The adventures of Miss Despina

With only six days til I fly out to Prague, I’m compiling a list of things that need to be done. And happily, I’m catching up with friends before I go - tomorrow involves lunch with my high-school best friend who has just turned 21 and whom I adore, and then a 70s and 80s night in a gay club with a very good friend of mine.

I’ve told Catherine to meet me at St Peter’s Square so that we have an Italian bistro, Tai Wu, and the fabulous Cornerhouse all within walking distance. Then we’ll go to Big Hands or Temple or Kro2 or somewhere and get gigglesome over hot chocolate. I’ve bought her a giant space hopper, which she’s sure to love, and have finally put my photos of our holiday last year to Rome and Florence onto a CD. Catherine is very different from me, but I’ve known her forever and I love her to bits. She’s just finished her third year of a medicine degree, which means she already has a BSc, but is spending this summer working doing hospital placements, with two weeks’ holiday - some of which I sincerely hope she’ll spend with me in Prague. I’ve never met a stronger or more dedicated person. We have done everything together, from ballet lessons, to the obligatory school trip to France, working in Boots warehouse, a ride in a hot air balloon, running the Christian Union, countless picnics and meals out, disasterous teenage makeovers, and one of the best holidays I’ve ever had. She’s much more rational than I am but has steadfastly supported me through all my crazy phases and I’m happy to say that we even survived my religious "reverse St Paul moment" without a scratch on our friendship - now that takes some doing.

David is the best accompanist I’ve ever had, a great musician, and an altogether lovely person. He often gathers anything between four and twenty of us together in an organ loft in a central Manchester catholic church, where we spend an hour looking through the music and then sing mass by anyone from Palestrina to Louis Vierne. I’m happy that my friendship with him deepened when I started going to Hollywood Lounge (now sadly closed) where he played piano in his dickie bow - cue the innuendo - and kept up banter and sing-songing all night, with our wonderful friend Kate singing just how a gay icon should, and some bizarre drag acts. I’ll never forget the night he saw me dressed as a kinky schoolteacher - those friends had only ever seen me in a choir robe before!

Or the night David accompanied me in a full-blown classical recital, involving Schubert, Mozart, Handl, Puccini and all that crowd, and then went off to play the piano at Hollywood. I received a plaintive phone call whilst at home celebrating with family and friends.

"I’m here on my own. None of the singers have turned up. Could you possibly…"

And of course I could. J even came with me, bless him, bought everyone beers, took great photos, and even listened to me singing some Andrew Lloyd Whatsit without letting on that his ears were bleeding.

So, I’m very excited to be meeting up with the lovely David and Catherine tomorrow. And even more excited about my party on Tuesday night. Lots of us meeting in Czech Bar - where else? - for 2 for 1 cocktails (which means no-one has an excuse not to buy me a drink) and then hopefully either kareoke in Scu2, because it’s got to be done, another trip down Canal St (the gay village, for you non-Mancunians), or a curry in Rusholme. There’s no way I’m leaving Manchester for three months without a visit to the Curry Mile!

But there’s one goodbye I’m really not looking forward to. Even though he’ll be in Prague and with me again in two or three weeks’ time, I’m not looking forward to that goodbye. I told him this last night, as he cuddled me concernedly and told me not to cry.

"But the more I cry now, the less I’ll cry at the airport!" I said through my tears. He stroked my hair softly, and I detected a sigh of relief. Only when he reads this blog post will he learn that I was, in fact, lying through my teeth.

Advice on how to say a temporary goodbye to the love of your life is welcome from all quarters!