Editors Words: March 2011

My partner and I have just celebrated our 34th anniversary together and we’ve been ‘married’ for five years. The news about the length of time we’ve been co-habiting has garnered such responses as “Thirty-four years… that’s like 100 straight years isn’t it?” “Ugggh, how can you stand only one person for so long?” “Bloody hell… do you hold the gay world record…?” Also there was one who was simply stunned at the news, which literally left him speechless but he departed shaking his head in disbelief. Then there are those who think we have the secret of success but I’m afraid we don’t except… hang on to you hats as this might be a revelation. We quite like each other, we’re comfortable with each other’s noises and silences and we laugh nearly all the time… and not just at somebody else’s misfortune.

I saw a headline recently that said: ‘Kylie Minogue Credits Good Underwear As The Secret To Her Sexiness’ and I have to agree… there is nothing that makes me feel more sexy and up for a day of typing than knowing that the little strip of material is keeping everything comfortably in its place. What makes it even better is thinking about the little sweetie who got me them in the first place… and that brings an extra stimulus that makes the day simply fly by.

So, going along with PM David Cameron’s idea of ‘The Big Society’, what are you going to volunteer to do? Perhaps a stint on your local gay switchboard? Visiting AIDS suffers in hospital? Perhaps support a charity in its fundraising endeavours? I suspect that if you’ve never volunteered before then ‘The Big Society’ isn’t going to make you do so because, and here’s a surprise for Cameron and his chums, people have been volunteering and helping out for years, without a stupid and patronising edict from central government. Only now with all the cuts, it will be harder, there will be no support and those who are least able to help themselves, will be left helpless… a great 19th Century tradition is making a comeback… like rickets.

As Jim Royle would say: “The Big Society… my arse.”

Photo: BBC