better learn all there was to learn and from then on I always read and still do read the fashion parts of the newspaper. I also read a vast number of periodicals on makeup and other allied subjects and I realized that if my dresses were to fit me it was essential that I try them on in the shop where I bought them. The trouble was to find a shop which was not outrageously expensive or too large and where the assistants were helpful. This I discovered was impossible except when the sales were on. I eventually found a dress shop which had a lovely blue satin cocktail dress in the window for only L2 ($6 U.S.) and I walked in and told the woman assistant I had been bet a certain sum of money that I could not go to a party dressed as a girl. I told her that I had accepted the bet and was now looking for appropriate clothes and was much taken by the dress in the wind- ow. She asked me how large I was and I said I didn't know but I thought I should be able to reduce my waist to 26" and my hips were slim and around 34". I was then told that the dress I liked was a 24" waist but they had a similar one in white with a 26" waist. I asked if I could try it on--was allowed to and found it fit. It was a lovely dress and I only finally threw it away a few months ago, be- cause I had relunctantly convinced myself that I could never have a 26" waist again.
Ever since I reached adulthood I had always wanted to meet some- one like myself but I soon found out that trying to find another TV was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Although over a period of many years I visited a large number of clubs in "Soho" some of which were well known for their homosexual background I only met a handful of people like myself. The average homosexual was not in- terested in impersonation and I wasn't interested in homosexuality. I prefer girls!
we were
Of the TV's I did meet I found that we had one big thing in common--we were ashamed of our desires and terrified in case blackmailed, so I always deliberately gave the wrong name and as I couldn't afford a correspondence address we soon lost contact. There was however, on exception, an ex-naval officer who had a family of 3 girls (and one of the bluest beards I have ever seen), from all appearances a most unlikely man to be a TV. He was a charming per-
son and as he had as much to lose from exposure as myself I gave him my true name and to this day we are in contact, but his job takes him all over England so I do lose touch with him from time to time. He did however give me one piece of advice which I did not act on and that was: "tell your wife before you marry because if she loves
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