tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89936102012-01-08T10:41:12.431Zlife, with a pink seasoning; an LGBT perspective.Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.comBlogger7461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-40364745586488812792011-11-03T13:46:00.003Z2011-11-03T13:53:30.033Z

Following the reading of an article on Pink News about the Catholic Chruch's opposition to marriage equality in Scotland, I decided a week ago to write an email to John Deighan, the Catholic Church's parliamentary officer. Contrary to my expectations I received a response though not really a reply within a day or two. I replied back with further points but I haven't heard anything more from Mr

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-50388232909439896102011-10-29T09:09:00.002+01:002011-10-29T09:11:00.153+01:00

The first vigil had been organised following the fatal attack against gay man Ian Baynham on the Square. This edition of the vigil now directed against hate crime in general but gathering mostly members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) community.Speakers included Lynn Featherstone (minister), Brian Paddick (out mayoral candidate) , Ken Livingston (mayoral candidate), Elly Barnes (No1

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-15219793674354073552011-10-26T11:16:00.004+01:002011-10-26T11:22:57.098+01:00

Following the reading of this article on Pink News about the Catholic Chruch's opposition to marriage equality in Scotland, I decided to write the following email to John Deighan, the Catholic Church's parliamentary officer. I really hope I get a response to this question I have been asking myself for a while. Dear Mr Deighan,I was interested to read an article reproducing one of your recent

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-15443261801362266702011-07-04T09:29:00.001+01:002011-07-04T09:29:00.480+01:00

Another year and another Pride have gone. My 10th Pride in London. Like last year, I was walking with the London Gay Men's Chorus but for some reason it all felt a bit underwhelming. And I am not even sure why as no noticeable difference springs to mind. My pictures of the day can be found on flickr, here.Previous sets of pictures:Pride London 2007Pride London 2008Pride London 2009Pride London

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-78365526506818981082011-07-03T19:15:00.004+01:002011-07-07T14:18:20.954+01:00

As we are steadily reminded throughout the hour and half hour of Park Avenue Cat, the new play by Frank Strausser, which had its "world premiere" this week-end at the Arts Theatre, time is money. Most of the play takes place in the office of a posh LA therapist who charges $200 per hour. So, having sat through the play, I am wondering why the author spent time writing it, why a production team

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-11369799676835059152011-06-26T18:22:00.002+01:002011-06-26T18:53:16.611+01:00

Today I popped in the National Portrait Gallery to view the paintings shortlisted for the BP Portrait Award 2011. This year was mostly underwhelming, I have to say, with many examples of a trend in modern portraiture that I find particularly annoying: the photo look.Paintings with the slick, smooth, slightly-soft-focused look of a photography. I do like hyper-realism but for some reason I can't

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-55129453283201305572011-06-14T18:10:00.003+01:002011-06-15T09:13:32.856+01:00

In the Open Letter sent out 7 June regarding the Gay Free Zone case, a number of gay and feminist activists closed by saying:"The East London Mosque claims to have no responsibility over those who speak there. The East London Mosque also claims to be opposed to the 'gay-free zone' campaign and homophobia. We demand that the East London Mosque live up to its stated word, take ownership of its

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-89886681319731778092011-06-06T16:47:00.001+01:002011-06-06T16:42:03.639+01:00

“But I bear no malice against the people I abuse: when I say an ill natured thing, ‘tis out of pure good humor; and I take it for granted they deal exactly in the same manner with me.”Bit of binge drinking - Picture by Neil LibbertHave you heard the one about the "athlete" who had an affair with that woman off the telly and now he is suing Twitter because he didn't want people to know but

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-78251099703954594062011-06-06T13:54:00.001+01:002011-06-09T08:54:27.056+01:00

I don't know much about poetry but there are a few poems I like. this is one of themJabberwocky'Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe;All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe."Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the Jubjub bird, and shunThe frumious Bandersnatch!"He took his vorpal sword in hand:Long time the

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-53231921684707624942011-06-01T18:16:00.003+01:002011-06-02T07:54:23.999+01:00

We learned this afternoon that an 18 year has been sentenced to a £100, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge for placing stickers in various parts of east London, designating them as "gay-free zones".The stickers caused a lot of controversy in the area and even more discord within the LGBT community but thankfully nothing serious came out of it. The affray is probably already much

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-65906981189063689992011-05-18T14:03:00.000+01:002011-05-18T14:03:43.435+01:00

Following the delivery of a 1000-signature-strong petition on Tuesday, a meeting took place on Wednesday morning between gay-rights activists and the management of the John Snow Pub in Soho. This is part of the ongoing reaction to the alleged ejection from the pub of a gay couple for kissing, last month. On receiving the open letter accompanied by the 1087 signatures of support gathered online,

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-45057196655163719462011-05-17T23:04:00.006+01:002011-05-18T12:05:10.711+01:00

A petition gathering over 1000 signatures was delivered today to the Soho pub that found itself at the centre of an international media storm last month.The 57 page petition before it was delivered to the pub (Picture by me).On the evening of Wednesday 13 April 2011, Jonathan Williams, 26, and James Bull, 23, were asked to leave the John Snow public house for kissing while on their first date. A

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-31519994807886585342011-05-11T20:03:00.003+01:002011-05-11T20:06:55.375+01:00

I have just returned from a week exploring the sunny streets of Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Much walking was involved and just as much photographing (I shot over 1000 images if I include the duds that weren't worth keeping).A selection of those pictures (a mere 436 of them!) is available on flickr here.It was an interesting experience for me to observe my images evolve as the days

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-64782302728138054782011-05-05T13:51:00.000+01:002011-05-05T13:51:00.779+01:00

I don't know much about poetry but there are a few poems I like. this is one of themDemain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,Seul, inconnu, le dos

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-57195323455140694512011-04-29T22:40:00.002+01:002011-04-29T22:53:18.847+01:00

In a bit to avoid the wall-to-wall coverage of a certain event taking place in Westminster this morning, I had to take refuge in the gym (which was thankfully open). In the afternoon, however things took a more subversive turn. First with an aborted queer zombies flashmob organised by Queer Resistance in Soho Square. The aim was to protest the current budget cuts made by the government and

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-92190212852195280732011-04-26T23:08:00.004+01:002011-04-29T22:41:59.415+01:00

My pictures of the second kiss-in which took place on 21 April can be found on flickr here.Don't forget to sign the petition here.(My pics of the first kiss in can be found here.)

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-56464756042333836942011-04-26T19:13:00.004+01:002011-04-29T22:41:59.416+01:00

You can join us in this by signing the petition on Facebook. (click here if you are not on Facebook) On the evening of Wednesday 13 April 2011, Jonathan Williams, 26, and James Bull, 23, were asked to leave the John Snow public house for kissing while on their first date. A member of staff allegedly described the couple’s behaviour as obscene and evicted them from the establishment.The media have

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-41615186660033508332011-04-16T20:13:00.009+01:002011-04-29T22:41:59.417+01:00

Musings on the John Snow pub events - The EventsThere are of course always two sides to a story and it would be very interesting indeed to hear the management's side of this particular one. The problem is that the management has shown a remarkable lack of PR savvy throughout the whole story. Not only have they consistently refused to answer enquiries from the press or issuing pithy comments like

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-54495897886650429952011-04-16T19:12:00.004+01:002011-04-29T22:41:59.418+01:00

Last night about 600 people gathered outside a pub at the heart of Soho to protest against homophobia, of all things. On Wednesday night, a young couple was having their first date. After pizza, they went to a favourite pub, the John Snow, and as the night progressed and they enjoyed each other's company, they started kissing. Independent witnesses have assured us that this was all very light

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-16325211181153877802011-04-07T13:46:00.002+01:002011-04-07T14:00:59.397+01:00

This is a poem I studied at school when I was in my mid to late teens. I love the music of it.Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,Old Time is still a-flying:And this same flower that smiles to-dayTo-morrow will be dying.The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,The higher he's a-getting,The sooner will his race be run,And nearer he's to setting.That age is best which is the first,When youth and blood are

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-6145289700929847412011-04-04T12:03:00.001+01:002011-04-04T12:03:50.388+01:00

Someone I know who believes in reincarnation once told me that each new incarnation is some sort of long experiment for our being to try to learn about and correct some specific deficiency that prevents it from reaching perfection. The whole incarnation is geared up to test that deficiency and allow the being to challenge and overcome it.Although it sounds far-fetched, moments of indulgent

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-66092927153859210352011-04-03T15:04:00.002+01:002011-04-05T16:11:35.863+01:00

Yesterday, I took my camera around the neighbouring Heygate Estate. You can read about it in Londonist here.All the pictures of my visit can be found on my flickr account here.--------------------------The Londonist article has been picked up in the Guardian's list of top London blogs.

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-65496817228673734362011-03-27T10:02:00.003+01:002011-03-27T10:14:29.863+01:00

It's not often that you can attend a world premiere. Much less often on the 100th anniversary of the birth of playwright; one among the greatest of the past century.This is however what I managed to pull off yesterday by attending a performance of an unpublished, never-performed, 1970 work by Tennessee Williams: I Never Get Dressed Till After Dark On Sundays at the Cock Tavern Theatre in Kilburn.

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-85551505014724974972011-03-06T19:12:00.002Z2011-03-06T19:29:58.692Z

Below is the result of my live tweeting of the third Walk For Love, including a few pics - start at the bottom. More pictures are available on Flickr by clicking on the image above.The event on Sunday 06 March, started at Poplar DLR station and ended in Cabot Place in Canary Wharf. The aim is to counter with a message of love a hate campaign using stickers to declare part of the East End a "gay

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-24618541328077303802011-03-06T18:57:00.003Z2011-03-06T19:32:26.044Z

Below is the result of my live tweeting of the second Walk For Love, including a few (bad) pics) - start at the bottom. The event on Friday 25 February, started at the Shoreditch Town Hall and found its circuitous way around part of East London to end in Brick Lane. The aim is to counter with a message of love a hate campaign using stickers to declare part of the East End a "gay free zone"Back on

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-50374461506066999772011-02-12T19:40:00.005Z2011-05-11T19:57:33.209+01:00

I had a busy but most interesting day, yesterday. The Chorus had been asked to support two events marking LGBT History Month (which is this month, as you no doubt know).The first event, organised by the Deptarment for Education's LGBT staff network, found us singing in the massive "cruise-line-like" atrium of the ministry, with people attracted by our sound looking down on us from the 7 stories

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-87982543831535580962011-02-07T17:15:00.002Z2011-02-07T17:17:16.009Z

Last Thursday, I was given the chance to visit the Olympic Park in Est London. Perfect weather for it too. I had had an opportunity back in November but stupidly had forgotten my passport. The Olympics Delivery Authority's idea of security being rather restrictive, my Tesco card didn't prove enough to let me and I had to be content with viewing the stadium from the viewing point outside the

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-72529025090566705192011-01-24T17:13:00.003Z2011-01-24T17:47:21.694Z

I have to say that, when, this morning, I read that article of yours in which you so eloquently denounce the production of optional lesson plans that would force absolutely every school in the realm to possibly have to consider the idea of maybe including LGBT elements in their curriculum, I was particularly impressed with the dexterity with which you arranged reality to fit your idiosyncrated

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-15844042643025450372011-01-08T14:44:00.011Z2011-01-09T19:57:18.502Z

The following was written as part of a workshop on blogging LGBT history at the Museum of London, organised by Untold London. After the visit described above, we were simply asked to blog something in 20min, hence the rough, rushed, not-really-thought-through nature of it (particularly the conclusion). I haven't had time to proofread or refine it.There were a few strange looks but mostly people

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-42086233459580990052010-12-27T16:34:00.004Z2010-12-27T16:42:18.793Z

Like last year, I spent some of my Christmas day morning cycling in central London, taking pictures of the eerie deserted streets. This year, the expedition was made all the more easier by the lovely Kenny Farthings aka Boris Bikes. No need to borrow a bike for a flatmate I no longer have.Click here to view this year's batch (Elephant and Castle, the Southbank and Covent Garden mostly) and here

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-49488542107734298172010-12-19T18:56:00.006Z2010-12-19T19:53:16.930Z

It's the end of the calendar year and with it comes a strange need to stop and take stock of the year gone by. This impulse is augmented by that melancholy and contemplative Sunday evening feeling most of us seem to experience.Tonight I am sitting on my six-month old sofa, looking at the lovely urban view I am sharing with you below. And I look back on 2010...A year ago at this time of year I was

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-62465741005925193742010-11-18T15:38:00.000Z2010-11-18T15:38:50.590Z

I was almost home. So close that I could actually see my building but there was still the new T-junction in the southern part of the Elephant and Castle to negotiate. The ride from Shoreditch had gone well and the bike was one of the smooth and responsive ones.There was a bit of a jam at the light but they had just turned green and traffic was moving on. So was I at the same speed not blocking

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-68491517709619521072010-11-09T10:13:00.006Z2010-11-09T10:58:59.436Z

Last night I attended a lecture by local historian Stephen Humphrey who discussed the general history of the Elephant & Castle, focussing more particularly on what he called its heyday (between 1850 and 1940).This is part of a week-long art project (The Elephant Project) hosted in an empty unit on the first floor of the infamous shopping centre, aiming to chart some of the changes currently

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-68111743056719139372010-11-04T09:16:00.002Z2010-11-04T09:16:00.470Z

The following was written at the end of September 2010 but due to a mix up with the scheduling system of Blogger, this post has been waiting in limbo ever since. Here is it now.Two months more or less to the day after I moved into my know flat, I have finally got a landline that is working and an the Internet connection I needed it for. I must admit to suffering from a bad case of suppression of

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-699428566029350062010-11-03T15:25:00.004Z2010-11-03T15:42:46.032Z

Last night I attended the evening part of the pre-launch event of LGBT History Month 2011 which was taking place at Twickenham Stadium. The Month is focusing on LGBT sports for the next two years, leading to the Olympic Games. The day was a busy one with many things happening, including the 3rd UK LGBT Sports Summit. The evening leg of the event included a Judjitsu demonstration, various

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-8170923743525230422010-10-18T17:05:00.001+01:002010-10-18T17:44:37.540+01:00

The following email was sent to ken@buckforcolorado.com earlier today with the subject line: "Homosexuality".Dear Mr Buck,I was very interested to hear your recent comments (includes video) about the fact that gay people have a choice. While I would agree that people can accept or refuse to be who they are and decide or not to have same-sex relationships, I am more than a little concerned that

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-53992522970714961292010-09-20T11:51:00.002+01:002010-09-20T12:01:59.522+01:00

On Saturday, between 12 and 20000 people gathered in the street of London to protest against the state visit to the UK by Pope Joseph Ratzinger. A demonstration of what Ratzinger had called the day before "aggressive secularism" which looked to me more like a pride parade with a political message. Famous faces spotted on the march included John Waters (above) and Ian McKellen. The speakers at

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-62068362864598297342010-09-08T09:18:00.002+01:002010-09-08T09:20:13.203+01:00

Last night I was given the opportunity to go to the top of Strata SE1 and i certainly grabbed it with both hands. I took the opportunity to take pictures of the amazing views over central London (from Wembley Stadium to the Olympic Stadium via the Emirates) from the view terrace on the 42nd floor but also some of the power plant one level higher. The picture above (of the Elephand and Castle)

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-75980795086552582732010-08-13T10:10:00.002+01:002010-08-13T11:17:14.177+01:00

I thought that to provide some light relief from my recent rants about the Cycle Hire scheme I would treat you to a post on my woes with BT.As some of you may be aware, I have recently moved to a nice newly built building complying with all sort of yet to be enforced standards in construction and very much ready for the future in matter of telecommunications.I therefore found myself under the

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-71116068972392981452010-08-11T09:41:00.003+01:002010-08-11T13:05:03.809+01:00

I am rather pissed off this morning. One of the few items on the list of things that can make me angry is my time being wasted by other people's ineptitude, in other words, people not keeping their promise. So far and despite the various problems I have already encountered with the Cycle Hire scheme, I have been willing to relaxed about it and ascribe all those problems to teething problems as

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-29788584768943422092010-08-10T10:23:00.013+01:002010-08-11T13:04:49.346+01:00

Tory Troll has posted a helpful little table first published in the Evening Standards which provides figures of comparisons between the Paris and London cycle hire schemes.Strangely the ES manages to claim that the London scheme compares favourably with the Paris one (the biggest such scheme in the world). Judge for yourself. .nobrtable br { display: none }VelibLondon Cycle HireNumber of

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-57146200812308808732010-08-09T16:00:00.005+01:002010-08-11T13:04:30.420+01:00

Well, I would have been too good, if things had gone smoothly after all the problems I have had so far. On Friday, I cycled back from work and when I got to my local station (off the Elephant and Castle), there was no space to leave my bike. I had to cycle to another one. I had been told that there was a way to get an extra 15min free in case this happens but I haven't been able to find a mention

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-35602038919455957492010-08-09T11:24:00.003+01:002010-08-09T15:45:11.490+01:00

Another proof that I am probably a closet extrovert or just a weirdo?Itunes had thrown up Kirsty MacColl's song In These Shoes and, being a bit bored, I started dancing along.Soon I was digging out the shoes I had bought over six months previously for my first attempt at drag on the occasion of a friend's birthday cum leaving party. The rest is not history but the picture before your eyes.As

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-52135924967581658192010-08-04T13:44:00.001+01:002010-08-04T14:01:02.487+01:00

This is day four in my "report" of the trip I made to Warsaw with the London Gay Men's Chorus for Europride between 15 and 18 July 2010. The days leading to the trip, the journey itself and the first evening in the city are described here. The second day can be found here. The third day is here.Pictures of the day.On the Sunday, the last day of the trip, I started the day (after breakfast and

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-19267623316561723692010-08-04T11:57:00.007+01:002010-08-11T13:04:08.747+01:00

I can't remember if I have mentioned it on these pages but for months now, I have keenly been waiting for the cycle hire scheme that was implemented on Friday in the capital. I think it is a fabulous idea and Ken Livingstone should be applauded for starting the process that sees it come to life now. Yes, the "BorisBikes" were Ken's idea, let's not forget that.Online registration to the scheme

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-46391520641795982632010-07-29T13:39:00.001+01:002010-08-04T13:45:26.855+01:00

This is day three in my "report" of the trip I made to Warsaw with the London Gay Men's Chorus for Europride between 15 and 18 July 2010. The days leading to the trip, the journey itself and the first evening in the city are described here. The second day can be found here.Pictures of the day.Having set my phone alarm but forgotten to turn it on, it is only after about 10min to get ready that I

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-88790488538304502010-07-20T11:22:00.006+01:002010-07-29T13:40:04.420+01:00

This is day two in my "report" of the trip I made to Warsaw with the London Gay Men's Chorus for Europride between 15 and 18 July 2010. The days leading to the trip, the journey itself and the first evening in the city are described here.Pictures of the day.The first night in Warsaw, in the luxurious room I had all to myself (it's about the size of my flat!), felt unfortunately quite short, after

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-1003006640486740432010-07-19T11:06:00.012+01:002010-07-29T13:06:33.213+01:00

What an eventful and varied time, the past week has been! So much so, that the oldest details are already fading into a mist of oblivion while the present doesn't feel quite real either.Most of Saturday was spent vainly trawling south London in search of floor varnish to protect the wooden floor of my new flat. It's not until Monday that I was finally able to find (Ironically in the shopping

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-12232472909750903292010-05-29T18:21:00.003+01:002010-05-30T09:09:00.408+01:00

On a wet Saturday afternoon outside the Malawi High Commission in Hampstead, north London, about 250 people gathered in support of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, a Malawian couple sentenced to 14 years for being in love. The chants included: '2 4 6 8 spread the love not the have. 3 5 7 9 they should not be doing time.' 'True love is not a crime, why should they be doing time?' and "we

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-81010341262368406532010-05-29T10:34:00.001+01:002010-05-29T10:34:00.779+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, as I was walking on the SouthBank with a friend, we walked into the Gallery@oxo to take in a bit of art. The exhibition, organised by Affordable Art, was of London Printmakers. There were many lovely and colourful works there but the prints by Martin Ridgwell were the ones that caught my eye. While some of the images go perhaps a little too far in the artist's internal life

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-75070645391077372182010-05-26T18:57:00.003+01:002010-05-26T19:12:22.909+01:00

On 14 January, following a slightly convoluted series of events, a friend of mine referred me to attend a focus group session for a housing association wanting the gather the views of the gays on marketing themselves to the community. At the event I heard about an organisation called Housing Options which has been tasked by the government to administer affordable housing in London. I also learnt

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-4818795510534246292010-05-14T22:53:00.001+01:002010-05-14T22:54:11.034+01:00

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,Silence the pianos and with muffled drumBring out the coffin, let the mourners come.Let aeroplanes circle moaning overheadScribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.He was my North, my South, my East

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-65890038115528854042010-04-30T15:07:00.000+01:002010-04-30T15:07:52.207+01:00

Today the Guardian has published in its Comment is Free section a piece by Nick Herbert, openly gay Tory candidate and shadow justice secretary until the desolution of parliament, entitled The Tories are embracing gay rights, in which he defends his party's stance on gay rights and explains why his much-trumpeted visit to Poland in July is not tokenisitic. Between bouts of laughter, I have penned

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-1007532521303111552010-04-13T22:46:00.004+01:002010-05-26T22:46:15.206+01:00

Earlier today, I took delivery of a painting (the first I have ever bought and the second I own - the other one can be seen here).I was going to keep it under wraps until I sort my room out (it's been tarted up and I have just moved back into it - it full of boxes that need unpacking). I couldn't resist though. I had to unwrap it and share it...So here it is. May it be the first of many.Nuthurst

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-88662578662473882702010-03-13T23:42:00.002Z2010-03-13T23:44:32.939Z

On Friday and Saturday, about 2000 members of the public were given the rare privilege of walking the Thames Tunnel and back before the reopening of the (extended) East London Line which normally runs through it. I was one of those people.To quote wikipedia: "The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-56954868097575322332010-03-03T10:14:00.005Z2010-03-03T16:47:31.474Z

The article/post I could have written, had I taken the time and had I the talent:The BBC is caving in to a Tory media policy dictated by Rupert MurdochMark Thompson is jumping from the second storey because he fears a new government may throw him from the roofJonathan FreedlandThe Guardian, Tuesday 2 March 2010I also had that theory at the back of my mind:The BBC's big PR stunt - why 6 Music is

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-75487112029341794902010-02-18T19:46:00.001Z2010-02-18T19:52:24.359Z

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-90048923175208228892010-02-18T10:09:00.007Z2010-02-19T11:09:00.313Z

As expected the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has delivered a whitewash for the Daily Mail after receiving 25,000 complaints against the Jan Moir article on the death of Stephen Gately. The PCC's adjudication is available here. Interestingly the PCC seems to have ignore the complaints from the public and to have only focused on that by Gately's husband, Andrew Cowles.The PCC is founded on the

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-42973434672691452262010-02-14T22:28:00.004Z2010-02-14T23:43:53.867Z

Due to a misunderstanding, the kiss-in (for the organisation of which I have been called an "extrèmiste sodomite" - article in French on a fundamentalist blog: you've been warned!) did not take place but the protest it was a part of did go on and was indeed much fun. Many friendly and familiar faces were there and it was in the end about 300 people who took to the wintry streets of London (

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-70617174705176233352010-02-12T15:42:00.003Z2010-02-13T11:34:25.416Z

I have done it again. I find myself organising a protest, albeit a small one part of a bigger one. And one to which I can't take part(!)The Catholic Chruch is supposed to be spreading a message of love. Yet more and more it's message seems to be going from this towards something more sinister.On Sunday, a demonstration will be taking place outside the RC Cathedral in Westminster (Victoria Street

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-12213650263289653522010-02-09T21:40:00.003Z2010-02-09T21:45:36.702Z

In October last year, a debate was organised in London around the motion that 'The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world'. The pannel was made up of Anne Widdecombe and Archbishop John Onaiyekan supporting the motion and Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry speaking against it.I have only just come across Fry's contribution to the debate but it is absolutely superb and so I have

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-2324709812039130102010-02-02T13:59:00.003Z2010-02-02T15:08:10.527Z

It might just be the way this story is being reported but once again it seems that the Pope has come out (pun intended) with a few empirical sentences, this time against equality laws in the UK, without providing any support or explanation to his views. These however do not stand to the meerest hint of scrutiny.First of all, I am led to wonder what those so called "natural laws" he speaks of are.

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-14001453494561359482010-01-23T20:17:00.005Z2010-01-25T11:25:54.598Z

Today, together with a few thousand people, I attended the "mass photo gathering in defence of street photography" in Tafalgar Square. A protest in response to apparently haphazard way in the which the police apply S44 of the Terrorism Act.Recently there has been several high profile cases of people getting stopped simply because they are taking pictures. Several years ago before this become so

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-22264735424248502412010-01-16T23:13:00.003Z2010-01-17T09:58:13.884Z

Better late, than never, they say. Well, perhaps not in this case.This week, I finally got round to doing something I have been meaning to do ever since the exhibition opened and which I was very much looking forward to, due to my strong interest in the Aztec civilisation. I went to see Moctezuma, Aztec Ruler at the British Museum (BM). It closes next Saturday, so it was indeed very late but it

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-23172063257982922072010-01-08T10:50:00.004Z2010-01-08T22:19:17.877Z

If you cast your mind to 2008, you may remember that the wife of Northern Ireland's first minister, Iris Robinson, said that homosexuality was "comparable" to paedophilia and a mental illness that could be "cured". Last month, she announced that she was retiring from politics, adding that she indeed knew about mental illness, since she was a sufferer herself. And yesterday, she revealed she tried

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-50313922001739365772009-12-31T10:28:00.002Z2009-12-31T10:30:13.740Z

Probably my last picture for 2009

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-5494887778910813062009-12-29T11:35:00.003Z2009-12-29T12:00:05.744Z

We learn today that two Argentinian gay men, Alejandro Freyre and Jose Maria Di Bello, had to literally go to the end of the world for the opportunity to get married (BBC News, includes video). Becoming the first gay couple in south America to get hitched, they had tried to tie the knot once already but had been denied by some "militant jusge" no doubt!But they have finally made it and all my

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-91127145550481269812009-12-25T13:00:00.003Z2009-12-29T11:53:25.420Z

A series of pictures of various London landmarks without cars or people, taken on Christmas day between 9.30 and 10.30am, can be found on my flickr account here.A selection of these pictures appeared in Londonist here.

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-8291031616650820882009-12-24T12:39:00.004Z2009-12-24T17:24:33.148Z

When you enter a cinema showing what is reportedly the most expensive movie ever made, you have a right to expect something outstanding. And in many ways Avatar, James Cameron's latest offering is quite outstanding.Set in the future, on a fictional small earth-like planet inhabited by the na'vi people, called Pandora, the film tells the sotry of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a disabled former

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-60599890366606415912009-12-16T16:41:00.002Z2009-12-16T16:55:50.660Z

After reading some of the despicable comments left on the edition of the BBC's Have Your Say asking "Should homosexuals face execution?" (see previous post on this here and my complaint to the BBC here).This "brilliant" piece of investigative journalism comes in the context of the debate around Uganda's proposed bill that would have enshrined death penalty for homosexual acts in law and also

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-2277557857360622092009-12-16T15:20:00.001Z2009-12-16T15:29:43.230Z

More seriously though, here is the text of my complaint to the BBC:How utterly heartless, disrespectful and depressing that you should think it appropriate to ask your reader if homosexual should face execution. The BBC is supposed to be a bastion of quality and I am afraid in this case the urge to give in to sensationalism has been the stronger. I trust you would never dare publish a similar

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-24893568832726470692009-12-16T15:11:00.004Z2009-12-16T16:33:36.364Z

I would like to publicly congratulate the BBC News Online team for being so daring and forward thinking in setting up the edition of Have Your Say asking people if homosexuals should face execution. By doing this, the team shows how at the cutting edge of true journalism it really is, valiantly flying in the face of any moral or ethical consideration (and the fact that death penalty will probably

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-24371841188635296522009-11-30T10:50:00.000Z2009-11-30T10:50:38.764Z

"Everyone of average education considers it inadmissible, ill bred, and inhumane to infringe the peace, comfort, and yet more the health of others for his own pleasure. But out of a thousand smokers not one will shrink from producing unwholesome smoke in a room where the air is breathed by non-smoking women and children."Leo Tolstoy, "Why do Men Stupefy Themselves?", 1890 as an introduction to a

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-37101364154789293732009-11-01T10:10:00.001Z2009-11-01T10:10:33.439Z

My pictures are here on flickr (with the photopool to share yours here).My report for Londonist is here (please give it a star if you like it, thanks).Enjoy!

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-51376065078632141002009-10-30T17:50:00.005Z2009-10-30T18:03:26.379Z

Picture illustrating the paper version of this article in the Guardian. In a fast-changing digital world in which most traditional media are struggling to adapt, BBC Radio 4 has bucked the trend, posting its highest listener numbers for a decade over the summer months.[...]Today – which has refreshed its presenter line-up over the last 18 months with Evan Davis and Justin Webb joining the

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-63283071381282262822009-10-29T14:17:00.000Z2009-10-29T14:18:13.371Z

On Friday 25th September 2009, Ian Baynham, 62, and his friend were subjected to homophobic abuse in Trafalgar Square, London. When Ian challenged this unacceptable behaviour he was assaulted by three youths: two women and a man. He later died of his injuries on 13th October.On Sunday 25 Ocotber, James Parkes, 22, an off-duty trainee police officer, was set upon by a group of up to 20 teenagers

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-28544291455242635842009-10-26T18:10:00.003Z2009-10-26T18:19:10.099Z

It's all a bit hazy now but as far as I can remember, sometimes in the late 1990s, after I finally got an Internet connection (pay as go dial up, no doubt) at my parents' house in the middle of nowhere, I started looking at building my own website. Using publisher I put together a couple of pages both in French and in English and looked at a way to put them online. Lots of animated GIFs ensued...

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-33887020098673883932009-10-20T19:32:00.002+01:002009-10-20T20:53:59.651+01:00

I spent the last two days in a computer room on the second floor of the London College of Communication (LCC), at the Elephant and Castle, a good 10 minutes walk from my garret.Having started a new job a couple of weeks ago, I am being sent to various training courses (amazingly all within walking distance of what I call home). This week's was entitled "InDesign, the fundamental". Unexpectedly I

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-3261143991132336722009-10-20T18:36:00.002+01:002009-10-21T18:51:15.601+01:00

Yesterday and for the second time this week (the first time had to do with Trafigura, and the PR-illiterate law firm Carter-Ruck trying to gag The Guardian and then Parliament (no less) around the publication of the Minton Report), Twitter and other social networking sites flexed their cyber-muscles and ostensibly made a difference in British public life. It all start with a despicable article by

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-9360003924102466672009-10-10T14:32:00.002+01:002009-10-10T15:30:26.002+01:00

just uploaded: my 3000th picture on flickr!View the rest of this set (an art installation in a former tram tunnel) on flickr here.

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-20653570668930253432009-09-29T18:38:00.006+01:002009-09-29T19:36:56.004+01:00

Several people expressed curiosity about that delicious concoction I invented for my pasta, so here is a little piccie so that said people get a better idea. ok, it looks more orange than pink, here but that's because I didn't put quite enough cream in (it's normally shrimpish pink). Give it a go... go on, you know you want to.(for those wondering, the yellow rectangle at the back of the plate is

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-61416766776479701172009-09-29T12:12:00.001+01:002009-09-29T22:46:24.576+01:00

It was announced this week that Gordon Brown has officially invited Pope Ratzinger to visit UK. This he will do next year. Already, protests are announced (in Brighton, tomorrow) against the invitation and a Facebook group has been created for longer term action.Today Tanya Gold has published a damning summary of the Catholic Church's actions in the Guardian. Ignore the bells and the smells and

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-22058572377964108302009-09-26T21:08:00.003+01:002009-09-27T10:38:57.954+01:00

(Part of) the view from my window: Palace of Westminster's Victoria Tower in the sunset

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-86952182206556786262009-09-22T23:20:00.006+01:002009-09-29T19:20:59.945+01:00

As of tonight, my blog Aimless Ramblings of Zefrog, that "place where I can vent my frustration, express ideas and generally open my big gob without bothering too many people" which will be 6 in a couple of months, becomes Pink Sauce. While the URLs zefrog.blogspot.com and www.zefrog.eu are still valid to access this page, the main URL now becomes www.pinksauce.co.uk.There is a vague plan to

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-64533172151729056142009-09-18T23:34:00.001+01:002009-09-18T23:34:38.994+01:00

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-33021929701779414742009-09-12T11:13:00.002+01:002009-09-12T11:15:16.625+01:00

Something extraordinary happened on the way to Oxford Circus yesterday, and in my life. I got there first!At the end of May, my contract with VisitBritain came to an end (it had been originally a six month contract and had already been extended). Since then the hunt for a new job proved rather unfruitful and sometimes frustrating. In the first three months, I was only invited to one interview,

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-42501306632160702532009-09-11T15:55:00.001+01:002009-09-11T17:52:51.567+01:00

The following has appeared in PinkNews under the title Comment: Brown's apology to Alan Turing is not good enough.The readers of this blog, who know how militant and political I can get, may be surprised to hear that I did not sign the widely publicised petition for an official apology to Alan Turing.Of course this campaign is in many ways a very positive thing. It brought a dark page of the

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-3363914197800723602009-09-09T15:37:00.002+01:002009-09-18T23:39:13.088+01:00

We all know (or hope) that flea markets will offer hidden treasures. And sometimes they just do.A lucky find in Deptford market, a couple of years ago, has made me, for the grand old sum of £5, the happy owner of a photo album with some very interesting shots. Although there are virtually no annotations in the album, it seems that the pictures were taken between 1930 and the late 1940's. Some may

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-75372288209834091572009-09-04T13:11:00.003+01:002009-09-04T13:36:02.423+01:00

This is the full-length version of my review for Londonist. Regular readers will also know that this is my first book review.Imagine looking at a picture of a place you know well in a mirror. Everything you know seems there but somehow it's not quite right, it's not quite the same. This is how it feels reading Up West by Pip Granger. The street names and the landmarks are all there, though many

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-27499833636613911162009-08-27T09:56:00.002+01:002009-08-27T09:56:00.121+01:00

People opposed to gay marriage or Civil Partnership always claim that these undermine traditional marriage. We may be able to believe them should ever manage to explain how this is actually happening. They never do.As far as I can see, straight couples are doing a very nice job of undermining marriage themselves. And in any case, how can giving more people the opportunity to join in something

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-21940821353779062452009-08-26T19:38:00.000+01:002009-08-26T19:38:49.253+01:00

As I was about to board the bus that would take me to Tesco yesterday afternoon, I spotted a rather attractive guy, already on the bus seated in the first few seats at the front. I looked at him a couple of times and it seemed to me he was looking back. I got on the bus and went to stand in the open space opposite the exit doors and waited for my stop. Before this one arrived however, the bus got

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-54431327779747487762009-08-23T12:59:00.002+01:002009-08-23T13:02:46.745+01:00

One of my pictures, used to illustrate an article on Wikipedia, has been used by Manchester Pride to advertise one of their events.

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-18941101451519465852009-08-12T21:46:00.000+01:002009-08-12T21:48:14.792+01:00

Click on the image above for more information.

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-82402243287742879522009-08-12T13:33:00.000+01:002009-08-12T13:33:56.427+01:00

On the day where we learn that the number of jobseekers as gone up once again to reach over eight million, it is probably time for an update on my experience with JobCentre and share a few more nuggets. I still haven't found an answer to the question I first posed back in June, other than that they are there to administer people's claims. In the past couple of months, I have not received one bit

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-59249111924328610972009-08-10T10:53:00.001+01:002009-08-10T10:55:47.781+01:00

In October 1993, at 19, I started university. Although I was still going back to my parents', about 50km away, every week-end, this was for me the real beginning of true independence. I had been spending my weeks away from home (at the French version of a boarding school - i.e. nothing posh about it) for the past four years but this was different. From my room in a student residence, I was more

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-78386571634428923802009-08-09T19:09:00.000+01:002009-08-09T19:10:03.814+01:00

After finally managing to track an email address for Rev James Tallach of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, on the Isle of Lewis, I sent him the email reproduced in this earlier post, challenging his alleged attribution of the reason for a tornado on Lewis to "god's warth" at the first celebration of a Civil Partnership on his island (as reported in this article on PinkNews). His first

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-27622397169635993172009-08-09T18:43:00.001+01:002009-08-09T18:45:01.216+01:00

Published on BlueRidgeNow.com: Sunday, August 9, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.To The Editor: Twenty-five years ago we discovered that one of our sons was gay. We loved him, but I was afraid of what the future held for him in a society that did not accept him.Therefore I began to pray that God would change him. One day as I was praying, I got a message from God that God did not work that way. So instead of

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-64829062089987649192009-07-31T13:10:00.006+01:002009-08-09T19:11:49.957+01:00

Since Reverend Tallach of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, on the Isle of Lewis, can not be reached by email (the two addresses for him, I could find online bounced), I will post this email on my blog, hoping that God will guide the Reverend to it (see this article on PinkNews for details of Rev. Tallach's comments). Dear Reverend Tallach,I was very interested to read in the press about

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-4068633135463055212009-07-29T17:14:00.003+01:002009-07-29T17:18:32.333+01:00

The National Portrait Gallery has gone a bit queer this summer. Beyond the perennial portraits of gay, lesbian, bi or trans (LGBT) people that the initiated can spot around the gallery, there is a selection of colourful portraits of George Melly by his friend Maggi Hambling on offer. The pièce de résistance however is only a few butch strides down the corridor.The soft-lit, aubergine confines of

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993610.post-63711771650420948232009-07-28T16:55:00.002+01:002009-09-26T00:11:15.173+01:00

One of the many pleasures offered by London is that of discovering quirky places no one seem to know about and seemingly held in some quaint timewarp.The Sands Films Studios in Rotherhithe are just one such place. Housed in some unprepossessing Grade II listed former granary, Sands Films Studios were founded in the 1970's and offer film production facilities as you may expect but also a cinema

Zefroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10648770072305208615noreply@blogger.com3