Sparkle time!

A couple of months ago we had the big Sparkle event in Manchester; this is how I vaguely remember the weekend!:

Thursday
I decided to take the train in from home; no point in paying for 4 days parking if I didn’t need to use the car, and I was in Piccadilly in less than an hour. I met up with Karen, and we had a light lunch there, before checking in to the hotel. An upgrade to a deluxe apartment on the 6th floor; the weekend was starting ever so well! After unpacking we headed for the Trafford Centre by public transport, which turned out to be a bad move. The hotel staff had indicated that it would be quick, but it wasn’t the case, and it took a tram and bus, with a long wait in between, to get us there. All of a sudden we weren’t going to have the time to get ready for later. Anyway we had a look in the Lewis sale and other places, bought a few bits, and headed back. As we stepped outside, Europe was having its biggest rain deluge in living memory, so we legged it across to the bus-stop, and then decided to take a bus straight back in to Piccadilly. At the M&S food store we stocked up on a few items, including the evening micro meal, and headed back to get ready.
By about 9.30 pm we were ready to go out, and headed for AXM where we were rounding up the posse to head for the Tiger Lounge, where they were holding the weekly Here Come The Girls event, which was quite appropriate. By this time the rain had held off, and we ended up with a quiet evening in the club. For whatever reason, most of the group decided to spend the evening at AXM, but it was a good evening for us all the same, and it gave us a chance to talk to some other girls we’d met for the first time. The classic moment of the evening was the GG comment to Karen ‘You’re really gorgeous!’

Friday
Sparkle really didn’t kick off until the afternoon, so we went shopping in town in the morning. I had kind of indicated to Kaz that I wanted to stay en femme for the whole weekend, and got her ok to escort me in to town in the morning in blokey-mode. It is very liberating to be walking with a guy in town; I was able to relax a lot, and not worry about any hassle I might have otherwise got. The Arndale was rather quiet, but we had a good amble around in some of the shops (tried a lovely skirt on in Monsoon, but £50, well, not this weekend!), and then went over to M&S, and then to MAC in Selfridges, to talk with some of the girls in there.
At lunchtime we had a bite in Eden, with some of the other girls.
In the evening we were in Velvet; about 12 of us. Not so easy to book a table during Sparkle weekend. I’d booked for 12 about 2 months before, and it was a pleasant time spent with our local girls, plus Bea, Jess, Jo-Jo, Doris, Imogen, Jaime and partner (with bump!) and Linzi. It was good to catch up with Becks and Gill, who were on another table with their partners.
At the end of the night we were heading back to the apartment, when we stopped on the corner of the main street, before getting propositioned by a little middle-eastern guy. Kaz couldn't get the words out quick enough, something like 'b****r off, you little ****'. He was that close to getting a Glasgow kiss!

Saturday
I was still looking for the skirt that I couldn’t find on the previous day, so as Kaz had decided to do other things early on, I went over to Primark for my first ever look in there. The place was so busy, even for just after 9am. What surprised me most was how many blokes had been dragged in there by their partners, and looked bored stiff. I finally found a skirt I was looking for, paid a few pounds for it, and made my way back to the hotel. When I got back there I sat in reception for a bit, and read a magazine. I must have had 2-3 conversations with different people whilst I sat there; it was all very pleasant and relaxed. They when I went back to the apartment Kaz told me that she’d gone early to Primark as well, and we were probably in there at the same time!
We were doing stewarding duties in Sackville Gardens from 12-2pm; that was quite good fun, moving people on and not letting them stand still for too long. Also helping trannies out of the ground after their heels had sunken into the grass!
Afterwards it was pleasant to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen in a while, as Marianne and Vicki, and then Mel Lilac turned up. It was a lovely sight to see Jess shimmying up Canal Street looking like the girl next door, latte in hand, after spending the day at the Anderton boat lift.
Later on it was time for a quiet early meal in Fossa, with a few lovely fiends, before getting back to The Place for yet another costume change.
I remember a year ago I didn’t have the nerve to walk 100 yards down Canal Street; how things are different now! After our meal in Fossa, Kaz and I had gone back to get changed for the Magic Theatre event at AXM Late. Walking by Piccadilly Station, and the full length of a packed Canal Street at 10pm on a Saturday night in basque, black lacy skirt, fishnets and heels, I vaguely remember getting my bum felt a couple of times, but I had so much padding on down there, it could have been more often!
Unfortunately the entertainment was a bit of a flop. There were meant to be 500-600 people in the venue, but I doubt if more than 50 people could have seen the entertainment that was on show on the little stage. 6‘-4“ tall trannies wearing platforms at the front of the stage meant the rest of us couldn‘t see anything, except an occasional arm or foot in the air on the stage. A lot of people had made such an effort with their costumes, and it was a shame that the venue couldn‘t match the expectations. I was stood with Jess at the bar for a while; her face was a picture of disgust! Luckily, some of us had got on the dance floor a bit earlier, but the music wasn’t to my taste, and I found that very disappointing, for a Saturday night. Later on we floated on upstairs, and before then had a small group get together on the half landing, as just about everyone in the area at that time was known to each other, including Di and the Kate's! I think the night ended about 3 am, after we shimmied on back to the apartment, and Kaz kindly took some lingerie shots of me.

Sunday
Well the weather didn’t know what it wanted to do, with showers, sunny spells, and heavy rain. I was booked in at the Roses lunch at Villaggio’s with another 80+ diners. It looked like we had taken over the whole of the downstairs section. Nicky had done well, and all for £12 a head. Very well organised, and a better show than the Christmas meal which I’d organised last year, when they sprung the service charge on us at the last moment, after many of the diners had left.
Good food and good company as usual, with TJ! After the meal we picked up Rachel, and got lost in Manchester trying to find The Place, to go back and pick up my luggage. At reception, the girl was struggling to get my heavy case out of the store room. ’Where is there a man, when you need one?’ I commented to her. I got a kind of sheepish grin in return!
Home by 5 pm, and the best part of 72 hours non-stop in L-mode. A great time!