It Started With 99p

 

99p in decimal Stirling currency. That's what it cost to get started on this adventure of a lifetime. That and a gift from my cousin, Robert on his wedding day. 

Fifty years ago and mid June. We were a month into the long remembered Long Hot Summer of 1976. I was coming to the end of my primary education. And a lifelong obsession was beginning to assert itself. No,not crossdressing. True my feminine needs were starting to swirl around me at this time, but I'm talking about another obsession. Music. 

I had been steadily getting more and more into music, after becoming a regular viewer of the UK chart music television show, Top Of The Pops in the early 1970s. I was still just a young child  but it was essential viewing for me. I loved watching that show and also listening to Radio 1. In 1974 my Stepfather had given me a Heathkit transistor radio that he built from a kit.So by 1976 I was already a music fan. But there was a problem. I didn't own any music. My parents weren't especially musical and we didn't have a record player or have any hard copies of music. No vinyl or cassettes. Nothing. Just my trusty transistor radio. But that was about to change. 

My cousin Robert was much older than myself. He was in his mid 20s and was an aspiring entrepreneur and also had until recently run a mobile disco. He was getting married to a very glamorous and beautiful girl, who was a model. So we were invited to the wedding in Chester, and after the afternoon reception, we went back to my Auntie's (his mother) house for a couple of hours, before they went off to the adults only evening reception. It was the first wedding myself and my younger sister had ever attended, so we were very excited.  I remember all of the women wearing beautiful dresses and wanting to be like them. But this post isn't about my femme desires. This is about something else. 

My cousin Robert and his bride, made a short appearance at his mother's house with his new bride and while there he took me up to his old bedroom to give me a gift. And what a gift it was. It was his first record player. An old red and cream coloured Dansette. And with it a box of 45rpm singles. Wow! What an amazing thing to be given. I couldn't wait to play records on it, but my Mum said I had to wait until we got back home to Cornwall, the following week to use it. I also had to share it with my younger sister. As we had travelled from Cornwall to Chester on the train, my cousin had arranged to get it shipped down to Cornwall by courier for us. 

When we got back to Cornwall a week later, the record player had already arrived. I hurriedly took it out of the box and plugged it in. Research has since revealed that it was a Dansette Bermuda model in claret and cream. I eagerly opened the box of records. Mmm, a little disappointing. Lots of David Cassidy and Donny Osmand records and a few early records by The Sweet and Suzi Quattro. There was even, 'What A Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong. The Sweet and Suzi Quattro records were ok. Actually the b-sides of the Sweet records were quite good. Proper hard rock. And there was two records in the box that I loved. Both by The Electric Light Orchestra. '10538 Overture' and 'Roll Over Beethoven'. I played those two records to death for a couple of weeks. 

We had only moved to this part of Cornwall  from another area, a few months before, and I had just become friends with Mark, the lad who lived next door. He was a couple of years older than me. He had an older brother, Chris, who was 18. Chris was a big music fan, into prog rock. Mark's dad was into Queen and Pink Floyd. Mark was also getting into prog rock as well.  And they had a state of the art Bang & Olafson music centre. So I was beginning to listen to prog rock with Mark, as he raided his brother's and dad's record collection.  Prog didn't feature much in the UK Singles Top 40 back then. But one prog rock did start to get a lot of airplay on Radio 1 in the August of that baking hot year. And it put a sound to an image I was familiar with. 

Mark had recently persuaded me to start attending the local youth club. His brother Chris had been an attendee in the past and was now helping out. He was an aspiring artist and had painted fantasy murals on the walls. And he had also put up posters of bands. And one of these bands was Manfred Mann's Earth Band. I'd never heard of them. But within days,  they were being played in heavy rotation on Radio 1. The song was 'Blinded By The Light'. I loved it's keyboard heavy sound and it's lyrics sounded so exotic. Crazy even. I had to have it. I had just got enough pocket money to buy one 45rpm single. And it had to be this one. 

One Saturday morning after I had taken my little sister to the children's cinema club, we walked down to a shop called E.T.S. It was an electrical goods store. And it had a sign saying "RECORD DEPT UPSTAIRS". To make it fair for my little sister, she had been given a pound to buy a record too. So we eagerly entered the shop and made our way up the stairs. Once up there, we were met by racks of albums. The only singles on display were the current Top 10. But there was chart with the Top 100 listed on the wall next to them. Albums were £4.99 each. Way out of my price range. But singles were just 99p.  Abba were at Number 1 with 'Dancing Queen'. Nothing in the Top 10 interested me. The record I wanted was at Number 26. 'Blinded By The Light'. I asked the rather stuffy looking gentleman behind the counter if he had it, and he rather indignantly replied "Of course" and looked at the chart, noted it's position and produced it from a box marked 26. I hastily handed over my quid and into my shaking, excited hand came my first ever record and a penny, change. My sister chose to buy 'Dancing Queen' so she could say her record was better than mine because it's Number 1. It would have served her right if it was rubbish. But it's actually rather good. But chart positions didn't matter to me that day. I had the record I wanted. 

When I got home I listened to several times in a row before letting my sister play her ABBA record. She did the same with hers. It was either 'Blinded By The Light' or 'Dancing Queen'. It must have driven our parents mad!

With my own copy of the single to play over and over, I could study the lyrics. And boy, were they weird! The label said the song was written by Bruce Springsteen. I assumed he must be one of the band. I can remember me and Mark asking his brother, which one of the men on the poster in the youth club was Bruce Springsteen? He just laughed at us. Bruce Springsteen might have just broken through in the USA as 'The Boss' but it would be another 3 years before he became more than a cult act here in the UK. 

I didn't even know what a cover version was. In hindsight, I should have spotted that neither Chuck Berry or Beethoven were members of The Electric Light Orchestra, on 'Roll Over Beethoven', as credited songwriters. 

The lyrics had strange lines like, "Revved up like a doosh". And my favourite verse.

Some silicone sister with a manager mister
Told me I got what it takes
She said, "I'll turn you on, son, into something strong
Play the song with the funky break"
And go-kart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart
To see if it was safe outside
And little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly
And asked me if I needed a ride

What the hell was that about? It would take years to figure part of it out. And some of it still doesn't make sense. But it sounded great. 

Incidentally "Doosh" was supposed to be "Deuce" as in an American hot rod car. That's Springsteen's lyric. A misplaced microphone in the studio made the Manfred Mann version sound like "Doosh" which sounds like Douche. An item to clean out a vagina. Springsteen thought they'd rewritten the lyrics as an insult and was very angry. The band were told not to release the record in America because of the connotations of that one misrecorded word. They went ahead and it went to Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. A massive achievement. Something Springsteen himself hadn't done to that point in his career. And something he still hasn't achieved six decades into his illustrious career. Here in the UK it peaked at Number 6, a chart position they would equal two years later with a cover version of The Band's 'Davy's On The Road Again', so their joint biggest hit.

As first records go, it's quite a cool one. Especially at that tender age. I could have bought a record by The Wombles!

So that's how I began my long record buying adventure, 50 years ago. With 99p and an old Dansette. 

Days In Salisbury

 

I  have a strong connection to the city of Salisbury, in Wiltshire. It's a beautiful city, and when I lived in Romsey, Hampshire, just a few miles from the Wiltshire border, it was so easy to get to, by car, bus or train. It was on a direct rail line and just 30 minutes by train from my home in Romsey.  Driving the 17 miles took a similar time if you avoided rush hour and the Southampton Road traffic chaos.

The city has a beautiful cathedral, with the tallest spire in the U.K, which looks very impressive. Inside you can view a copy of the Magna Carta, and a very wonderful clock (I'm beginning to sound a little like a Russian FSB assassin now. More on that later). There are two beautiful rivers running through the city, the Hampshire Avon and the Nadder, which have their confluence on the edge of the town. There is plenty of medieval architecture on show, and the more modern architecture seems to blend in well with the historic. There are beautiful parks and to the North and North West of the city, expansive and beautiful water meadows,  which offer wonderful views of the cathedral. Especially in the early morning in Spring and Autumn, when the spire  rises out of the low mist.  The city has some lovely shops, a thriving market and plenty of pubs, bars, tea rooms, coffee shops and restaurants. It's a very compact city, so very easy to get around on foot. It's one of my favourite places in the UK. 

Being so close to Romsey, made it a place that my Wife and I would often visit for a meal out  or for shopping. It was so much nicer than Southampton  which was much closer and a far bigger city, but lacked the charm of Salisbury.  

So when I began to crossdress more seriously in 2009, Salisbury was the perfect place for me to visit and spend time in. Easy to reach by train or car, and far away enough, not to worry about being seen by anyone who knows me in my male drab life.

My first visit en-femme to Salisbury was on a very cold but sunny day in early December 2009. It was only my third time out dressed.  I was a member of the UK Angels forum back then, and had been discussing going out in Salisbury with a trans woman called Sue Sherrat, who lived there. We made plans to meet. And then another couple of trans women, Louisa from Ringwood,Hampshire and Lucy Melford from Sussex also asked if they could join us. And so I drove up to Salisbury and met them in a small coffee shop on Butcher Row. We drank coffee and chatted before we headed for a mooch around the shops. I bought a blue cardigan in M&S and we visited Debenhams too. Of course Debenhams presence on the high streets of the UK is now gone, but I'm delighted to hear that the store is still a department store, having been taken over by Bradbeers, the small but very lovely department store in Romsey. I'm glad to see them thriving. Then we had a wander through the large outdoor market on the appropriately named Market Place square. And then we went to one of the pubs that has double frontage on both Market Place and Butcher Row. I think it was the Ox Row Inn, but I may be mistaken, in which case it would have been either the Market Inn or The Chough. I had a sandwich and a glass of cola. It was a nice friendly pub and we were made to feel very welcome. We then walked around to the Maltings parade of shops because they had a wonderful shop that sold cuddly toys there. I wanted to buy my Wife a toy meerkat for Christmas. They had the one she wanted, so I purchased it. The meerkat still lives with us today. 

At this point it was late afternoon, and so we said our goodbyes and I walked back to the car park on Culver Street, and drove home to Romsey. It had been a really lovely day out with good company. 

My next visit to Salisbury as Deeanna was in the February of 2010. The same group of girls who I been out in Salisbury with, the previous December, arranged to meet for a meal one evening in the Rai d'Or pub on Brown Street, which did a nice  menu of Thai inspired food.  This time we had an addition to our little group. I had been talking to a trans woman on the UK Angels,  from Andover. Back then, she was calling herself Linda, but she changed her name to Christina, or Chrissie for short, when she became a woman full time, a year later.  I invited her along and she caught the train from Andover to Salisbury. As the last train would be long departed by the time that we finished our evening, I had promised to drive Linda/Chrissie home to Andover, and then drive down to Romsey through the Test Valley.  It was her first time out dressed and I'm so glad that I persuaded her to join us. We all had a lovely evening with good food and conversation. I didn't get any photos of these early meet ups. I know Lucy took some, but I never got sent any copies.  This was the last time I saw Lucy, as we never managed to be able to get our diaries to match after that. I met Louisa a few times after that, but she went into stealth mode when she began her transition, and I don't know what happened to her. I've included a photo that I took at home, which shows me just before I headed for my evening out in Salisbury. 

I had a few more solo trips to Salisbury as Deeanna, to do some shopping. On a couple of occasions I met up with Sue Sherrat on her lunch break for a quick coffee. She worked in one of the cities big stores. I didn't take photos when I was out very much, so I haven't got any photos of these solo trips out.

In November of 2010 my friend from London,  Sue Richmond mentioned the possibility of a day out in Salisbury together. I mentioned it to Sue Sherrat and Chrissie, who by now had dropped Linda as a name. Lucy was otherwise engaged and I couldn't get hold of Louisa, so it would be myself, Sue Richmond, Sue Sherrat and Chrissie who met that day. I must admit that I'd been having a bit of a tough time with my dysphoria and my dressing.  I had a few days off work and I had dressed on the day before my trip to Salisbury, and not enjoyed it. I felt very out of sorts. I thought about crying off. But on the day, I pulled on my big girls pants and got myself onto that train and off I went. It turned out to be a very mixed bag of a day. We agreed to meet in the Railway Tavern (now renamed Hettie Bells). Sue Sherrat was waiting outside of the train station for me, and we crossed the road to the pub. It was a bit early for alcohol, so we had a coffee as we waited for the others. Once we were all assembled we walked down into the city centre. Sue Richmond and Chrissie hadn't had a warm drink yet, so we headed to St Thomas Square and Cawardines cafe for teas and coffees. It's a favourite with Sue R and myself and the others seemed to enjoy it too. I can remember having a very nice conversation with an elderly lady in the queue for the toilets in there.  Chrissie needed to visit the Post Office, so headed there afterwards.  We did some shopping and sightseeing and then headed to lunch at Zizzi's Italian restaurant. This is the same restaurant that in 2018 featured in the assassination attempt on the Russian dissident Sergei Skripal. Thankfully there was no Novochuk nerve toxin about when we visited. We had a lovely relaxed lunch and then walked up to the cathedral. Here we had to say goodbye to Sue Sherrat, who had to pick her daughter up from school. Chrissie, Sue R and I went into the cathedral for a look around. I have been inside it many times before. I love old churches and cathedrals, despite being an atheist. They are such beautiful and peaceful places, and this one is definitely a favourite of mine. After our cathedral visit, we walked over to the lovely Cathedral Close, where we took this photo of the three of us.

Left to right,  Deeanna, Chrissie, Sue Richmond 

Up until now it had been a really nice day. But that was about to change. We walked back down to the centre of Salisbury, and as we walked past the Poultry Cross, a street vendor began shouting very loud transphobic abuse at us. It was awful. I put a brave face on it, but given that I was already a little lacking in confidence at that moment, it really unsettled me. We carried on and ignored it and kept our heads held high, and went for a warm beverage and a slice of cake in Debenhams. It was the first actual abuse I received, and thankfully I've never received any since. We ended the day by walking up to the train station where we said our goodbyes, and I caught the train home to Romsey.  I have very mixed feelings, looking back on this day. Most of the day was lovely,  but the transphobic incident, in a city I regarded as safe, really did unsettle me. But overall the good moments of the day outweighed the bad bits.

I next visited Salisbury as Deeanna on a Saturday night in late February 2011. I went for a meal at the Rai d'Or with Chrissie and her wife, and Sue Sherrat. I picked Chrissie and her wife, and took them home again afterwards. As with the last time we ate there, it was wonderful.  If you like Thai, Oriental or Indian food, you will find something to your taste on their menu. It was nice being able to eat as much as I wanted, because I was in training for a marathon and due to do a 15 mile run, the next day, so I knew I would burn it off. I just made sure my choice was carb heavy. As ever we had a nice relaxed conversation and it was a lovely evening.  Again I didn't get any photos while I was out, but I took these photos before I headed out.

 

I had a few solo dressed trips out shopping in Salisbury during 2011, but I didn't meet up with anyone. And later in 2011 I found myself having to stop my visits to Salisbury, while dressed as Deeanna. But I was going to be seeing a lot more of the city. In October 2011, the company I worked for in Romsey, went bankrupt  and I found a new job, working in Salisbury. So now I was working in the city, I felt it best not to socialise as Deeanna. So my visits came to an end.

However I got to spend a lot of time in this beautiful city, and would go jogging around the city and across the water meadows, after work. In my lunch break, I used to stroll along the river or walk into the city to sit on a bench and eat my lunch.  Sometimes I used to sit on a bench at The Maltings. Imagine my surprise in 2018, when I saw this very bench on the news after Russian exile, Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found suffering from nerve toxin poisoning by Russian FSB agents. 

I gave up work to look after my disabled wife in March 2014, And I haven't been back to Salisbury since. I hope that I get to go back as Deeanna one day.  It's a wonderful city and it has played such an important part in my life.

Dee

💋💋💋

On The Turntable pt1

 July 2026

Music that has featured on my hi-fi this month. 

Doublespeak - Doublespeak, vinyl LP ( An album of cover versions by synth pop buddies, Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode,Yazoo,Erasure), Neil Arthur (Blancmange), and Benge.)

Propaganda - A Secret Wish,  vinyl LP ( German electronic band from the 1980s, known as "The Poison ABBA").

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir, CD ( A collection of all of the singles by the electronic pioneers).

Scritti Politti - Cupid And Psyche 85, vinyl LP ( A new expanded reissue of the classic 1985 blue eyed soul and lovers rock tinged release).

Propaganda- Wishful Thinking, vinyl LP ( A remix album of the aforementioned album).

The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette,  vinyl LP (The best punk album ever).

CMAT - Euro Country, CD (Country inspired music from this wonderful Irish singer/ songwriter. My favourite album of 2025).

Echo And The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain, vinyl LP (The classic fourth album from 1984 by the psychedelic influenced scousers).

As well as music on the hi-fi, there was a wonderful event broadcast on BBC 4. The Prog At The Proms concert. The BBC Concert Orchestra with guest singers performing orchestrated versions of prog rock songs. It was wonderful. Both well known prog classics and lesser known pieces were performed. With a cast of guest vocalists, Guy Garvey, Jane Weaver, Gruff Rhys, The Staves, Peter Hammill, Vanessa Haynes, and the recorded voice of Greg Lake. And putting on a wonderful performance on the drums, for two of three Emerson,Lake And Palmer numbers, we had Carl Palmer himself. It's often said rock drumming is a young man's game. Well not on this showing. At age 76, he was brilliant. Presenting duties fell to BBC 6 Music's Stuart Maconie, who did a great job.

The set list was as follows

First Half

• Fanfare for the Common Man (Aaron Copland, arr. Emerson, Lake & Palmer) – Performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra with Carl Palmer on drums.
• Living in the Past (Jethro Tull) – Featured vocals by Gruff Rhys.
• Out-Bloody-Rageous (Part 1) (Soft Machine) – Instrumental arrangement.
• I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (Genesis) – Featured vocals by Guy Garvey.
• Northern Lights (Renaissance) – Featured vocals by Jane Weaver.
• Nights in White Satin (The Moody Blues) – Featured vocals by Jane Weaver.
• Refugees (Van der Graaf Generator) – Performed by original frontman Peter Hammill.
• And You and I (Yes) – Featured vocals by The Staves.
• Tubular Bells (Part One - Excerpt) (Mike Oldfield) – Orchestral version featuring a spoken-word master of ceremonies. 

Second Half

• Karn Evil 9: First Impression (Part 2) (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) – Played by the orchestra with the original, archived vocals of the late Greg Lake.
• Sylvia (Focus) – Orchestral rock crossover.
• Komfo (Osibisa) – Highlife-infused prog instrumental.
• Peaches en Regalia (Frank Zappa) – Full symphonic arrangement.
• King Crimson Medley (21st Century Schizoid Man / I Talk to the Wind / Court of the Crimson King) – Featured vocals by Guy Garvey.
• Entangled (Genesis) – Orchestral delivery of the A Trick of the Tail classic. Vocals by Guy Garvey and Jane Weaver.
• On Reflection (Gentle Giant) – Celebrated for its intricate vocal and instrumental polyphony.
• Maker of Islands (Incredible String Band) – Featured vocals by Gruff Rhys.
• The Great Gig in the Sky (Pink Floyd) – Improvised operatic rock vocals performed by Vanessa Haynes.
• Crime of the Century (Supertramp) – Grand symphonic arrangement.
• Pictures at an Exhibition: The Great Gate of Kyiv (Modest Mussorgsky, arr. Emerson, Lake & Palmer) – The grand finale featuring Carl Palmer returning on drums. 
• The BBC Concert Orchestra were conducted by Robert Ames.
• And the answer to the question that all true prog rock fans will ask?  Yes. There was a Mellotron.