N.D.S. (Not Doing Sparkle)

This weekend Canal Street in Manchester plays host to the annual Sparkle celebrations. For those of you not in the know, Sparkle is a 2-3 day transgender festival. Held on the first or second weekend of July, it has become a huge event. I went last year and boy was it an experience. Looking back I went at the wrong time. Ideally I should have gone a year or two before. Last year I was a month into full-time and I think that at that stage I didn't need an event like Sparkle. Sparkle is ideal for transvestites and cross-dressers but not (in my opinion) for transexuals. Don't get me wrong I think that transexuals can get something out of it as aside from the festivities on the street, there are also Transgender related workshops and talks. What I mean is that Sparkle is great as it gives you 2 or 3 straight days of living as a female. It gives you the chance to express yourself in a way you may not get in the 'real world'. For the full-time girl, that novelty just isn't there.

For many transvestite Sparkle is the promised land. For me, it was a kind of holy grail for 4 or 5 years. I knew about it and every year I would read about it on the support groups. I was desperate to go and to spend a whole weekend as the real me. For one reason or another it didn't happen though and because of that I probably built it into this huge thing and in kinda failed in that respect. Again I'm not dissing the event, it just wasn't for me. I'm not saying that I'll never ever attend it again as I probably will next year as it's an ideal event during which to catch up with my friends from the 'scene'.

I've not actually been on the 'scene' for a year now, Sparkle being my last time. I guess that it must be partly by choice that I've not made the effort to get back up to Manchester. I've spoken about the TG scene many times on this blog and I do look on it with some fondness. I had some great times in Manchester and I have some great memories. I can still remember getting ready in my hotel room. I used to have a love/hate relationship with my wig as I remember. I used to love wearing it as it completed the look and gave me long hair. I used to hate it though as it used to get bloody hot under it! The 'scene' gave me the novelty of getting out dressed as Emma and I don't need that anymore. I will get back up to Manchester one day, I'm pretty hopeful of that. I'm also hoping to get back down to BNO at some point too.