a person, cos actually I’m not really a "casual sex" sort of person. He was a lovely guy though and I trusted him, and the time was right; I was physically ready. Nine months of often difficult, daily dilation now seems all the more worthwhile. And it HAS to be said at this juncture, that my surgeon, the wonderful Dr Suporn, is truly a genius. The earth moved for me, no problem. Yummm. More of that please. Anyway I’d better not go on about it eh. Oh and, sorry mum for your shameless hussy of a daughter, but at least she is an extremely happy, contented, feeling like a natural woman hussy. Sorry, but, well, I’m not really! Wow. So apart from discovering the mysteries of the universe, what else has been happening? I’ve had what should be my last appointment at Charing Cross. I cancelled the previous one (SRS referral appointment) because I’d already booked my surgery and was due to be in Thailand on the date they gave me, so no way was I going to change my flights and everything just to get their written blessing. They didn’t mind though. They wrote to my GP after my recent appointment and said that my decision to have surgery privately was absolutely fine by them; I had lived full-time for more than the required duration and fulfilled all their criteria. It is now up to my GP alone to supervise my hormone regime and anything else I may need from the NHS. No more shrinks! The main reason for my final appointment at CX though was to get them to write their report for the Gender Recognition Panel in order for me to finally become legally female. It seems slightly ridiculous that at the moment I am technically, legally male with a female (fully functioning!) body. Anyway, Dr Lorimer who has always seemed very nice to me, said he would get the necessary do***entation to me within a few days. Two and half months later I’m still waiting of course, their admin really is terrible. I will give ‘em a ring and chase ‘em up, after I get back from MY HOLIDAY…! I’m off to Italy on Thursday with 3 of my girlfriends. Apart from Thailand last year, which doesn’t really count, I haven’t had a holiday for years and years, so obviously I’m really looking forward to it. We are renting a house in Furore, on the Amalfi coast, surely one of the most stunning coastlines in Europe. Lots of winding roads, steep cliffs, fantastic views, Naples, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Sorrento, Ravello, Capri, Ischia, and so on. I’ve actually been to the area before on our last proper "family holiday" when I was 14, so I know how beautiful it is, and really can’t wait to go back. Who knows, maybe I’ll even pick up a nice Italian gentleman. As Gino D’Acampo (celebrity chef) says, "Italian men are like Italian food – minimum effort, maximum satisfaction". Mmmmm. I love pasta, and Italian wine, and Tiramisu, and men… Molto bene. If nothing else it will just be great to see some good bloody weather for a change! Sparkle this year was brilliant, even without my wonderful bonus prize. I went with my friend Gillian, who also had a whale of a time, and this year, for the first time I was there both Friday and Saturday night. I must say a big "hello", and a big "well done" to everyone on the TW netball team who came second in the tournament. Ok ok yes there were only two teams in the tournament, but the other team were a bunch of giants who had played last year. Most of our team had never even met each other, let alone played the game before. We played really well though, and the score didn‘t do us justice, the other team had a lucky spate of goals in the last few minutes. But it was all a bit of fun and I really enjoyed it. Hey, and I scored too! (In the netball I mean, as well as later at Napoleon’s). I think it’s great that someone has organised such a national event as Sparkle, successful again for the 4th year running. A chance for TG’s all over the country to get together and basically have a big party, it’s such a great atmosphere. I don’t think the intention of it was ever to be like the Pride rallies, but it surely can’t hurt in raising public awareness. I know it’s not well-publicised in the media, and surely there are many in-the-closet-types who don’t particularly want it to be, but Manchester certainly knows about it when their city is invaded by all and sundry of the diverse TG world; not everyone confines themselves just to The Village. It’s great to see such huge numbers and to see everyone so happy and friendly. I may be full-time, post-op, almost-legally-female, I may not do tranny clubs any more, but I hope to always show my face at Sparkle. Long may it continue. I wish all you girls lots of love, and great sex! xx She shoots, she scores!
    4434 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • Well, not any more… I finally did it. I shamelessly picked up a guy at Sparkle, old slapper that I am, dragged him back to my house and forced him to make love to me. Well actually, he seemed quite willing. It was extremely gorgeous. Words cannot express how good it felt so I probably won’t even try, but it was fantastic, amazing, really lovely. My condition, my transition and everything surrounding it has never had anything to do with sexual preference or motivation. But I am a woman and I have needs, and to at last discover sex as it was meant to be for me is indeed truly wonderful, and quite enlightening. Needless to say I want more… It’s so nice to be desired, to be satisfied, to have a mutual attraction, and to actually get on well with such a person, cos actually I’m not really a "casual sex" sort of person. He was a lovely guy though and I trusted him, and the time was right; I was physically ready. Nine months of often difficult, daily dilation now seems all the more worthwhile. And it HAS to be said at this juncture, that my surgeon, the wonderful Dr Suporn, is truly a genius. The earth moved for me, no problem. Yummm. More of that please. Anyway I’d better not go on about it eh. Oh and, sorry mum for your shameless hussy of a daughter, but at least she is an extremely happy, contented, feeling like a natural woman hussy. Sorry, but, well, I’m not really! Wow. So apart from discovering the mysteries of the universe, what else has been happening? I’ve had what should be my last appointment at Charing Cross. I cancelled the previous one (SRS referral appointment) because I’d already booked my surgery and was due to be in Thailand on the date they gave me, so no way was I going to change my flights and everything just to get their written blessing. They didn’t mind though. They wrote to my GP after my recent appointment and said that my decision to have surgery privately was absolutely fine by them; I had lived full-time for more than the required duration and fulfilled all their criteria. It is now up to my GP alone to supervise my hormone regime and anything else I may need from the NHS. No more shrinks! The main reason for my final appointment at CX though was to get them to write their report for the Gender Recognition Panel in order for me to finally become legally female. It seems slightly ridiculous that at the moment I am technically, legally male with a female (fully functioning!) body. Anyway, Dr Lorimer who has always seemed very nice to me, said he would get the necessary do***entation to me within a few days. Two and half months later I’m still waiting of course, their admin really is terrible. I will give ‘em a ring and chase ‘em up, after I get back from MY HOLIDAY…! I’m off to Italy on Thursday with 3 of my girlfriends. Apart from Thailand last year, which doesn’t really count, I haven’t had a holiday for years and years, so obviously I’m really looking forward to it. We are renting a house in Furore, on the Amalfi coast, surely one of the most stunning coastlines in Europe. Lots of winding roads, steep cliffs, fantastic views, Naples, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Sorrento, Ravello, Capri, Ischia, and so on. I’ve actually been to the area before on our last proper "family holiday" when I was 14, so I know how beautiful it is, and really can’t wait to go back. Who knows, maybe I’ll even pick up a nice Italian gentleman. As Gino D’Acampo (celebrity chef) says, "Italian men are like Italian food – minimum effort, maximum satisfaction". Mmmmm. I love pasta, and Italian wine, and Tiramisu, and men… Molto bene. If nothing else it will just be great to see some good bloody weather for a change! Sparkle this year was brilliant, even without my wonderful bonus prize. I went with my friend Gillian, who also had a whale of a time, and this year, for the first time I was there both Friday and Saturday night. I must say a big "hello", and a big "well done" to everyone on the TW netball team who came second in the tournament. Ok ok yes there were only two teams in the tournament, but the other team were a bunch of giants who had played last year. Most of our team had never even met each other, let alone played the game before. We played really well though, and the score didn‘t do us justice, the other team had a lucky spate of goals in the last few minutes. But it was all a bit of fun and I really enjoyed it. Hey, and I scored too! (In the netball I mean, as well as later at Napoleon’s). I think it’s great that someone has organised such a national event as Sparkle, successful again for the 4th year running. A chance for TG’s all over the country to get together and basically have a big party, it’s such a great atmosphere. I don’t think the intention of it was ever to be like the Pride rallies, but it surely can’t hurt in raising public awareness. I know it’s not well-publicised in the media, and surely there are many in-the-closet-types who don’t particularly want it to be, but Manchester certainly knows about it when their city is invaded by all and sundry of the diverse TG world; not everyone confines themselves just to The Village. It’s great to see such huge numbers and to see everyone so happy and friendly. I may be full-time, post-op, almost-legally-female, I may not do tranny clubs any more, but I hope to always show my face at Sparkle. Long may it continue. I wish all you girls lots of love, and great sex! xx She shoots, she scores!
    Jul 14, 2008 4434
  • 16 Apr 2008
    Phew! Just mowed the lawn, most exercise I’ve had for quite some time. It so needed doing though. Guess I’m getting my strength back. Things in general are getting back to normal, and I really seem to have very little to blog about. Life, though too boring to write down in any detail, is wonderful. Having SRS has changed my outlook in subtle ways that I never expected; I just feel... wonderful. I kind of like my body now, am no longer ashamed of it. I even bought a couple of bikinis, hoping to get to a beach somewhere this year. The band are sounding less rusty every time we go out now, though perhaps we’re not quite the well-oiled machine we were before I went away. Few more gigs and we’ll be there. It’s fun though, I'm really enjoying being back onstage again, and hey, I can wear skirts as tight and short as I like and don’t even have to think about tucking! So, since I don’t have much to write about at the moment I thought I'd post a couple of piccies, which my mum took at a recent gig. Full size versions are available in my album. I’ve been busy buying more clothes to wear with the band, hope you like my new top!
    1057 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • Phew! Just mowed the lawn, most exercise I’ve had for quite some time. It so needed doing though. Guess I’m getting my strength back. Things in general are getting back to normal, and I really seem to have very little to blog about. Life, though too boring to write down in any detail, is wonderful. Having SRS has changed my outlook in subtle ways that I never expected; I just feel... wonderful. I kind of like my body now, am no longer ashamed of it. I even bought a couple of bikinis, hoping to get to a beach somewhere this year. The band are sounding less rusty every time we go out now, though perhaps we’re not quite the well-oiled machine we were before I went away. Few more gigs and we’ll be there. It’s fun though, I'm really enjoying being back onstage again, and hey, I can wear skirts as tight and short as I like and don’t even have to think about tucking! So, since I don’t have much to write about at the moment I thought I'd post a couple of piccies, which my mum took at a recent gig. Full size versions are available in my album. I’ve been busy buying more clothes to wear with the band, hope you like my new top!
    Apr 16, 2008 1057
  • 13 Mar 2008
    Last weekend saw my official return to the music scene - our band’s first gig in 6 months, the long absence due of course to my trip to Thailand and recovery from SRS. I’d forgotten how much hard work it was, the following day my legs felt like stone, even though I got the guys to carry my heavy stuff up and down the stairs. But it was great to be back behind the keys again with an excuse to glam up a bit; it must be 6 months since I last bothered using eye make-up. The gig was a private birthday party at a local brewery, handy that, and the ensuing "piss-up in a brewery" was actually very well organised. I think it was the first time I’ve ever worn a dress for a gig, and I even had NEW SHOES, so I felt pretty good. Anyway despite our lack of practice we just about managed to keep it all together and went down a storm and got lots of compliments. The Easter weekend will see our return to the pub circuit, with gigs on the Saturday and Easter Monday. I’m really looking forward to them, and I think we’ll have good crowds because of the Bank holiday and because so many people are dying to see us again after such a long break! I didn’t do much playing while I was recovering so my fingers are still a bit rusty, but I’m getting there, and have been working hard over the last few weeks to try and get back into shape. Nothing like gigging though to get you back on form. It’s great to be back on stage again. Budget day yesterday. If you drink, or smoke, drive a car, fly, pay income tax, use carrier bags from the supermarket etc… then you’re going to be worse off. That’ll be all of us then. I don’t know why we are subjected to so much hype and speculation every time a budget comes round; it inevitably means the government wants more money, and we’re paying. Well, as Forrest Gump said, "that’s all I have to say about that"; my blog nearly got political then. There are so many more worthwhile things to talk about, don’t you think? xx
    1126 Posted by Lucy Diamond
  • Last weekend saw my official return to the music scene - our band’s first gig in 6 months, the long absence due of course to my trip to Thailand and recovery from SRS. I’d forgotten how much hard work it was, the following day my legs felt like stone, even though I got the guys to carry my heavy stuff up and down the stairs. But it was great to be back behind the keys again with an excuse to glam up a bit; it must be 6 months since I last bothered using eye make-up. The gig was a private birthday party at a local brewery, handy that, and the ensuing "piss-up in a brewery" was actually very well organised. I think it was the first time I’ve ever worn a dress for a gig, and I even had NEW SHOES, so I felt pretty good. Anyway despite our lack of practice we just about managed to keep it all together and went down a storm and got lots of compliments. The Easter weekend will see our return to the pub circuit, with gigs on the Saturday and Easter Monday. I’m really looking forward to them, and I think we’ll have good crowds because of the Bank holiday and because so many people are dying to see us again after such a long break! I didn’t do much playing while I was recovering so my fingers are still a bit rusty, but I’m getting there, and have been working hard over the last few weeks to try and get back into shape. Nothing like gigging though to get you back on form. It’s great to be back on stage again. Budget day yesterday. If you drink, or smoke, drive a car, fly, pay income tax, use carrier bags from the supermarket etc… then you’re going to be worse off. That’ll be all of us then. I don’t know why we are subjected to so much hype and speculation every time a budget comes round; it inevitably means the government wants more money, and we’re paying. Well, as Forrest Gump said, "that’s all I have to say about that"; my blog nearly got political then. There are so many more worthwhile things to talk about, don’t you think? xx
    Mar 13, 2008 1126