Life - According to John
- Mar 16
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Hamilton Hall fire...
One evening around 2010, and at 10.30 in the evening, a young man came running into Hamilton Hall claiming there was a car on fire in our car park. I rushed out to find my Renault Espace - with one more payment yet to pay on it - was on fire right up against the kitchen window.
There are moments in your life when you just stand and stare for a brief moment in disbelief, and although it only lasted a micro second, I stool there gawping at my car, flames leaping in the air and my mind went blank. Was this real. Was I dreaming. Micro seconds later I reacted. It was actually one of the front tyres that was on fire which sent flames up through the engine block.
I rushed in and dialed 999 and reported the fire and then ran out with a fire extinguisher and put the fire out, even before the fire brigade arrived although the liquid from the extinguisher did spray on the front windscreen and it was actually this ( me ) that shattered the windscreen as the cold liquid hit the hot glass and that caused the flames to actually go inside the cars dashboard. ( oops )
Blue lights flashing in the darkness.
9 Firemen in uniform arrived. They got to work instantly and pulled the car away from the building ( I thought the gas tank might blow up but they advised me this was almost impossible and not to worry ) and sorted the fire out for good. They declared it a crime scene as kids had done this to other vehicles in the area that same evening and we were the 4th - so NOT homophobia, as I first feared but a random act of childish vandalism.
Picture the scene:
Car now out of flames but smoke billowing everywhere. Firebrigade in attandance. All the neighbours came out to watch - probably about 20 - 30 of them. Plus all my hotel guests came out to watch the excitement.
All my guests were mingling with others and chatting and taking pctures.
That weekend the hotel was a CROSS DRESSING / TRANS / TV EVENT - and all my guests were dressed to the nines with high heels clattering, hand bags gripped as they all went out to watch and OF ALL WEEKENDS - this had to happen when the hotel was full of men dressed as 'ladies'.
The car was eventually sorted and left on the car park, still smoking but the fire was out and I was told it was a crime scene as these kids were going around doing it to others as well.
The fire brigade packed up and left.
The neighbours went back to their flats - probably saying the same thing as the fireman were saying ;-
'What a load of ugly bitches in that hotel.'
and as I told the ' ladies'
'Look girls, I'll set fire to my own car to get 9 men out here with big shiny helmets.' - and they laughed.
No one was caught.
No one faced prosecution.
Insurance paid for the vehicle and life continued. This offerd me another funny story to tell, another experience that made me laugh ( although my car was destroyed ) - and it added another moment of excitement in an otherwise ordinary ( if having a hotel full of masculine ' ladies' is normal ) weekend.
Life is never dull.
Life throws at us ' stuff' we often do not understand at the time - like - WHY MY CAR ??? - but then, after the fact, it is another of life's stories, another bit of madness and another memory and after all, why not my car as - why anyone elses car ...?
The ladies enjoyed their weekend and had a story to tell. The car was soon replaced with a new one and life got back to normal. New guests arrived and we continued as before.
Sadly, Jennifer who arranged our Cross Dressing weekends, had a chemical sex change and although we spoke about this and the complete loss of any sexualty, she went ahead with it and within 2 years - tragically - she committed suicide.
A full sex change enables a man to have a working vagina and where she can still have sexual enjoyment ( intercourse ) but a Chemical change, just leaves a whole to pee through which looks like a vagina, but is not. No ability for intercourse. At 50, Jennifer was still young and sadly, she couldn't cope with the change and took her own life and the weekends stopped.
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If anything in this article has affected or upset you, please come and chat with me as you do not need to be alone and not need to go through life and all that entails, without support.
John Bellamy 01202-399227
Trans rights in the UK are currently framed by the Equality Act 2010 and Gender Recognition Act 2004, protecting individuals from discrimination based on gender reassignment. Following a 2025 Supreme Court ruling, "sex" in the Equality Act is interpreted as biological sex, creating complexities for trans people with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs) regarding single-sex spaces.
Key Aspects of Trans Rights in the UK (As of March 2026):
Legal Recognition (GRC):
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 allows individuals over 18 with a gender dysphoria diagnosis to legally change their gender, allowing them to marry, pay tax, and have their death registered in their acquired gender.
Protection from Discrimination:
The Equality Act 2010 protects people against discrimination, harassment, and victimisation if they are proposing to undergo, are undergoing, or have undergone a process to change their sex (gender reassignment)
You do not need a GRC to be protected.
2025 Legal Changes:
The UK Supreme Court ruled on April 16, 2025, that 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 means 'biological sex', a ruling that impacts access to single-sex services for those holding a GRC.
Single-Sex Spaces:
Under the Equality Act, providers can exclude trans people (even those with a GRC) from single-sex services if doing so is "a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim", according to legal interpretations.
Current Political Climate:
The government has stated its commitment to the 2004 Act while stating it will not introduce self-identification and is working on a ban for conversion practices, per UK Parliament petitions.
Disclaimer: Trans rights are a rapidly evolving area of law and policy in the UK.
Find a Transgender Support Group Near You
John Bellamy
You make, and take, from the news that which you wish to see and hear. You observe what you want and comment of things that affect you personally. If you don't like something, do not read it and move on but do not shy away from what IS going on in the world of which - you are a part. World news is so easy to find these days and differing opinions not hard to find. Having an opinion is vital and being a ' don't care' person helps no one. So open your mind - open your heart - open your awareness and ALWAYS be open to new ideas.
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