What is your favourite place in Sussex?
It’s got to be the West Pier, before I was lucky enough to move here I always loved this iconic structure and now that this is my home the derelict beauty of the West Pier still calms me.
What do you love the most about living in Sussex?
I’m a south coast girl, originally from Bournemouth, but Sussex has got everything, the Downs, the sea, the jewel that is Brighton & Hove and proximity to London (better when the trains worked).
What advice do you have for your 12-year-old self?
I first came to Brighton as a 12 year old Mod in 1979, I’d tell that confused child not to give up, that one day they would get to be their true self and that they would be living here.
What is your most valued possession?
I’m not very materialistic but I do still have every LP I ever bought, I love my music.
What is your biggest regret?
I’ve had a few, but then again too few to mention. I don’t really do regret, everything that’s happened to me has shaped who I am now, good and bad.
What is your biggest fear?
Not being authentic, when I came out I decided that I would never keep a secret ever again, I’m transparent and I’d hate to have to start hiding elements of me again.
What is your proudest achievement?
Still being here. I’ve fought self harm and suicide since I was 12. Just being here, alive and authentically me at 50 is the greatest achievement I could have dreamt of.
Which five people (living or dead) would you invite to your fantasy dinner party?
John Lennon, Neil Armstrong, Ernest Shackleton and my grandparents, they never got to meet the real me.
Anything else?
Well that’s going to take more than 60 seconds!
Just remember that even though the price of authenticity and honesty may be high, ultimately it’s the only thing that will ever set your soul free.
Accept everyone, judge no-one and love will always triumph over hate. x
Originally published in the Brighton Argus, 4/3/17