Part 5 - Tudor Lodge

The upmarket Porchester Ball was in London's West End but unfortunately it had to close when a BDSM TG event attracted really bad press and the hall trustees refused to allow further bookings. However, over in Bow, in the East End was a working men's club called Tudor Lodge. A regular event was held there by a guy called Ron Storme. Ron was a drag artist and theatrical costume maker and a really nice guy. The Tudor Lodge events were really friendly and still open to the local residents who just  treated everyone as equal and ordinary, and I have some great memories, 2 or 3 of which stand out.
Each year, Ron arranged a special Christmas meal for the local old age pensioners, and we 'girls' acted as waitresses. The joking and repartee was always so happy and refreshing, but this one year I noticed an elderly lady come in very slowly on 2 walking sticks. She sat down fairly heavily and didn't move again throughout the whole meal. Once the eating was over and we'd cleared the debris and everyone was drinking and chatting, the dancing started as well. After a bit I noticed the old lady waving to me so I went over to her and she struggled to her feet, then clung on to me and said, "I've been waiting to dance with you all evening." We slowly danced for a few minutes until her arthritis couldn't take any more and I had to help her sit down again. "Thank you, Dear", she said, "You've made my day". That made me feel very special.
Another event didn't actually involve me personally but I was glad to witness. A couple of our group had their wives/girlfriends with them at one of the dances. At one point during the evening, Julie's gf went off to the bar and as she was coming back, somebody at a table on the other side of the dance floor stood up and spoke to her as she passed. After a short, obviously animated, conversation, she came rushing back to our table and whispered urgently to Julie who then looked really bewildered, but stood up and they both rushed back over to the other table. A few minutes later, Julie came back to us looking rather shell-shocked, and somewhat incoherently muttered that everything was all OK but he couldn't speak about it now but not to worry, he'd explain later, and he went back again.... To cut a long story short... he had just met his own brother at the other table!! They hadn't recognised each other but his brother's wife had recognised Julie's gf as she passed. Neither brother had known that the other dressed and had done for years! No wonder he was shocked!