London Burlesque Week kicked off in sensational style on board HMS President on the Thames near London’s Victoria Embankment. International Burlesque Impresario Chaz Royal had done a fant-ass-tic job of building nipple-tasselled excitement amongst London’s glitterati who descended upon the boat dressed in all their finery. The performers were all attractive talented show specimens who glorified the age old art of stripping in style. Karyn Louise, our photographer had a wonderful time and wanted to wear some of the costumes. All guests in attendance had an enjoyable evening at this spectacular event.
Above: London Burlesque Week by Karyn Louise @ Ruby Photography London.
I attended the Styled & Frocked fashion show at Juju in Chelsea’s Kings Road as special guest. The event was in aid of the Tree of Hope children’s charity that raises funds for children’s specialist medical treatment and therapy in the UK and also provides support and advice to their families. I gave a short speech highlighting the importance of using fashion and other visual treats to draw attention towards worthy causes. Hellen Gooden of Bellviso make up did a fantastic job of airbrushing my skin to perfection, while Miguel Mendes – Hair By Miguel – gave me a glossy sleek mane. Models of Diversity put on a fascinating fashion show presenting outfits by Get Waisted and Bo Carter. I was delighted to meet BBC’s children’s TV Presenter Cerrie Burnell, an inspiration to dis-ABLED people who hope to make a career in entertainment. We had a long chat before she made her speech and were later joined by the glamorous Sally Farmiloe-Neville who acted as Presenter for the evening.
Emmanuel Ray air brushed to perfection by Hellen Gooden at Bellviso make up. Photo by James Lyon.
Emmanuel Ray, Jeremy Marris and Sally Farmiloe-Neville. Photo by Karyn Louise
Styled & Frocked at Juju Chelsea. Photo by Karyn Louise
As the entire nation celebrated the long weekend courtesy of The Royal Wedding, I was on my way out of London for the countryside romance I told you about last month. Dustings of canary yellow rapeseed separated the gigantic green fields that whizzed past me as the near empty train cheerily hurried out of the big smoke. The bright April sun shone merrily in the clear blue sky, adding to mother nature’s version of this season’s colour blocking trend in fashion. I was in a merry mood, looking forward to meeting Lawrence-the-Admirer (I like calling him that). We had met at the birthday party of Johnny, an IT Consultant I had had a brief fling with while on the rebound after I broke up with my ex-lover Marcel. Ambitious, hard working and passionate about his work in business consultancy, Lawrence was shy, yet chatty and somewhat coy – a delightfully entertaining if not slightly annoying combination. I do seem to attract some interesting suitors, I hear you say!
Stephen Haselip, events executive at Hampton By Hilton hotel in Corby Northamptonshire was right on time to pick me up at the train station. Professional, pleasant and welcoming, Stephen related the history of Corby summarising its transformation from rural village to industrial town. Famous for its steel industry, Corby was also named the world’s friendliest town in an article published by CNN last month. Ironically some Corby’s residents thought this funny, mentioning their crime rate, while admitting it has dropped in recent years. Lawrence had strongly recommended I stay at the Hampton by Hilton and thankfully I already knew Stephen through events and promotions, so all I had to make was a phone call to arrange my stay. Stephen showed me around everywhere including the gym. A fitness instructor himself, he probably assumed I would use the gym regularly. I hadn’t seen the inside of a gym in 6 months and the last time I was at a certain popular gym in Mayfair, I had ended up in one of the private shower cubicles with a hot Brazilian guy and his cute Japanese boyfriend. Well, it is exercise in a way, isn’t it? Burns the calories!
What struck me at first at the hotel was how professional and efficient the staff were. Never a sour expression, never a delay. Everything seemed to happen on time and they waited hand and foot on me to make sure my stay was a pleasant one. PJ at reception was a vibrant girl with twinkling eyes peeping through a neatly groomed blond fringe. Kate, Gary and his charming voluptuous girlfriend Zoe kept me company as I used them as therapists during my late night drinking sessions. They seemed to have an answer to each one of my problems. These guys took customer services to a whole new level, which was clearly evident when the hotel’s General Manager Deborah Dew reminisced about carrying drunk naked men back to their rooms and waking up guests who had fallen asleep in the corridors! The joys of alcohol somehow become exaggerated in hotels! Marketing director Helen Jana-Mayiati also stopped by to say hello and we all said our good byes an hour later.
I was thrilled to hear that Lawrence-the-Admirer had arranged a private tour of the legendary Rockingham Castle, just for me. The castle was closed to the public but was reopening just for Britain’s First It Boy! Feeling very important and slightly big headed, I decided to make the most of it. Stephen drove me to the castle accompanied by his friend and journalist Ian Cameron. We were greeted by David Shipman, the distinguished gentlemanly head guide of the castle who related its fascinating history. As he opened the main door, I stepped back in time, into the iron age. At the entrance to this majestic castle built by William The Conqueror in the 11th century, stood Lawrence, awaiting my visit. A dull golden sunbeam lit his neatly styled auburn hair, before flowing down his slim toned physique that was wrapped in a well tailored outfit. He wore a navy blue shirt, faded jeans, a white linen jacket and beige shoes. The excitement of seeing him was enough for me to run towards him and take him in an eager embrace, kissing him passionately. Lawrence was the shy type. He did not like pictures and he certainly wasn’t what we gay men call “out.” The kiss startled him a bit, but like a duck to water, he took to it with ease, going with the flow, as I kissed him longer. Ian and Stephen started chatting to each other trying hard not to make it obvious that they were enjoying the show. David had the decency to look away modestly for a few moments, before uttering a sharp “Right,” announcing the beginning of the tour.
David Shipman helps Emmanuel Ray try on a medieval soldier's helmut. Photo by Ian Cameron.
"I am sure they had secret sex in this alleyway!" Emmanuel Ray shares a joke with David Shipman. Photo by Ian Cameron.
We must have been there for hours. Rockingham Castle echoes with stories passed on from centuries. Stories of gallant knights and kings, demure queens, secrets and of course palace politics. Original letters written by Henry VIII give a glimpse into Tudor Life while the many guns on display speak of the Royals’ obsession with hunting. Most of the castle has been preserved in its original state and it is currently occupied by the Saunders Watson family who have inherited it from their ancestors: the Marquises of Rockingham. James Saunders Watson, who had just finished entertaining guests for lunch, came down to meet us and handed me a few ancient swords to play with. My favourite was the samurai sword, which looked lethal and had doubtless severed a few heads in its heyday! I also tried on the soldier’s helmets, most of which were heavy and thick.
The Vikings in particular were tall and of large build, so it made sense. James is a very friendly and talkative man with a dash of eccentricity to his character, which I found entertaining. His daughters also came to meet me and once of them had a keen interest in fashion and listened with curiosity as I spoke about my work. Having marvelled at the opulence and elegance of the grand hall, we made our way to the castle’s summit climbing a narrow staircase. The country wind whistled around us as we enjoyed the birds eye view of the surrounding countryside. When it was time to leave, Lawrence bid farewell as he had a business meeting to attend. We were to meet that night for dinner and drinks. Stephen, Ian and I had a drink at the Sondes Arms, a pub that in the village near the castle. Having looked at their collection of antique teapots, I had a chat with our lovely waitress Lorin Freeman and her colleagues. A historic ironstone former coaching inn, this recently refurbished multi-roomed old inn has a strong emphasis on food and outside areas for drinking.
Back at the hotel I had a meeting with Deborah and Stephen who wanted me to get involved with their Around the World in Day charity event in aid of Hilton’s In The Community Foundation. The charity helps young people around the world, with a focus on Disabled children, Children in hospital, Homelessness and Life-limited children in hospices. While George from Reception served us tea, I met Gareth the night auditor and Shehan, a fellow Sri Lankan with whom I happily chatted away in Sinhala. I headed up to my room which overlooked an endless row of trees on a thick grass carpet. Northamptonshire was beautiful and being a city boy at heart, I still felt at home. Post shower and grooming routine, I went back to the lobby to wait for Lawrence. Deborah’s sons Cameron and Declan, both of whom work at the hotel, joined me for a chat. Cameron had started modelling work part time while Declan was a budding guitarist. I promised Declan that he will perform at my Socialite Evenings events very soon. Marcin Szczypka, a handsome Polish man who also worked at the hotel was on duty and I couldn’t help noticing how smart he looked. Martin’s hard muscled physique contrasted with his soft face. I advised him to take up fitness modelling. Well, I’m very good at spotting talent!
Lawrence arrived on time and drove me to his home which was about an hour’s drive away. It was neat, clean and well decorated in earthy tones, with splashes of white and green. We sat in the garden, surrounded by daffodils and dandelions, and talked over drinks and dinner. A busy man, he had ordered some Italian food from a nearby restaurant. Lawrence is a lovely guy. But he is also very shy. Even the slightest mention of sex made him blush and I wondered how I was going to get into his pants. The easiest way was to force myself on him. But then I risk nipping this affair in the bud and seeing it end up as a random shag. We didn’t even get to what he liked sexually. One thing was clear. Lawrence liked to get to know someone well before taking them to bed. I could only hold on to my clothes until the second date. Waiting until the third was difficult and any longer would be impossible. How can you buy a car or even think about whether you want it or not, without taking it for a test drive? You can’t buy fragrance without trying it out first, right? But alas, Lawrence was a human being, not an object. I liked him very much so I decided, for the first time in my life, I would wait and get to know someone before having sex. This was a first for me and I had a feeling that Lawrence would be worth the wait. Telling him this brought a smile to his face. Besides, if I wanted sex, I can always get it elsewhere. Thankfully, Lawrence seemed to understand this. We decided to continue the next stage of our romance in London and I am already looking forward to it.
The following day I met the UK’s youngest publishers Sean Spooner and Louis Porter, both aged 15, for an interview for Corby Magazine. The award winning duo are also believed to be the youngest publishers in the world and turned up at the hotel with their manager. We had a long chat with Sean recording everything I said. After they’d left, Stephen and I drove to Ian’s place for a barbecue. Stephen and I went to Ian’s place for a barbecue. His friend David Leach, a retired manager of a psychiatric hospital was already there with Ian’s neighbours Clive and Janet Parker. Clive was funny and crazy, with endless jokes and Janet was charming and was good at giving relationship advice. Somehow, my love life seemed to end up as the topic of conversation from tea evenings to dinner parties. Well, I guess I couldn’t complain, especially when I made this diary available for all of you to read in the public domain! Clive and Janet had been married for 40 years and were a happy and funny couple who gleefully insulted each other at every possible moment. Clive even took me around to their house next door so I could meet their pet dogs and see his amazing collection of paperweights in a variety of colours and shapes. As night fell over the town of Corby, Stephen drove me back to the hotel. We were acquaintances and did not discuss much of our personal lives. But when I told him the situation with Lawrence, he was rather intrigued. He too seemed to believe that it was perfectly alright to wait.. and get to know someone before indulging in physical intimacy.
Stephen’s colleague Cheryl Holland drove me to the train station the next day. She was pleased to hear I had a pleasant stay at the Hampton by Hilton and as usual, I chatted away about my life and work while she listened with interest. As the train left Corby, I went through my diary and my upcoming events, appointments and activities. The long weekend had finally ended and it was time to get back to the realities and frivolities of life as we know it! As I entered my home, I received a text from Lawrence saying it was a pleasure meeting me and he was looking forward to meeting me in London. So was I.
Emmanuel Ray
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