FLASHBACK #50: Part 1 - Christmas in UK & A Visit To Bath

And so we reach the 50th flashback; what a journey it has been to document the first 50 unique experiences. I am now halfway through 'the project' of documenting up to the point when I left Finland, albeit just for a short while, in August 2005. But, for now, we go back to Christmas 2003.

The time came to wind up all of my tasks at work and make my way back to the UK to celebrate Christmas with my family who were still unaware of my relationship with Bree. Bree and I wouldn't be apart for very long, however, as I had arranged to meet up with Bree in Amsterdam for four days to celebrate the New Year. And in between Christmas itself and New Year, I planned to visit a friend of mine in Bristol. This friend of mine actually lives in Helsinki, but was also returning to the UK to celebrate Christmas with his family.

The usual Christmas festitivies went well. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the family, besotted with my neice who was barely 2 months old. My eldest sister played the usual host, putting together the sumptuous feast of the Christmas Dinner. After dinner, we chatted and watched some of the oh-so-predictable Christmas TV. This was it - this was Christmas in the UK, another excuse to be lazy!

And it was with relief that I was on my way to Bristol already on Boxing Day. Fortunately, the traffic wasn't too bad and I quite enjoyed the three hour drive - the weather was wonderful, the air crisp and the winter sun hanging low on the motorway.

Having borrowed my sister's car, I linked up with my friend and his Dad in their car so they could escort me to their home. My friend's parents were lovely, very friendly. They knew that we were gay and tried their best, as parents do, to navigate their way around our world. My friend and I had a great programme over the next couple of days. On the first evening, we went clubbing in Bristol. Virtually impossible to get a cab, my friend's brother kindly gave us a lift into town where we visited a couple of gay bars and a nightclub.

New to this particular scene, we certainly got looked at. While everyone enjoys a bit of attention every now and then, I must admit that it's a little bit 'heavy' on the gay scene; on a number of occasions, I have felt that men are mentally undressing me for their stares were that strong. On other occasions, I've had guys who are awfully drunk groping me. And then there's just the absolute nutcases who, the minute they open their mouths, make you want to run in the opposite direction.

But on this particular night, it was okay. I got talking to one guy who seemed really nice. The chat wasn't overly flirtatious, but the minute I mentioned I had a boyfriend, he was off like a shot. Apparently, people in relationships (at least, meaningful relationships) are not worth bothering with! The remainder of the evening was spent dancing raunchily on the dancefloor (I was on fire!), working up a sweat to the refreshingly different music; this music in the UK is much more modern than the music in Finland. We headed home by taxi about 3am.

The next day, we headed into Bath just after lunchtime. Fortunately, the late night hadn't left a mark on me and we were able to enjoy the day. Although it was a bit chilly, we ambled along the cobbled streets of the busy shopping centre, visiting the Crescent (see the picture at the top of this posting) and admiring the historic buildings along the way.

Eventually, we came to the weir where the River Avon makes it's way through the city centre. After buying some stuff in the Boxing Day Sales and grabbing a quick pasty as we walked around, we drove back home to get ready for another night out. For a laugh, we had face packs which we had bought from the Lush store in Bath; it was hilarious!

Evening came and I drove us into town for getting a cab this far out was proving to be impossible. We went to a different nightclub this time and, sober, I got talking to a couple of people briefly. I joined my friend on the dancefloor on a number of occasions, really able to hear the music this time without the influence of alcohol. We were back home just after 2am, knackerred from partying two nights in a row.

When I woke up the next morning, my friend has cooked me a lovely fry up. We went for a walk in nearby woodlands (see photos below) before I made the long drive back to my family's place in Hertfordshire. It had been lovely to see my friend, but we would see eachother soon back in Helsinki no doubt!