Nina's Blog - Saturday 27th June 2026

Saturday 27th June 2026, I started my walk today by heading away from the town centre because a glance at the map showed green close by in that direction.

It turned out to be a large woodland park in the valley of the Douglas river.

The gateway is rather grand


Once inside it is all very green

When I got to the river I started to see signs warning of paths liable to flooding and eventually to a substantial set of flood defences

Saturday 27th June 2026, 12:29

As I was standing outside Boots using the WiFi to find a place to get a drink that wasn't a sports pub a woman stopped beside me pointed at my feet and said that was the right thing to do in this weather. I replied saying that it was much cooler and that I'm barefoot all summer. Then the conversation took an unusual turn, she asked if I were American. I said no, I come from the south. She explained that she is a "language collector" and that she had heard Lithuanian in Boots just a few minutes earlier. I said I used to have a pronounced West Country R but that I'd been out of the country for forty years. She averred that that was the reason she hadn't identified my accent.

She's right, I have been mistaken for an American in America specifically because of my, now rather attenuated, West Country accent. We had a brief chat about the weather during which she said that her own feet felt cold most of the time and that the hot weather made her feel so much livelier. I smiled and said that at least someone is appreciating the heat.

We said our goodbyes and turned in opposite directions. And then she called back asking about the pin on my hat. It's a stylised bee. I bought it in charity shop but I don't remember which one.

Anyway I'm long windedly getting to the point that in these times when the media would have us believe that there is a groundswell of negative opinion about trans people I have to say that my personal experience is quite the opposite, that most people appear not to notice or care how I dress. Those few who do and who also say anything to me are overwhelmingly positive.

Here's the outfit that I'm wearing today

Saturday 27th June 2026, 15:56

Decided to stop at Frederick's in the Pavilion, Mesnes Park for an ice-cream as it's on the way. Had a very pleasant and reasonably priced rum and raisin cone.

While I was enjoying the ice-cream I started browsing The Guardian and read an article with this headline:

It was an interesting report and I think I can that all sides in the story have some reason on there side. But what struck me most immediately was this

The article is about a man who wrote messages regarding fantasies of sexual abuse of his daughter but as far as I can tell there was no suggestion that the police regarded him as likely to be violent. So why does it take eight people to arrest him? And what other crimes go uninvestigated because they are all there?

Also, why were none of them uniformed officers?

I don't mean to judge any of this, it just seems like an inefficient use of manpower (is there a succinct and more inclusive term?).

Saturday 27th June 2026, 14:22

After my pint I decided to wend my way back to the hotel. But before leaving I decided to put on the top I bought in a charity shop earlier

Saturday 27th June 2026, 21:11

Random pictures of Wigan






A poster showing why phonetic spelling doesn't work