Cottaging (May & June 2008)

Life in the cottage was not so bad, after the heating had been on for a day or two and the 2 foot stone walls had some heat in them it was pretty cosy. The boxes were gradually unpacked and order was brought to the chaos.

I found living on my own a bit spooky at first and kept hearing 'funny noises' but after a month I was used to the stillness and the noises of the house.

I immersed myself in village life: I avoided the post office; avoided the pub; and did everything in my power to avoid the locals. I spent a fair bit of time checking out the local queer talent on my two favourite 'selected interest' websites. I was not the only gay in the village!

Now I'm not saying that this guy put up a picture that wasn't his own, but I never saw a blond muscled Adonis wandering around and it was spring, surely he would have been out and about. However I did meet a guy who kept me sane and lived in the next village over and also met a lovely Welsh Lad who I started seeing at the end of May.

Welsh Lad was very sweet and we had days out and night in and everything was peechie. One Thursday at about 5 I waiting in the car park at Salisbury's for him (I know how to treat a guy! (He was coming over and I had no food in so we were going shopping for dinner)) and I got a cold call from a company. They had got my details from The Freelist (list of Stage Management, sorted by date available, listing skills and last three projects) and would I be available to interview tomorrow.

Welsh Lad turned up after work, we did the shopping, I made dinner and I sent him home so I could get a good nights sleep before getting the train in the morning.

I pitched up for my interview in London and we went over the details we discussed on the phone and all the other bits. I was offered ASM/ book cover for Cinderella On Ice starting in two weeks, in Auckland! Oh Jesus buggery bollocks! (Someone had pulled out bla bla bla) I was offered the weekend to think on it and gladly accepted. Welsh Lad and I did a fair bit of talking, Senga and I did a fair bit of talking and by Monday I had accepted a years contract with them. The company was based in London, but tours all over the world, with UK technical and Stage Management staff and Russian (mostly) ice skaters.

Much shopping; frantic visit to Glasgow to see family, friends and Senga; trip to New Zealand House to get my business visa and then I was all sorted, packed and ready to go. Welsh Lad and I had decided to try and make a go of things even though we wouldn't see each other for 4 months and I would be 12 000 miles away. So all was good, a bit scary, but all good!

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