Bathtime's over

The old Jubilee Baths in Newcastle-under-Lyme, my hometown, are being turned into something new. The face of this town is changing a lot, but this was a jolt as the swimming pool building was a striking Victorian building that is being transformed.

I furtled in the loft when mum asked me to stash some decorations. Good schooldays memories and I leafed through some old exercise books. My handwriting was very neat and I was a diligent student when I was about 14. In one book at some point was added 'I hate English with Mrs Seymour', which seems uncharacteristic. It's only post age 30 that I've become overly opinionated. I think the words were planted by a classmate.

My mum's yellow Fiat Panda failed its MOT this year so she replaced it with a grey one, pretty identical to drive. I was taking it out of the garage to two eager parents milling around, concerned for my wellbeing behind the wheel. I had to use my powers of persuasion to convince them that driving to Stoke-on-Trent in a Panda wasn't going to be the most dangerous activity I'd undertaken in 2017.

Met up with old schoolfriends who I haven't seen much of as I haven't been back to Staffordshire since summer 2016, the longest stretch I've ever been away. We slip into each other's company like an old glove, and Helen made some excellent sausage rolls that we tucked into. I must remember that people's whose lives are completely different can often clash over various issues. Cambridge and London are bubbles for very liberal discussions about social justice and whatever else is topical with left-wing crowds. Or more specifically, the detail of these conversations is not something most people want to enter into. Somehow we strayed into transgenderism and the rights of people who struggle with their gender identity. As with many issues I've heard people react to over the years, it's the simple semantics and time spent debating what are currently quite minority issues that switches people off. Very few people could say they disagree with the overall goal of discussions over rights, if the subject is really stripped back. Most people in theory agree that equal rights are a good thing, although, being irrationally fearful of change impacting them negatively, they might be scared to support actions that improve rights.

Personally I think there is huge value and massive room to discuss pretty much anything important, especially if the alternative is to spend an hour talking about Asda. If people had never forced issues into the public domain, women wouldn't have got the vote, homosexuality would still be illegal and numerous other injustices would remain. Sixty years ago the question of whether gay people should be punished for consensual sex would have been shut down as it risked upsetting the status quo. Transgenderism is a harder subject to relate to, but in time I hope we can reach a stage where it's accepted as an issue that affects many people. I was sad to hear schools being accused of encouraging kids to label themselves as transgender, or for young people thinking about their identity to be called faddy. It's pleasing that schools are creating a safer space than ever before for kids to be open.

How can exploring one's identity ever be a bad thing? Self-discovery simply leads to greater self-confidence and contentment. And these are fundamental building blocks for the best kind of life.