Nina's Blog - Saturday 5th July 2025

Saturday 5th July 2025, 12:56

I'm now in the same café as yesterday after wandering around for an hour or so taking pictures and being complimented on the outfit. I seem to have hit on the perfect outfit to be noticed in!

Having a toasted teacake and an Americano.

I was about halfway through the the first half of my teacake when a woman stopped in front of me said how lovely my outfit was and asked if she could take a picture! We chatted for a while and exchanged names. She's Ann and is American married to a Briton and living in Ulverston. She asked where I was from and when I explained that I live in Norway she said she had been there quite recently to take a group of tourists to see the northern lights, Tromsø, etc. How is it that almost everyone I meet has some connection with Norway, a visit, a friend, a spouse, cousin, or parent, etc.?

A little while later she passed me again and this time noticed my heels and exclaimed that she couldn't wear anything that high without falling over and then asked to take a picture of them! Of course I said yes, my appetite for compliments knows no bounds!

When she left she gave me her card and said call me if you would like to meet up for coffee or a glass of wine. So next week I think I'll do that.

Saturday 5th July 2025, 22:34

Back in my hotel room having a supper of tea, chipotle Caesar slaw and crackers. It's been an interesting evening. I wonder if my hearing has always been in some sense defective. It's not that I cannot hear, it's just that in high noise environments I find it harder to understand what people are saying than others seem to do. Perhaps it's simply that I have avoided such environments all my life and hence lack practise.

Anyway in the craft beer and bottle shop I ordered a half of an IPA and sat down at a table occupied by a local couple. Well she was an Ulverston native but he had only recently moved from Barrow. We had a long conversation about where we were all from. It turned out that he used to visit my home town on business from the shipyard in Barrow. The company he was visiting was the one that my wife worked for in the late 1970s!

They recommended that I visit Coniston instead of Windermere an also said that the Buddhist temple complex near here is well worth a visit. They also said that I should visit the Monument because you can see Coniston from there and the mountains.

Google Maps says that the Monument is only a mile away and the meditation centre just over two miles away.so perhaps I should visit one or both tomorrow

Saturday 5th July 2025, 12:22

The event is similar in size to Sparkle but it's a more general LGBTQ+ event rather than specifically Trans.

The stage is the back of a lorry rather than the substantial stage at Sparkle and so far most of the people on it have more enthusiastic than professional, but there's nothing wrong with that.

The front door of the Sun is right on the main street where the stage and a number of stalls are set up.

Within about three minutes of emerging from the pub my photograph had been taken by the local newspaper photographer and I'd been complimented on my outfit by the mayor.

Here's a snippet of the mayor's opening speech


And here's the mayor in close up
I didn't catch the mayor's name but the other woman is a friend of hers named Sheila, we had a long conversation about Pride, heels, etc. It seems that apart from the MC who is wearing outrageous platforms I'm the only one here wearing heels, everyone else is being practical and safe. Both of the women I've spoken to have said they can't wear heels.

Saturday 5th July 2025, 21:00

Well that's been an interesting evening. I surfaced from my nap at nearly 19:00. While napping I was convinced I wasn't sleeping.

I got dressed again and went down to the bar where the after party was in full swing. Got a pint of Neck Oil and just stood around sipping it. After a while I moved to the area where people were dancing and was dragged bodily into a family group. Complimented on my outfit again. The problem is that the noise level was so high that I could not make out more than one word in four of the conversation so I just nodded to everything that was said. After a while I drifted slightly away and was captured by a trio of very nice young ladies who insisted I dance with them. We communicated entirely by song and sign language but had fun nonetheless. I suspect that their ages added together don't much exceed mine.

I was so jealous of the young lady in the skimpy bra and shorts. I wish my tits were so good.

In every group of three people there must always be one who is less outgoing than the others. I think the young lady in the long dress might have been the designated driver.

We danced for half a dozen songs from Oasis, Pulp, REM, etc. Surely most of the music must have been older than they were. I had finished my pint some time ago and was finding the sound level a bit tiresome so I waited a little while and then waved goodbye.

I went out to get some fresh air and spent a few minutes just promenading until I came to the Gather craft beer and bottle shop.where I got a half of a beer whose name now escapes me. The only seat available was at a table occupied by a couple. We fell into conversation but I'll relate that later.

Edit: the half was Two Flints.

Saturday 5th July 2025, 15:36

The Sun is very convenient for this event being right on the main street where it is being held. I felt a bit peckish and had an urge for a pork pie. They seem a bit thin o the ground this far north which is odd because there is no shortage of Ginster's pasties. Tesco don't have any, Morrison's don't either. But that was fine because it meant I had to walk to the Co-op and when I got to about five metres from the entrance a woman coming out said to me "You're looking fabulous!". And the Co-op has it's own brand pork pies.

So now I'm back in my room having tea and pork pie. I*'ll probably have a nap and let my feet relax before putting my heels on again and descending the stairs to take a gander at the after party after 17:00.

I think I have to declare myself to be an addict. Is there such a thing as Compliments Anonymous and do I want to be cured? When I get home I think I might hang this red outfit on the wall as a trophy.

Saturday 5th July 2025, 20:23

I can't wear my stockings and suspenders because one stocking has a gaping hole at the toe. So I'm wearing stay ups. But I couldn't find a pair that didn't have ladders in at least one of them so I'm wearing mismatched ones. One with a red cuff and one with black. If I'd known about the event I might have bought some new ones.

11:18 I'm out in the street now and I've already been photographed by the local paper and congratulated on my outfit by the mayor!

Pictures later, WiFi too slow.

Saturday 5th July 2025, 14:33

Why won't people read profiles? I've just had a message on Fabguys from matty1995 asking if I have WhatsApp. It clearly says that I do not on my profile.

Flats are the way to go.

Saturday 5th July 2025, 24:37

Some random pictures of Ulverston Pride