I'm at Bristol Pride! It is sweltering hot, but my god this is so much nicer than corporate Manchester Pride! It's very much community! I'm now on a bus to the Downs and I've got a lovely assistant to push me to help me take photos which I'll share later!

Right. Bristol is a little hilly. Thankfully the locals down here are super friendly and have given me a push multiple times now. 🤣 It's definitely a challenge if you're on a manual wheelchair! I'll come back to Manchester racing my local buses by the end of this trip!

Everything about the @crosscountryuk.bsky.social experience sucks and I don't know why I subjected myself to the torture. I've had dialup modems in 2002 faster than this bloody Wifi. The wheelchair table is approximately 25% safety equipment. This coach is incredibly hot. God help this poor woman.

@crosscountryuk.bsky.social Hello XC, I was left on the platform as a wheelchair user due to passenger overbooking. No one communicated to Passenger Assistance that Coach A had a broken toilet, nobody was allowed on. I'm now delayed by one hour to Bristol Pride. I'll be filling a formal complaint.

I have just obtained a new lamp. Delightfully wonderful Model 1209 that I found really, really cheap! This is my Anglepoise moving forward. I will be retiring the Model 75 towards light duties as it really needs a break. The hunt is on to find the original Prototypes; the very roots of Anglepoise!

Sparkle has gone a bit wet thanks to Mancunian weather. We're soaking wet but the queers are still very much here and having the time of their lives. 🤣

I'm enjoying the music at Sparkle. The last time I've been around so many trans people has been at the protests and that's depressing. Our community is bigger than one may think, but it is vulnerable. Attending these events builds solidarity in an environment that isn't just fighting for our lives.

Five minutes in, I was already given bubbles to blow, as well as some free water. There's a ton of stuff here, stickers to buy, and queers to meet!

Right, time to investigate Sparkle. I've never been! Beautiful weather outside Canal St, loads of delightful queers, and I've obviously come well dressed for the big event! It's certainly unusual to come to a queer event in a suit but frankly I've seen weirder at the fur meets around here before!

I can confirm a nationalised, Bee Networked Class 323 Northern, at the end of the day is sadly still a Northern. Once again, there was nobody to let me off the train. As a wheelchair user, at this point I take great pride in holding up the network, to uphold my rights as per the Equality Act 2010.

There's been a crash at Preston Bus station! The 1 crashed into the 23 I was on! The Preston Bus is unscathed, but the Stagecoach was not so lucky. Clearly the heat is messing with Preston's bus drivers just a little bit. 🤣

Oh dear. @mayorofgm.bsky.social there appears to be a lack of training for bus drivers in Wigan to know what the hell to do for a wheelchair user. 601 bus driver just starred at me blankly, expecting me to hop on magically. I can confirm as a disabled person I cannot perform acrobatics on command.

Here's Eccles. A completely inaccessible train station. There's no lift, there's no way for me to escape in the case of a fire, or go back to Manchester. I'm a professional working journalist, currently covering Makerfield. These are the kinds of obstacles I face to bring political transparency.

Manchester's response. I'll be there.

Police cordon now deployed.

Stabbing at Piccadilly Gardens, police are on site, first aid being administered, subject unknown, on scene since 1020.

Wes Streeting has now resigned after failing to resolve any crisis in the NHS and actively making life worse for trans people, and being an absolute wet wipe. Let's hope he doesn't end up as Prime Minister. It's the one human who I wouldn't mind being replaced by AI.

Aside from 20 homophobic comments on Facebook and no less than 5 middle fingers, everyone was really supportive! It's a shame, I can just turn off the comments from diehard transphobes! Promoted by Emily Elżbieta Chomicz at Queer Love Riot, 20 Swan St, 1st Floor, Swan Buildings, Manchester M4 5JW.

Mile 3. I've visited Kirkup Gardens, and the more I use this chair I feel I'm "breaking it in", it now works better! I'm able to keep going with my hands in spite of my legs. We'll see how I fare with fatigue. It feels like cycling which I used to love doing. I've not been able to cycle for years!

Successfully made it to Painswick without needing public transport. That's two miles I've been able to travel independently on a wheelchair whilst simultaneously being in a pain flare-up! I'm enjoying little swans, ducks and the lovely water fountain. It's good exercise and it gives me confidence!

Here are all the people nominated for Woodhouse Park. You can expect only the best press coverage of this ward's election as I'm bloody on the ballot. 🤣

More sloppy journalism from @manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Imagine reporting on a guy who calls your entire region "a dumping ground" and thinking to yourself this is not problematic to publish at all! The North West and its people are simply beautiful. Never let any extremist twat claim otherwise.

The nomination is in. Standing is a form of closure. I survived pure hell, and now I can help in politics so my experiences don't have to happen to others in silence. When I was 18, I came close to death due to state failure which is why I have PTSD today. I'm thankful, and incredibly emotional.

I'm glad I was able to make a difference to democracy yesterday. After struggling to find the nominations space, the returning officer has taken on my feedback, and extra signage to Manchester's Central Library for candidates was put up. I appreciate this at a time when election staff are so busy!

From the 3rd April to 6th April, there will be no tram service between Firswood and the City Centre. Manchester Airport to Firswood service only & replacement buses will be in operation. I appreciate the kind gentleman letting me take a photo of the signage before it's been even officially put up!

Indigo is actively trying to strike off trans patients to make their numbers look better, where they will even cancel surgery referrals if you don't attend. Of course people never get suddenly ill, never have to be hospitalised and trans people have zero access needs. This needs a legal challenge.

Yesterday was the most stressful day I had in months, and I completely crashed out by the end of it. New writer's desk is now finally in, and I'm making headway in terms of making things easier for myself in regards to being able to write. I'll be back up to speed with things pretty soon I hope. 💜

I decided that rest is far more productive than a day of travelling to check my sodium levels. Ready salted crisps aren't the bloody answer to an epileptic fit that needs an actual specialist! Computer systems have sadly also replaced human receptionists at my surgery. Not everything needs triage.

Here's one recent example from the Manchester Mill. The cost of living crisis is real but we're certainly not getting out of this mess through via national depression. Nostalgia is a dangerous perspective if used incorrectly and plays into the hands of awful politics. @manchestermill.bsky.social

Manchester Airport to Preston train services still having issues, lots of cancellations due to damage on the electric overhead lines. Seems to be affecting Northern more than TransPennine, TransPennine currently running Class 185 diesels and these seem to be running incredibly slowly at the moment.