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Manchester Pride

The Annual Christmas Card Letter

By Friends & FamilyNo Comments

Every year I write a letter to go inside of the Christmas cards of those friends I don’t have the opportunity to see often. This year, I’ve tweaked it slightly for my readers, so here it is:


Get in touch, contact me

Wednesday 24th November 2010

Dear Reader,
I hope this Christmas card finds you well. In my life this year, the themes seem to have been adventure and learning. My adventure started in February, a cold snap drove me in search of a beach holiday. I decided to head off to sunny Benidorm. I had a great week and while I was there I met a guy named Boyfriend-W. We got together, and traveled backwards and forwards to visit each other. Boyfriend-W asked me to move to Benidorm and live with him. I was lucky enough to get six months unpaid leave at work to try living out there.

The good days were some of the best of my life. However equally the bad days were some of the worst of my life. I learnt so much from my time in Benidorm with Boyfriend-W, but unfortunately things didn’t work out. I returned home and returned to work early. When most people have an emotional crises they turn to alcohol or drugs, but me I turned to shopping! I bought a new car and an entire new wardrobe. I got an enormous amount of support from my family and friends, for which I am eternally grateful.

At Manchester Pride in the end of August, I managed to hold up the whole parade. I rather dramatically started having a diabetic hypo fit just as the parade started. Like everything, I try and see the positive which in this case was the rather dishy paramedics. (I didn’t manage to get their numbers in case you’re wondering.) I also have a butch scare.

In September I moved back in to my apartment, which I had rented out after about a month of bed hopping (Not like that! How rude!). I got myself a housemate as well. He lives in the master bedroom and is wonderful, I’ve adopted him and he already feels like part of the family.

This September I’ve continued on my elearning to upgrade my Nursing Diploma to Degree. I have completed a module entitled ‘Promoting and Influencing Health’ and I managed to get a 1st grade, so that’s my target now to get all my other modules at a 1st grade. I’m currently undertaking a ‘Leadership’ module and my ‘Dissertation’ module. I will have one more to complete January – March, and then I’ll have my degree!

Currently I just got an Iphone4 (my baby) and am dating a guy. He makes me very happy and I hope to be writing about our time together in next years letter.

Well that’s pretty much all the significant events of my year. I hope you get time to write back. My love,

Antony

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Sunday 5 December 2010

Pretty Scary Pride

By Gay, Health2 Comments

Gay pride isn’t usually associated with anything scary or frightening. I mean with it’s array of colour and campness how could it be? Well I’ve attended Manchester Gay Pride for a number of years and always had a great time. Not only is it a big party but you get a warm feeling inside knowing that you’re helping to support gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans charities. However this year was to be different…

On a wet Saturday afternoon in the city centre I was ready to play my part in the parade. Wearing a white paint print t-shirt and white jogging bottoms with bright coloured hankies stitched down the sides I was ready to go. The parade set off and it was not long before I felt really unwell. I felt tired and a bit shaky. I was having a hypo. So I sent a friend to the float to get my bag with my chocolate in, sugar being the remedy for a hypo which normally kicks in pretty fast. He toodled off to get my bag.

Then my eye sight seemed to switch it’s self on and off intermittently. I could see and then for a split second just black, then back to seeing. I looked at my hand and up my arm all of which seemed to be shaking. I started to feel like I was loosing my balance and then I got a massive pain in my chest and remember my hand going towards my chest before everything going black.

I came round in an ambulance with two gay, sexy paramedics. One putting some sugar based gel in my mouth and then the other taking my details. I was on my way to hospital with another friend accompanying me. Apparently I had had a fit and fell to the floor hurting my cheek (see photo below), knee, back and arms on the floor.

It took me a while before I came round sat in the accident and emergency department at the hospital. But when I did I couldn’t remember if I thanked them. I should have thanked them and gave them my number so I could buy them both a drink when they were off duty. My excuse for buying them a drink would have been to say thanks, but the real reason, well I’ll leave that upto your imagination. If only I’d been more with it in the ambulance.

Write soon,

Antony

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Saturday 4 September 2010

Pink News on Manchester Pride

By Gay, Political, RantsNo Comments

I regulary check PinkNews.co.uk for the latest news in the gay world. Last week this article appeared: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8862.html.It follows an article the week before, where some young people had protested that Manchester Pride had become a money making venture.

In this article the Villiage Buisness Association (VBA) states that we have a ‘Marketing Manchester Pride’, which to me basically means a business. Having given it considerable thought – I would tend to agree. It has become about making money in some senses.

I have a few reasons for saying this. Firstly, for the last few years I have taken young people who identify as gay, lesibian, bisexual or questioning. The tickets are bought by the organisation in advanced, but even in advanced they are £12.50. How many vunerable young people, with little free cash could afford this? In addition to this, some of them are under 16 years of age. Where’s the consession for young people, OAP’s (Old Aged Pensioners), etc.

A friend of mine bought a weekend ticket on the Saturday after the main parade. He had to pay £18. To me that’s the cost of a gig and is outrageous for a so called ‘celebration of gay culture and the diversity of Manchester’. And my final point to make is that I have massively seen an increase in the money Manchester Pride spends on advertising, this year I have seen more adverts for Manchester Pride than ever before. Why do they need to advertise? All gay magazines list the dates of the different pride festivals around the country. And most gay people who have the internet check the Manchester Pride website.

I do recognise the good work that is completed with the funds raised. Support for gay men around HIV and in supporting the work the LGF do. But my question is: Why is it so expensive, therefore excluding the isolated and vunerable LGB people in society?

Answers on a post card…

Antony

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Monday 8 September 2008

Coming Up…

By LifeNo Comments

Hi All,

Here’s what’s coming up in my life over the coming months:

I am looking forward to all of these events and shall keep you informed on my progress via this blog. Take care,

Antony

Amazon
You can buy: Russell Howard – Live Collection (2 Live Performance DVD’s)

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Sunday 3 August 2008
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