First night out … pretty in Pinks

It’s midnight on a Saturday in late September. I’m standing at the bar at Pink Punters nightclub, known to regulars as ‘Pinks’. My partners in crime, Liz and Fiona, are by my side. We’re having the time of our lives. My body feels alive with nervous energy, and I’m waiting for our cocktails to arrive. And, like David Byrne in ‘Once in a Lifetime’, I’m thinking … well, how did I get here?

Several months previously, California-based Liz confirmed that she’d be able to spend three weeks with me in the UK this autumn. She had a bucket list of things she’d most like to do. Three stood out; a makeover with Tracey Galligan at Femme Side Studios in Leicester, a Saturday night at Pink Punters in Milton Keynes and a visit to a Leeds First Friday event. I sharpened my pencil, took out my notebook and started to plan. The timing of Liz’s visit ensured that two of the three dates immediately fell into place. We’d be at LFF on Friday 4^th October, and that meant that we’d have to go to Pink Punters the Saturday before. Now, how would a Femme Side visit fit in?

I chatted with Tracey Galligan. She was flattered that she’d made it onto Liz’s bucket list, and we talked about the things that Liz wanted to do during her stay. Tracey had a brainwave; although it would mean working at a weekend, what if she gave Liz and I a makeover on the Saturday of our Pink Punters visit? Then the two of us could drive on, fully made up, from there to Milton Keynes. We’d be killing two birds (or perhaps filling two buckets) with one stone. It sounded like a plan.

Things were coming together, but two missing pieces remained. The first; we’d need to fill the time between the makeover finishing at 4.30 in the afternoon and Pink Punters opening its doors at 10.00 pm. The second; since we wanted to drink while at the club, we’d need somewhere to stay afterwards. The thought of booking a hotel and adding to the general expense was off putting.

Enter Fiona Finlay (aka Fluff). Fluff was one of several CDH girls who Liz wanted to meet up with while in the UK, and I had a vague memory that she actually lived near Milton Keynes. I contacted her and we tweaked our plans. Fluff would come and join us for the makeover. From there the three of us could drive to her house for food. Then, after dancing the night away, we’d all have a bed for the night. Sorted!

Now, what I haven’t told you yet is that although I had previously been outside as Ellie (when I had my inaugural makeover with Tracey in July) that had only been a very brief excursion. Pink Punters would constitute my first official public outing, and as such it would be a very big deal for me. I wasn’t at all sure how I was going to react, but it was reassuring to know that whatever happened I’d have friends on hand to support me.

Fast forward to September. Liz reached the UK safely and we had a lovely first week touring Norfolk. Saturday arrived; the evening before, we had great fun selecting the outfits that we wanted to take with us to Femme Side. I limited myself to a few carefully-chosen items rather than the bulging suitcase-full that I’d taken with me in July!

We got to Tracey a little late but she soon had us relaxing with a cuppa and explaining what we wanted from the day. We were still chatting when Fiona arrived. It was the first time that Liz and I had met her in person, so it was hugs all round.

The next few hours were hectic for Tracey. Somehow we managed to squeeze in the three makeovers, plus photoshoots for Liz and me. With everything that was going on we actually only had time for one outfit each. However, we each made the most of our respective turns in front of the camera. Liz is a complete natural at this sort of thing. She absolutely owned the experience, with a smile which lit up the room and a variety of poses worthy of a Vogue model. I, by contrast, was significantly more vague than Vogue. I had my eyes shut in approximately half of the shots and didn’t really know where to put my hands, feet or indeed most of my other body parts in many of the others. Somehow, miraculously, it all worked out.

Since I’m working to a word limit I’ll skim over our subsequent drive south, our meal at Fiona’s and other details. Instead, to keep my readers focused, I’ll leap straight to Saturday evening. Close your eyes and imagine the three of us as we pull into the car park at Pink Punters. It’s around 11 pm and the place is aglow with rainbow lights. We can feel the throb of the dance music from the moment the engine stops. Deep breaths; we’re finally here! We feel excited. We feel beautiful. To be honest, robbed of the warmth of Fiona’s car, we also feel decidedly cold. We hurry inside.

After showing our IDs (sadly, not because we looked underage but because the security staff were checking everybody) we get our first proper look at ‘Pinks’. It bills itself as ‘A place for everyone, no matter where you’re from or where you’re heading’ and is actually a series of seven interconnecting rooms. At first sight, it feels immense. As we look around, it feels even more so. It would be easy to get lost here, as we later prove on more than one occasion. We gravitate towards the Cocktail Bar, since this is the quietest area and gives us time to settle in and find our feet.

And with that, we’ve reached the point at which this article began … with me standing at the bar waiting for our drinks to arrive and contemplating how events had conspired to bring me here. Remember, this was my first ever night out as Ellie. I was standing in a very public place, fully made up and wearing a midi dress, denim jacket and ankle boots. I should have been way out of my comfort zone, and yet I felt absolutely, supremely comfortable in my own skin. I remember thinking: ‘There’s going to be a lot more of this in my future’. And I also remember thinking: ‘Bring it on!’

We explored. We mingled. We warmed ourselves by the open air fire pit (an unusual feature for a nightclub); we tried out the thrones in the Pink Room; we attempted to brave the sheer volume of noise in The Cellar, until our eardrums begged us to leave. Above all, we had FUN. Pretty much everyone else who was there that night seemed to have arrived with a small group of friends. All they were interested in was each other. The three of us were able to just get on and do our own thing. It was a safe space to simply be who we are.

At three in the morning we were still on an adrenalin high, but we decided to call it a night and head back to Fluff’s. Pinks stays open until dawn, but we had to travel to Oxford to catch up with the lovely Rebecca Lewis the next day. And so, after a few last photos in the car park and with our ears still ringing, we drove away. Pinks receded in the rear view mirror; Liz’s bucket list was significantly emptier; my list of experiences was significantly fuller. The evening was a real turning point for me. It felt as though I’d taken a major step, and I’d loved every minute of it.

I referenced a Talking Heads song at the beginning of this article, but I’ll let The Four Seasons have the final say as I reach the end of it. In the immortal words of Frankie Valli ... oh, what a night!