you she won't mind, but if she does object you will have saved your- self and your future wife a great deal of unhappiness." He was only too right, so if any of you are contemplating marriage do tell her first. I know from my own experience how difficult it is to tell someone you love of your other half but you may not be as lucky as I am to have such a wonderful and understanding wife.
In due course I qualified and started work. I moved into my own flat which I shared with a friend who was and still is unaware of my TV habits and I know would be horrified if he knew for I once discussed the "Roberta Cowell" case with him. I again decided to try and break myself of the habit so I locked all my things in a suitcase and threw the key away.
However, this attempt to give up TVism was as unsuccessful as the others. After a few months I opened the suitcase by bursting open the locks, so the only effect of my maneuver was to damage a suitcase! I now became bolder and used to buy my clothes by going into shops which I thought were likely and saying I was a female impersonator. I usually wore the appropriate padding and under garments so I could see if the dress fit. My measurements now 88 Rosemary and appropriately padded and corseted are 37"-28"-- 38". I weigh around 142 lbs, am 5' 84" in my nylons and take a size 100 (American fitting) in shoes. I would like to say at this stage how helpful the majority of women shop assistants were, nothing seemed too much trouble, but I had to pick my shops. I also found at this time a shop which specialized in shoes at very reasonable cost for amateur female impersonators, and if any of your readers are in Lon- don the name is: "The Continental Shoe Shop", Edgeward Road. They make both Theatrical shoes with heels up to 7" high and ordinary shoes. The pleasant feature about this shop is that you can try on your high heels when dressed as a man and all the shop assistants are most helpful.
I decided that a wig was necessary as I wanted to go out, so I purchased one but it looked terrible! I blamed the wig but this was unjustified as since I've been married I have discovered how to man- age long hair and the wig is now excellent, Perhaps it was just as well that I couldn't handle the wig as it discouraged me from going out dressed as a woman. I am certain that had I managed to solve the wig problem I would have gone out dressed frequently which might have had disastrous results. On the few times I did go out I must have looked like a prostitute as I was often accosted, but this may
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