Some people look older than they are. Others are older than they look. I fall into the second category. Two recent encounters bore this out and set me thinking about the concept of eternal youth. Read More…

Why do some men choose to wear women’s clothing? I can think of three main reasons and one less obvious reason. Only one of these applies to me. Read More…

The Wannsee area is rich in history and natural beauty. I was amazed at how much of both I saw in a walk of just 5 miles. Read More…

Tags: Berlin

On Sunday morning's 10K run through north central Berlin (I recommend the Volkspark Rehberge and the Plötzensee), I saw many political posters. These are for the German elections to the European Parliament, which take place on Sunday 9 June. So here is a guide to German political parties, with some comparison of the German and UK political systems. Read More…

Tags: Berlin, Run

As this is Sunday, my first priority was to attend divine worship, ideally at an English-language church. Enter the Anglican Church in Berlin, one of around a dozen Anglican churches in Germany. Read More…

Tags: Berlin

Today the first prize for affirming Ariane's female identity goes to Patroa Studio. I came across their work by chance in a market stall north of the cathedral. They produce art designs which are printed on cloth. This one says it all for me… Read More…

Tags: Berlin, LGBT+

The best way to explore a city on foot. So that's what we did today, though not all in one group. I walked 10 miles on a circuit from west to east and back again, taking in a number of sights I wanted to see and experiencing others I did not expect. Amid all this, the spiritual ran like a thread. This post is about the spiritual side of the tourist day. Read More…

Tags: Berlin

People say that Berlin is a 24-hour city. That may be true in the centre, but it's not true in the western suburb of Moabit at 6.00am on a Saturday morning. I saw very few people and cars at the start of a slightly extended 10K which included the perimeter of most of the Tiergarten – Berlin's largest and most famous park. Read More…

Tags: Berlin, LGBT+, Run

On Thursday morning I travelled to the accomplished Christiane Dowling in Sandhurst for a refresher makeup lesson. This repeated what I did a year ago. Normally in a makeup lesson, the artiste does one side of your face and you do the other under direction. On this occasion Christiane did it all, talking me through it with advice and detailed directions. I left with a process map and a list of brushes and cosmetics. Doing it properly is rather more work than the simple makeup I have been relying on. But the results are rewarding. Read More…

It was around 3.50pm on Wednesday when Penny alerted me to Jeremy Hunt’s withdrawal from an ITV London programme. The rumour was he was about to be replaced in a reshuffle. His pursuer, the Lib Dem hero Paul Follows, was approached for an interview just in case. Read More…

Tags: UK election

Three cheers for Laurel Bank Guest House in Keswick!

Ariane is going walking on her own in the Lake District in mid-July. For the first time in her life, she will spend the entire holiday as Ariane. Staying in a guest house though means the hosts have to know. Read More…

On Tuesday 14 May, I watched The Danish Girl. This is a beautiful but sad film. And so important for understanding what it is for a man to want to be a woman. It made me cry. This film confirmed my decision to give way to Ariane. Read More…

Tags: Culture

What do you do on a Sunday morning? If you’re the Velvet Underground, really not very much. Their song tells of a quiet day with lots of time to think, looking back, a sense of regret for the past:
Watch out, the world's behind you
There's always someone around you
Who will call
It's nothing at all…
Alternatively, you could go to church, and open yourself to whatever the day might bring. Read More…

Tags: St Mary's Shalford