A Month Full Of Journeys On The Rollercoaster Ride (My Personal Review Of Edinburgh 2018)

And so it ends. Well it ended on Monday night to be precise with most of the performers who made it what was now back in more familiar surroundings and the 2018 Edinburgh fringe now goes in to our history and our memories. So I’d like to thank all friends both old and new for making it worth the rollercoaster ride. I’d especially like to thank Fay Roberts and the team at Other Voices for their continued support for me both poetically and personally and being a cast member of my favourite show in the fringe meant more to me than I can ever put in to words.

I must also give a special mention to Hannah Lavery for being the first performer to make me cry at a show since Sophia Walker in 2014, and Tina Seiderholm who did exactly the same on the final day when I finally made it to her stunningly beautiful show Everything Wrong With You Is Beautiful.

Speaking of emotional moments, it is ever so slightly biased opinion that no fringe would ever be complete without the aforementioned Sophia Walker who can melt my heart in a way only Jen Hughes has ever beaten. As for Jen she provided one of my favourite and one of my soppiest moments of the entire fringe when we had a wee catch up in The Banshee. Yes there were very nearly raindrops but I just about held it together and I mean just.

It goes without saying that an event as huge as the fringe will of course have its regulars and my thanks go to Elizabeth McGeown, Matthew Macdonald, Matt Panesh , Jenni Pascoe, and Sophia Blackwell, all of whom have been consistently supportive of me through the years and great sources of friendship and inspiration and new friends made at Other Voices such as Carmina Masoliver, and Sara Hirsch. Talking of friendship I have to mention David Lee Morgan for being not only a valued friend but a very respected mentor and for a show which deserved bigger audiences than it got.

This year also saw the rise of a real star in Imogen Stirling with her fantastic show Hypocrisy which was on for a five day run and challenged our attitudes to others and asked us to examine them and then ask if we would like to be treated in the way we treat others and somehow I don’t think we would.

If Imogen’s show was running for limited time only it was still a marathon compared to Catriona Knapman’s 2016 show Out On The World returned to the fringe for one night only and I’m really glad to say that I managed to see it. Trust me this 45 minute world tour combined poetry , geography and politics in a way which was creative, entertaining , and informative.

It has to be to said that there some shows I was never going to miss and one such show was Robin Cairns giggle fest of a comedy The Weegies Have Stolen The One O’Clock Gun. This is comedy at its brilliant best as we follow the adventures of the hapless Morningside Malcolm who gets caught up in a plot to steal the one o’clock gun from Edinburgh castle. The result of course is hilarity and a great way to spend an hour in that time between afternoon and evening.

From comedy we move on to grief and one of the most moving shows of the fringe namely the In The Works production The 900 Club. This was an excellent thought provoking piece of spoken word theatre where four friends have a reunion to remember the loss of a friend and all of them struggle to cope with the grief and the issues each of them has to confront before moving on.

Still on planet poetry I was making new friends like Amy Kinsman, and Connor Byrne two brilliant young performers I hope I’ll see a lot of in years to come. In comedy Marc Jennings, who reminds me of a young Des Clarke in his rapid fire delivery and top quality material is in my opinion a star very much on the rise. I also enjoyed Funny Lassies a trio of Scottish comedians I went to see on the recommendation of my friend Emma Mooney. Other comedy shows of note included Jimmy Hogg in Tales Of Petty Crime, Jocks, Geordies, and Aussies, in which John O’Brien was top man , and an excellent one woman show by Coventry based comic Stella Graham whose tales of cars, class difference and cookery made for a very entertaining hour filled with warmth wit and more than a few pearls of wisdom. Another show I really enjoyed was the Hot Mess production Bezzie Mates which was part of Just The Tonic comedy at the caves and was billed as the only LGBT sketch show on the fringe. Now I don’t usually do sketch shows but I’m glad I made an exception on this occasion and saw a duo whose comedy tackled real issues like Brexit, sexism, fake news, and toxic masculinity without being preachy.

There were also the shows which were so enjoyable I went to see them twice such as Dan Simpson’s Worried Face Emoji and the majestic Kate Smurfwaite in her show Clit Stirrer but more on them later as I will hopefully be reviewing later. That is of course providing I can actually remember.

As for performance opportunities they were fewer than I would have liked due to factors such as geography and time of the event. That said I have to say I was in all probability happier with the level of my performances than I have ever been at any previous fringe. Sometimes it really is about the quality rather than the quantity and this year was easily my best in that respect.

Talking of respect I have to give a massive shout to the cast of Kin a short spoken word play written by Noah Kinworth. This was beyond doubt my favourite show of the fringe as it tackled the social and economic problems faced by families society labels dysfunctional. To say this show was powerful passionate and thought provoking would be the understatement to end them all. Indeed it was a total injustice that on a night I attended I was only audience member to see this superb cast of fantastically talented performers and was treated to a very intimate show where the cast was five times the size of the audience. This to me was an outrage especially after two hours of flyering so I hope that the rest of the run provided a more fruitful harvest in terms of bums on seats. Since I was the only audience member this lovely and talented team from the University Of Worcester didn’t bother to pass round the traditional free fringe donations bucket , I naturally felt that I had to give something back so I asked if since I was a fellow spoken word poet I could do a payment in kind performance as my thanks for them performing to an audience of one. This was an offer they were only too glad accept and performed two of my favourite crowd pleasers Karaoke Queen and Every Saturday Night and though they enjoyed my choices as much as I enjoyed performing them, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them that I got five times the audience they did Though to be fair I think it cheered them up a bit that I did it for them. I just hope they come back next year and get the kind of numbers their talents actually deserve because there are some times the truth really is stranger than fiction and this story is undoubtedly one of them.

As for my other gigs I gave a good account of myself in my two performances at Scottish Poetry Library and my two shows at part of Other Voices in what was my first year as a cast member in my favourite event of the fringe. I particularly enjoyed my slot on the final day when using typical Glasgow girl subtlety I silenced the crowd in the alcolve outside the banqueting hall by using my two most lethal weapons of choice my mouth and microphone before starting what was my best set of the entire three weeks and one of my best ever in my 25 years of spoken word history.

So as I look back and reflect on this amazing rollercoaster ride that was Edinburgh 2018 I do so with a sense of contentment as I remember that the fringe is about so much more than performing. It’s about the chance encounters with strangers who become friends, and great chats with fellow fringers as share time between shows like those I had with Chris O’Neill, and the amazing Ley La who provided. moments of hope at times when I needed them and Sophia Walker for that chat on a Friday when she knew without asking I was breaking and didn’t ask why. She didn’t need to she knows me too well and she knew it was a transwoman’s issue and before too long she had me smiling again like she always does in a way only Jen can beat.

So that’s almost all I have to say on what was fringe 2018 except to thank the staff of the Banshee Labyrinth for looking after me and all the other regulars who call this place our Edinburgh home. Also mentions must be given to the staff of Piemaker, home of the delicious Tattie Dog, and of course Bene’s at the Cannongate end of the mile which is in my completely unbiased opinion having been a customer for all of my 14 fringes the best chippy on the mile by a mile. And one final mention must go to my friend and flatmate Janette who has put up with incessant ramblings on Edinburgh every year since 2005 without so much as a moan and even goes to the trouble of making me packed lunches so I might be able to see an extra show or two. Now that’s what I call five star friendship. So that’s it over till we meet again next August. Until then I wish you well in all you do, and thank every single one of you for making my August as enjoyable as it was and a month full of journeys worth the rollercoaster ride.

Till next time

Gayle X

The Tartan Tights Awards 2014

Hey everyone Welcome to the third annual tartan tights awards. This has been the third year of this blog and so it is only right that those who have made this world a better place gain the recognition they deserve. Forget the queen’s new year’s honours list this is one you really want to win so let’s crack on and see whose won what this year and who has had made the past year more enjoyable, entertaining, stimulating, and thought provoking than it otherwise would have been.

I start this awards ceremony with my first award that of politician of the year. Now what can I say about the winner of this award which hasn’t already been said a million times already. My winner started the year by delivering a brilliant immortal memory at the Shettleston SNP Burns Supper and ended it as leader of her party and our country. My tartan tights politician of the year award goes for the second time in three years to our First Minister the brilliant Nicola Sturgeon.

My young politician of the year
is like last year’s winner Adam Miller someone who cut her political teeth in Shettleston where she stood as her party’s candidate in the by-election caused by the sad and untimely death of Labour councillor George Ryan. Though she didn’t win the seat she put a brave fight and campaigned hard for every vote. A stalwart campaigner for Yes Scotland she has now risen through the ranks of her party and is branch secretary of Shettleston SNP. A young women with a determination to get things done and win a better future for our country, I know we are going to hear a lot more from her in a future she will play her part in shaping my young politician of the year is Laura Doherty.

My Vision of Scotland Award goes to the politician or member of the public who contribute something to improve the quality of life for people in the country. This year the award goes not to a politician but to a campaigner who has done much to secure the right to equal marriage for the LGBT community and brought the issues of trans and inter sex rights to the Scottish Parliament. So it is with great pleasure that I give this very well deserved award to Tom French.

My next award is the Unsung Hero/Heroine Award. This goes to the politician who does not seek the limelight but represents their party with that quiet dignity and diligence which can restore people’s faith in a political system often knocked by those who are not involved because they only read what’s said in the press or reported on TV. This year it’s another heroine and yet again another change of party. The first award went to a woman in the SNP, her successor was a man from the Conservatives. This year it goes to a woman in the Liberal Democrats and if I say so myself it was an absolutely shoe in for the excellent Caron Lindsay.

Now it’s time for the One To Watch Award. As the title suggests this award is for someone whom I think may be worth keeping an eye on and when it comes to this year’s award, this is certainly the case It is I think fair to say that she is someone who I have always rated very highly and someone whom I believe will one day fill the boots of a certain Ms Sturgeon and lead both our party and our country. Like her party leader she started the year at the Shettleston SNP Burns Supper where she gave a brilliant lassies reply. Another of those I tipped for stardom a few years ago and she is one of our country’s brightest and most articulate young voices. My One To Watch award goes to one of the brightest stars in the political galaxy our current Minister For Children. Aileen Campbell.

The next award is the Impact Award. This award goes to the politician who I believe has made the biggest impact on one or possibly more than one issue in the course of the last 12 months. Amongst those considered were newly appointed Education Minister Angela Constance, The Labour Party’s best and brightest talent Jenny Marra, that traditional tartantights favourite and Ms Marra’s tag team teammate Kezia Dugdale, and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson but in the end there was only one winner and he won by a considerable distance. In the year of our independence referendum he gained more votes for his party and for the yes campaign every time he opened his mouth. The winner of the Impact Award for 2014 is the joint convenor of the Scottish Green Party Patrick Harvie.

My last political award is that of political blogger of the year. In what everyone agrees was a momentous year for Scottish Politics in for Scotland and for Scotland in general there were plenty of blogs to choose from Bella Caledonia, National Collective, and the slightly more controversial Wings Over Scotland amongst those on the side of Yes campaign along of course with my favourite blog of them of All A BurdzEyeView written the woman who is and ever shall be my inspiration Kate Higgins. The Better Together campaign are represented by Caron Lindsay and one or two others which I’ve tended to forget along the way, however though all those mentioned were intelligent thought provoking and immensely enjoyable to read, there was I have to say a very clear winner in this category.
The award for best political blogger 2014 is the man who gave me my first ever guest post on his blog in which I explained why as a transwoman I would be voting Yes in the referendum it’s Paul Kavanagh for weegingerdug.

Now it’s time to focus on the community awards where better to start than with blogger of the year and I have to say that this is and will probably always be one of my hardest decisions. The standard of blogger in Scotland is higher than the hem line of a micro mini skirt and there are many excellent bloggers who are always worth a read. These include the 2013 blogger of the year the original Foodie Quine Claire Jessiman. Caron’s Musings, Mummy Central, by Donna Gorse, and A Life With Frills by Laura Pearson Smith
but my winner is someone who despite the title of her blog, you can always rely on to keep you both entertained and on trend. Our winner may call herself Last Year’s Girl but she is this year’s blogger of the year Lisa-Marie Ferla.

My next award is for the activist of the year. Now before our readers say that this award should be awarded in the politics section, I say that activism is not confined to politics but is also about those people who commit themselves to assisting and empowering others in any number of communities be they christian, cultural, or social. This year award however is going to someone deeply involved in politics. Though a member of the SNP she was also a founder member of the non party group women for independence she travelled all over Scotland with the hope of building a better tomorrow where women’s voices will be not only heard but respected. The winner of activist of the year 2014 is Natalie McGarry.

My young activist of the year is also from the world of politics. A teenager who took on the full might of the better together campaign and emerged not only with credit but credibility she is one of the most outstanding young voices of the future Scotland. My tartan tights young activist of the year is the mighty Saffron Dickson.

Now I move on the subject of poets and poetry, it is time to select my poetry performance of the year. In a year of many so outstanding performances this decision was not an easy one but eventually after changing my mind at least a dozen times I did pick a winner and this year it goes to Sophia Blackwell for 50 minutes of poetic magic in Becoming Wonder Woman her one woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe. This was to paraphrase the words of former Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill 50 minutes of astonishingly brilliant poetry and deservedly walks away with this year’s award.

The next award is for the best show of the fringe. This is never easy because there is so much quality on offer but despite magic of Monkey Poet and his excellently entertaining show Shit Flinger, the amazing Munich by Brendan Dunlea which was and I have to say this the best play I’ve seen on football which wasn’t on the subject of Celtic and too many other quality shows to mention, there was one show which was so totally amazing it stunned me and reduced me tears of rage about what happening to the care system in 21st Century Britain. For that alone and believe that is more than enough the winner of the best show of the fringe 2014 is Can’t Care Won’t Care by Sophia Walker.

Next up is the award for the most original show of the year. Yet again this one occurred in the wee back room at Sammy’s. This year it was the September edition which made me proud to be a part of that great cultural institution that is Words and Music. You see in the run up to the referendum some voices more sensible and cautious than mine wanted a no politics night on the First Monday in September. I however had other ideas and decided that far from having no politics I would on that last First Monday before our historic vote have a referendum special in which performers from Yes and No camps could give their poetic thoughts on whether we would be better together or as an independent nation. Those who were don’t know or even don’t care were also allowed their opinion. Well I didn’t mind if they didn’t know or didn’t care providing they could tell the rest of us why they had come to their conclusion. The result was and I have to say a victory for both poetry and democracy and some of the poems performed by supporters of both sides and neither that night were outstanding. So yet again Words and Music wins the most original show in what could be described as a champion night for spoken word.

Talking of champions, brings me on to my equality champion award. This one is for the man or women who has really made a stand for equality in this last year and there are no shortage of top quality candidates for this one. Patrick Harvie, the Equality Network’s Tom French and Stonewall’s Sophie Bridger were all major contenders but in the end my choice was someone whose very public stance on LGBTI bullying earned her a few more gold stars than I would normally give to a Tory. That said she did inspire one of my best blogs of the year on LGBTI bullying in school and that is why My equality champion for 2014
is the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party Ruth Davidson.

My award for quote of the year was never going to be easy especially in a year filled with so many memorable one liners but it has to be the Mailman Delivers from Commonwealth Games boxer Charlie Flynn. Had I gone the political route Charlie’s namesake Labour MP Paul Flynn would have won it in a canter as he defined the Gordon Brown vow with the following statement. ‘A political vow is a solemn binding promise that endures until the votes are counted’.

Moving on from words to music it’s time for musician of the year and this has to be the toughest year so far in what has always been one of the hardest categories in which to select a winner. In a year when I saw many new musicians such as the excellent Declan Welch, the ever entertaining Zara Gladman aka Lady Alba, Billy Bates, Georgia Gordon, and Laura Corrigan I really was spoiled for choice but in a really close contest I decided to call it for Declan Welch not just because he has a fantastic voice but also because he has a gift for song writing which is in itself a real talent. Mark my words and mark them well, this is a young man with a very big future

My vocalist of the year which is an award I always keep separate from musician of the year is always a pleasure for me as ever since I can remember I have always loved quality singers.
This year were a couple of vocalists who stood out for me. One was Zara Gladman and the other was a certain local lass for whom I have always had a soft spot. I mean she is after all a Baillieston girl and this award is coming back to the village due to a brilliant set at the St Patrick’s Day family event my tartantights vocalist of the year is our very own Michelle McManus.

The event of the year has to be the Independence Referendum or the Commonwealth Games. At least it does if you believe the mainstream press. I however challenge that perception and say that my personal event of the year was to be asked to take part in one of the most liberating spoken word events I have ever participated in. It was the final Saturday of this year’s fringe and on that day I attended and performed in the Other Voices event organised by the wonderful and majestically talented Fay Roberts at my Edinburgh local the Banshee Labyrinth and gave according to good friend John McGlade the best performance he has ever seen me give and I have to take that as a great compliment as John and I have attended many events together over the years. Not only that but the quality of performers at that event was quite simply breathtaking and it was a real honour to be included in such a line up.

Next I move on to the best new band. In what was a quiet year for bands, the stand out act was one I saw at the Danny Kyle Open Stage on a cold January afternoon. This band have since went on to further success at Scottish Traditional Music Awards and a band I think we are going to hear a lot more of. The tartantights award winners for the best new band are the Scott Wood Trio.

As for the campaign of the year it has to be one which hit all the right notes for all the right reasons. I am pleased to say that though the referendum in which it was born has now passed into the annuals of history, this campaign shows no signs of going away in fact if anything I believe it will get stronger. After all independence is not just a political issue it is also a highly personal one. This is especially true for women and as a transwoman I am exceptionally proud to be part of this ongoing fight to win full equality for all women. My campaign of the year is one I will proudly wear my tartan tights for every day of my life Women For Independence.

Now I don’t know about you but to me every campaign every campaign needs good songs to get those involved singing along and in the referendum there is no doubt that the yes campaign had all the best songs Like last year this year winner also went viral on the internet though it did have more competition most noticeably from last year’s winner Citizen Smart whose brilliant take on the pro union bias in their reporting I heard about it on the BBC was seriously considered as captured the moment perfectly when he sang it outside BBC headquarters on the final Sunday of the campaign. In the end however my choice was the song that had everyone rocking at the National Collective and had Stereo and other venues GAGA every time it was sung. My winner of the tartantights song
Is Bad Romance by Lady Alba also known as the magical Zara Gladman

My venue of the year is yet again a bar but this time it’s not in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile but in Glasgow city centre. This is a bar which until last year I would have struggled to find but now thanks to those National Collective sessions I view maybe not as my second home but the home of a favourite relative. The winner of the venue of the year is Stereo.

For my next award I move on to the discovery of the year and this was a much tougher category this year than it was in 2013 when two outstanding talents stood at opposite ends of the age scale fought out a duel which was eventually won by that poetic tour de force that is Craig Scott. Attending so many events in the past 12 months that I ran out of fingers to count them meant I saw I lot new upcoming stars in a year in which was packed with brilliant performances. Amongst those considered were from music Declan Welch, Zara Gladman, Dol Eoin MacKinnon, and from poetry the excellent Shaun Moore, and recent Glasgow slam winner Kevin McLean. A tough list from which from to make my choice but finally after at least three changes of mind I have to give it to the shy lad from the Western Isles who can sing in both English and Gaelic. My discovery of the year is Dol Eoin MacKinnon.

Every year the spoken word scene not only produces brilliant new stars to enjoy there are also comebacks from those who have taken a break for a wee while and decided to re-engage with their muse. This year winner is someone I respect not only as a poet but also as a man and a friend. His comeback though brief was still the best of the year and those in authority better be worried as his new material has lost none of sharpness and indicates that the man is back on form. This is someone of whom I hope to see a lot of more of in 2015 and I’m sure there will be much more to come from our comeback of the year winner the brilliant JJ Turner.

My award for best sporting moment in a summer which was full of them as the Commonwealth Games came to Glasgow when in the rising out of her sick bed Lynsey Sharp defied both the odds and laws of nature by running the race of her life to win a silver medal in the women’s 800 metres. This to me sums up what sport is all about and when dedication meets determination it always results in success so this is a very well deserved success for someone who totally deserves it

As for my team of the year there is really only one choice to make. For representing their country with passion, commitment, and dignity and being great ambassadors for their sports, medal winners or not this award is for every single member of my team of the year The Scotland Commonwealth Games Team 2014.

Moving on from sport it’s time for one of my favourite awards. The I think I Must Be Mad Award is given to only to the bravest of the brave in my virtual village. These are the friends who are there for me during the hours of darkness when most sane people are in bed. So this award is for someone who has been there to support me above and beyond the call of duty. This year’s winner is at times far too sensible and despite my repeated requests is unlikely to change now. A friend who can be relied on when I really need her to be there the winner of the I think I must be award for 2014 is Audrey Marshall

Having given an award on the value of friendship and shown that true friends are the ones who stay the course. I now move on to my lifetime achievement award. As I look back on the last year I see there is really only one winner for this award this year and our winner is a man of outstanding calibre who joined his party whilst a student at St Andrew’s University in 1973. A man who has served twice as party leader first from 1990- 2000 and again from 2005 to September 2014. This is a man who made history not only by leading the first SNP government in Scotland’s history but by leading a minority government which survived it’s full term which the unionist parties and their friends in the press said could not be done.

Our winner then went on to lead a majority SNP government by winning a landslide victory in election of 2011. This again was something which our unionist parties and their friends said would be impossible to achieve. After all they had written the devolution rule book to make sure it couldn’t be done or so they thought. It seems to me that the unionists had forgotten one basic rule of democracy it’s votes that decide elections not party hacks and their pals.

Having secured a mandate for the independence referendum he had always promised the people of Scotland, he and his deputy leader who is now his boss Nicola Sturgeon reached an agreement with the coalition government that a referendum be held in 2014 to decide Scotland’s constitutional future.

In the end that referendum was lost and Scotland at least in the short term remains part of the United Kingdom but throughout a distinguished career in politics this is a man who unlike so many in the political village has conducted himself with diligence and dignity in his duties and Scotland must never forget the debt it owes our former First Minister, the former leader, of my party and our country. The winner of the tartantights lifetime achievement award for 2014 is Alex Salmond.

Now it’s time for the main awards of the event my man and woman of year and as always I’ll start with my man of the year. Well it’s only right we girls should have the last word on such an occasion. For now though I’ll focus on the men and name the outstanding man of 2014.

To say this was a tough choice would I think would be an understatement. Succeeding such figures as outgoing man of the year Chris Stephens and my first tartantights man of the year Jim Monaghan is no easy task but there were no shortage of suitable candidates. Amongst those whose names were in the frame were my writing mentor and friend Derek Read, Glasgow Poet Laureate Jim Carruth, Former Chairperson of the Federation of Writers Scotland Marc Sherland, The chair of Faith And Unbelief Jim Ewing
the excellent poet and playwright Matt Panesh, and the brilliantly talented and ever reliable Chris Young. In the end however, after much thought and careful consideration I made my selection and my choice is a man who not only a man who campaigned for independence but who kept yes supporters entertained throughout the duration of the campaign with some of the best political songs I have ever heard. My tartantights man of the Year is Alan ‘Citizen’ Smart.

As I have always said and always will it is only right and proper that the women should have the honour of final award of the year. Therefore the final tartantights award of 2014 is for my woman of the year and though succeeding last year’s winner Katie Walker and my first tartantights Woman of the year Althea Maxwell was not an easy choice, believe me when I say there was a number of very suitable candidates from which to select my winner.

Amongst those considered were Audrey Marshall, Caron Lindsay, Jenny Lindsay, Jenni Pascoe. Natalie McGarry Samantha Hands, and Sophia Blackwell. However after much careful thought and consideration I decided that our winner would be someone who not only has pride in herself and her community but someone who on a wet day in a car park at this year Pride Glasgow escorted me to a trans tent an idea she come up with to provide an inclusive for the trans community when her company bosses at Tesco Bank asked for suggestions at how they could contribute to the festivities.
On my arrival at Pride was escorted to the tent and I was VIP guest of honour and was made to feel like Cinderella for the day. So you treating me like a princess and making me feel like I’ve never felt before my tartan tights woman of the year is the one and only Lisa Tait.

So there you have it, all the winners of the tartantights awards for 2014 and I thank each and every one for making my year more interesting, thought provoking, entertaining, and enjoyable than it would have been without them. How they decide to celebrate is entirely up to them but I raise my glass to all of them and indeed all of those nominated. Having looked back over the past year I now look forward to this one with all the choices and challenges it will bring me. At this stage I can only wait and wonder they’ll be. There is one thing I will say though I’m sure the coming year will be an interesting journey for us all.

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X

It Was The Best Of Times It Worst Of Times But I Always Try To Look On The Bright Side Of Life

Hey everyone As I look back on 2014 I can’t help but think that the old Charles Dickens quote ‘It was the best of times it was the worst of times is the perfect summary of the year which is now in it’s final round of the clock.

Speaking personally this year has had it’s fair to say more up’s and downs than a rollercoaster ride at the shows as we Glasgow girls would say. There have been some moments which were truly magical many of them poetry related and others which were and I’m putting this politely beyond my wildest nightmares.
These were mainly due to my flatmate’s depression which resulted in her losing her job and
trust me it has not got any better or at least not yet. You see I am one of nature’s optimists, after all being Scottish I see this as not only my nature but also as my duty.

So if begin this review in a wet and windy when my life was centred around. Celtic Connections and SNP Burns Suppers I would say that even in a difficult year the good has tended to outweigh the bad yes I know I’m a proper little Polllyanna but sometimes you have to be and that was certainly the case for yours truly in the 12 eventful months of 2014.

With the Independence debate being the key theme of the year
There was of course the excitement of campaigning for something I really believe in and no words can describe the privilege I felt at 7.45 on the morning of the 18th September when I voted Yes for the proposition that Scotland should be an independent country. Then the next day there was the searing pain of defeat and temporarily at least I have never felt such hatred towards many of my fellow country men and women. I soon realised however that hatred was not the way to go and slowly but surely I started to love my unionist friends again.
It was during the referendum campaign that I met some of the most inspiring women I have ever known and many were young enough to be my daughters. On my side of the campaign there was the lovely and highly energetic force of nature that was, is and ever shall be Saffron Dickson, and we were also blessed with one of main the driving forces behind the national collective Glasgow sessions the brilliant Victoria Kerr. On the other side of the debate I was particularly impressed by the articulate intelligent and passionate commitment of Alison Clark Dick. This is a young woman who like Saffron and Victoria is destined for great things in life and I wish all three of them well in the coming year.
Talking of the National Collective, the Glasgow sessions at Stereo provided me not only with great entertainment and motivation to get out and do my bit for my country but also with several new creative contacts and some friendships which I am sure will only grow stronger with time. One of these friendships was particularly inspirational in providing ideas which have resulted in new poems being written. Yes I do mean you Margaret McCabe. Those Monday night discussions on why the price of a pair of tights is more important to the Scottish economy than the renewal of the trident missile system resulted in a poem which has been performed at various venues throughout both Glasgow and Scotland and Tights Before Trident is amongst my top five of all the new poems I’ve written this year.

Still on the subject of the National Collective it was perhaps my greatest honour in over 20 years of performing my poetry to get the chance to perform at the Glasgow session in July which was held just three days after my birthday. To perform at a pro independence event when I’ve campaigned for it all my adult life meant more than many of you will ever be able to imagine, so setting out the kind of independence I would like to see for Scotland I read two poems. The first of them centred on the issue of immigration and why as a progressive Scot of the sensible centre left, the UK government’s stance on the issue truly appalled me. Twenty Four Romanians was written at the beginning of this year as a response to the ludicrous claims of UKIP and the right wing press that the UK was going to be overrun by more than 24 million economic migrants from Bulgaria and Romania then a month later red faced they had to admit that only twenty four had in fact made the journey to their not so Great Britain. I think they were what you call flattering themselves

My second poem on that never to be forgotten evening was written to celebrate what I liked and for that matter still like about being a member of National Collective. Titled I Am National Collective needless to say it went down a storm with an audience who were very clearly onside. However I have to say when you were as I was personally thanked for performing the first of my two poems by a young Romanian woman who just happened to be in the audience that night I did tend to put the cherry on top of a lovely cultural birthday cake.

On the Wednesday of the same week I was delighted to accept an invitation to attend the installation of the new Glasgow poet laureate Jim Carruth at the Tron Theatre and privileged to be asked to perform one of my poems as part of the celebration. Jim is a poet I respect tremendously and a man I respect even more. With Glasgow at the heart of this event Jim wanted all those who compare or organise events in the city to be part of an inclusive evening which whilst celebrating his new role would showcase poetry and spoken word events around the city, Naturally I was proud to attend such an event and to read as part of the programme on behalf of Words and Music was indeed a great honour. The poem I selected My Glasgow was I thought the most appropriate given the circumstances of the evening.

As if that wasn’t enough celebrating in one week I then went to Pride Glasgow the following Saturday where I was VIP guest at a transgender tent which was hosted by Out At Tesco and my good friend Lisa Tait. This was the day I finally knew how Cinderella felt nothing was too much trouble for Lisa and her team and it was the perfect end to one of my best weeks of the year.

In late July the world or at least part of it came to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games and it was impossible not to get swept away by the atmosphere of the event as peace and goodwill threatened to break out in our city for which I hope I like every other Glaswegian was a good ambassador at this time as I managed to chat with athletes from England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Zambia. I even managed to have a chat to an official goodwill ambassador when I was attending the Merchant City Festival. The ambassador concerned was none other than Words And Music’s very own Steve Allan.

My next stop was the Edinburgh Festival where I packed in a lot more than I ever thought possible performing at more events than ever before and taking in some wonderful shows the highlights of which have to be Becoming Wonder Woman by the multi talented genius that is Sophia Blackwell and Can’t Care Won’t Care by the equally lovable Sophia Walker. As for performing I really enjoyed every set I delivered but according my good friend and Words and Music regular John McGlade My slot at Other Voices on the final Saturday of the fringe was the best he’d ever seen me perform my work. Personally I have to say that my performance at the May edition of 10red hosted by that ever genial dalek fan Kevin Cadwallender would give it a run for it’s money but it was certainly nice to receive such a great compliment from of life’s good guys.

After the festival it was back to reality and what in my world passes for every day life. This meant attended my first ever mammogram screening and having to do it not once but twice. The reason for my second invite was the fact that a couple of the x-rays didn’t show up first time. Thankfully the x-rays which needed redone were the ones you have to be able to stand like a ballerina rather than the ones where your breasts are actually clamped like a car parked somewhere it shouldn’t have been. This I have to say was a considerable relief as though Darcy Bussell is under no threat from me it is by a mile the more the comfortable of the two positions.

After the mammogram was sorted it was back to the referendum campaign and I have to say the week before the vote was probably one of the best weeks of my life. The gatherings in Buchanan Street on the last Saturday before the vote and in George which the yes vote reclaimed for a time as Freedom Square were history I was proud to be a part of. I think I must walked the road of a long distance runner that hot September Saturday when I helped out at the Women for Independence stall and I also distributed leaflets on behalf of Labour for Independence, Business For Scotland and the Scottish Green Party well Patrick Harvie was and remains a real asset to our cause that I was glad to do my bit to help his party’s vision of an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable Scotland to let the voters know there was more to our campaign than just the SNP of whom by the way I am proud to be a card carrying member.

Looking back over the course of the campaign this was a time which shaped my poetry more than perhaps I realised at the time. Also I have to say that amongst many great memories
of a fantastic campaign will be the September edition of Words and Music. On this night the poets of one Glasgow spoken word event showed the politicians how it should be done as poets of all shades of opinion be it yes, no, or don’t know, selected their poems of choice and the rest of the gathering listened intently to what they had to say. No friendships were lost that night indeed I believe quite the opposite to be true and many politicians may have been better behaved if they had attended an evening where genuine respect shown to all sides by all sides.
My choice of my very good friend and no voter Chris Young as featured writer for that evening was not made by accident, it was made to show that you can have principled differences of opinion with those who matter most and in all my years at Sammy’s I have never been prouder of the spoken word community than I was that night.

Eventually the votes were cast and counted and it is I think fair to say that the result did go the way I had hoped for. After the disappointment of the vote I needed something to cheer me up and preferably quickly so a singsong with Citizen Smart and guests was the perfect tonic before heading along to the Centre For Contemporary Arts for the launch of Prodigal the latest collection of poetry by Jim Carruth. It has to be said that this not so manic Monday was the perfect pick me up for my post referendum blues.

After this and Glasgoes Poetic which followed almost immediately after my year began to wind down and draw to it’s inevitable close. This though would not be without some drama from a flatmate who is struggling to cope with her depression and mother nature who decided on a cold November to send me to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary because n the words of Kylie and Westlife I was Spinning Around and Flying Without Wings perhaps to remind me that I am not as invincible as I sometimes like to think.

This resulted in me being out of commission for a few weeks gave me a chance to focus on my blogging. This has I think been a good year for yours truly as I have hosted my first guest post from senior SNP member and former parliamentary candidate Iain Lawson on why Scotland’s Conservatives should embrace Independence. Not only I have hosted my first guest post I have also written my first guest post for another blogger. The blogger in question being the weegingerdug as to why as a Transwoman I said yes to independence. This to me is a sure sign that tartantights is maturing as a blogger though not too much I mean you don’t want me turning sensible that would never do. Please notice I did say maturing and not growing up, let me say here and now I have no intention of doing that in coming year or any year. I am only sensible when I have to be and when my injury forced me to rest more than I wanted to, I focused on tartantights and began to think of plans to improve it and bring in a touch more variety in this post referendum Scotland.

So I used my health setback in the most productive way possible, but having said that I was disappointed to be missing two events I would have been very proud to attend. The first being Nicola Sturgeon’s sell out appearance at the Hydro and the second being the launch of the new clinical services for trans people. Missing these events hurt me more than you will know but sometimes you’ve just got to take the bad days and make what you can of them. I did however make it to both the Christmas Words And Music at Sammy’s and the Tinsel Tales event at GoMA to finish off my year in spoken word.

This I thought would be a perfect place to finish my review of my 2014. Then in Christmas week disaster hit my city and reminded me that no matter that whatever challenges 2015 decides to present to me at least I am still here to face them and for that I thank God and remember the that though this has not been the easiest of years at least I’m still here to make the most of the coming one and hopefully many more after that. You see to me 2014 really was both the best and worst of times but I always try to look on the bright side of life.

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X

A Journey With The Girls Made Me A Woman Of Words (In Memory Of Agnes Owens)

Hey everyone. The recent death of the writer Agnes Owens has left me reflecting on how best to pay tribute to both the women and her work. Initially this puzzled me but I have now decided that my tribute to this excellent writer will offer a slightly different perspective from others in the sense that I will look how Agnes Owens and other female writers have influenced my own writing journey. As a champion of both women writers and greater equality I think she may have appreciated that.

At this time there will I suspect be many scholars who will be better versed in the works of Agnes Owens who will pay both and her writing a far better tribute than I can offer. However I thought I would make my contribution by the looking at the powerful female voices within the Scottish and British writing community have influenced me and helped to develop my writing. Voices Agnes Owens would I’m sure be very proud of and I’ll start with Agnes herself. After all it was her death which inspired this post.

A woman with a fierce intellect and a natural gift for story telling. Agnes Owens was the author of many novels and short story collections. She was also an accomplished writing tutor and reader of her work. It was as a regular reader at the Scotia Bar and Clutha Vaults that I came in to contact with her and I found her to be engaging performer and a woman of warmth wit and wisdom who would when requested give words of encouragement to writers at the start of our creative journeys.

This is I feel a very important point to make as I believe that to a significant extent women’s writing is even now undervalued and this reflects the patriarchal dominance which still exists in Scotland/ Britain 2014.

One of the first writers to have an influence on me was Paisley poet Margaret Fulton Cook. A powerful passionate poet. Margaret tutored me when I was a member of a Second Chance to Learn group and beginning to get to the stage of taking my writing seriously. It was Margaret Fulton Cook who introduced me to the work of Agnes Owens, Margaret Thomson Davis and many other writers often with strong working class voices. It was during this period I read Edwin Morgan’s poem Glasgow Green a poem in which Morgan describes what it is like to be gay at the time when homosexuality was a still a crime in Scotland. This poem more than any other had a significant impact for me as a transsexual woman who was struggling to come to terms with my own gender identity issues. Margaret’s own poetry particularly that written on the theme of domestic violence remains amongst the most powerful I have ever read or indeed heard.

Another woman whose support was important during my early years as a poet was Govan Writers Group tutor Linda McCann. From March 1992 to September 1995 I attended my first ever writers group and Linda taught me to be more daring in my writing even with stuff I may not have wanted to share at that particular moment as it may contain material that I would wish to use at a later date. During this time Linda became a valued friend and I felt comfortable enough with her to be able to share my most intimate secret and told her about my transsexual status. To say was supportive would be understatement, and I couldn’t believe my luck when Linda decided to give me a stunning red tafatta dress she no longer had any use for. Honestly it was gorgeous and the first time I tried it on I felt like a supermodel. I actually cried the day I knew I would no longer fit me, yes that’s how glamorous it really was. As for my writing it is safe to say that I flourished under Linda’s guidance and remain grateful for it to this day as she gave me the confidence to tackle issues I tried to shy away from.

The next women of influence is the women without whom there would be no Words And Music the one and only Pamela Duncan. Not for nothing is Pamela known as the first lady of Sammy Dow’s, she is as she has always been a women of intelligence and talent who is equally at home in writing both poetry and prose and has won many prizes at both.

When I started on the spoken word scene it was a very male dominated place but there was shining light who blazed the trail for women poets I refer to the former compare of Sunday Rhymes and all round genius that is Viv Gee. Viv not only assisted me with my performance techniques she also gave me the time, space, and encouragement to be myself and to express myself in my writing even if this may have initially meant taking a few risks. This was fantastic advice and I follow it to this day.

Someone else who taught me more than she will ever know is the excellent Magi Gibson whose poem Wild Women Of A Certain Age inspires us girls to think that far from writing ourselves when we reach a certain milestone we should embrace the fact we achieved it. Also, her poem No Angel in which she correctly attacks the chauvinistic stupidity of an outdated judge who said that a nine year girl was asking to be raped because of the provocative clothes she was wearing at the time of incident has to be one of the most powerful ever written on this topic. Now though everyone in their right mind condemned this joke of a judge what made her contribution stand out was the fact that Maggie Gibson articulated the views of an outraged nation and in doing so wrote a poem which by the way it expresses her justified rage on this matter will last way beyond her lifetime and deserves to be taught in schools to illustrate why feminism is necessary if we are ever to achieve real equality for women.
Another star from this scene is the wonderful Jenny Lindsay. Jenny is my opinion one of the talented poets in Scotland,and I believe her work like that of our current makar Liz Lochhead will not only span the generations but will be a golden legacy in our nation’s poetic inheritance. This is a woman who like Viv Gee is equally at home using humour or adopting a more serious tone. I make no apology for the fact that I am a big fan of Jenny’s work. In poems like Arrogance Makes You Bed In Bed and The Nasties Are Out Tonight this outstanding poet tackles some of the challenging young women today such as male attitudes to women and women’s personal safety concerns when the drunks come to call in any city centre. However, Jenny is at her best when she shows her concern for the plight of others and In Jumper on the Bridge she tackles the very delicate topic of suicide with the sensitivity it deserves.

Another force of nature in the world of spoken word is the quite magical Sophia Walker. London born with an American accent gained as she spent her formative years in Washington DC Sophia though now based in the city of her birth was a regular on the Scottish spoken word scene when she called Edinburgh and believe me this women is a real talent in fact I would go as far as to call her a genius. Sophia has a chatty yet engaging style of delivery and is well known for her courage and principals in tackling issues that other people may shy away from. This is particularly evident in poems like Dad I’ve Got Something To Tell You in which she comes out bisexual. It is way shows the issue she faces and her concerns about telling her father which really strikes home
when you hear her read it out.

My next poet offers a complete contrast to Sophia’s edgy and gutsy style but that does not make the work or more especially the influence of Ann Connolly any less important in my poetic journey. In many ways like both Linda and Viv underestimates the contribution she has had in making me more confident not only as a performer but also as a writer. The Current Makar of the Federation Of Writers Scotland, Ann has been a consistent source of encouragement throughout the time I’ve known her and as every poet knows encouragement is the nourishment by which our seeds of creativity will blossom and grow and our poetry develop to become the best we can be.

For my next stop on this journey It’s time to cross the border to Newcastle and celebrate the poetry of a Geordie lass and a friendship made in Edinburgh. The lass in question is the wonderful Sophia Blackwell. This modern day wonder woman writes the kind of poetry which has a presence on both the stage and the page. Indeed the multi-talented Sophia is also an excellent singer and an accomplished novelist, she is also a valued friend who is cherished more than she will ever know. In her poem The
Wilderness Years writes about a difficult conversation with her granny and explains though sometimes even good girls need adventures and those adventures once enjoyed must never be regretted.

As I head back to Edinburgh I find it impossible not to mention Katherine McMahon. It is Katherine’s poem Pride which I consider to be my favourite LGBTI poem of all time as it says just enough to make the point it needs to without divulging too many secrets. Well I don’t like to blush when I’m reading poetry but I don’t mind beaming and Katherine has me beaming with pride every time I read her work or see her perform.

Now as the poetry train approaches Glasgow I can’t possibly finish this post without mentioning the first poet I could really relate to our national makar Liz Lochhead. It was Liz’s poems in which I saw my Glasgow, the Glasgow of strong, intelligent women, the Glasgow which in many ways moulded me in to the woman I would aspire to be and one day become and in The Life Of Mrs Reilly I swear I saw my mother and sometimes just sometimes I realise as a woman of my time I see that as of woman of her time she wasn’t so bad after all and every day I somehow seem to remember more of the lessons she taught me. I am sure Agnes Owens would have appreciated that. I am also sure she would have appreciated that a journey with the girls made me a woman of words.

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X

From Transition To Trident I Told My Story My Way And I Told It In My Own Authentic Voice

Hey everyone All too soon it had crept up unnoticed. It was the final Saturday of the fringe and my final day of Edinburgh 2014 so I was determined to leave the stage after having the best time I could have in short space of one day. Little did I realise how much this day would test both my performance skills and my emotions and make me laugh and cry in equal measure.

Running late or at least later than I had planned I hurried up the North Bridge and made it to the mile just in time to see the excellent human dynamo that is the one and only Sophia Walker in her thought provoking show. Can’t Care Won’t Care

I don’t want to say too much about except that it made proud to know her and even more proud to call her my friend. This show was performing in the raw and believe me it touched parts of my heart I never knew existed. Anyway I have already posted on that particular show so I know dear readers that if you have read my review you will know just how much how I enjoyed an entertaining if emotional start to my day.

Next up was an appearance at Other Voices not just to watch the show but also to participate as one of the open mic slots. This was my last performance of 2014 so I wanted to make it count and finish my fringe on a high. As the crowd began to gather it was good my friend and Sammy’s regular John McGlade in what was a packed house. This I think was only fitting for such a quality event and it made me even more determined to give it my best shot.

As our genial compare Fay Roberts kicked off the show in her own unique way little did we know of the drama which lay ahead. This included a fire alarm during Sophia Blackwell’s set which to paraphrase the old football phrase meant it was a set of two halves both of which were excellent. Amongst the poems included in Sophia’s set Red which showed her at her glamorous and daring best, and the poem with which she finishes becoming wonder woman I want to do more than survive.

After Sophia it was time for the open slots who on this occasion were myself and Stephen Barnaby who is well known on the spoken word for his amazing 50 word stories. Since neither of us expressed a preference for going first or second it was up Fay to decide who went in which order. As luck would have it I was chosen to be first up and I decided to read one of my favourite and most autobiographical poems A Trans Daughter Remembers I had thought about reading The Lemon Dress which I know would have went down well or even taking a selection of appropriate poems and letting the audience decide. In the end however, I decided not to do what we at Words and Music would call an Andy Fleming but to make my choice and stick to it and it seems I chose wisely because at the end of my set I got the biggest round of applause I have had in 21 years of performing and 10 years at the fringe. Indeed John McGlade went as far as to say it was the best he had ever seen me perform in the seven years he’s known me and Fay said the applause from the crowd should tell me all I needed to know.

After my set it was the turn of the other mic slot Stephen Barnaby to entertain us and this he most certainly did with three of his trademark 50 word of stories. Personally I would find this an extremely difficult thing but Stephen has got his storytelling down to a fine art and it was a joy to listen him performing some quality prose.

After Stephen it was time to return to the main acts and Hannah Chutzpah was at her devastating best delivering a brilliant set including Permission which has to be one of my favourite poems of this year’s fringe stating as it does in no uncertain terms that no women need ask any man for permission to be herself. I think someone should have imparted this pearl of wisdom to the Better Together referendum campaign so they could have said no thanks to that ridiculous advert which is turning no voters to Yes at a speed unmatched even by Usian Bolt.

Last up on a great day for spoken word was the man who came second in this year’s BBC slam Toby Campion. On taking the stage, Toby announced he was bisexual or he prefers to call it equal opportunities. This to me has to be the quote of the fringe from a young man with a very bright future and a poet who very clearly has a lot to say for himself. And you know what, I thank god he does have a lot to say because as any poet or spoken word artist will tell you there is a lot which needs to be said. Be it in Scotland, the British Isles or the wider world we can’t keep ignoring the elephants in the room because burying our heads in the sand and pretending they don’t exist will solve precisely nothing.

In his first poem Toby tackled the thorny issue of language and why it will take more than a change of wording or labelling to change the attitude behind the labels so often ascribed to the disadvantaged and the marginalised within our wider society. As a former disability equality trainer I found this poem had an all too familiar ring to it in the sense that too many people are unaware of the power of language and the potential dehumanising effects it can have on certain groups but also that no matter how often you change a word or phrase it will achieve nothing if you don’t change the thinking behind it. This was brilliantly powerful and thought provoking stuff from someone I hope to hear a lot more of.

At the end of the event I went upstairs and had a quick drink with Mr McGlade to celebrate my performance and I thought about going to see Matt MacDonald’s show but I managed to get lost and nobody I stopped to ask for directions even came from Edinburgh. I kid you not, even the police I stopped were fellow weegies. So unfortunately I missed a show I really wanted to see but this is Edinburgh and it happens.

Disappointed but determined to enjoy my last few hours in the city I go to the bottom end of the mile as I know there is a shop there where I can play the lottery. Well I believe in the slogan I could be you though my numbers hardly ever come out and when they do they certainly don’t do it together. This is so unfair it’s unbelievable and I’m not even playing for the big money I’m playing the hot picks I only want smile money and still those numbers make sure I’m not smiling.

Before I put my lottery on I go to the Bene’s for my last meal of the fringe and get myself my final haggis of the fringe. On saying my goodbyes I told Maria I would be back next year and for some reason she didn’t doubt it. Well I have been gracing Bene’s for more years than I care to forget and as long as I can attend Edinburgh I will be back to see the team at the best chippy on the mile.

Having finished my haggis and sorted out my lottery I began to wander back to my more traditional home of the Banshee or at least I thought I did. You see I had barely walked a few yards when I was approached by the very chatty women with a flyer who persuaded me to come and see her show Too Cool To Care she explained that it was a comedy about the care system and her journey about caring for her parents. Now some people would say that two shows on the care system would too much to handle on any one fringe let alone on my final day but I decided to risk it and you know I’m really glad I did. This show was a real breath of fresh air. Yes I know a comedy about care sounds like a crazy idea but sometimes crazy ideas work and this was certainly one of them.
Well when your dad has dementia and your mum is a full time wheelchair user as is the case with Lollie you won’t be short on material especially when your dad becomes a naked Santa Claus and you have desires to go to Las Vegas.

This show had me laughing and thinking in equal measure and though it may have been a comedy but the topic was very sensitively delivered with crisp clear one liners in all the right places by a woman who has actually won the her local area’s carer of the year award.

At the end of the show I did finally return to the Banshee for one final show before boarding the bus home to Baillieston. On arrival I caught up with Sophia Blackwell who had just finished her penultimate show in her run of Becoming Wonder Woman. During our chat she said I had performed brilliantly at other voices earlier in the day. Now I know Sophia has my back but I also know that she would be honest with me as that’s what good friends are and bearing in mind the compliments from John McGlade and Fay Roberts I think I must have done well. However I think in what I believe has been my most successful fringe to date I have set myself a new bar in terms of performance and it is now my duty to maintain the standard I’ve set. Make no mistake maintaining this level of performance will not be easy but I certainly I believe it’s achievable.

As Sophia went on her way I decided to go my final show Colm Finn and friends. This show was hosted by Galway comedian Colm Finn who invited to us to share the thoughts and musings he and his friends have on the world and I must admit I rather liked it.

As the show concluded I made up the stairs and said my goodbyes to the staff at the Banshee the place I’d called home for the duration of the festival before making my exit and heading home.

On my journey to the village I reflected on what I believe was easily my most successful fringe yet, I realise I have taken my performances to a new level. This pleases me greatly, however it is not the only thing which brings a smile to my face as I look back on the events of Edinburgh 2014. You see this was the year I spoke louder and prouder than ever before no matter the topic of my poetry. From Independence to Immigration. From Dancing To Dresses From Transition To Trident. I told my story my way and I told it not as an other voice but as an authentic voice who said it in the only way I know with honesty and integrity .

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X

Can’t Care Won’t Care A Review Of A One Woman Show By Sophia Walker

Hey everyone. I had planned to attend Sophia Walker’s show much sooner than I eventually did. Circumstances however contributed to getting in the way of my plans until destiny decided that it would be the first show of the final Saturday of Edinburgh 2014.

The show Can’t Care Don’t Care is based on Ms Walker’s experiences of working as care worker and trust me the tales she told revealed more than a few home truths about the UK government’s attitude to those who they consider to be the most vulnerable in society.

This was more just a quality piece of entertainment this was a wake up as to why this system needs a radical overhaul and it needs it now. In this highly thought provoking show both entertains and educates the audience with tales so disgusting you would hope they had been taken from a 1970’s horror movie rather than the care system of an allegedly caring and compassionate country as the UK claims to be.

The drama is set in a court room as Sophia is charged with crimes with crimes against bureaucracy. This offence is at least in the eyes of the arrogant a crime so grave that she is charged with breaking codes, rules and regulations and endangering the social care system. Well thank god somebody had the guts to take them on. There are times as the defendant proved during her trial the truth of the saying that rules are made to be broken.

For the purpose of this blog I shall now speak as her defence council. Yes Sophia who
needs Elle Woods when you’ve got someone who learned her legal skills from watching Legally Blonde half a million times.

So as the defence council for the accused I say as my first duty to you dear reader, that had Ms Walker not broken some really outdated rules and regulations which put unnecessary restrictions on her doing her job to the best of her considerable ability there is no doubt lives would have been put in very serious peril.

As the primary care giver for five yes five severely disabled people Ms Walker often had to work very difficult shifts on her own or very little assistance. This one has to say considering one’s own background in disability equality training is completely unacceptable. This is especially true as no one person can be in two places at once as Ms Walker often unfairly expected to be. Well could you imagine being responsible for preparing and cooking meals and supporting a wheelchair user or someone with limited mobility to get to the dinner table at the same time? No, I thought not. Now ok that was a rhetorical question and I kind of knew the answer before your gasps of amazement. However Sophia Walker had no choice not only imagine this scenario but to undertake it and make it happen because you see this was her job and she knew it was more than one person could handle. This is why she stressed the importance of having a second carer to assist with certain practical duties.

The importance of a second carer on hand to assist the lead carer was ably demonstrated by Ms Walker when she said that when one of those disabled people in her care turned blue after seizuring the action she took in calling the emergency services probably saved his life. Now if that’s called breaking rules then I say break them. The importance and indeed the sanctity of preserving human life is in my opinion far more important than any paragraph or sub section in a care commission rule book.

It should be noted however that this was not the only example given by Ms Walker in her defence. With each charge presented by a clearly Conservative judge Ms Walker provided more than enough evidence to decimate it in to a thousand pieces. Whether is was making sure that the disabled people she was caring for were appropriately supported by someone trained in moving and assisting training or in the preparation of particular diets like for example the diet for one service user who would only eat food beginning with the letter C or another who needed all their food to be pureed. Ms Walker was I put to you a dedicated and diligent worker who was highly skilled at her job.

In a tense court room the judge cited the caring attitude of the current government’s attitude to social care as compassionate and caring based on the personal experiences of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The Right Honourable David Cameron and his colleague Iain Duncan Smith whose drive and determination to get people in to employment would it was claimed get people back in to work. Now I know this government may very well have cut the welfare bill but it has led to disabled people committing suicide.

As Ms Walker said she had seen some of the letters telling people who were clearly unfit for work that they were in fact fit for employment. This would be I think be laughable it wasn’t so obscene. The fact that it we live in a country where the bankers grow richer whilst disabled people are neglected and discarded like yesterday’s newspapers or a pair of torn tights is an insult to everyone who believes in the dignity of life.
As Ms Walker correctly said she had taken actions which may have breached a few rules but she was told that had she done so people would have died. To underline her case she stated that four of the five people had various degrees of epilepsy and one was non verbal in their communication and all needed round the clock care. To care for and support people with such complex difficulties needs people who are committed to and talented at the job they do.

These workers cannot afford to be hidebound by bureaucratic restrictions which disempower them and dehumanise the people they are supporting.
As she firmly but politely told the judge the every time the government cut the numbers of carers disabled people bleed.

No matter how much some people may protest against this statement. The fact it is Sophia Walker has stated an uncomfortable truth which no matter how hard they try run from it, they cannot hide from their shameful and disgusting actions. Ms Walker will no doubt be seen as a dangerous radical to many but not to me. To me Sophia Walker is a fighter for equality, justice and the right of all people to live as independently as is possible with appropriate support. I back my statement by saying that this was who when she was lumbered with an assistant who was not qualified in food and hygiene training and who as a trainee would not be allowed to prepare food and also lacked
the essential moving and assisting training which should be a pre requisite before being allowed to support any disabled people in need of this level of support.

As a result of this a young untrained worker had to assist a disabled person to the dining table. The result of that was the person fell and started bleeding. Sophia Walker then knowing that as the man concerned was a non verbal communicator and could not be taken in an ambulance of his own, phoned her boss. The phone call was taken by his wife who didn’t seem to care that someone could be at risk of dying only that their evening meal had been disturbed. It is this level of arrogance and pomposity that Sophia Walker will always fight against with every bone in her body.

In the event her manager refused to come to her aid and having been left with no choice she had to the let the young man travel in the ambulance himself. The young man frightened and alone need not have died but he did and he died not because of any actions taken by Sophia Walker but because of that lethal combination of arrogance, bureaucracy, and pomposity so often in middle management types who if we are being completely honest are often promoted way about their level of competence. Therefore ladies and gentleman of the jury I say to you that you have no other rational choice but to acquit the defendant of all charges made against her. Unless of course you believe that giving a damn about society is a crime. Fortunately however, you would be wrong to do this as the Tories haven’t made a crime yet.

I have to say that I had mixed emotions watching this show. On one hand I have never felt so angry watching any show in all my years on earth. On the other hand I have never felt so proud of the woman performing it or the fact she’s my friend. This and make no mistake about it, was the best show at the fringe this year and in a year when there were many fantastic shows that is no mean achievement. This show also has another unique distinction, In all my years of attending theatrical events this was first with ever made me cry and when the tears came it was like a river of rage. On hearing this when we chatted at the end of the performance Sophia apologised if the show had caused me any distress. I told her it hadn’t but she had put across a very powerful message about how society treats disabled people which made me a wee bit emotional. To me this show challenges the deeply disturbing view of disabled people presented in certain sections in the right wing press which encourages society to see disabled people in this negative way.

Trust me I speak from a very personal perspective on this issue, not only as a disabled person but as a disabled person who is also as a self identified transsexual woman. God alone knows how the Tory party would cope with that. I mean It has enough problems coping with disabled people and our various support needs but imagining that some of us may also be transsexual may be a leap of faith that Etonians may not quite be able to make.

So it may have taken me until the final Saturday to see this show but I am so glad I did. As for Sophia Walker I just hope she is as proud of her show as her friends are of her because I for one am very proud of her. This is a woman who is powerful passionate and gifted who speaks from the heart no matter what the issue. Believe me the world will see a lot more of her talent in the coming years and I for one can’t wait to see what she may be up to next.

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X

The Road To Glamour And Glory Or A Passport To The Graveyard

Hey everyone. Friday was a strange day made even stranger by the fact I was in Edinburgh earlier than usual. This was due to the fact that my girlie catch up with Leanne McKay had to be cancelled due to her having a dental appointment.

This meant I was able to see three shows. One play and two spoken word events. Sophia Blackwell would see me for the third time in Becoming Wonder Woman. The reason for a third visit can be explained by the fact that l lost some of my notes for my review of her show. This meant I had to go to the show again or her review would not be as good as it should be and this could not be allowed.

I also managed to take in the excellent feast of spoken word which is Our Voices and had the great pleasure of seeing excellent sets from the brilliant Sophia Walker and amazingly talented Rachel McCrum as well as two wonderful open mic slots from Stu from York and the hugely gifted bundle of energy that is Agnes Torok. This amazing event was superbly by the lovely Fay Roberts who booked me to appear as open mic slot on Saturday at the end of the show. It is however my first show on arriving at the Banshee which takes up most of this post. This was a brilliant award winning play by the supremely talented Matt Panesh.
This was my second play in two days and in it Matt plays Elliot a 15 year old school boy who after discovering his English homework was to read the war poetry of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon was to use contemporary language totally gutted.

He then thinks about the difference as he sees it between war and poetry. To his mind war is action packed and full of heroes whereas poetry in contrast is dull and boring.

In his room a boy alone with his thoughts thinks about joining the army as he believes this will help him to gain opportunities he won’t get in his local area. In his world the army presents an image with which he can identify as far as he see the army all is about glamour and glory and girls falling for boys in uniform. In his mind it is all going to be just like the film 300 a tale which tells of tales of heroism courage and bravery. This is Elliot’s image of a life serving his country, and nothing will change it, but then he gets a visit from he gets a visit from two ghosts who may just be able to help him with his homework, the war poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon.

As Elliot attempts to explain the concept of the movie and the epic battles between the Greeks and the Persians how it was all about death or glory. Owen who was the first of ghosts to visit him He taught Elliot what many to be his finest work. Dulce et Decorum est. When the boy said he didn’t understand latin Owen was appalled saying that latin was the key to understanding the romance languages of French, Spanish, and Italian and opened up a world of possibilities. Having informed him of the importance he told the boy the true meaning of the latin phrase which titled his greatest work Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mor it is sweet and right to die for your country.

At first Elliot was completely taken in by the phrase and the supposed noble idea behind it but Owen illustrated the reality of war to him focusing on it’s horrific impact on the living and the brutality of the slaughter which sent too many to there deaths including himself. I died one week before armistice was declared, he told Elliot. The generals had already made the peace but they were determined that it should happen at the 11th hour of the11th day of the 11th month. The pedantic pomposity of authority angered the ghost of the poet. There was no need for Owen to be cut down in his prime as a casualty of war but it happened nonetheless.

At this time Owen was joined by his fellow war poet Siegfried Sassoon who also had wise words for the young would be soldier. Sassoon survived the war but as he told Elliot the dead get their names read out in parliament and a place at the cenotaph but what about the living? Sassoon also told the boy that though he may think there was no gays or bullying in the army there were in fact plenty of examples of both. Sassoon himself was gay as was Owen. On admitting this Sassoon joked that his parents must have known he would be gay when they gave him the middle name Lorraine. As both poets showed that they were in fact well versed in story of the Spartan/Persian battles they assisted Elliot with his homework and leaving him to consider their poetry and the horrors of battle and conclude that studying was the way to get ahead and keep your head as they headed to Canal Street to see the rainbow they were not able to view in their lifetimes.

This was an excellent peace of quality theatre from a man with his finger on the pulse and with so many right wing types wanting to glorify the war to end all wars it is perhaps a salutary reminder that it did not succeed in that aim and that two decades later the world was embroiled in an even more vicious conflict as it went to war once more. It is my opinion that this play needs to be seen by a much wider audience so people finally raise our voices in protest against the horrors committed in the name of the greatest lie ever told. This is the dream so many are sold, the idea that war is a passport to glamour and glory when it is in fact a passport to the graveyard The lie so often used, as a seductive call to arms to defend countries which can never be theirs but will belong forever to the elites and is best summed up in the words of Wilfred Owen. Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mor. It is sweet and right to die for your country.

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X

Poets Patriots And Self Taught Socialists The Women Who Have Shaped My Life

Hey everyone For those who may not know yesterday was International Women’s Day. Now contrary to what some people may think, this is not a day to hate men but to celebrate ourselves and that we are and commemorate women’s achievements in every walk of life.

It is with this in mind I decided to write a post on the many women who have inspired me during the course of my life so far. Some of my choices will be known to you whilst will not, however make no mistake of those named will have earned their place on my list. I hope you find it an interesting and thought provoking read.

The problems with lists like this is where you do you start? Personally I’ve always thought that the beginning was the best place to start a journey so let me start with the first major influence in life, her name was Jessie MacDonald Robertson which would eventually change to Russell and she was my maternal grandmother

Born in 1891 she was 70 three months before I was born. In my gran’s day you left at 12 or whenever you attained the fifth standard which in her case was at the age of 9. Yes seriously my gran was a 9 year old school leaver as she had been taught as much as working class children were allowed to be in late Victorian Britain.

A self taught socialist who valued education and learning it was she who first noted my interest in history, poetry, and traditional music. Indeed she encouraged my interests in all aspects of Scottish and Irish Culture. If I’m honest you could say that she was the single biggest influence in shaping my political beliefs.

A lifelong supporter of Scottish independence she was always keen to stress that this was not because she hated England but because she hated the Westminster system of inherited wealth and privilege which was she said based on patronage and was the beast from which so-called lords and ladies claimed their power to rule over ordinary people. Like me she wanted a socialist Scotland and a country where all people would be treated with fairness and respect.

My next woman of influence was my high school English teacher Elizabeth Dowling. It was Mrs Dowling who really encouraged my interest in poetry and literature introducing me to the work of Glasgow based poets such as Edwin Morgan, Liz Lochhead, and Tom Leonard, the war poets such as Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen, and Siegfried Sassoon and novelists such as Joan Lingaurd and John Steinbeck. It was this magical teacher who really got me to explore my own creativity and start the journey to find my own voice. Well I’ve always been an independent woman with a mind of my own

Talking of independence, as someone who has always the political independence for my nation, some people who view politics like a football match and think you can’t have friends in opposing parties or respect people who believe in the UK may be surprised to learn that one of my earliest political influences has never been in my party or supported an independent Scotland. I have to say however, and let me be very clear about this, I have great admiration for former Liberal Democrat candidate for Maryhill at both parliamentary and local council elections Elspeth Attwool. I learned much from Elspeth during my early years as a community activist and she was far more respected than the local Labour councillor who was living proof that dinosaurs existed far longer than previously thought. A woman who cared and still cares passionately for both her community and her country Elspeth Attwool is thoroughly deserving of her place on this list.

Next up is a woman who taught me to believe in myself and took my interest in creative writing to new heights. A woman who was not only a writing tutor at Govan Writers Group but became a valued friend. Linda McCann was amongst the first people I confided in about my trans identity and not only that she kept that ‘secret’ for as long as she needed to, and one day slipped me a wee surprise present. It was a stunning crimson taffita dress which if memory serves me well was a size 10. Alas it is a long time since I was able to slip in to a size 10 but I did get my wear out of it before it reached the charity shop but I still remember that act of kindness on a wet windy Thursday afternoon in Govan. Linda taught me to have confidence in my words and to remember that the best writing comes from your own personal experience and writing about what you know is always more powerful than writing what you think others want to hear. An authentic voice always comes across better than someone who is trying to be popular she said and you know what,she was right in what she said.

Still on the subject of writing, in 1993 I made a decision to go to a monthly performance poetry night on the First Monday of the month. This would eventually have a dramatic effect on my life as I would eventually end up comparing the night it had taken straight talking former squaddie Jim Craig a year to persuade me to attend. The night I refer to is of course is Words And Music at Sammy Dow’s or as I sometimes call it the poetry family table. It was at this venue that I met a woman who was is and ever shall be like a poetry mum to so many of us the one and only Pamela Duncan. When Pamela decides to grace the stage I often introduce as the first lady of Sammy’s though modesty forbids her from accepting the accolade no matter how well deserved it is. An award winning writer and poet, a freelance journalist, a trophy winning golfer and also a novelist and former chair of Eastwood Writers Pamela Duncan is without doubt one of the most talented women I know and not only that she is a woman who inspires others to be the best they can be.

My next selection is another poet though she comes from more performance based tradition than Pamela. The poet concerned like Pamela has more than one string to her bow and is also a respected comedienne on the Scottish and UK stand up circuits. I first got to know Viv Gee during the late 1990’s when she hosted Sunday Rhymes at Bar Brel. It was during my time at Sunday Rhymes that I started dipping my toe in the water with regards to my trans identity and the support I received from Viv was nothing short of brilliant. Honestly she was totally amazing and could not have been more supportive during what were difficult days for me. Yes I know it may be hard to believe but I wasn’t always the confident self-assured wee madam I am now.
When I talk of inspirational women there is no way I can leave out a woman of courage, stature, and principal. A woman who have always been convinced will one day lead this country and lead it to greatness. She is a woman combines the best elements of both patriotism and pragmatism and sets her vision for our nation on the founding rock of principle I refer to the woman who makes me believe in our country more with every speech she makes.

This is the woman who in my book and I don’t care how biased I am is Scotland’s National Princess. The woman who is Our Deputy First Minister and the most popular politician in the country. The one and only Nicola Sturgeon. I have known Nicola for more years than I care to forget and I know that Scotland is a lucky nation to have someone so dedicated to serving our people with honesty integrity and fairness.

From politics I go back to the world of poetry for my next inspirational woman though I have noticed that Jenny Lindsay is getting just a wee bit political these days and saying yes to imagining a better Scotland free from the chains and constraints of Westminster rule. I first met Jenny ten years ago in 2004 at my first ever poetry slam since when she has been a friend, mentor, and confident who like Viv Gee supported me in every decision I had to make. Articulate intelligent and the voice of a new Scotland Jenny Lindsay will I predict become one of the biggest names in Scottish culture in the years and decades to come. I say this with confidence as Scotland is now finding out what I already know Jenny is a woman of talent and substance who like an already good wine can only get better with age. Well poets do you know, and for someone who is already is so good it is actually frightening it doesn’t take a genius to forecast a brilliant future.

There are other who writers also merit a mention as no list of women writers who have influenced me would be complete without acknowledging the contributions of my chosen wee sister and confidant Catherine Baird and a woman whom I have long regarded as my mentor the amazingly talented Ann Connolly. I also want to thank the excellent Sophia Walker for all her encouragement over a number of years, the new kid on the poetry block the highly lovable Agnes Torok, and the greatest force of nature I have ever seen on any stage the brilliant and breathtaking Sophia Blackwell.

The world of traditional music has many powerful voices at this time in it’s history and many of it’s rising stars are women. One only has to look to at the likes of Anna Meldrum of Kitty The Lion, Karine Polwart and Lori Watson to prove my point. However brilliant though they are the names which inspire me on this scene are Eilidh Grant and Rachel Sermanni.

Both of these rising stars inspire me for very different reasons. In the case of Eilidh she has such a beautiful lyrical quality to her voice that she is in my opinion our nation’s princess of song. A big title for someone so modest but make no mistake this accolade is richly deserved. Evidence to support my case is provided by Eilidh’s dad the well respected folk musician Eric Grant who told me a story of the daughter he described as the encourager. Eilidh was always kind he said god knows I have personal experience of just how true that statement is but a proud dad told me that when they were younger he would take Eilidh and her younger brother Stephen to folk festivals and competitions all across the country and no matter how well she had done, Eilidh’s first concern was always her wee brother and if he had won in his category there would be no happier or prouder big sister in the world. Now that is what you call the mark of quality and being an inspiration to others by your actions and not just your words.
Rachel Sermanni is another inspiration whose star is on the rise. Rachel is not only a brilliant singer/songwriter whose concerts sell out wherever she appears,she is also is a very talented artist and poet. A multi talented young woman blessed with many fantastic gifts, Rachel inspires me because like Eilidh she manages to keep her feet on the ground and is a very genuine woman, she is I as often say very much the real deal.

On the subject of the real deals you won’t get a better deal than a partnership that really works one of such partnership is local photography business KK Snaps which is co-owned by my current woman of the year Katie Walker. Katie is a highly intelligent and astute young women and her business which she co-owns with her best friend Kirsty Hughes should be an inspiring story to all young women everywhere that if you want something badly enough and have the courage to chase your dreams you can actually achieve them.

Other inspiring woman to me include Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson for her work on behalf of women and girls particularly with regards to positive body image. Glasgow SNP councillor Alison Thewliss for showing the world that young women can be politically active whilst also raising a family and that you do not need to put your political career on hold till later. Former SNP MSP Anne McLaughlin for her work with Glasgow’s African and Caribbean communities and her dedication to empowering those communities through her at Glasgow African-Caribbean Centre. Young Liberal Democrat activist Sophie Bridger for her work with Scotland’s LGBT Communities. I also include recent SNP candidate in the Cowdenbeath By-election Natalie McGarry. One of the key voices I the Women for Independence movement Shona McAlpine who resigned from the SNP over the issue of NATO membership. Also the fantastic poet and feminist activist Claire Askew for defending the rights of women everywhere and for ceaselessly campaigning for trans equality not forgetting organising the first and so far only all female poetry slam ever to take place in Scotland and the brilliant Kate Higgins without whose inspiration I would never have started blogging and Caron Lindsay and Ellen Arnison for much valued support and advice in my quest become a better blogger.

Last but not least I have to say a massive thanks to my best friend of the last 14 years and my flatmate for 12 of those years the lovely Janette Marshall. I sometimes wonder my life would have been like had I not met Janette, and whilst I have no doubt I would be a lot saner than is currently the case I think I would not have so many good times or such a rich quality of life and the entertainment value would have been nowhere as much as it has been Janette is without a doubt the wee sister I never had and my life is a better place because she is in it.

So there you have my selection of women who have made my journey through life just a wee bit more interesting than it otherwise would have been. To them and to all of us I say I hope you had a happy international women’s day
As for me I just hope in some way I may just have inspired some girl to believe in herself and her dreams.

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X

Rainbow Road

Hey everyone Tonight Scotland celebrates the right to love equally,
as our parliament passed the Equal Marriage Scotland Act by 105 votes to 18. This gives Scotland’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community the right to marry and to have their love recognised in law with equal value to their heterosexual family and friends.

As a transwoman I have campaigned long and hard for this day, all I need to do now is find a man who is both man enough and mad enough to marry me and it will be in the words of that classic Billy Idol song a nice day for a white wedding.

You know I should have known it was going to be a good day when Caron Lindsay shared a photograph taken by her friend Andy Myles this morning which showed a rainbow over the royal mile. I wonder if God was trying to give us a message of hope and you know what, I think he might have been.

On seeing this beautiful image I decided to write a poem on the right to equal marriage and dedicate it with love and respect to everyone who has campaigned for this result and especially to those 105 MSP who voted for my right to love equally
My heartfelt thanks go to each and every one of them.

Special mentions are however merited these include Nicola Sturgeon MSP and Deputy First Minister whose support for me on a personal level is more appreciated than she will ever know. I also appreciated the kind supportive words of The First Minister of Scotland the Right Honourable Alex Salmond who said when I was introduced to him at a social gathering for ‘new’ party members that I would be a far greater asset to my party and my country than I was in my pre-transitioned days when though likeable I allowed nerves to get in the way of the message. This he said would no longer be the case for a happy and confident woman who would serve Scotland well.

There are also others to thank for this day including Co-leader of the Scottish Green Party Patrick Harvie, Leader Of The Scottish Conservative Party Ruth Davidson, Glasgow Labour MSP Drew Smith, SNP MSP for Glasgow Cathcart James Dornan, The organiser of Pride Glasgow Alasdair Smith, Stonewall Scotland’s Sophie Bridger, SNP Trade Unionist And PPC for the European Elections Chris Stephens, Shettleston SNP activist Steven Tierney, SNP Candidate in the recent Cowdenbeath by-election Natalie McGarry Woman For Independence and Scottish Independence Convention Member Shona McAlpine, Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament Laura McLachlan Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice Caron Lindsay, All at LGBT Scotland, the Scottish Equality Network particularly Tom French, friends from GAP Theatre especially Gillian Clark, Gary McGuire, Iain Boyce, Michelle Brown, Michelle Sloan, Tricia Feeney, Lorraine McKenzie, and the Mitchell sisters Kellie, Sharlene, and Jade. My long standing friends from the University of Strathclyde especially Ailsa King, Carolyn Black, Jo Muir, Katrina Cuthbertson and Simon Mawson and all members of the Scottish Spoken Word and Traditional Music Communities

I would like to acknowledge the contribution of some members of these communities without whose support my journey on the road I now walk with confidence would have been a lot harder than it has. So I’ll start with the team from spoken word they include Marc Sherland, Linda Grant, Kevin Cadwallender, Alex Frew, Andy Fleming, JJ Turner, Agnes Torok, Sean McBride, Claire Askew, Derek Read, Audrey Marshall, Craig Scott,
Fiona Lindsay, Kathryn Metcalfe,
Danny O’Connor Steve Allan, John McGlade, Catherine Baird, Kevin Gilday, Lisa Gilday, Maryanne Hartness, Tracy Patrick, John Savage, Stephen Watt, Jim Monaghan, Pete Faulkner, Jane Overton, Chris Young, Jenny Lindsay, Jim Ewing, Robin Cairns, Sophia Walker Siobhan Harkin and her adorable daughter Shannon The one and only first lady of Sammy’s the brilliant Pamela Duncan and my mad poetic sister also known as the magical Viv Gee.

From the world of traditional music particular thanks are due to Roisin, Siobhan and Patricia McArdle, who stood by me and supported me when they could easily have walked away. To Eilidh Grant now Eilidh Leslie for her continued friendship and support. To Billy and Hazel Pryce, to Heather Currie and her gorgeous daughter Shauna who insists that I am not only her auntie but tells her mother I am never wrong. Jim King also deserves credit for putting up with my ramblings over many years as does, Anna Meldrum, Rachel Sermanni, and Laura Wilkie. Also credit must be given to Samantha Hands whose faith has inspired me to grow deeper on my own christian journey, Daniel Hunter for no other reason except he is Daniel Hunter to my former woman of the year the brilliant Althea Maxwell, and to Siobhan Marie Downes for late night chats and attempts to keep me sane and so many others too many to mention. All of those mentioned and many who are not, deserve wedding invitations when the great day dawns as it must and surely will.

Also I can’t let today pass without mentioning a few former work colleagues and the names of Pam Duncan, Pamela Miller,and Joyce Cowie come to mind. However there is one who shines above all others and who’ll be a friend till the end of time and that is Yvonne Hughes whose friendship and support saw me through many of my darkest days. Yes Yvonne sometimes a smile really does make a difference.

I would also like a mention to Yvonne’s cousins Jackie and Natalie who saw me as my true self before most of the world was ready and a long time before I knew Yvonne. In fact Jackie and Natalie knew in the days when I was young enough to get away with wearing a black mini skirt and silver tights or at least I thought I was. Well it was the end of the 1990’s and I was in my late thirties and at the beginning of my journey out from the deepest and darkest of closets. Trust me I had loads of confidence in my unique personal style even if some of it may have been severely misplaced, however I have to say I didn’t think that at the time

To conclude what must be the longest thank you speech in history since Barry McGuigan retired from boxing I have to say that Lesley McKay has at least attempted to bring some sanity in to my life as have the parishioners at Baillieston St Andrew’s Church especially
the quietest member of any congregation otherwise known as Jane Sharp. Thanks also to Sheena Campbell and
Diana Mc Naught. Other local lassies who have tried to varying degrees to bring out the softer side of my nature include Theresa Agnew, Laura Mallin, Leanne McKay, Gillian Robertson, Jade Mc Isaac, Carlene Kilday and that lovable nutter who insists on calling me Auntie Gayle, my current woman of the year Katie Walker and I have to say this description flatters me much more than I deserve.

Anyway to all of those I’ve mentioned and my many friends in the LGBT community who are far too numerous to mention I dedicate this poem. I have called it Rainbow Road and I hope you enjoy the read and think it worthy to celebrate such a wonderful occasion.

Rainbow Road

On the day we said yes to equal love
a good friend made me smile
she shared a photograph she was sent
of a vision on the mile

A rainbow shone through a cloudless sky
and as the day was dawning
I saw a future filled with hope
in the peace of a February morning

This was a day for all of us
to celebrate with pride
the fact the love is a human right
and should never be denied

Love does not discriminate
so let this truth be said
it’s the right of every citizen
to share a marriage bed

To live our lives with the one of our dreams
real love does not surrender
to narrow minded attitudes
biology or gender

We find who we will on our journey through life
and hope our love stays true
and as a transwoman I want to say
thanks
for the right to say I do

My road will not be yellow brick
but when I find my prince
I won’t be slow to let him know
I will be dropping hints

Believe me he’ll know he’s the one
and as I’m dressed in white
I’ll know I walked the rainbow road
to find my Mr Right

@ Gayle Smith 2014

Around The World In Eight Mistakes A Review Of A One Woman Show By Sophia Walker

Hey everyone. My latest lucky break at this year’s fringe was managing to find the time to see a show which is one of the best you’ll see anywhere this year. It all came about because I did something only I can, I broke a promise I had made to myself but because i did so I was able to keep a promise I had made to a friend. The result was an hour of chaos confusion and comic observation in a basement bar and an excellent way to spend an afternoon.

Let me explain I had originally planned to attend the courtyard poetry readings but due to taking a wrong turning and going in completely opposite direction I left myself scandalously short of time to be in time for the 2 pm start. Now I could have ploughed on and made a spectacularly late entrance. God knows I’ve done often enough before but with the clock at 5 to 2 I realised there will be plenty more opportunities to perform at the courtyard in the next week and a bit, however I was less than five minutes away from the Royal Oak where that force of nature Sophia Walker would be holding court between 2 to 3 with her show Around The World In Eight Mistakes so I thought now would be as good a time as any to go and see it.

As I arrived at the venue a group of three friends were debating whether to go and see the show. However after they had been subjected to a wee bit of Gayle style PR I am glad to say they joined me in the audience.

As the show started Sophia introduced herself by saying that she had committed her first crime within days of being born. Despite her American accent Sophia was born in England and there is apparently a law which states that new born children cannot leave England or indeed Britain until they are at least 10 days old. However Sophia left and her family left England for Moscow when she was only 9 days old and they left for the not so bright lights of communist Russia.

Growing up in 1980’s Moscow was an experience. which has left a mark on Sophia. She says the only difference between Russian and American or Western systems of government is the fact that the Russians don’t pretend they are not spying on you and this makes you more of the faults and flaws in our system, well as she says the Russians are much better at spying than Americans even in the16th story flat you call home.

When the family moved again It was to Washington DC and this led to a very unusual situation in a supermarket when her mother bought 12 tins of tomatoes and only 12 tins of tomatoes. Well as Sophia explain when you are used to the shortages the family experienced in Russia, you buy products in bulk for fear you may never see them again. It was also during her time in DC that Sophia’s decision not go to one particular party which may be the reason why one of Scotland and Britain’s foremost slammers wasn’t locked up in a very different kind of slammer through know fault of her own.

The next move was to Belgium which she told her audience happened at 6 days notice. This she claimed fractured her family to the extend that it is no longer the unit it once was more a disparate collection of individuals who share some DNA. She also gave us an insight in to Belgium saying that everyone is racist about everyone else and that the streets of Brussels are so full of dog poo that it could be considered a national art form. She also added that Brussels must be the only city in the world where even its own residents claim the best thing about it is the road out. The key lesson she learned about Belgium is never take four people on a move which will only benefit one of you.

Her next adventure was time spent in Durham where she attended university and learned everything you could learn about the wrong kind of Britishness. Privilege and Eton were two things she would she said rather not have known about.

After this the bold Sophia spent time in Uganda at the height of the civil war. This was she not a mistake rather an adventure. During her time there she said she learned a lot about herself. She was in her words a wealthy kid who was far too up herself and seeing people getting their heads chopped off and bodies lying everywhere was a bit of reality check as to how lucky she actually was.

After this adventure it was back to Durham to finish her studies and falling in love with a girl who got her to change countries yet again except this time it was Scotland and our capital city of Edinburgh that this global nomad called home.

During her relationship it was Edinburgh which kept her warm and safe though her tendency to travel did lead her close to trouble again. You see what happened was that her girlfriend went to Nicaragua and she went to join her. On their travels they ventured into El Salvador but they hadn’t planned on going anywhere near Guatemala.

This was a country from which they were eventually deported. Well as she says if you take out the fact you have received a lifetime ban on ever being allowed to enter again not that I think she would want to it is a really effective way skipping past passport control.

After the relationship finished she was off on her travels again and managed to get as far away from Edinburgh as possible so where did she go? That’s right Vietnam. This is a place where American ex-pats buy guns not quite getting the irony that this was not there most successful attempt at international diplomacy.

So it was back to Scotland before moving again this time to London. However this move was born of her own free will, and so she is finally back where she started. This show was like a world tour in miniature. The audience were as I was visibly moved by the storytelling ability of a performer who can hold an audience in the palm of her hand.

The show may have been titled around the world in eight mistakes but hopefully it will grant those who attend it the knowledge of making the biggest mistake of all, believing we can ever run away from our past. The fact we can’t and we shouldn’t even try. You see as Sophia said in her summing up it is only when you look in the mirror and love the person you see there that you will ever be able to love someone else.

Love And Best Wishes
Gayle X