Saturday 16th May was the evening I'd been invited to a hen party at places in and around Ipswich to celebrate the forthcoming marriage of a work colleague, Jo. This party was unusual in that it included a number of guys as well as the customary girls - and then, of course, there was me. So as not to embarrass any of the people I'd be meeting, I made sure that everyone knew exactly who and what I was - especially since six of those attending knew me from work! I'd also called in at the places we'd be visiting - Pino's and Greenlands - the week before the event to introduce myself. The people I'd spoken to were really friendly, and said they were looking forward to seeing me at the weekend.
Well, as the day drew nearer, I don't mind admitting to having had some doubts about the whole thing. For a start, Pino's is just along the road from the infamous Liberty's nightclub, which I frequently drive past late at night. To call it 'rough' would be an understatement, and for a transvestite, it could even be dangerous. Two evenings before the event, I'd talked to a young woman who knows the club scene in Ipswich, and she thought I was mad to even think about walking through that part of town on a Saturday evening wearing the clothes I'd described. Although I'd expected her to say exactly that, it wasn't what I wanted to hear - in fact, I was on the verge of calling the whole thing off, but it was late, and I decided to sleep on it.
As Friday dawned, the whole issue fell into perspective. I chided myself for having bowed to an as-yet unproven threat, and decided that no small-minded yob was going to stop me having a good time! Anyway, the problem was only likely to occur when we left Pino's, and I could doubtless persuade some of my male friends to help this 'damsel in distress' if things looked nasty! Well, that Friday evening was my regular Felixstowe Girls meeting, but it developed into one of the most incredible evenings I've experienced in a very long while [1], as a result of which I felt I could take on the world! So it was with renewed enthusiasm that I got made up on Saturday afternoon, and put on a white sleeveless tee-shirt with a short-sleeved black jacket, a black microskirt, clear shiny tights, and my favourite black strappy shoes. With the new blond wig I'd worn the night before, I looked just as good, and felt just as confident, as any of those girlies who'd be out clubbing in the town that night!
My wife and I left the house at just after 6pm, and picked up Georgina, another work colleague, before making our way to Ipswich. After killing some time at our friend Mary's, we arrived in Ipswich a little after 7 o'clock, left the car in a nearby car park, and walked the 200 metres to Pino's. Few people were out at this early time - with the notable exception of a group of about ten teenage girls, who eyed us up as they walked past, then burst out giggling a few seconds later. Pretty much par for the course, I suppose. Our party at Pino's numbered fifteen - nine girls, five guys, and me. I must confess that the food wasn't great, and the waitressing left something to be desired, but the atmosphere was fun (at least it was at our end of the table!), and I was treated with the utmost respect by everyone. I was sitting with my back to the other tables, but I apparently received only a few curious glances from the other guests. In fact, the major problem was trying to eat tagliatelle without getting sauce all over my carefully-made-up face! We eventually left Pino's at about 10 o'clock, and made our way back to the car park. The town was busier now, but most of our group seemed to be going my way, and I got no hassle, despite walking directly past the entrance to Liberty's. Once in the car, I relaxed - the rest of the evening was going to be a piece of cake.
The short journey to Greenlands was uneventful. On entering the bar, I was met with a few more curious stares - although I did receive a wink and a smile from a guy sitting with his friend in a corner. Georgina thought that was most amusing, and made sure everyone in our party knew about it! The evening was fairly warm, so we decided to sit outside, where there were about thirty other people in half a dozen groups. As time went on, so various individuals would suddenly notice me, their whole group would look round for a few moments, then they'd look away and continue their conversation as before. However, there was one priceless occurrence, which I wish I'd been able to witness at first hand. My wife was just coming out the ladies when a man passed her and said "Cor! Did you see that transvestite in the bar?" My wife looked him straight in the eye and replied "Yes, that's my husband." Apparently, the man fell back like he'd been punched in the stomach!
We eventually left Greenlands at about 11.30, and while some of our party went home, the remaining seven of us bundled into our car and headed for The Fox and Hounds. I was driving, and had plenty of room in the front, but there were a number of complaints from the five people squeezed into the back seat! The Fox and Hounds was new to most of my friends, and even though it was a gay pub, they all felt very much at ease. The place contains a small club, and is frequented by straights and couples as well as gays of both sexes - however, everyone's totally accepting of everyone else. Jo had chosen The Fox and Hounds because it's predominantly gay, so unlike most of the other local nightclubs, it doesn't resemble a 'cattle market' where all unattached females are fair game to be picked up. In fact, my wife spent twenty minutes on the dance floor without being hassled by anyone, although a straight work colleague, Neal, spent part of the evening with a horde of gay men dancing around him - I'm not sure he realised what they were after! After that, we played some pool, during which I got absolutely slaughtered by Georgina - obviously displaying the results of her mis-spent youth. My excuse was that I was concerned for my modesty - it's not easy bending over a pool table in a fourteen-inch skirt and three-inch heels, without showing more to the world than one ought! Georgina simply called me a tart, and said I loved every moment. She knows me very well.
Eventually, Charlie kicked us out at 1.30am, and we all bundled back into the car. We dropped four of our party in Ipswich, including Jo, who insisted that she was OK to walk from the town centre - frankly, I don't think she'd have made it. Anyway, as a sort of 'honorary bridesmaid' (I had, after all, helped select her wedding dress [2]), I felt I owed it to her and her fiancé to make sure she got home safely. We then drove out of town, dropped Georgina, and went home ourselves.
The verdict? Well, personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening, and was very honoured to have been invited. After all, a hen party is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a tranny! And the others? Well, I can't speak for everyone - a party of fifteen is difficult to keep a handle on - but of the six others that went to the Fox and Hounds (four of whom are my close work colleagues), all said they'd had a good time.
From personal notes. Some names have been changed.