Well. Bloody hell. What a night of "Show and Tell". Thanks to everyone who came, who told, who listened, who clapped, who cried. An exhilarating night of story. They showed. They told.
Philomena told a beautiful story about friends who gave a generous cheque that she treasures but never cashed. She brought the cheque.
Sandra told a story about her dog who - wait for it - discovered his long lost dogsister at dog school. We've never had more Awwwwwws at a Tenx9 before. The photos of cute Lab pups did it.
Paul told a story about trying to snog in a graveyard and the excruciating ritual of being dumped by letter, but not knowing it (letter, pocket of blazer, never found).
Allan showed the shunt that had saved his wife's life. He might have choked up a bit towards the end of the story. We all might have had tears. Beautiful.
Nicholas's story involved a smelly jumper, a trip to a festival, camping in the piss-corner, the tent of poisonous truth and some gurriers from Cavan.
Dustin showed his prayer beads from an Indian monastery, and he might have showed us his romantic side. (There is a queue forming. Interested? Join the back.)
Eileen brought one of those tasteful (read: not tasteful at all) glassy deer that your granny had. Eileen was the site of a fight between a nun and a laywoman. She's lived to tell the tale.
Paul told a story about the one thing that'd tempt a teenage boy into a haunted house - the promise of some forbidden literary pleasures. (Clue: look to the left).
And Heather showed the tour guide to Sri Lanka that got her to a beach, got her to a roadblock with a gun held to her head, got her to floor an accelerator, got her to say "don't fuck with me" and got her back home.
What a night. Next evening, July 29, as part of Pride. See you there.