Piano Recital

The pianist Vesselin Stanev studied at the Music Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris.

He devotes particular attention to chamber music and we were treated to a concert of Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Franz Liszt.

Thanks for an excellent concert.

International Lesbian Day

This 8 October we celebrate International Lesbian Day (ILD), and in honour of our lesbian community members, we wish you a happy, proud and affirming ILD!

International Lesbian Day is a day for lesbians the world over to come together to celebrate lesbian history, diversity and culture. Recognised annually, the day gives an opportunity for women, families and friends to connect, celebrate and also raise awareness about the importance of community.

The exact beginnings are debated, but the concept traces back to Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s and 1990s. New Zealand roots are sometimes linked to a march on 8 March 1980 (International Women’s Day), which later shifted to 8 October to mirror that date, while Australia’s early prominent event took place in Melbourne in October 1990. 

National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day is celebrated in October, taking place on 11 October 2026. Each year the event grows in popularity, with more and more people celebrating on the 11 of October. Make sure you mark this important day in your diary!

What is National Coming Out Day?

National Coming Out Day is an annual celebration for the LGBT+ community, supporting them in the disclosure of their sexuality or identification. The day allows hundreds of people to celebrate being a member of the LGBT+ community or to openly reveal to their friends, family or colleagues that they are LGBT+.

The day champions the idea that homophobia thrives in silence, and so thousands of members of the LGBT+ community and allies group together to abolish the silence.

When did National Coming Out Day start?

The origins of National Coming Out Day began with a march back in 1987, with 500,000 people participating to advocate Lesbian and Gay rights in Washington on 11 October 1987.

The march generated so much publicity that the advocacy continued, with two individuals, Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary, proposing the idea that National Coming Out Day would be celebrated annually. The first official observation of the day took place on the 11 October 1988 and has taken place each year since.

Why is National Coming Out Day important?

National Coming Out Day is important for many reasons, with the most important being that it provides a day of awareness and visibility for members of the LGBT community.

For many, the act of ‘coming out’ to family, friends and colleagues can be daunting. This day provides people with a day on which they can feel safe and accepted for their sexuality or identification, with other LGBT+ people rallying around them in support of their choices.

Many people do not feel as though they can ‘come out’ to those around them. Whether it be because they fear homophobia or they feel that their religion or culture does not align with their feelings, National Coming Out Day can give people the confidence to stop hiding their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Out On The Radio

Out on the Radio Show 11 is now available on Mixcloud.

Alan, Norman and Tony are chatting and playing tunes.

Listen to the show here.

Playlist:
Petula Clark – Downtown (Theme song)
Hello Dolly by Louis Armstrong
The Word Becomes Flesh by Boards of Canada
Lom Vava by Jojo Abot
Three Wheels on My Wagon by The New Christy Minstrels
A Strange Presence by The Night Monitor
Reparations For The Dead by Caribbean Issues
I Was Born This Way by Valentino
Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? By Audrey Hepburn
Purged Holy by Tony Morris (ft Adam Morris)
The Robbery of the Century by Macka B
Manchester by Equiknoxx
How Do You Do It by Gerry & The Pacemakers
Everything is Beautiful by Ray Stevens.

Please also mark 13 December for the Xmas Carol service in Manchester.