The 15th Mental Health Media AWARDS 2008.

Supported by Shift and Comic Relief, celebrating the best portrayals of mental distress and reporting of mental health issues in the media. Tuesday 25th November 2008.

Joy of all joys. Today on my return home, I found that I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to attend the 15th Mental Health Media AWARDS, via a RSVP invite. Quite naturally, I wasted no time and accepted!

I have had such a wonderful day.

This morning, - until lunchtime - I started off at The Friends' Meeting House, Brighton, and then the (THT) Terrence Higgins Trust, in Brighton. This happened because I attended the well attended, and well received, 2008 MindOut LGBT Mental Health Conference. It was unfortunate that I had to leave the conference (to return to London) before I could attend the 'Setting up LGBT Mental Health Initiatives' workshop.

However, in London, I experienced yet another amazing time, at the House of Commons. This was my third visit. My first happened in childhood and included a tour. On my second visit - which also included a tour, and was the 400th anniversary of Guy Fawkes failed attempt - I was accompanied by my then, six year old son.

Slightly off the subject (but still loosely related), at some point during 2005,- possibly after seeing a performance of, the 400th Anniversary of 'Don Quixote' by Miguel de Cervantes www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Quixote at the White Bear Theatre www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk I attended a talk by Lady Antonia Fraser www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonia_Fraser at the British Library www.bl.uk/ Lady Antonia Fraser's talk was about her book 'The Gunpowder Plot' terror and faith in 1605. During the questions and answers section of Lady Antonia Fraser's extremely well attended talk, I mentioned to her that I had read somewhere in the book 'Queer Facts, the greatest gay and lesbian trivia book ever' by Michelle Baker and Stephen Tropiano and foreworded by Graham Norton, that King James I (1566-1625) - King of England and Scotland had several lovers, including a Scottish boy named Robert Carr and George Villiers, who later became Duke of Buckingham. I then asked her, during this discourse, if she thought that it was Guy Fawkes' homophobia that inspired his gunpowder plot? I don't recall her reply, but she did autograph a copy of her 'The Gunpowder Plot' book, for my son.

Back to today.

I have finally tracked down a copy of the award winning documentary film 'For the Bible tells me so'. I have been reliably told that I will be able to view it very soon.

Also.

Due to my direct experience of mental health problems, and the stigma that surrounds it, I have volunteered to write a quote for a Time to Change campaign toolkit, to help people to support the mental health anti- stigma, anti- discrimination campaign locally.