[17.00] Oh what a beautiful day it is! I love early May, and not just because of my birthday (next Monday, thank you for asking). The sun is shining, my windows are open, the loudspeaker cars are driving around urging people to vote, and it's all bringing back happy memories of this week five years ago. Five years today that the sun rose on a Labour government, and several of us at my flat decided to go to bed about 7am. Five years ago tomorrow that the rest of Europe decided to give the UK the benefit of the doubt and voted Katrina & The Waves into pole position in Eurovision. Consequently, I am playing Love Shine A Light very loudly in between the Holly Valance single.

When I pulled up at the polling station this lunchtime, one of three men standing outside said to me "You look like a Labour voter." I've never been so insulted in my life, but he had a cheeky smile, so I grinned and said "Not neccessarily. I don't even know who's standing yet." Which was true. We've had leaflets from three parties, but there are actually five candidates. Interestingly, there hasn't been any Conservative leaflet - I guess they know it's a waste of paper in Balsall Heath. I looked at the list on the school gate and was relieved to see we actually have a Green candidate again. I didn't have the heart to tell the young man that his party would now be a poor third on my list. Inside, just before voting Green, I looked at the candidates' addresses. Not only does the Green candidate live in my road - you can't miss the stereotypically hippy dormobilewith the Green Party sticker - he is the ONLY candidate who lives around here at all. That, for me, is as good a reason as any to vote for someone in council elections. On the way out, cheeky young man says, "Are you going to tell me now?" "It's a secret ballot," I replied, smiling. I thought this kind of harrassment was illegal anyway?

Tonight, your intrepid reporter, along with Gingerprince, is going to the opening of yet another new gay bar in town. No, make that the 'VIP Celebrity Champagne Party', before the public are allowed in tomorrow. Can't help thinking that the 'celebrities' will probably mean Twiggy in drag and someone from Midlands Today, but we live in hope. This pub is a biggie, and will pose a seriou challenge to some of the other venues. It's called Baabar (not very original). It was previously the White Lion, a reasonable-to-tacky pub which has been all sorts of things at different times. It's been a pre-club hen party type place for Sharons and Traceys to go to before they crossed the road to go clubbing at The Dome. More recently, it's been a jazz pub, and the only time I've ever gone in there is to watch football on their huge video screens. The pub is at the end of Thorpe Street, where the Nightingale was for fifteen years. It's also slap bang in the middle of the Jester and Kudos, two more gay pubs, so it was just crying out to turn gay really. I went for a look inside at lunchtime, and, apart from not being anywhere near ready ("We've still got six hours", said a rather flustered barperson), it looks okay. The carpet is horrible, but they've given it a decent coat of dep paint, and it's very spacious. The best thing is that it has a beer garden, so it will be unique in that respect on the Brum scene, and very welcome. Baabar is being advertised as being 'from the people who bought you Wonderbar'. Now, we liked Wonderbar. It had a reputation as the most drunken pub on the gay scene. It was full of the tackiest people, and always had a high proportion of lesbians. (You can decide for yourself if those two facts are related.) I'll let you know more tomorrow...

Just one problem. How on Earth will I stay awake to watch the election results until the early hours, as I usually do, after a champagne reception. Hmmmm. Watch this space.
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