Retrospect - Leaving the Closet Behind -6

A Holiday in the West Country

One thing I had decided upon for 2012 was a holiday away in self-catering accommodation as Susan. I felt I was making good progress at getting out into the world as a woman and that to spend a week away where I could come and go as I pleased would be a good next step. Unfortunately the reality is not always as easy as the idea. Even so, the holiday would produce significant results that are still with me.

The problem is finding the ideal place with nothing to go on but the information in a brochure or an Internet advert. I'd decided on North Devon as the place I wanted to stay in as there were friends in the area I hoped to meet and I also wanted to visit Exmoor. Eventually I found a cottage on a farm near Tiverton which I hoped would meet my needs, and booked it for a week and the end of April.

The early months of 2012 were breaking records for lack of rain and large parts of the country were under drought orders. "Experts" were predicting that it would require months of heavy rain to replenish our depleted water stocks. Well, somebody must have been listening because the start of my holiday was accompanied by heavy rain and flooding, and it seems to have continued throughout the year.

Not to feel downhearted, I arrived in Devon on the last Friday in April and found my cottage. At first sight it was clear I had booked the wrong place. I'm not complaining about the cottage as it was immaculate and well appointed. It was one unit of four in a recent barn conversion and the owner had clearly gone to a lot of effort with the work. Unfortunately for me it was located right alongside the farmhouse, indeed the car park was located in front of the house in clear view of the occupants. To make things a little worse my cottage was the furthest from the car park which meant I would have to walk past all the other cottages in the process.

The farmer turned out to be a very friendly and pleasant man who, from my point of view always seemed to be around when I was going to and from my car and always wanted to stop and chat. Of course in the normal run of events there would be nothing wrong with this, but for a dual role Transwoman like myself it was the last thing I needed. So it soon became clear that my plans to come and go as Susan as I wished weren't going to happen on this holiday.

However, I had already made arrangements to meet up with some friends whilst in Devon and I wasn't going to let the problems I'd encountered get in the way so some ingenuity would be called for.

Meeting Lucy and Mandy in Taunton

 My first meeting was with Lucy Dee, someone I'd been in touch with over the past year. We'd originally talked about a meeting the previous summer when I'd been on holiday in Cornwall. However, in the end I just felt I wasn't ready to meet up in public and so I'd called it off. Lucy had been quite happy to go ahead but in the end it was my call. However by now I was feeling much happier about being in public and so we agreed on a meeting.

Originally we had talked about a couple of days but just before my holiday Lucy's attempts to move house had suddenly born fruit and her move took place on the Friday that I started my holiday. Anyone who has moved house (and that must include most of us) will be aware of just how much hard work is involved and I felt it was a lovely gesture on her part that she manged to find time to meet up. In fact we arranged our meeting for the Sunday, two days after she moved.

This left me with the little problem of getting away from the farm without bumping into the farmer. I might be able to remove my wig and put a track suit on over my clothes, but it's hard to to cover up a fully made up face. Putting on makeup in a car is something that many of us have to deal with but it's something I've had very little experience of and I didn't fancy starting now.

But they say it's an ill-wind that blows no fortune, or something like that. Whatever the case my holiday in Devon was accompanied by plenty of wind, and a huge amount of rain. Sunday morning dawned wet and windy and this gave me a chance to get to my car under the cover of a large hat and an umbrella. My friendly farmer had clearly thought better of the situation and was no-where to be seen. Then it was a case of find somewhere to pull up, removed the track suit, hair in place and the final touches of makeup applied.

We had arranged to meet at Taunton Deane services on the M5, which are just before the Taunton junction. I'd left plenty of time which was just as well. As I started down the lane towards Tiverton and the motorway I was flagged down by a car coming the other and whose driver informed me that the lane was blocked by a fallen tree.Thankfully I soon found a way around it and arrived at Taunton Deane with a few minutes to spare. I used this to pop into the shop and pick up a paper and by the time I returned Lucy and Mandy were waiting for me.

After a quick hello we set off for Taunton town centre with Lucy leading the way to the car park. Once there it was time for proper introductions before heading off to the shops. By now the rain was well and truly set in for the day and so we decided to head for a coffee shop and refuge from the appalling weather. And of course for a good long chat. On the way there, as if we weren't wet enough already, an idiot taxi driver ploughed into the kerb as we were walking past and deluged us with water. Poor Mandy in her wheelchair being nearest the ground caught the worst of it.

Together in the Rain

For those who don't know Lucy a visit to her website will be most informative. Here she tells much about her life, initially as a crossdresser but more recently as a transsexual. Her writings and blogs are always interesting and informative and more importantly she's always ready to give help and advice, both written and practical. I'd been corresponding with her for about a year at this point and was looking forward to meeting not only her, but also her partner Mandy. I wasn't to be disappointed.

And here's the other one!

After a very long coffee we decided to head out to the shops. The rain might have eased a little but the potential for getting quite wet was still very much present. Regardless of this, what followed was a masterclass in shopping from Lucy. This might sound like an easy thing to accomplish but for one who just wasn't used to shopping as a woman, her easy confidence was just what I needed.

At length we arrived in Taunton's large branch of Debenhams and just in time for lunch. Afterwards we had a good rummage around the clothes section. I didn't buy anything but the sheer delight of looking around whilst in my female identity brought it home to me just how much better it was to shop as a woman.

Gradually we made our way through the town towards Vivary Park for some photos. This has been the site of many of Lucy's photos and it wasn't hard to see why. Taunton is quite rightly proud of it's town centre park and in an age where so many parks have been allowed to fall into disuse it was a pleasure to see one that is so clearly cared for. In spite of the appalling weather the park was in beautiful condition, although in places the stream running through it was overflowing. As it turned out, the following day it was closed to the public because of the flooding.

But we were there for a purpose and it was at this point I discovered that my camera had been left behind in the car. To save me having to go back to the car park in this awful weather, Lucy kindly offered to let me have copies of her photos.

All too soon it was time to start thinking about heading off. To be honest all of us were quite wet by this time and it made sense to get ourselves dry. So I said goodbye to these two lovely people and headed back to my cottage. Given the appalling weather and the fact that they had moved home only two days before I was left with a feeling of admiration and gratitude that they had spent the day with me in Taunton. Thank you girls!

Taunton Again, this time with Sonia

After sloshing around Taunton is such awful weather I had a few days of reasonable weather for a bit of tourism around Devon, but for the reasons outlined above this was in male mode. However, I had also arranged to meet another friend on the Thursday, which was my last full day in Devon. Once again the weather turned bad and although it helped me get away from my cottage with ease, it did gradually turn better during the day.

Sonia is someone I'd been communicating with for about two years and we had met previous during the summer of 2010. But as she lives in the Bristol area we hadn't been able to meet again since. So my trip to Devon was a chance to renew are acquaintance. After some discussion we agreed the Taunton was roughly midway between us and so we decided to meet there. Sonia had expressed an interest in visiting the Museum of Somerset, which is located in Taunton Castle and had reopened in 2011 after a major refit.

After meeting in a supermarket car park on the edge of the town, Sonia led me to a car park in the town centre close to the castle. From here it was a short walk through the shopping area to the castle, although thankfully by this time the rain had stopped. It had originally been our intention to visit the museum and then do some shopping. However, we both found the museum so engrossing that it was to take up all of our day.



The Museum of Somerset, Taunton Castle

Once inside our first point of interest was the cafeteria for some vital refreshments. Then it was on to explore this fascinating and well laid-out place. Somerset has seen it's share of history over the centuries and the many displays and exhibits cover it well. In addition the the general museum the building also houses the Somerset Military Museum, which charts the history of the various regiments associated with the county.

Sonia showed a great interest in this part as it bought back memories of her military service. For those unaware, up until the early 1960s there was compulsory military service in the UK. As a result in our generation there is a division between those like myself who escaped it and those like Sonia who didn't. So for the escapees there is always a sort of fascination with the subject and soon Sonia was relating tales, mostly amusing about her time in the army.



Chatting with Sonia at Taunton Castle

There was one further exhibition of interest and that was a temporary one called "Worn to be Wild". This was a collection of costumes created by a young dress designer and textiles artist, Kate Plumtree. All of the exhibits were inspired by the colours and textures of nature. For me, some of them worked better than others but the overall results were excellent. If the military museum had appealed to one side of our natures then this exhibition certainly felt at home with our female selves.

During our visit we'd stopped for lunch in the cafeteria and so it was mid-afternoon before we emerged into the open. By this time the rain had stopped and it was time for some photos. By now we were both feeling weary and so decided against a wander around the shops. So we made our way back to the car park and said our goodbyes. It had been lovely meeting Sonia again and just underlined what a pity it was that some of my best friends in the transgender community live so far away from me.



Exmoor Weather

By the time I headed back towards Tiverton the weather was quite pleasant and so I decided to head up onto Exmoor fro a few photos before heading back to the cottage. However, weather can be a very local phenomenon and as I climbed up onto the moor and passed though 1000 feet above sea level the fog closed in and we were back to very dull and a bit wet. But this didn't stop me getting a few shots.

So, that was the vend of my little adventure in the West Country. It had been a disappointment that I was unable to have the freedom to dress that I had hoped for. But on the positive side I'd had two terrific days out which had boosted my self confidence no end. I was starting to feel that the closet was being left behind and that I was making real progress. However, I knew I had to capitalise on this progress and above all, prove to myself I could do the same things on my own.



More to come.........


Thank you for reading this


Susan XXX

Retrospect - Leaving the Closet Behind -5

A Trip to the Essex Coast



St Peter on the Wall, Bradwell

During the early part of the year there had been a number of photos published on Flickr by some of my contacts taken in and around the Essex coast. This is a strange and interesting part of the country which has long held an interest for me and prompted me to arrange a day out there as Susan. One place in particular that I wanted to visit was the ancient church of St Peter on the Wall near Bradwell on Sea. This old building which dates from the 7th century can only be reached by walking from a remote car park.



The Peace of the Interior

So, after a longish drive up from Sussex, braving the twin evils of the M25 and the Dartford Tunnel, I arrived at the car park just outside the village of Bradwell on Sea. From here it was a walk of about half a mile to the sea wall and the church. Although it was mid-March I'd picked a perfect day. I had left Sussex in fog, by now it had been burnt off by the sun leaving a gloriously sunny day. Although it wasn't busy, there were a few cars parked and along the way I managed to exchange the usual pleasantries with other people.

It didn't long to walk to the church and soon I was entering this very ancient building. It's difficult to get you head around the fact that people have been coming to this spot for over 1300 years. In fact the church was built on the remains of a roman fort, so the site occupancy goes back even further. Most visitors today come in peace, but that hasn't always been the case. In Saxon times this coastline could be a very dangerous place. The preceding centuries had seen the Anglo-Saxon incursions and proceeding ones would see the Norsemen turn their attentions to this coast. Even in our times, this coast has been at the centre of potential invasion threats.







Along the Coastal Wall

But today the overall feeling both inside and outside the church was one of peace. Having completed my visit I went for a walk  along the sea wall to the north and enjoyed for a while the open skies and solitude on offer. One interesting feature along this stretch of coast is a line of 11 gravel filled barges sunk about 250 yards off shore. These are there to provide a degree of protection for the nature reserve in this area. If you look closely at the photo here you should be able to make out some of them on the horizon behind me.

After enjoying this beautiful piece of coastline, It was time to head on a bit further and I decided to head for the town of Maldon, some 15 miles away. This town, of Anglo-Saxon origins, lies at the top of the Blackwater estuary and is one of the largest along this part of the coast.

I headed for Promenade Park which is a large recreation area on the eastern side of the town. Being alongside the river it held the promise of some nice scenic walks. Given that it was a weekday in March, the place was quite busy with a large number of cars parked. But then again with the gorgeous weather this day it was hardly surprising to find so many people wanting to take advantage of it.





On the Sea Wall at Maldon

Somehow I managed to park quite close to the promenade which gives the park its name. From there I was able to enjoy a stroll and take some photos too. At the head of the promenade is a huge statue of Byrhtnoth, a 10th century Saxon leader who was killed leading  the Anglo-Saxon forces at the nearby Battle of Maldon in 991 against Viking invaders. The Vikings were trapped on Northey Island in the River Blackwater and Byrhtnoth was supposed to have let them cross the causeway to the mainland before the battle started. Whether this is true or not remains open to debate, but in 2006 the statue was unveiled.

All too soon it was time to start heading home. However I had enjoyed my few hours in this lovely part of the country. In modern culture Essex is often regarded as an easy target for cheap jokes about the flat countryside and its occupants. But it's an area with it's own dramatic and at times haunting landscape. As for the population I didn't have any problems with them and it's somewhere I'd be more than happy to return to.

A Trip to the Hairdressers

One of the great pleasures of being transgendered is being able to explore life from a female point of view. So often things that baffled me as a man become so easy to understand when viewed from a female point of view. Of course one thing we find out quite quickly is the mystery of the handbag. Men will always wonder why women need to carry so much around. But once you start to use one of your own you realise that it is important to carry so much, even if you can't explain why.

Then of course there is the unsolved mystery of the black hole that every bag has lurking in its depths. I'm referring to the fact that the little item you're looking for becomes impossible to find, only to suddenly reappear later on. I've noticed that all of my larger ones have the ability to hide such large items such as camera and hairbrushes. I don't suppose anyone will ever be able to explain this phenomenon.

Another aspect of being a woman is the love of visiting the hairdressers. Men find it hard to understand why anyone would want to spend any more time than necessary have their thatch sorted out. Personally when I'm have my own hair cut I consider 10 minutes more than enough. However, after my Essex trip I was to have the chance to sample hairdressing from a woman's point of view and began to understand why it is such a pleasurable experience.

I'd had my present wig for just over a year and although it doesn't get a lot of day to day use, it was showing signs of needing a bit of TLC, especially in the frizzled ends that were appearing. After discussing the matter with Lynne at Femesque, where I bought the wig, she suggested I should come in one day and have it washed and blow dried. There was the added bonus of having it "done with the wig in situ".So I made an appointment and the day duly arrived.

The appointment was started by being sat in a chair with a magazine to read whilst my wig was taken away into another room to be humanely washed. This done it was returned to me and put in place to allow Claire, one of Lynne's lovely assistants to work her magic. It's difficult to describe what it felt like to sit there and have your hair blow dried and styled as a woman, but believe me it was wonderful and is something I would happily do again. Eventually I was walking out of the door feeling like a new woman.



Daffodils in Chiddingfold

I had the rest of the day free so I decided to make my way home across country and do some photography. Being spring I was keen to get some photos with springs flowers, especially daffodils as a backdrop. It take long to find a suitable location as driving through the village of Chiddingfold in Surrey I passed a village green with a carpet of gorgeous daffodils around the pond.

It was far too good to miss so I turned around, parked and set about getting the photos I wanted. It was only later looking back at the photos I realised that my yellow top was a prefect match for these lovely spring flowers.



By the Wey & Arun

After Chiddingfold I headed down to Petworth in West Sussex to see if there was any spring colours in the park worth capturing on camera. Sadly though I was disappointed when I got there as the was nothing to really inspire me. So I decided to head to Loxworth and have a walk along the Wey & Arun Canal.

The Wey and Arun Canal dates from the early 1813 when an act of Parliament was passed authorising the construction of a canal to link the navigable parts of the River Wey in Surrey and the River Arun in West Sussex. As the Wey flows into the River Thames this would allow an inland transport route between London and the South Coast, Portsmouth in particular. At a time when relationships with Napoleonic France were very bad, such a route was very attractive.


However, in spite of initial success, the canal's life was very short, defeated by development of the railway network and as a result the canal closed to traffic in 1871. nearly 100 years later in 1970 a group of enthusiasts got together to form a society dedicated to the restoration of the abandoned canal. Their story is one of a long hard struggle which is now producing clear results with stretches of the canal open once more but this time for pleasure crafts. Their story is far to long and involved to detail here but more information can be found on their website.



Brewhurst Mill

To me it's always been a delightful place to relax and enjoy a peaceful walk along the towpath or even take a cruise of one of the boats. However, I'd never been there before as a woman and I felt this would be a good day to do so. Being mid-week there were no facilities open and no cruises running, but it was just lovely to spend some time walking along the towpath and in the surrounding countryside. I thought at first I had the whole place to myself, which was surprising considering what a lovely day it was. But there were a few dog walkers around although the animals seemed to be more interested in me than their owners.

A short distance from the canal is Brewhurst Mill, which is a "retired" watermill, not far from the canal. Although it stopped production in 1968, most of the machinery is still intact. In fact the water wheel was superseded by an engine in 1928, although it can still be seen. The mill is privately owned and usually closed to the public. However, occasionally it opens for special events and I was able to tour the inside in 2011.

Whatever the case it makes a fabulous backdrop for a country girl who's keen to have her photo taken in lovely surroundings. Having done so I made my way back across the fields to the canal and soon it was time to head home but what a great day it had been. Not only had I had my hair done but also had the opportunity to spend some time in such gorgeous countryside.

So, things were still progressing for me I felt and I was getting out of that closest. A couple of outings where I had been getting more contact with the public. There was still some way to go, but what was to follow next would be, for me, a big leap.

More to come.........


Thank you for reading this


Susan XXX

Retrospect - Leaving the Closet Behind -4

It's been a while since my last instalment in this series so I thought it was about time I returned to it. In the meantime I've been away on holiday in Cornwall with my good friends Lucy and Mandy and this has been the subject of three blog postings.

A Day Out in Bosham and Arundel with Jane

After our day out at Winkworth in November, Jane and I agreed that we must have another one again soon and preferably before Christmas. However, domestic pressures for both of us meant that it was February before we could arrange a date.  After some discussion we decide to meet at Bosham, which is an ancient village within Chichester Harbour in West Sussex.

Bosham has a number of historical claims to fame and is actually depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry. These days is is a lovely waterside village which is joy to wander around at leisure. I've done this so many times in male mode, but this would be my first time there as Susan.



Together with Jane in Bosham

Jane and I met up as agreed in the car park and from here made our way into the village. Our first stop was the village's church which has origins going back to Saxon times. I've been into this this church many time before but I don't recall ever seeing it quite so busy with other tourists. But we enjoyed our visit and then headed out towards the waterside where we started a long walk around the harbour.
This actually dries out at low tide and is used as a temporary car park. However, woe betide any motorist who forgets the incoming tide and although I've never seen it myself, there have been many cases of waterlogged cars.


There's also a public footpath across the harbour which must be very rare indeed. As it was dry we took advantage of the chance to cross the harbour on foot. However, having done so we returned via the longer but landward route.

But this was February and by now both of us were feeling the cold. Although I had made sure of wearing plenty of layers and a nice warm coat, I'd opted for light nylons and my legs were beginning to complain. So we decided to leave Bosham and head inland and East to Arundel.



Swanbourne Lake, Arundel

One of Jane's favourite places is Swanbourne Lake, which is located in Arundel Castle Park and is open to the public without charge. As well as a delightful lake and walks, there is also a tea room. We parked in the riverside car park and made our way along to the lake. Once there, of course, the photos started - well, what else are two women going to do in such lovely surroundings.

Sadly though, we hadn't been there long when the rain started and as we were some way from our cars we had no option but to head back to the car park. By the time we had, the rain had really set in and we felt we had no real option but to call and end to our day out. We said our goodbyes and headed off home.

On the way I stopped at Wiggonholt church which is located near Pulborough by the Pulborough Brooks on the River Arun. The weather was slightly better here and I felt I needed a bit more Susan time. Wiggonholt is one of those Sussex villages where the settlement has long disappeared leaving just the church and perhaps a farm or two. There are quite a few such places and it's one of my personal delights to discover and explore such places.


Wiggonholt Church

The church itself dates from the 12th century and is largely unaltered. Unusually, although by no means unique, it doesn't have any particular dedication, although it might have had once and knowledge of it has been lost over time. I managed to spend a while enjoying the quiet solitude of the interior before making sure of some photos of myself outside. Then, with the daylight fast disappearing it was finally time to call it a day and head home.
 



Return to the Snowdrops



Lamberhurst Snowdrops

In a previous blog I related how I made a visit to Lamberhurst in Kent in late January to see the display of snowdrops in the churchyard. I'd usually expected to see them at their best in late February but as the displays nearer home seemed to be earlier this year, I brought forward my visit. However, it was far too early and I had been disappointed. So, having resolved to return in late February and just two days after my day out with Jane, it was into my best country girl outfit and off to Lamberhurst.

This time I was to be anything but disappointed. The display was, as ever, a delight. We are so fortunate to be able to enjoy these "early bird" flowers which are usually the first thing to come into bloom as we emerge from the deepest part of our winter. Quite why Lamberhurst Churchyard should have such a rich carpet is not something I've been able to find out. But at the end of the day I'm just glad they are there and that this year I was able to enjoy them in my chosen gender.



A Big First on a Sunny Day

It had been a busy week for me with Jane on the Saturday and my snowdrop expedition on the Monday. Now it was Thursday and time for a Femesque Cheese and Wine Party. This was the first one of the new year and I had determined that the day was going to be a special one. Some months before a good friend had suggested to me that a good way of breaking the ice as far as shopping as a woman was concerned was to wander into a branch of Marks and Spencer and buy something. M&S have a reputation within the UK TG community of being very  trans friendly. So in some respects it is considered by more experienced girls to be "easy". However, for a newbie like me it felt like like a mountain to climb.

I found that M&S had an out of town store at Sandhurst, not too far from Femesque. Like many such stores, it is a joint venture with Tesco and boasts quite a large car park. Having found a space and parked my car, and assured a little European gentleman that I didn't want my car washed, I made my way to the cash machines. These were very busy and I had to queue for a while. Doing so in such mixed company when you're already very nervous is not something I'd have wished for. But on the other hand these things have to be done if you're going to be out in the big wide world and having done so without problems I found it gave me quite a lift.

So, on into M&S and shopping for the first time as a woman. When you've been used to buying female clothing whilst in male mode shopping as a woman comes as a very pleasant surprise. What you get is an overriding feeling of actually belonging,. You become totally engrossed in checking out clothes and seeing what's available. Holding up a dress against yourself in front of a mirror is one such treat. I wonder how many of us would dare do that when dressed as a man?

The only problem for me this day was that there wasn't anything in particular that I wanted. This didn't stop me having a good look around, but I desperately wanted to make as purchase as Susan. Of course you can never have too many slips, or at least that's what I believe. So I found a nice little medium length full slip in my size and went to buy it. That was easy enough of course with the sales lady being very nice, as you would expect.



Me and the Duke

Mission Accomplished! I'd been shopping as Susan and enjoyed every second of it. But I needed something for lunch so I headed for the food hall and bought a sandwich. On the way back through the store I was approached by an earnest young lady who called me "Madam" and asked if I could help her with a survey. Instinctively I turned her down with a smile and a shake of the head.  Later on I regretted not speaking to her as it would have been an interesting experience. However, I'd been called "Madam" for the first time in my life and that was priceless!

All this took place on a very sunny and indeed warm February day and was characteristic of the strange weather patterns we've experienced in 2012. I had some time to kill before I had to be at Femesque and so after having a drive around I stopped in Aldershot alongside a massive statue of the Duke of Wellington and together we posed for some photos in the gorgeous winter sunshine. This statue had originally been located in central London but had been to this location in 1885.

Soon it was on to Femsque for another pleasant evening, but for me the day would remain unmatched by the fact that I'd taken another step out of the closet. There was still some way to go but I knew I was moving in the direction I wanted. There's more to come soon........

Thank you for reading this

Susan XXX

A Holiday in Cornwall - Part Three

Welcome back!

Thursday 27th September

Since knowing I would be spending a week in Cornwall in my female persona, I had the ambition to visit Land's End and have myself photographed against the magnificent backdrop that is the sea view from this famous headland. I had told Lucy & Mandy this and they were was keen to come along. Many years ago, when I was much, much younger Land's End was a simple place to visit. There was a car park, a hotel and one or two low-key attractions. However, from the late 1980's onwards a series of property deals resulted in the site being developed into a gaudy theme park.

The presence of such places at iconic beauty spots is controversial, with good reason in my opinion. To be honest it's difficult to understand the justification for this eyesore at a place that has attracted visitors for many years down to ages. Many of the so-called attractions have little or nothing to do with the area, let alone the headland and one is forced to the conclusion that it is all about the quick buck and little else.



Penzance Flower Girl

We started the day in traditional fashion by stopping at Penzance and hitting the shops. This is the most Westerly town in Cornwall and is set around the harbour where there is a large car park From here a lift takes you through a modern shopping building straight into the main shopping area. The first stop, as ever was for coffee and much needed refreshments. It was interesting to find the place full of mothers and pushchairs, presumably a post school run gathering place.

In spite of being built on hilly ground we managed to negotiate the streets without to much both and enjoyed a nice wonder around the shops. I picked up some clip-on earrings from Claires, to add to those I'd bought earlier in the week. A girl can never have too many earrings and as one who has to use clip-ons I find Claires a good source.

With lunch in mind we tried to find the toilets and ended up at the railway station. After our experiences in Newquay were weren't too keen on this but thankfully Penzance station obviously takes pride in all their services to the public. In spite of looking at several places we couldn't find any that took our fancy for lunch and so we ended up back at the coffee shop we'd used earlier.

So, suitably refreshed we headed towards Land's End and the delights that awaited us. It's about a 40 minute drive from Penzance to Land's End and it takes you across some of the most rugged and wildest scenery in the county. Once this area was teeming with the mining industry, supplemented by fishing villages along the coast. Nowadays most of this has gone with the last mine, at Geevour having closed in 1990. This is now open as a tourist attraction and indeed the area as a whole relies on tourism and the heritage industry. Against this background it is tempting to be sympathetic to such ventures as the Land's End Theme Park.

So, we arrived and were greeted by an expected request for a £5.00 parking fee. Having negotiated this and parked, we made our way to the entrance, past the disabled car park which was strangely devoid of blue badges. The entrance to the theme park was through a mock-classical portico, emblazoned with the the title "Land's End", just in case you didn't know where you were. If this seemed out of place on a remote Cornish headland, then sadly it was in keeping with many of the attractions contained within.



The End of England

But, we didn't come here for that but instead to enjoy the view from this famous headland. Thankfully, after several days of poor weather, the visibility on the day of our visit was near-perfect. The view was clear to the Scilly Isles, nearly thirty miles away. Also visible was the Seven Stones lightship, marking the reef of the same name. In 1967 was the scene of the infamous Torrey Canyon disaster. when the super tanker ran aground on the reef and leaked some 140,000 tons of crude oil into the sea, much of which came ashore on the coast in the South West of England. Those events are chronicled in detail elsewhere but suffice to say it was an event that left a lasting impression on those who remember it.




Close to the Edge

A famous attraction that predates any theme parks is the Land's End signpost. For a fee (not insubstantial) you can have your photo taken in front of this landmark with the name of your home town and the distance to it. Needless to say there are plenty of railings surrounding to ensure that no DIY photos are taken. We decided against this luxury and instead headed off to the "First & Last House" a little way along the headland. But that was just about it for us and having got our photos we felt it was time to leave.

On the way out Lucy and I used the ladies and whilst waiting for us Mandy realised that a couple were taking photos of her. Once I appeared the camera started snapping again. Perhaps these idiots thought that people a bit different were fair game for their curiosity but in my book it was just plain rudeness and speaks volumes about how low standards of behaviour have slipped. Lucy, however, summed it up perfectly when she wrote in her blog: "It's great to find such open minded people, imagine encountering a wheelchair and t-girl fetishist together, what are the odds?!?" As well as this episode I had noticed that from the moment we entered the place I was aware of a large number of reads - far more than at any other time during our holiday. Lucy and I discussed this later and we came to the conclusion that a big factor was the general boredom amongst the patrons of this "tourist attraction".

That was it as far as Land's End was concerned and there was a general feeling as we drove out of the place that none of us had a desire to ever return. We decided that an ice-cream would be nice so we headed for nearby Sennen Cove. Sadly, when we got there we discovered we would have to pay again to park and apart from putting up the price of the ice creams, after Land's End we were in no mood to fork out any more cash just for the privilege of stopping the car.

It was with a feeling of despondency we headed off home and to lift out spirits I suggested we went via the North Coast road. This is the road that runs through St Just, Pendeen and Zennor towards St Ives. I've been along here in thick fog on past occasions and it's been hard to see your hand in front of your face. However, today nature was on our side and the views were fantastic and went a long way to restoring our dented spirits. St Ives is a narrow crowded town and I usually take the train when visiting, so it wasn't my intention to drive through the middle of the town. However, due to yet another navigation error we did indeed end up in the town centre, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as I had feared. But regardless of that it was another first for me!

Back at the cottage we had decided to visit the on-site Italian restaurant that evening by way of a change. It was nice after our day out to change out of my skirt and top and into a dress for the evening. The meal was very nice and just what we needed after our day.

Friday 28th September

The last full day of our holiday and from the outset we had planned it to be something special. We were going to spend the day in Plymouth, which although strictly speaking isn't in Cornwall (it's in Devon actually) it is one of the largest cities in the South-West. Lucy and Mandy had been there before and I had also been shopping there a couple of years before (although not as Susan). The idea was that any money left over from could be put to good use on a mega shopping trip and we were really looking forward to it.

So, what went wrong? That was a question we would be asking ourselves in depth later in the day, but it started off OK. We made our way to Plymouth without too much trouble although yet another navigation error saw us miss the car park entrance and have to go around again. Sadly I don't think we managed our earlier target of an error every day. Nonetheless we did notch up a respectable tally along the way and proved if nothing else that we're only human. Having parked, we headed for a coffee shop for our usual refreshments.

It was then a case of hitting the shops, which should have taken up the rest of the day, apart from an intended "touristy" excursion up to Plymouth Hoe. However, whilst waking around a large department store we encountered a young jerk who we suspected of taking photos of us. The confrontation that followed was quite vocal and I felt, on reflection, was partly down to our annoyance at events the previous day at Land's End. Nonetheless we came to the conclusion that we should carry on our shopping elsewhere.

This is what we tried to do but it soon became clear that the incident had dampened our spirits and so we brought forward our visit to the Plymouth Hoe. This is an area of high ground between the city centre and the anchorage of Plymouth sound. The views over the harbour and surrounding area are spectacular and went a long way to restoring our mood. The Hoe is of course famous as the site where Sir Francis Drake was playing a game of bowls when the Spanish Armada appeared in the English Channel in 1588. In a demonstration of measured calmness he insisted on finishing his came first before heading off to deal with these potential invaders.



A Big Wheel in Plymouth

Whether the story is true or not, or indeed if he was playing bowls as we would know it is open to speculation. But it's a wonderful story of calmness in the face of adversity. Also on the Hoe is "Smeaton's Tower". This was the third of the famous Eddystone Lighthouses and stood on those rocks some 12 miles South-South-West of Plymouth from 1759 until 1882, when it was replaced by the present structure. Although the tower was sound, the rocks on which it was built were found to be breaking up. The best solution to this was an entirely new lighthouse and the existing one was dismantled and rebuilt here on Plymouth Hoe.



The Three of Us Together on the Hoe

Today it is open as a tourist attraction and the view from the top is worth the climb. Somehow, though, I don't think I would have fancied the idea of living inside it for weeks or even months on end in the middle of the sea. Lighthouse keepers were a rare breed indeed!

After our trip to the Hoe we returned to the city centre and resumed our shopping. After a tour of many charity shops we headed for BHS in order to use their restaurant for lunch. It may be that BHS have a policy of good customer service but it seem somewhat adrift on the day of our visit. After being kept waiting by a complete absence of staff, we were informed that what we wanted was off the menu, so we decided to go elsewhere. Somehow in the process of moving I became separated from Lucy and Mandy and eventually had to resort to my phone to find out where they were. It was at this point the battery in my phone went flat. (Apparently you're supposed to re-charge them if you leave them on all week!) I had another phone but not with Lucy's number on it. Somehow I manged to transfer the number from my dying phone but it took several attempts.

By the time we finally met up my nerves were in shreds and so we decided to use the ground floor cafe in BHS and take whatever they had to offer. By this point we all agreed that the day had little left to offer in Plymouth and decided to head back home, after picking up a few essentials in Boots. It was as we headed back to the car park that the good citizens of Plymouth got their chance to annoy us one final time. There were three lifts serving the car park and it seemed we were waiting for ever. Each one that arrived on the upper floor, where we were waiting seemed to be full of able bodied people and leaving no room for a wheelchair.

I could see that Lucy was getting more and more annoyed and so it came as no surprise when she finally pushed Mandy's wheelchair into a crowded lift and informed the occupants that it wasn't going anywhere until they were allowed in. This did the trick and one of the occupants volunteered to get out. In the meantime I decided it would be best to use the stairs and so made my way to our floor, where I found the pay machine being repaired with a long queue in front of it. Meanwhile Lucy and Mandy emerged from the lift, beaming with triumph after asserting their rights.

I did a quick tour of adjacent floors in order to find a working pay machine but all of them had long queues. I ended up back on our floor where the thing had by now been repaired. We couldn't get out of the place fast enough but somehow managed to pick the exit queue where the barrier had decided to pack up. Once through this last obstacle we were out of the city and frankly quite delighted to do so.

On the journey home we chatted about our experiences and we all agreed it had been a bruising experience. I think Lucy was the most downhearted as it had been her idea to visit Plymouth as a finale to our holiday. As she said, she had been there before and never had any problems.

On the way back we stopped at a supermarket to pick up a few supplies. At this point it would have been easy to let Lucy go in by herself and I could sit it out in the car. But I was determined not to be beaten by some pubescent creep and his camera-phone so I decided to go in with her. Over the course of the week it seemed that we visited a supermarket each day and on most days I accompanied Lucy. Looking back I realised that on no occasion did we have the slightest problem. No reads, no stares and certainly no comments. The staff were always friendly and at no time were we made to feel unwelcome or ill-at-ease. I think one reason is that people in supermarkets are always busy and concentrating on their own business. As we discovered the day before at Land's End, where boredom is rife then the number of reads can go through the roof.

Come and Get It!

Once back at the cottage we had a couple more events before we had to ring the curtain down on our holiday. The first was the appropriate disposal of a particular badly present loaf of sliced bread. The lucky beneficiaries of this were to be the ducks and other assorted water fowl who reside on the holiday park's lake. Did they enjoy it? You bet they did! The photo here of Lucy and Mandy handing out the treats shows only a small proportion of the birds that mobbed us when the bread appeared. It may have been a lousy loaf of bread but it was certainly appreciated by our feathered friends.

The other event of the evening was a meal in the park's pub. There's not a lot to say about it other than the surroundings were nice, the staff were friendly and food was lovely. (Oh, and the beer was good too!) After the trials and tribulations of the day it helped make up for it quite a lot.

Saturday 29th September



Two Lovely Friends

And so, it was the last day of our holiday. As usual, there's not much you can do but pack, have breakfast and then head home. I'll freely admit that when it finally came to saying goodbyes and leaving I felt quite emotional. Lucy and Mandy have freely taken me as a friend and let me into their world to an extent that I found quite warming. From the outset Lucy made it clear that they regarded me as one of the trio rather than someone who was sharing their cottage for a week. This proved to be the case throughout the week and at no time did I feel the need to get out by myself.

As I walked up the path to the car there were tears in my eyes. It's true that fresh makeup can make my eyes water, but this was much more. Six hours later I was home and filling up the washing machine. The holiday only lasted a week but the memories will be around a lot longer.

Thoughts and Conclusions

That's a rather grand sounding heading, but whatever holiday you have it's usual to reflect on it afterwards. Whilst writing this blog, at times I've worried that I might have come across as rather negative, dwelling on things that have gone wrong rather than the good bits. Well, although some things and events might not have been to our liking, on the whole is was a lovely holiday with the positives far outweighing any negatives.

Of course being out in the world as a trans woman leaves you open to all sorts of unwanted attention and although there were examples of this, there were other times when there was no trace of it.

One thing that was in my mind was the long term effect it would have on my attitudes to being a trans woman. Lucy has written elsewhere that the two weeks she spent in the Lake District in 2011 as a woman finally convinced her that living full time as a woman was the only realistic option for her. Against this background I wondered if I might come away from this holiday with similar feelings. In the end it didn't happen, although as I said to Lucy I now understood why this happened to her. Living for a whole week as Susan wasn't a thrill or an exciting experience. Instead I was left with a sense of how comfortable I felt in my female persona. If the time comes when I decide to go full time then at least I know that I can be Susan.

As I've written above the over-riding memory of this holiday was how lovely it was to be in the company of two wonderful, supportive and undemanding friends like Lucy and Mandy. A lot has happened to me this year in my transgendered life and much of it is down to the support given by these two friends. Thank you Lucy and thank you Mandy - I can't tell you you adequately just how important it's been to me.

As well as my blog Lucy has written here own account of our holiday and it can be found on her website. If you've never been there then it can be found here: www.prettylucy.co.uk/

Thank you for reading this

Susan XXX

A Holiday in Cornwall - Part Two

Welcome back!

 

Tuesday 25th September

Although we'd been in Cornwall for four days we had yet to visit the seaside. The county is famous as a holiday destination but when you visit in late September you have to accept that the weather might not be at its best. This was definitely proving to be the case and although the forecasters were promising better weather later in the week, we were still enduring some pretty wet weather. But at least it was nowhere near as bad as that being experienced in other parts of the country where severe flooding had occurred.

However, undaunted we decided today to head for Cornwall's premiere seaside resort - well, that's if you're about 16 and have little interest in anything other than getting drunk. Newquay on the North Cornwall coast has long been regarded as the centre for surfing in the area. Alongside that it developed as a major family holiday resort.

Sadly, in recent years it has been getting a reputation for some of the more excessive behaviour of younger people. Lucy told me that it often makes headlines on the local television news for the behaviour of its younger visitors. In the past I've had a couple of holidays in the town but I haven't been back for well over 25 years and I was interested to see what it was like now.

So, we loaded up Lucy's car and headed for the town. On the way a misunderstanding between the driver (Lucy) and the navigator (me) led to the wrong road being taken. Yes! - our 4th mistake in as many days. This was turning out to be an impressive record and hopes were high that we might be able to make it to the end of the week with at least one error per day.

The error resulted in us approaching the town from a different direction from the one intended. However we soon found a car park close to the railway station and began our visit. Yes, a railway station! Newquay is one of only three Cornish resorts that still have a mainline railway connection, the others being St Ives and Looe. Many other places used to be rail-served but most of those went in the 1960s.



Cornish Sunshine in Newquay

We headed into the town centre by way of several charity shops. Once in the centre we found a coffee shop and had our morning refreshments. The town centre wasn't too bad with a reasonable selection of shops. The weather by now was quite sunny and so we tried to get as close as possible to the sea for some photos. Unfortunately the town itself is elevated above the sea and a decent to the beach would have to have been matched by an uphill push for Mandy's chair on the way back.

However, we found a small park with some excellent views northwards along the coast and settled on this for a photo session. This proved to be an ideal spot, although I couldn't help noticing the almost every building nearby seemed to be a nightclub or some form of drinking establishment. It was pleasant enough in the late morning sunshine, but perhaps it would be somewhat different in the early hours of the morning when all the party-goers were turning out.

After our photo stop we headed back to the car park and paused at the station to make use of the toilets. To describe them as disgusting would be generous. I'm not certain whether or not they were part of the station but any organisation should be ashamed of such a public facility. They were all in a poor state of repair and dirty. To cap it all there was a large pot-hole in front of the door to the disabled toilet. Just what a wheelchair user wants.

Having survived this ordeal by public convenience we made it back to the car park and headed out of town. My verdict on Newquay after over a quarter of a century? Well, I know the social habits of the population have changed in this time and so it wasn't a real surprise to find much of the town geared up to meet this need. Whether this makes it suitable as a family destination I'm not sure and whatever the case I doubt I'll return at any time soon.

So, having done Newquay we had to decide were to go next. One of the leaflets supplied when we checked in at the cottage was for "Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm". Notwithstanding the unusual spelling of "cider" (Lucy insists they've got it wrong and who is going to argue with a Somerset girl), it sounded like a good idea for somewhere to go. It has to be admitted that a major attraction was the promise of a clotted cream tea. There was no way we were going to spend a week in Cornwall without indulging in this delicious treat at least once. So off we set!

We got there with no further navigation errors and parked. A lovely young woman greeted us at the gate and offered all sorts of options for touring the site. I only realised later that this was in fact the hard-sell as although entry  to the site was free, the tours being offered were anything but. However, the three of us had our sights set on something more important - a lovely clotted cream tea.



What We Came For

We soon found our way into the restaurant and bought our cream tea. One rather cute feature of the restaurant was the way a number of small birds were flying around inside. This gave it a lovely rustic charm, until that is one of the "dropped its load" close to our table. That brought it home to us that these cute feathery things were in fact a bit of a health hazard. But this didn't stop us enjoying our tea.

Mandy Makes a New Friend

Afterwards we went for a tour of the farm buildings and of course the shop. It was clear that an effort had been made to provide wheelchair access to the site, with ramps being provided. The the courtyard, however was a different matter. With cobblestones and drainage channels it was a nightmare to navigate. I could tell that Lucy was getting concerned about damaging the wheelchair but thankfully none occurred.

As well as the cider presses and bottling works and all the other associated equipment, there were also a number of farm animals on display. I wasn't too sure what these had to do with cider making, but they did add a degree of interest and cuteness. Mandy took a particular shine to a shire horse that was on display in the stables under the restaurant. It was a first-class performer as it stood so still, we wondered at one point if it was real. But the occasional flick of its tail and shake of the head proved it was still with us.

We also made our way with some difficulty to the farm animals area, only to be greeted by a field empty, apart from a very long looking pig. At least I thought it was one pig, until the front part got up and moved around. But it was a very long way off.

Our final call was at the shop and a chance for from tasting and purchases. The cider I tried was delicious and I had to buy some. Lucy also bought a bottle along with some Elderflower wine. Then it was time to head back to the cottage.

We'd decided on fish and chips for our meal this evening and so Lucy and I headed off to Camelford where the nearest one was located. As we entered the shop we saw it was full of people waiting for their orders to be ready. It's the moment all of us dread when faced with a sea of faces looking at you. And looks a-plenty we got. But that was it. There was no unpleasantness at all and the staff we warm and friendly the whole way through. And the meal was delicious!

 

 

Wednesday 26th September

In spite of the continuing abysmal weather, we still harboured a desire to "get onto the beach" and get some photos. There had even been talk at one point of paddling, but this idea seemed to be receding rapidly. The forecast for today wasn't at all promising but we figured that they might just be wrong, or we might get lucky and find an unexpected piece of good weather by the sea. So, armed with this hopelessly optimistic outlook, we headed for Polzeath.

This had been our choice as the maps indicated a cap park by the beach, and there was some degree of shelter from the open Atlantic Ocean. However, when we arrived we found that the car park was not only by the beach but was actually on the sand. This might be OK for the wide tyres of a motor vehicle, but we felt that a wheelchair with its narrow wheels might easily get bogged down.

So, we headed off looking for somewhere more suitable, but by this time it was clear that we weren't going to be blessed by anything resembling decent weather. After a drive of about 2 miles, we ended up about a third of a mile away at New Polzeath. Unsurprisingly the weather wasn't any better there but Lucy and I decided that we had to brave the elements if we were to get any photos. Mandy, demonstrating a level of common sense that neither of us could muster elected to stay in the car.



The Cornish Riviera - New Polzeath

Well, we got our photos and one of them is shown here. If I look completely windswept then all I can say is that the camera on this occasion isn't lying. It was appalling and I'm only glad that I managed to keep something of my dignity. By the time we returned to the car Mandy was beside herself with laughter. She said that watching the two of us trying to get photos in such impossible conditions was one of the funniest things she'd ever seen.

It was at this point we gave up on the seaside for the day and looked for somewhere else to spend the rest of the day. We decided to head for Wadebridge, a market town not too far away. The market day is Thursday so unfortunately we were there on the wrong day for that. However, with a pedestrianised main shopping street we were hopeful of doing a bit of shopping and, most importantly, finding some refreshments.

By the time we got there the forecast rain had caught up with us and was giving the town a good soaking. Nonetheless we pressed on in search of something to drink. I've previously been to the town by myself and a fine summer Sunday. There wasn't much open but it was a pleasant place to spend a while just wandering around. However, and a wet September day and with one of the party in a wheelchair it was very different. We were getting very wet and whilst trying to get Mandy into and out of the disabled toilet it was brought home to us just how selfish people can be. Whilst trying to back her chair out onto the pavement, Lucy found that no-one would give way to her. In fact we got the impression that some of them would have walked over us rather than give us some space.

We headed on into the main street looking for a cafe but there was an almost complete lack of them. Finally we found one and went in. It was small, very cosy and intimate and a TGirl's favourite nightmare. Everyone looked at us, rather like the previous evening in the fish and chip shop. But again, there were no problems and we got the refreshment we so badly needed by this time. In fact, by the time we left the Australian who appeared to be running the place was quite talkative with me and for a brief moment I wondered if I was being chatted up. That would have been a new experience but in all honesty I think he was just being friendly towards us.

By this time we were beginning to feel that Wadebridge in these conditions held very little attraction for us and so we made our way back to the car park. On the way I had to use the ladies again and whilst doing so Lucy and Mandy were nearly flattened by two idiot commercial drivers. They seemed to be trying to find out just how fast you could drive around the narrow streets of a Cornish Market Town. In the end we were thankful to get out of there.

The day was really falling to pieces but it was too early to head back to the cottage and so Lucy suggested heading to Bodmin. Having been there on previous occasions I wasn't very optimistic that it would be any better. In fact it turned out to be the best call of the day.

By the time we arrived the rain had stopped, which makes so much difference to how you perceive somewhere. Our first stop, as ever, was somewhere to get some refreshment and as the time was getting on some food would also be a good idea. I took us to a cafe just off the main shopping street that I knew from a visit some years earlier. Once there one sight of the menu proved it had been a good move and soon we were all tucking into giant sausages in bread roils, and delicious they were too.



Group Photo in Bodmin

After that we wandered up the main shopping street, taking in the usual clothes and charity shops. I found a lovely dog-tooth pencil skirt in one of them and just had to buy it With the shopping finished we made our way into the public park alongside the car park and took advantage of the duck pond for a few photos.

The last stop in the town was a supermarket to pick up some more supplies. Whilst there we were given a demonstration of how badly the blue-badge disabled parking scheme is being abused. Lucy and myself were walking back to the car when a young couple roared into the car park with little regard for anyone else and went straight into a disabled bay. Once they'd leapt out of their car and headed for the supermarket without any apparent difficulty, I wondered back to their car and sure enough, they had a blue badge. Lucy had been trying unsuccessfully to get such a badge for Mandy. It's idiots like this abusing the system that make it harder for genuine applicants to get their own badge.

Our last call before heading back to the cottage was for fuel for my car. The next day we were heading to Land's End for a few first and last photos. Read more about this in the next and final part of my holiday blog.


See you in Part 3......!

Susan XXX


A Holiday in Cornwall - Part One

Cornwall is the most South-Western county in England and has for a long time been a favourite holiday destination for many people. Remote from the major population centres of much of the country, it boasts some of the best coastal scenery in England as well of a rich and varied history, as well as being slightly mysterious.

The county has long been a personal favourite with memories of holidays from years ago and more recently a genealogical connection discovered. I usually make a point of visiting Cornwall at least once a year. Of course with recent changes in my lifestyle it became an ambition to spend some time there in my female persona. I did manage a day out as Susan during a holiday there in 2011, but it remained a goal to spend much longer there as a woman.

My chance came earlier in the summer when my good friends Lucy and Mandy invited me to share their holiday cottage in North Cornwall with them for a week. Their friend who had originally booked the cottage with them had to pull out and so I was delighted that they asked me to take her place.

Saturday 22nd September

The plan was for me to drive to Taunton and meet up with Lucy and Mandy at their home. From there we would drive together to Cornwall. Driving from the South East of England to the South West on the A303  on a Saturday can be difficult, even out of the holiday season with traffic building up at certain points, especially where dual carriageways end. The worst one is Westbound at Stonehenge in Wiltshire and in the past I seen queues for traffic travelling West stretching back as far as Andover - a distance of nearly 15 miles.

So, I decided to leave as early as possible in order to reach Taunton by lunchtime. Now, getting away on holiday can be traumatic enough in my usual life, but doing it as a woman brings a whole new dimension. Where a suitcase is usually enough for a week, this holiday required three, plus a couple of holdalls. Then of course getting all this in the car, putting on my makeup and getting away by 9.00 in the morning left me feeling that I really needed a holiday to get over just leaving home.

But, get away I did and thankfully the roads didn't live up to my fears and the journey was easy and relaxing. In fact I had plenty of spare time which left me able to turn off the A303 at Ilchester and go across country to Taunton via Langport. This road was much quieter than the main route and far more picturesque. But I still arrived at Taunton rather early. Lucy and Mandy were expecting me late morning and I knew they were heading into town first thing for a "power breakfast". So, to avoid arriving before they got home I parked up for while to read the paper.




Enjoying the sunshine at Belstone Services

Eventually I reached their house and found them both busy getting ready to leave, with the cleaning of their car almost finished and the packing about to be finished off.. Soon, lunch was served and at 2.00 we were off on the final leg to Cornwall. The roads were reasonably trouble free and as we couldn't take over our cottage until 4.00 we were able to take the journey at leisure.

We stopped at Belstone services near Okehampton in Devon for a break and of course an ice cream. Here was our first chance to take some photos, something that was sure to be a feature of the forthcoming week. Soon we were on our way again and by 4.00 we had arrived and were checking into our cottage.

Lucy and Mandy had booked a cottage at Hengar Manor, which is a holiday park at St Tudy, just outside Camelford in North Cornwall. They had been here before but that was in the days before Lucy. There was some concern that a place which is essentially family orientated might have problems with trans women like ourselves. However, from the moment we booked in to when we left we experienced nothing but friendly service from the staff.



Relaxing in the cottage after a busy day

Having unpacked, to a degree at least, Lucy and myself set off to pick up supplies for the week. We headed for Wadebridge where there is a large supermarket just outside the town. For a Saturday evening the place was quite busy. However, we concluded, based on the sort of clothing being worn and the generally lost looks on many faces, that most of them were holiday makers like ourselves stocking up.

Our shopping didn't seem to take too long and soon we were heading back to the cottage. This was when the first of what was going to be a series of navigation errors occurred. Trying to find our way across country to the cottage, we ended up rather lost and even our maps didn't seem to help on this occasion. The best answer in these cases is to head for somewhere you know and work it out from there. So we headed to Camelford and took the road we'd used earlier in the afternoon.

We were soon back and Lucy cooked us the first of what would prove to be a series of lovely meals. After that it was time to relax after a busy and and start to plan the rest of our holiday..

Sunday 23rd September

Just as the weather forecast had promised the day started wet, but we had taken this into account. The plan was to visit an indoor market that was being held near St Austell. Given the poor weather forecast for the day it seemed like a good idea. We all enjoy shopping and a market is always a good place to try for a bargain.

On the way there the second navigation error of the week occurred when we found ourselves at the gates of the Eden Project. Quite how this happened I'm not sure as I had been busy trying to send a text from my mobile, something I don't do very often. But whatever the case it was quickly decided that none of us wanted to visit the site as we'd all been there before and it was hardly the sort of weather for it anyway.

Quickly we got ourselves back on the right track and soon arrived at the venue for the market. These events can be quite good or not, depending on so many factors. To be honest there was a lack of bargains, at least as far as clothes were concerned. But the worse thing was how crowded it was and this made if difficult for getting the wheelchair around.

For those who are unaware, at present Mandy is suffering from a long term problem with one of her knees and while she is waiting for the medical profession to help her out she is using a wheelchair to increase her mobility. A feature of this week, for me at least, was just how difficult it can be to navigate a wheelchair around the streets and venues of our so-called enlightened country. Sometimes it's the facilities, or more likely the lack of them. But sadly, a lot of the time it's the people. Sometimes it's the lack of awareness, other times it's a lack of thought. But as far as I could tell mot of the time people are so wrapped up in their own world that they show no consideration for others less fortunate. Have you ever had difficulties pushing a trolley around a busy supermarket? Then hopefully you'll know what I'm getting at.

The patrons at this market were no better then usual and we soon tired of trying to make a good job of it. So this, combined with a lack of decent bargains led us to leave sooner than we might have done. We headed into St Austell town centre for some much needed refreshment and some decent shopping.



"The China Cafe" in St Austell, with two extra customers

We weren't to be disappointed as although it was a wet Sunday lunchtime, the shopping centre was quite good. Apparently the area recently competed a major makeover and although we weren't seeing it at its best, it was still a pleasant experience. After a much needed caffeine top-up we hit the shops and were generally pleased with what we bought.


Me and "Bergerac"

Towards the end of our tour of the town centre we were greeted by a fascinating work of art. "The China Cafe" is a life-sized mural covering the whole of the side of a building facing the shopping area. It depicts the fictional cafe, named after the nearby china clay industry with which the town has long been associated. The "patrons" of the cafe include 14 famous people who were either born in the town or who have lived there at some time. These include the author Daphne du Maurier and the actor John Nettles.

Needless to say none of us could resist getting photos of ourselves in such illustrious company and two of the shots are shown here.

Soon, though it was time to head back to the cottage. Lucy was preparing a joint of roast beef for our Sunday dinner and of course time was needed to prepare it. The journey back was less eventful than the outward one and we were soon back, looking forward to our roast dinner and settling down to watch a re-run of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Monday 24th September 

Today it was my turn to do the driving and after some discussion we decided to head for the City Truro. This is the county town of Cornwall and held the promise of some good shopping. Once again the very indifferent weather we were experiencing affected our choice of venue, and we figured that if it did rain there would be plenty of cover.

This was the first time we had put Mandy's wheelchair in my car and the first impression was that it wouldn't fit. Although overall my car is slightly larger than Lucy's, on mine the roof at the back slopes downwards and this means there is less height in the luggage area. This meant that although the wheelchair would fit in, we couldn't close the door. However, after a bit of trial and error we finally succeeded. This was just as well as it would have been unfair if Lucy had ended up doing all the driving.

The journey there took about 45 minutes and was uneventful, apart from me taking the wrong exit and a roundabout near Bodmin. Three days and three navigation errors! We began to speculate whether or not we could keep this up and manage an error each day of our holiday.

We parked in a car park close to of the city's Lemon Quay shopping area and headed to the very large branch of Marks and Spencer for refreshments. M&S cafes are usually very good and you can always guarantee getting a nice drink. However, I have noticed recently that they are becoming a victim of their own success, being often crowded and with long queues when being served. The Truro branch was no different and although we managed to find a table, Lucy seemed to be a long time before she arrived with our drinks.

There was also an annoyance when we were trying to find the toilets. Usually there are located close to the cafe and that's where we headed. However, after some fruitless searching we found them next to the lift we had just come out of. Some pretty poor signing had led us to miss them entirely.



Truro - After the Rain

Anyway, suitably refreshed we had a tour of M&S and then headed out into the street - only to find it was pouring down. Fortunately our next shop was right next door, so we managed to avoid a soaking. By the time we went back into the street the rain had stopped and the sun was shinning. So it was time for some photos.

The rest of our shopping trip was fairly uneventful, apart from some fool who gave us a wolf-whistle. Lucy was sure it was intended for us but as we were walking together at the time it wasn't possible to say who it was meant for. So in the true spirit of sisterhood, we decided to share it.

The experience of pushing the wheelchair around the older part of the City was more reminiscent of our visit to Bath earlier in the summer. Narrow, uneven pavements and cobblestones might look quaint and "olde-worlde", but they are a nightmare for anyone trying to navigate the streets in a chair. Then we had a wheelchair malfunction. One of the push-rims that are attached to the main wheels broke. To be more exact it was one of the fixing brackets. Lucy was quite rightly annoyed as these were new, better quality ones she had recently obtained. A quick inspection showed that the break was due to poor quality materials. We hoped that we would be able to effect a make-shift repair once back at the cottage. But for today, it meant that Mandy would be unable to propel herself around the shops.



Leading the Cow by the Ear

Lunch was taken at a coffee shop where it has to be said the service was much better than we had experienced in M&S earlier. On the way back through Truro we headed headed for their indoor Pannier Market, but before getting there we found a delightful life-sized statue of a cow which was crying out to be used as a prop for some more photos. And that of course it what happened.


By the Truro River - in Truro

We made our visit to the pannier market but to be honest it wasn't that impressive and we were soon through there. Then it was back to the car park and into the adjoining supermarket for some more supplies.
Whilst here we took one last photo opportunity by the river before heading off back to the cottage. The journey home was uneventful and once back there Lucy and I took advantage of the dry weather for a wonder around the grounds and, naturally, a few more photos.


Later on we were able to make the necessary repairs to Mandy's wheelchair. This meant she would be able to propel herself around the shops and give the extra independence she deserved.



That's the end of the first part of my holiday blog. I had intended originally to do this all in one go. However, the size of it is increasing and in order to make it more manageable I will publish it in at least two parts and quite likely three.

See you in Part 2......!

Susan XXX