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Nina's Blog - Friday 27th June 2025

Friday 27th June 2025, 20:01

Got back from Chameleons late so slept in this morning, didn't get out until after eleven. Haven't had much in the way of Wi-Fi all day so I've been jotting notes down in Google Keep Notes. But before I dump those notes and related pictures I should record my impressions and feelings about Nottingham Chameleons. So here goes.

As any regular reader of this journal knows I have no problems meeting people for sex, walking the streets in feminine clothes some demure, some sexy, travelling across borders dressed, etc. But in public I know that I will never meet almost everyone again and meeting people for sex means we have an immediate common ground.

But meeting a group of people, all of whom already know each other made me nervous. Jayne had also pointed out to me that there was a sort of informal dress code, nothing too sexy. As I mentioned before in the pictures Jayne showed me everyone had dresses and skirts down to below their knees. I compromised and wore a sleeveless dress that almost came down to my knees, a light shawl, and three inch dark red heels.

I have a terrible memory for names, and I probably shouldn't be revealing them here anyway.

So first impressions: everyone looks very relaxed, they are obviously familiar with each other. No one makes much fuss about a guest, Jayne introduced me to several of the girls. And bustled off to get mugs of tea, she always forgets that I don't take milk. The room is just a meeting room with a little kitchen area and a rectangle of tables with chairs around the edge. I think that there were about a dozen of us in the end.

I really don't know what I was expecting in the way of talk or conversation or sartorial and makeup choices. I think I expected more discussion of dressing but in fact a lot of the conversation was of the kind that I could easily imagine the same people having in a pub while dressed male. I think only a few of us were out so I suppose one of the biggest reasons for the meeting is just to give people a bit of time to relax while dressed.

It was clear that some had to dress when the arrived and change back before going home, they we wearing simple easily concealed clothes. I wonder if their spouses know where they go. There were others meticulously made up, with perfect wigs, and carefully pressed clothes but as far as I know they also are not out. Even Jayne sneaks out of the back gate to avoid the neighbours although she does go in the front door when getting home because by then it's late at night and less risky.

Jayne was dressed in her usual age appropriate style. She's actually three years oder than me but I swear she looks younger now than when we first met in December 2019,and I told her so.

At the other end of the rectangle of tables a lively conversation about current music and film went on, dominated by a young (relative to most of us that is) person who was a member of a modern punk band who was having artistic differences with the band who were objecting to their overtly political and critical lyrics. We pretty much all agreed that you can't really have an authentic punk band that isn't political, it's in the nature of the beast. If it'[s not political then it's not punk either. There was much discussion of current television and film that left both me and Jayne mostly mystified as neither of us watch much television.

Eventually I went to get some more tea and struck up a conversation with an ex-lorry driver/mechanic. I learned that there is a computer game that simulates road transport companies right down to details of gear changing and enforcement of EU driving time regulations. She described how although she never drove on the continent in a real lorry, except for one trip to Portugal and back, that since retiring and taking up computer gaming she has driven from Portugal to Greece to Poland to Sweden and Denmark and most of the countries in between. She showed me some video from the game, it looks as well made as GTA. She's also a musician and has what looks like more keyboards than Rick Wakeman.

I think that the overriding impression I was left with was that most of the people their are much more accomplished than I am. Practically everyone has some sort of hobby that is understandable and visible to other people. I turned my hobby (electronics and computing) into a career and never took up another, unless you can count this blog and its subject.

Another impression was that everyone seemed very happy to be there, lots of smiling faces.

At the end Jayne hustled me the little sub-group that she is most closely associated with and everyone took pictures. Except me because I had left my mobile in my handbag in the main room.
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Ah, amazing. Glad you are able to find places like that where you can hang out and 'just be.' It's good to find that type of atmosphere, no pressure.

And your bare feet adventures always make me smile! There’s something refreshing about how you weave vulnerability and humor together. Thanks for sharing your day so openly.
ninalanyon · 61-69, T
@Jokersswild I actually felt a little bit of a fraud. I assume that the name Chameleons refers to the fact that most of the members have to switch from male clothing to female clothing and back again. But I no longer have to do that, not because I am any braver but merely because unlike most I am not in a relationship.

As for humour, well I try always to look on the bright side. And the bare foot thin has become a sort of habit, when possible I try to politely confront people who say things like "Why aren't you wearing shoes?" or "Put some shoes on!" and ask them why they say such things. I think I have had some slight success in making a few people think about what they are saying.

A few years ago I was asked the question by a small girl in Norway, i think she might have been about five years old. But in her case it was clear from her intonation that she simply wanted to know. When I explained that I simply preferred not to wear shoes she nodded politely and turned back to play with the younger boy who was with her.

The further north in England I go the more often it is that someone will comment negatively on my feet. I wonder if it has something to do with past poverty being not so far in the past as it is where I come from in the south..