FastFreddy2

Regarding fumes, only solvent for welding plastic pipe together. I managed to get a 45' bend in place, so the bath waste works, but I'm not overly happy with it. Everyone else in the world would consider the job done, but I have one last thing to try. To get the pipe run in behind what will be obsolete supply pipes (and will be removed in time) I had to split the 1.7m x 40mm bath waste run. I could have used solvent pipe and used a single run, but then it wouldn't be reusable, and when the new supply pipes are laid, the waste might need moving for a few hours. The thing I want to try is a 32' degree pushfit. It's actually made for this very job. Hopefully here in a couple of days. As the waste can't run alongside the wall, I have not been able to install brackets. In fact the pipe effectively runs into the wall, so I have had to source some stainless P clips for pipe supports. In the post ... The 32mm waste for the sink was easy. Getting the right height for the junction in the stack, less so. It would have helped if the dummy with the saw had cut the correct side of the tape, instead of cutting the wrong side and making the joiner 25mm shorter than "ideal". Took two hours of filing and recutting new 110mm pipe, but the sink waste is good with the junction in the soil pipe correctly positioned. The soil stack now ends in the loft, but needs more work. I have to remove half the stack to replace a mains feed I installed two years ago. Because I have the new stack pinned to an inner wall (not the joists) the pipe runs closer to the wall than it used to. Consequently, today, I had to learn to bend a full crossover. My bending kit was bought so I could put a nice radius on the occasional bit of 15mm copper pipe. I spent this afternoon making a suitable new pipe (about No.6 in the learning cycle) that follows the outline of the newly installed soil stack. Until the new copper pipe is installed, I can't finish finalising the position of the soil stack because the current straight pipe fouls the new stack. To my shame, we haven't had a working sink in the bathroom for some time. (A long time actually.) While doing this work, it became obvious I could now finally connect it. The monobloc tap has always been the barrier I have been reluctant to take on. I recently decided the easier solution to the lever controlled 'push' plug, was a pop-up waste. (Sometimes called a 'click-clack' waste.) Since none of them from the usual 'sheds' seem reliable, and the reliable solution looked like a £28 purchase, I went back to solving any installation problems with the parts I already had instead. The joint (hinge) for the 'push' mechanism as supplied, is an old and unreliable type. A new one is on order. The depth of the ceramic waste on the basin, makes the push-waste as supplied, borderline unusable. To get the actuating eye-rod even in the approximately correct position, has meant winding out the mounting thread too far. I have a small amount of plastic threaded bar ("see I told you 10 years ago that keeping that old number plate mounting screw would come in useful one day"), and I have some threaded joiner ordered too. I'm hoping to be able to make the eye rod about 10mm longer. At the weekend I sourced a 90 bend for the toilet, that has a longer neck than the one found in the 'sheds'. I'm hoping it will put the join for the toilet connector in something like the right place - the first time since the house was built. Some reading this might be thinking "he likes to make things hard for himself". Maybe I do. What I keep thinking is; if it was easy, someone else would be doing it, or would have done it. No plumber I know (2 plus 3 heating engineers) have "got time" for the work I want done. This type of work is very unattractive because it sucks time (money/profit) out of the job. So I'm working on my apprenticeship.

A note on 'leg length' first: I have measured the legs on my jeans/trousers more times than I care to remember. (On some I've even written the measured length on labels to prevent me checking again.) I have found slightly mismatched leg lengths, but not often. Once for sure. I also have a procedure for checking leg lengths on heels, that usually involves a lot of time, 5 pairs of heels, and two mirrors. My conclusion is that the side one 'dresses' must have a consequence on the effective trouser leg length if the trousers/jeans are fitted, as mine are. (I have possibly two pairs that are so fitted, decent folk would describe them as vulgar. ) I have had one pair altered to change a slightly mismatched length, but my choice of 'donor' garment was poor, so I never wore them. At a reasonable £9 a go, I might try again. Two pairs of my heeling jeans have been shortened using this method to allow their use with mens shoes. Getting the length changed was actually cheaper than buying replacements... I used to be a fairly girlie size 7. I am at least 3 stone heavier now, and am not surprised my feet are currently an 8. Mrs Freddy has put some weight on too (though still reasonably trim) and she has grown half a shoe size in around 20 years. (Though sadly, 2 dress sizes.) I'm not in any way suggesting if I or anyone else lost weight, our feet would shrink. In that regard, I think it's a one way street. What I am suggesting, is that weight might have some longterm effect on our shoe sizes? Taller people, need bigger feet to keep upright. Heavier people must need wider feet to accommodate weight or bones would break surely? Even worse, I think the extra weight and our growing years, make us less inclined to endure foot pain. Years ago, Mrs Freddy lived in heels, almost literally as she wouldn't leave the house in a flat shoe. Now, if the heel isn't 'comfy', it's not used and disposed of. I have a little 'trick' I use to help keep my feet pain free, while wearing a snug fitting heel, or one I will wear for some hours: I've owned what look like stocking grade ankle socks, that fit like compression socks. I tend to wear two pairs, and they shape my feet into two little sausages that allow me to wear shoes that might otherwise rub or pinch. A double layer prevents blisters of course (as with Thousand Mile socks.) Apparently (the walking specialist tells me) pushing the fat from around your feet under the sole, helps pad bones and raises comfort levels. Works for me anyway. I've also noticed my feet seem to shape themselves into shoes? If I want to get into some snug shoes, I can do it more easily by wearing a larger similar sized shoe. I used to wear a tight court in say a UK8 for 15-20 minutes before wearing the Schuh Lois I sold on - as they were at best, a UK7. I got them on though, just couldn't walk in them. I've also helped reshape a tight shoe by wearing it having dried off and dressed after a hot bath. Letting the moisture leaving my feet 'steam' the shoe into a more accommodating shape. While your outing didn't seem to produce a very satisfying venture, at least you went out in a heel, which I feel makes it a success. Getting spotted comes with the territory though ... Any man who believes he hasn't been spotted while wearing a heel, can remain blissfully naive, but I wouldn't believe no-one noticed myself. Women, especially those born abroad, will make no secret of them noticing. (Is it still called staring?) Brits seldom bother to take a second look, which I'm glad of. Have you considered getting a pair of boots made for you? A member here (Heels4me I think) got just about any style made for him, for circa £150. Not the price many here would pay, but made for your feet, they should be über comfortable. It's a realistic solution, and they might outlast your interest in wearing a heel? Not a UK outfit. which might be obvious given the price ...

I have watched several You Tube video's showing how this can be done. Impressed, I had a go. Failed at every try. For a 'one off' the demands are too great. (I'm sorry to have to admit.) I think I may have enough 'wiggle room' to work out a solution with the bits I have already. Hopefully by sometime this afternoon, the bl**dy pipe will be replaced. On paper (or the marks on the wall) indicate it's possible with the bits I have. I cut some of the render away from the wall yesterday to increase my 'wiggle room', but I feel as though I'm about to get full-blown "bloke-flu" which us men known, can fell a full-sized bull elephant when it gets a grip. I had hoped to be able to report "job done" by this morning, but I returned home last night feeling rough and possibly should have gone straight to bed. If I can find some Lem-Sip in the pain-killing apothecary Mrs Freddy describes as the Medicine Draw, I'll be good-to-go quite quickly. At the moment, it doesn't just feel like I have fingers stuck up my nose, rather a whole hand. My muscles ache too, and I can't get warm. I must get this sorted though. (Trying to be brave. ) That Magiflex elbow was a good find though, thank you. Hopefully, I won't need to use it this time. I'll try to do some piccies later too.

I haven't been for probably more than 5 years (cost of parking has gotten ridiculous) but Mrs Freddy went with some friends only weeks ago on a day trip. I did offer to take them, but they thought 5 people in my car would be a little crushed, so opted for the coach after all. Not sure the stop-less return journey proved their decision the better one. When my time was less constrained and fuel a more reasonable price, I would even travel down from Herts to a cafe away from the front on a Sunday to get a veggie breakfast that would set me up for the day. Can't recall the name but might have had Rose in it? I used to park up the end of a large grassy square, until restrictions there meant using car parks. I even bought a bicycle rack for the car circa 2001/2002 and we took our bikes there for a long ride along the front. Pretty sure the last time we went was for an evening to sample the nightlife with me in heels before returning the same night. I've had a couple of bad experiences trying to save money on accommodation only to find myself in flea-pits. I don't drink really, so coming back after a night there wasn't a problem. Mrs Freddy slept during the return journey of course, but was a good night out. Of the places I could see myself retiring to, it comes second only to Nice. I like being close to water, a promenade, and eclectic people.

Hove has obviously become a lot more 'cosmo' since my last visit. Hove was then, practically a retirement town and nothing else. It would seem 'pretty young things' in Brighton have taken advantage of what may have been slightly better value properties in Hove. I know for sure, some parts of Brighton could match London on pricing, such was the demand there. I have been to Brighton in heels, and I know someone waiting several months to get access here also has. Very busy place in the evenings. Got some nasty cobbled streets though ... A place I like to visit despite the cobbles.

Nope. I think Wickes are trying to take on SF and TS possibly? The store has been altered to show more 'installed' kitchen set ups like a mini-showroom, with less space for viewable stock. Without doubt the SF and TS model works, though staffing at SF seems to be an issue that might be 7 day working and wages related. If Wickes see themselves needing to reduce floor space to manage costs, compressing product storage is an answer. While I have almost always found SF to be cheaper than most, I have occasionally 'caught a cold' buying without checking prices first. I can't remember exactly what it was, but on one particular item I got scalped. Might have been plumbing or paint treatment. I try to check all the time, but usually only travel where savings outweigh additional travel costs. I'd driven to Wickes yesterday because the town I went to had the part I wanted to try. I hadn't spotted it at B+Q on-line because it was 5 pages deeper than the products I looked at initially. (40mm waste fittings.) The B+Q search engine is the worst on-line one I know of. An example of how useless the B+Q search engine is ... I tried looking for soil pipe by entering "soil". I got earth based bags of -yes- soil, and sand. Not one single match against soil pipe. Typing in soil pipe, got matches. Why not "soil"? (Answer is lazy coding on key-field criteria.) Here are the two price comparisons for the item I bought. Not that I'm keeping it as it doesn't work in the position I want to use it. £3-97 at B+Q >> here << £4-09 at SF >> here << What I actually could do with is a 40mm solvent 30' (or 150') conversion bend. One of >> these << but with less of a bend. It would help enormously with my "clever" solution to the new toilet/sink/bath waste set up. I think the only source I've found is in grey with "pushfit" fitting. Jury is out on that at the moment.

Thanks for the tip, but I can see from the picture the thigh width would be enormous on my stick-thin legs. By way of comparison ... I mentioned on another thread today I got my walking companion to try on some Steve Madden shoes (for my benefit). While in Debenhams next door, she had tried on some knee boots in a size 7. They fitted her (crippled) feet, and being fairly flat they seemed ideal. Until she did up the zipper... The boots actually ended on the knee, and she said they were uncomfortably tight around the knee joint. She is no longer the svelte size 8 or 10 of 25 years ago, but is a not uncommon 12/14. Her legs are not slim, nor are they bulbous. We were both disappointed the boots did not fit. As I was there, and I can get into a seven (though not entirely comfortably) I tried on the boot too. Well, it was embarrassingly loose everywhere. I literally could have held my hand on my calf, and still got the boot zipper done up. Fairly sure this is them: They don't look overly baggy, but fitted me like wellies.

I'm not sure if it was ALDO or not, but I have seen recently, a sign saying something like "Size 9's available on-line". I know for sure it wasn't New Look though, as I don't tend to frequent the place any longer. As with ALDO, I have become increasingly disappointed with NL styles. A disappointing situation as 5 or 6 years ago, I wanted just about every pair of heeled boots they sold. ALDO have ramped up their prices, while styles have become staid and sometimes very poorly made or sized. NL styles have also become 'plastiky' and prices are not that keen. I think Primarni must have the NL buyers working for them now, as Primarni seems to have more interesting styles. That said, ALDO and NL provide shops in most towns (Primarni doesn't) and they also have a great on-line buying/returns service that includes size 9 shoes. Perhaps NL only carry size 9 stock, where a (local) market exists? Africans tend to have larger feet, Asians smaller feet than Europeans. Taller people have larger feet, shorter people, smaller feet. Younger people are bigger/taller (better fed) than older people brought up in harder times and when "fast-food" wasn't available. So if you live somewhere like Hove, a place full of old/shorter Europeans, there'd be no need to carry a range of size 9 shoes for ladies? If you lived somewhere like Wood Green in London, you would likely find size 9 stocked, with even women asking about size 10 from time to time...

I missed getting a catalogue from TS. Having left myself short on time, I went to Wickes some 6/7 miles away to source wastepipe and fittings, only to be told the store now operates like SF, in that you fill out a form, pay for products, and then decide if you want to keep. I told the fella bearing the bad news, if I wanted SF type service, I'd go around the corner and use SF. I managed to get to a B+Q where I touched and bought a good number of waste pipe fittings because I could touch them. Paid a bit more, but I got to have a play with junctions before deciding what I wanted to take. I like Wickes, but they are the furthest of the DIY stores from me. Saving £1 by using them, when I get better quality (branded) products, less travelling, and the same service only a mile away, am I going to shop there? Nope. The REALLY annoying thing was/is .... A part I did then buy from a SF (literally) around the corner from Wickes, I found in B+Q anyway (though I didn't see it on their web site). Worse, it was cheaper at B+Q than both Wickes and SF too. I wasn't so annoyed/frustrated about losing the 7 or 8 pence saving, but if I had known about B+Q having the 'special' item, I wouldn't have bothered driving to Wickes in the first place.... Grrrr.

Last evening, while browsing at 9.45pm in an almost empty HoF in the West End, I tried on a pair of these: From >> here << Well, they were there, were marked as UK8, and the shop was almost empty .... How could I not? They were so generous on size (length) I got a finger inside the heel cover while I sat. (The gap would have been larger when I stood, as my foot moved futher into the toebox.) To my mind they were a UK9, and certainly would be in an Office/Dune/Topshop shoe. My 'walking friend' who was with me at the time, and has bunions (from a lifetime of wearing high heels) was persuaded to try them, despite her protests about the bunions .... To her surprise, they went on her feet, though sadly didn't disguise the bunion. So the shoe has quite a wide fit too. I don't think the heel is quite 5 inches, but it isn't far off. Available in black too.

Thankfully, there is no "budget" constraint on this project. (If there was, it would have been a no-hoper as costs have spiralled.) I have opted to use Floplast for the waste junctions and AAV because they are an independent brand available everywhere. Which should mean replacements will be available if some clown (me) screws up some time in the future. This is a large house (though you might not know it given we use 3 rooms.) There are two stacks that vent to the outside world, and potentially a third that I haven't yet found the location of. As long as I can show one venting through the roof, I'm not expecting a problem when the council Building Inspector is invited around for a compliance cert. I don't know about Kent, but Herts is a very hard water area. Limsecale buildup is a big problem. Non-smooth surfaces (limed up) internal surfaces attract debris. I know that the manufacturers of this flexi couplings claim they've "not been advised" of an increase in blockages nor build up problems, but I can't tell you how many times I've rung manufacturers/retailers about a poorly made/poorly designed product, only to be told "We've never heard that before." Yeah, right. Cleanliness. Plus I have a cat that likes to wander into the voids... There will be a panel on the side of the bath, but I much prefer the look of the boarded floor, to an open void. If I had my way, the whole of the floor area would be water-tight, as this place is best known for water leaks over anything else. I employed a carrier bag to effectively block an outlet from the soil stack that was used by the previous owner for her washing machine. The 'temporary' fix lasted years. The new stack removes that problem forever of course. I bought the AAV to use as a temporary closure for the "in-work" stack replacement. I don't actually need it until we do the kitchen, possibly early next year. I didn't know Toolstation did plumbing items. To be honest their hardcopy catalogue is useful, but I don't have eyesight good enough to make best use of it. The web site is okay for finding a single item, but less good for browsing. They could take a leaf from Screwfix on that. I'll be grabbing a catalogue later today for reference. I like a bargain if there's one to be had, and I'll be buying a lot of copper pipe soon.

Could be a clone of the Alexander McQueen boot? At £104-09 >> here <<

The sink sits between the bath and the soil pipe, so the sink run is a bit under 1m. Manufacturers using different sized bosses, had me thrown for several days... Unbelievably (though with plumbing anything is possible) the Floplast standard branch, sits lower than the Wickes short boss junction... By at least an inch! As a temporary measure, I have bought an AAV. It's longterm home will be in the new kitchen. I intend to re-use the original roof vent with the toilet stack. I have read somewhere Building Regs don't like every soil stack to be AAV'd, and I won't have a choice about the kitchen one. I will not be using a flexible connector under any circumstances. I have all too often seen the inside of smooth connectors ... As smooth ones gather (ahemm) "dirt", I am not giving a flexible one the chance to store debris. You are right about "not pretty". Bug ugly... The is one already at the base of the stack, and they'll be one at the bottom/top of the kitchen stack. Were possible I am using joints that can be separated too. When I construct something, I like to "build in" maintenance provision, unlike the original builders. I always allow for movement. I have a picture somewhere in this thread showing the hole in the floor. Might even show the electrical cable that runs right underneath it. You REALLY couldn't put the cable in a worse place. Circa 3 sq metre of floor, and the builders run a cable right underneath not only the only hole in the floor, but were water leakage might occur at some stage in the life of the building. Repeated below. Comment "9" raises an interesting query/solution. In the gaff I'm supposed to be going up for an impending let, I had to do some work around the ceiling inside the shower cubicle. Standing in heels was much easier than standing on tip-toes for any length of time. The solution was a sturdy toolbox, that not only gave me a welcome 25cm of extra height, but prevented me from puncturing the shower tray. Getting on and off the toolbox inside the already raised cubicle, was a little interesting though ...

During part of the last weekend, I'd finally made a start on replacing/re-positioning the main internal soil stack. I will only gain about 10-12 inches of space, but it also gives me some room for new supply-pipe runs for the all-direct (combi) heating/hot-water system. A good job I didn't price it up before-hand. Pipework is costing .... About half done. Mrs Freddy has a working bath, but we don't have a working toilet on the upper floor at the mo'. I don't want to risk upsetting my pipework bodge and leave us bath-less, until she has a day or two off work. Back when we bought the house originally, she had to have a strip wash as the gaff was so dirty, she wouldn't use the bathroom until it had been sanitised. She is reluctant to start doing this again, especially at 5.30am anyway, and I don't blame her. In my defence, had I two sets of every conceivable bit of pipework and joint I might need, it's a job that could (and should) have been completed in a couple of days. The worst bit being the removal of 50 year old (used) soil pipe. A couple of hiccups included removing the two pipe clips that were NAILED into joists, and finding a (less than perfect) way to get the ground floor soil stack vertical, despite where the heating engineer had placed new hot-water pipes for the replacement boiler 6 years ago. When the older boiler goes, so will the pipework which will allow the soil pipe to sit unbent. (I've had to put a slight curve in it to get the pipework above in the right place.) The new installation looks prettier, with adequate clipping, unlike before. Some bathrooms have a single waste for bath and sink, we don't, and I want to keep that to avoid siphoning and the increased noise a single waste can cause. Originally the bath waste led to the stack underneath the toilet connection (???) The new arrangement means the (plain) water running from the sink and bath, will now help carry toilet debris away in a slightly more effective manor. (No outlet to catch debris on its downward journey.) I had perceived the big problem would be getting the toilet connection in roughly the right place. At the moment (since the toilet isn't connected) it doesn't look like it's going to be a big deal after all. Getting the right point for the bath waste to join has been much harder. The run is 1.7m long, and the bath outlet -obviously- starts pretty low when it leaves the bath... Mine isn't the cheapest solution by any means, but I have high hopes the new arrangement will work. I have found room to drop 50mm over the length of the pipe run, and have a little more if needed. For 40mm waste, I reckon 20mm minimum to 30mm maximum per metre should be about right. 25mm per metre is recommended - research suggests. The older arrangement that I will need to completely replace, didn't have any pipe clips holding it up either ... My neighbour is insistent the original builders here produced a good quality product ... My experiences suggest otherwise ... In fact it rather looks like anyone claiming to be plumbing/heating qualified tradesman that has worked here, were plainly 'passed' with the lowest possible marks. I'm not saying anything is "bad" as such, just nothing is close to being "good" (or well thought out) either. 'Minimum possible' would cover it. P.S. Thinking about it, I AM saying it's bad. I've just reminded myself of how much pipework sits against floorboards.... Cowboys.

Stumbled across another suede version, this time from Office (of London). From >> here <<

That shoe looks like it has quite a steep arch, and if it's "only" a 5 inch heel, will probably feel higher because of the arch shape? Although it's not shown, it looks like these's a small platform too. I would find it quite a challenge to wear these. I'm aware of a store currently selling a shoe like this (like, not same as) for £23 with a 5 inch heel and no platform, but their largest size is an 8. I think it's actually a US10, but also claimed as EU40. Sadly, too small for you I think?

They look very wearable.

I may have found the perfect solution for my skinny legs .... "Perfect" except for cost .... Buy >> here << I have seen these in the flesh, and they look a lot more attractive when you are holding them in your hands.... The good thing for me, is the shaft is so slim, they would fit me. Price though .... A more realistic solution, though suede not leather (as with the suede Zara boots) ... Buy >> here << Still a bit up there on the budget front, suede, and the shaft is not so slim. Carvela, along with most of the KG range, get discounted after a couple of months, and nearly always goes to half price soon after Christmas... £90 though ... Might be an easier choice if they were leather. More reasonable still, and slim shaft ... Buy >> here << Might have to try these ....

Well ...... Thanks to several photographs, and a two page letter, the courier has agreed to meet the insurance claim for the damaged bike. I should be getting a full refund, and I've asked the seller to arrange return carriage. I have spent the better part of 6 hours already helping with the insurance claim, with photo's and detailed report, and will have nothing to show for it afterward. Another bike, identical in many ways, was seen on the auction site a couple of weeks later. Much closer to me, (18 miles) and half the price I paid for the damaged one. I didn't bid in case I ended up with two of course. Now had confirmation the claim is being met, I'm free to find a second 'cheapie' bike for the wet and muddy days. (I should be out getting some exercise.) Or, as Mrs Freddy keeps telling me, I should just give up on the bike I'm trying to acquire.

My experience of Nine West is that they tend to run true to slightly generous. I bought a US10 in one particular style that fitted very well for my size 8 feet. Another, more recent style I would like to have owned, ran so big I almost bought a whole size smaller. We were out window shopping today, and another American brand called Michael Kors had a style on offer Mrs Freddy was interested in. She tried a size marked EU39 and it was very comfortable on her size 6½ (getting wider) foot. Shame they were nearly £200 or I might have been tempted to acquire them for her. American shoes don't rely on Italian sized feet. Mrs Freddy has tried numerous styles from American brands that she has found more comfortable than the UK labels.

Fate stepped in ... Got all my gear ready for a night out, and my sponsor cried off (as I suggested yesterday she might have to) because her nose was/is "running like a tap" and she didn't think it would be appropriate to eat in public... I did say. And I'd actually started looking forward to an evening out too. Instead, spent the evening washing a kitchen ceiling, painting some coving, painting a textured wall with the wrong size roller, and wrong type of roller. (Was going to do a small patch on a textured wall with a small short haired roller, and got carried away, painting the whole wall. Duh!) Spent 5½ hours in the evening, wearing 5 inch heels though, so it wasn't all bad.

With an impending birthday looming, I am being 'encouraged' to visit Westfield tonight. I have some shoes that need to be returned, and the store has an outlet there. After returning the shoes, I might be eating out by way of being a guest of my 'walking friend'. At the moment she has a cold. (Sounds like someone with a completely blocked nose.) It's not a sound I like ... Normally I treat those with 'colds' like they have the plague... With my current workload through the roof, I'm loathe to go, but will have to go I suppose. Next "trauma" .. What to put on my feet?

A brief summary .... I've always liked heels. Always. Wore my mothers before puberty. Just liked being in them. Around the time I left school, I got a girlfriend to buy some heels for me, on the pretext of getting some as a pressie for a girlfriend. Around '84 got my first 'proper' heels, as a pressie from a live-in girlfriend. Frustrated at not being able to socialise wearing them, I got into dressing up as a girl. As I've always looked youthful and was back then built like a stick (26" waist and almost 8 stone) it wasn't hard to do. We went to "Balls" and fetish gigs. It fitted our lifestyle. Our close circle of friends were aware, and we even visited one night after a fetish gig to show them what I looked like. Boy George and his friend Marilyn were in the papers often, it wasn't so strange back then... 30 years later, I still have a taste for heels. I still like wearing some of the clothes most consider non-masculine. By that I don't mean bra and thong either. I prefer tight fitting clothing. (Almost everyone I know prefers loose fitting, especially the women of my age.) I like stuff (hose/leggings) on my legs. If I wear mans trousers or jeans I have to wear them over-size because a man's cut is uncomfortable, consequently I prefer the fit of a womans trouser. As I get older, I feel less and less inclined to conform, because it serves me no purpose. If I were independently wealthy, I would have a place 'in town' and create a bubble for me to live in. Ideally, the fashion 'jester' of the cafe set. I'd be getting asked around for coffee or dinner, as the unpaid 'entertainment' for Lord and Lady such and such. Not so much a poor man's Grayson Perry, more like a less funny Eddie Izzard. Epilogue ... While watching some TV earlier today (food break from cleaning/decorating) a lady character who was subject of a health report came on, who while slight, wasn't noticeably feminine. Later in the article we saw her partner, who happens to be another woman. My walking (and today 'dinner') friend, asked a fairly innocuous question: "I wonder why it is, some gay women choose to seem so masculine"? Without delving into the testosterone/oestrogen blend debate, I replied "It's maybe how she/they see themselves? Like me, wearing a heel. Just seems right ... " The worrying aspect of 'how do I see myself' revue, is the lead singer of Dead or Alive; Pete Burns. Someone who transformed themselves from being really quite attractive, into a plastic surgery 'train wreck'. When asked why he had so much plastic surgery, his response is "I want to look how I see myself." This is not what I elude to. P.S. It occurred to me later, The general style to which I DO elude, might be that of a "dandy" in many ways, but without any sense of vanity though - since I'm too self-effacing for that. Particularly pertinent ... "In Japan, dandyism became a fashion subculture during the late 1990s. Presently,[when?] the term is also used to refer to an attractive but older, well-dressed man, usually a man in his late 40s or 50s[citation needed]." Not sure I qualify for the attractive bit, but age and interest are there.

Last night, had another stint wearing some 5 inch heels while painting and cleaning a couple of ceilings. They make things a little difficult, and I found they slowed me a little too. But also made the boredom a little more bearable. (Once you've painted a ceiling once, all the fun goes out of the second and third coat. .) This is a picture of the boots I wear. Originally "slouch" calf boots, I have cut off the slouch bit which was bulky and unattractive. I used to have a few pairs of these because they come with a 5 inch heel. But the heel in this pair (the only ones I'd worn) developed a 'creak' after very little use. Fearing the worst (poor quality) I moved them on. The heel hasn't detached yet, but it's not as stable as it could be. It doesn't move around, so it isn't dangerous, but both heels creak when I walk. As Mrs Freddy often says, "Don't buy cheap shoes!".

The 'look' of the models was quite noticeable, not least because I share their leg size, though not their height... I've bookmarked the link and will be sharing it with Mrs Freddy 'on the morrow'. Thank you for including it. I have been trying to acquire similar looks myself, but sadly lack the youthful appearance that would label me 'fashion victim' rather than elderly 'queen'. (I did originally write elderly retard, but this seems unkind to everyone it might pertain to, including myself.) If it's still live. I will add a link to some leg-wear I bought 4-6 weeks ago, at the bottom of the post. Recently, I have wondered how I would like to see myself, or if given a completely free hand, how would I dress as I moved around the rest of society? As we get older, some say we grow in confidence, as our experiences accumulate. I'm not sure our experiences just teach us that following a party line only pleases the party, not the individual? The upshot to this startling revelation, is that as we get older, we have less respect for, and less interest in supporting, social convention. I have a growing a fear, that one day I might just give social convention the two-fingered salute and wear what pleases me, not what fits in with the rest of the world. I've not been great at sitting inside normal social convention at any time in my life really.... So what would I wear? Messrs YSL seem to be quite close to the style I would choose, if I were break the social convention associated with my age. Shiny/skinny leggings or trousers, with a high heeled ankle boot would certainly be la mode du jour. I often get stared at wherever I go already, I wonder how much more attention I'd get wearing head to toe YSL? Recent acquisition .... (Not really thought it through as I don't know when I would/could wear them.) From >> here << if anyone was interested.