What a year it’s been! Apart from flying over unhealthily quickly it’s been a good one for the city’s LGBT scene with the first official Liverpool Pride. An amazing day that I think surpassed everyone’s expectations and certainly surprised this old cynic. Getting information on the event was a bit like pulling teeth and it was beginning to look like a PR disaster so I wasn’t optimistic but I’m glad to say that they turned it around and my doubts were totally unfounded - it made good copy in the meantime though.

20,000 people thronged the streets of gay town on a day that was ours, all ours. Liverpool turned fabulously queer for a day and there was no trouble at all - unlike the Mathew Street festival a few weeks later but don’t get me started on that. And our first Pride has made it to the final five of the Pink Paper’s awards for best festival, up there with London, Manchester and Brighton - no mean feat and Liverpool’s Homotopia completes the line up. Has Liverpool finally arrived on the LGBT map? You know what, I think we have, we’ve still got a way to go, don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot of pathetic pettiness out there and a lack of a long term view in some quarters but I think Pride showed a lot of us what we’re capable of as a community and next year’s will undoubtedly be even better. Bring on August 6th.

So it’s Christmas again and I’m still single - what’s going on there? Although I have to say that I am incredibly fussy when it comes to men and I’ve been told that I need to lower my standards - hmm. Since Pride I’ve discovered an alter-ego that seems to have no problem in attracting a certain type of man but not the type I’m interested in - over 60’s aren’t really me. My mother wants me to find a nice man and settle down but it’s easier said than done. All the ones I like are already spoken for so maybe I need to broaden my horizons and get out more, well, not get out more because I’m hardly ever in but go to new places. So this old queen’s New Year resolution is to get myself a new man, a new day job and I’ve also got an urge to move back into town - taxis are costing me a fortune.

Have a lovely Christmas and a fabulously good New Year.