Leicester.

A day out in my home city with my bestie - what could be better?

She had a rare day pass out without the little one as hubby was taking care because they were all back this way visiting family for the weekend. We see each other so rarely these days despite messaging rather, ahem very, frequently every day. So, a snatched day together in real life to gossip and chat is to be treasured and it was. We had lunch at the really most excellent Good Earth, if you've not been go! It's fabby and a firm fave.

Then we went to Leicester Museum and Art Gallery to see Positive Leicester, more of which in a bit, but also discovered Open33 which was fabulous and a much needed pick me up after aforementioned Positive Leicester. The range of art works were amazing and varied and well worth a visit if you're local.

Positive Leicester was superb but also, I have to say, very uncomfortable viewing for me. It was a small exhibition that discussed a time in my life which had a profound effect on my journey as a gay teenager. Growing up and being a teenager in the midst of the AIDS epidemic when gay men were talked about with such revulsion by the public and even people in the media and government who 'should' (using that word with caution) be trustworthy and 'respected' (again with caution) was a very damaging thing for a very confused teenager to absorb. It, subconsciously, set me back decades. I wonder for how many people of my age who lived through such hysteria and mis-information this has also had a similar effect on? I listened to some of the audiovisual presentation but found it too much, the clips of interviews with the public at the time and other sources were quite distressing. I will go back on my own and take time to engage with it again. Thank goodness times have changed in countries such as ours: Sadly not for all parts of the world. 

If you got this far, thanks for bearing with, and normal service will be resumed tomorrow. 

An extra of another of Leicester's fabby street art opposite where we were stood waiting for the also fabby electric park and ride bus. And, another of a typewriter in the museum because show me a museum, at least a provincial one, that doesn't have a typewriter in it!