As I do every year, I arranged on the second Sunday to meet up with a number of my gay friends at Central Station, which is a gay bar near Kings Cross in North London. There were about 35 of us in total. Central Station were brilliant as always in coping with so many. It was great to catch up with old friends and to find out how everyone was and what had happened to them. Friends are so important and I was grateful to those who travelled considerable distances to get there. It was a memorable and wonderful day.
FEBRUARY -
On the weekend of 14th February, I went to Hunstanton in Norfolk for a gay mens weekend. There were about 20 of us staying in the youth hostel in Hunstanton. The weather was amazing - 19C on Sunday when we went for a walk along the beach. On the Saturday evening, there was a cabaret, and I dragged up for the first time in my life, appearing in the 'Miss Hunstanton' pageant as Tatiana Eversocampa, a Russian Countess. It was a fun weekend with a fun group of guys.
MARCH -
Andrew and I went for a week to Fuengirola on the Spanish Costa Del Sol, where Andrew has an apartment. It was a good break before a busy time at work for me. We managed to spend some days at the gay nudist beach at CaboPino, but I didn't venture into the water.
APRIL -
Work, work, work. I am an accountant and March 31 is out year-end, so April is busy, busy, busy.
MAY -
More of the same. The auditors arrived on May 9th, and the audit went very well. We finalised the accounts on time, there were no major problems and I am pleased with the way the year-end has gone. Late in the month, Andrew took me to Berlin for a surprise birthday treat, which was so unexpected and so wonderful, even though it did rain most of the time.
JUNE -
On 21st, I took my partner Andrew to a Shirley Bassey concert at the Festival Hall. Because I work there, we were able to get seats in the Royal Box. She was fabulous, and we had a great evening.
JULY -
On the 4th, I took 11 friends to the open-air concert at Kenwood. It was a concert of American music to celebrate Independence Day. The weather was wonderful, we shared food and wine, the music was great, and it was a very civilised and enjoyable evening.
AUGUST -
At the beginning on the month, Andrew and I had a week in Fuengirola. As well as a number of days on the gay beach at Cabopino, we went to El Chorro which is my favourite place in Spain. We swam in the clear waters of the lakes and enjoyed the wonerful views of the mountains. I love it there.
SEPTEMBER -
On 6th, I attended a tribute concert at the Festival Hall to Victor Jara, a Chilean guitarist and poet who has his hands crushed and was then killed by the Pinochet regime in 1973. It was so moving, and little did we know the events which were to unfold with Pinochet only a few months later. Late in the month my triumphant moment of the year took place. It was finals day at Totteridge Tennis club and Sheila and I had battled our way to the final of the veterans mixed doubles. We won 6-4, 6-2. My first tennis trophy for ten years.
OCTOBER -
In mid October I want on a gay golfing weekend with the Irons gay golfing society in Bournemouth Unfortunately I played so badly. And I so wanted to play well, but such is golf.
NOVEMBER -
I hate this month, and this year I really was depressed. The sale of my flat was not successful and I took it off the market, I was fed up at work, the evenings were cold and dark and basically I was feeling really sorry for myself. The weather was dull and dreary, and so was I.
DECEMBER -
We went to Morocco for a week and then spent Christmas and New Year in Spain. I remain rather uncertain and unsettled about a number of things, but it has been a relaxing break and I am determined to be more positive and confident in 1999.
SUMMARY -
Yes it has had its ups and downs, but what year has not? Andrew has been a great strength and I do love him. Work is rather tedious and unchallenging,
I enjoy my golf and tennis as well as theatre and concert visits. I am reasonably content and happy. Perhaps I should strive to achieve rather more than I do,
and I shall try to progress in 1999. Above all, I want to reduce my golf handicap.
You can fnd out how 1999 fares on the appropriate page on this website. See the link below.
© agw 1998
