Concorde Classic Tour

A group of us met at Piccadilly Train Station, made our way to Platform 13 and took the train to Manchester Airport. The Runway Visitor Park is about three miles away and so we took taxis to arrive in good time, meeting two or three others on the way.

The Runway Visitor Park is adjacent to the busy runways of Manchester Airport and has a raised viewing area where you can stand literally just a few yards away from the planes as they go past.

The Park is home to a variety of retired planes including the spectacular supersonic airline Concorde and former military spy plane, Nimrod. There’s also a DC-10, Avro RJX and a retro Trident airliner, offering a glimpse of what flying was like in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

We sat in the Avro Centre to watch a short film before making our way to the hangar, which housed the de-commissioned Concorde, one of the most iconic aircraft in history. We visited the flight deck in small groups, and were amazed at the array of switches and dials.

Once sat in the luxury leather seats, our guide gave us an interesting and informative talk and pointed out which regular seats were taken by Madonna, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Audrey Hepburn and David Frost. It was an amazingly unique experience.

Later we walked to the Romper Pub, just half a mile away and enjoyed a great meal.

More beautiful photographs can be seen here.

Where does Britain’s new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stand on LGBT+ issues?

Conservative party leader and former treasury minister Rishi Sunak has become Britain’s Prime Minister.

Conservatives have helped secure vital LGBT+ rights in the country, including marriage equality, the pardoning of gay sex convictions, LGBT+ inclusive sex education, and eased blood donation restrictions for men who have sex with men.

However, the party has also overseen a rise in transphobic speech and hate crimes while rejecting a conversion therapy ban and asylum cases for LGBT+ refugees.

What is Rishi Sunak’s stance on transgender issues?

Transphobia seems unlikely to decrease under Sunak since he himself said that transgender women are not women during a Q&A on 25 August. A former minister accused Sunak of “pandering to bigots” with his comments.

He has said that transgender people should be respected, but has also called gender-neutral language and trans-inclusive policies part of “recent trends to erase women”. He has promised to release a “manifesto for women’s rights” that would call for banning trans women from women’s toilets and sports, positions that will likely increase the public harassment and isolation of trans individuals.

He also spoke about his desire to reform sex education at schools to ensure pupils are “shielded from inappropriate material”.

“Our laws must protect free speech, block biological men from competing in women’s sport and ensure that children are allowed to be children”, he said.

The LGBT+ Conservatives asked him about the “rising problem of transphobia” in the party.

He answered: “Prejudice against trans people is wrong. The Conservative Party is an open, welcoming family to everybody across society, no matter who they are and irrespective of their background”.

What is Rishi Sunak’s stance on conversion therapy?

Studies have shown that trans people are sent to conversion therapy in large numbers, even though the harmful pseudoscientific form of psychological torture has been disavowed by most major health associations. Despite this, the Conservative party has supported dropping trans people from a proposed national ban on conversion therapy, stating that a ban could have “unintended consequences.”

Some worry that teachers, parents, and therapists might be reluctant to work with children struggling with their gender identity if a trans-inclusive ban is passed. However, others say that such a ban could allow counsellors to “still help people fully explore their gender identity where appropriate” without using conversion therapy.

Mr Sunak has not said anything for or against banning conversion therapy – an issue which has been controversial for the Conservative Party for some years now. The Tories promised to ban it under Theresa May, in 2018, but went on to make multiple U-turns on the issue when Boris Johnson was PM.

What is Rishi Sunak’s stance on LGBTQ hate crimes?

Sunak has previously said, “I don’t want anybody in Britain to have to hide who they are or who they love out of fear. I want this to be the safest and greatest country in the world to be LGBT+.” But it’s unclear what steps he might take to address the issue, as anti-LGBT+ hate crimes have risen exponentially in Britain.

What is Rishi Sunak’s stance on LGBT+ refugees?

Sunak hasn’t seemed to make any comments about LGBT+ refugees seeking asylum in Britain. But he has expressed support for a government plan to send any asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and possible resettlement there or somewhere other than Britain.

Though same-sex sexual encounters aren’t illegal in Rwanda, the country lacks LGBT+ anti-discrimination protections and has other human rights issues. British voters largely oppose the Rwanda Plan, despite Conservative support.

What is Rishi Sunak’s stance on HIV?

Sunak has said that he supports efforts to end HIV transmission in the UK by 2030 by following the HIV Action Plan, a national proposal to instate widespread prevention, testing, treatment, and retention country-wide.

But when Sunak served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, his proposed budget for autumn 2021 contained no funding for the plan.

What has Mr Sunak said in general?

Mr Sunak most recently spoke about the community during this summer’s leadership race, when he and the candidates he was running against were questioned by the LGBT+ Conservatives.

He said: “There is so much more we can do to take forward this country’s proud record of progress on LGBT+ rights.

From ending new HIV transmissions by 2030, to addressing instances of hate crime, to fostering a more tolerant, accepting society – there are many areas we need to address to improve the lives of LGBT+ people

I’m proud of the fact it was the Conservative Party that led the way and delivered marriage equality for LGBT+ people. I want to carry that torch forward and address the issues you face in day-to-day life. 

Because I don’t want anybody in Britain to have to hide who they are or who they love out of fear. I want this to be the safest and greatest country in the world to be LGBT+”.

Sunak was elected by 100 Conservative party members in an undemocratic closed-door meeting rather than by British voters. As such, Sunak’s policy stances don’t reflect the people’s will.