The Northern Concord was conceived and created in 1986 following the original Manchester TV/TS group which had been running since 1975. The aims were and still are to be a self help and social group for cross dressers and people who consider themselves to be transsexuals.
We are listed with every major help organisation around the region, Samaritans, Relate, NCVO, GMCVS, MIND, Citizens Advice Bureau's, Manchester University's Night Line, Manchester Health Database, Bolton Health Database, Stockport Libraries Database, Healthwise, Family Care Lines to name but a few.
We set out to provide a social infrastructure in which people would be able to dress in safety and enjoy themselves, and indeed our Wednesday evening meetings were regularly attended by 40 to 60 members and friends. We run many other social events and organise evenings that benefit the members, make-up demonstrations, fashion nights, jewellery nights, etc., etc.
We try to inform people where they can acquire clothes, services and accessories at the right price from TV friendly suppliers.
Wives and girlfriends were more than welcome, and indeed we have had mothers, aunts, daughters, sons and even fathers attend some of our events. To encourage wives and girlfriends to come along we made no charge for them to enter the club.
The Northern Concord is an entirely voluntary social and self help group with no commercial ties whatsoever. The group held meetings every Wednesday night, 52 weeks a year. For the first ten years we met in the upstairs bistro of The Rembrandt Hotel, for one year in the basement club rooms of Blooms Hotel, from the 9th July 1997 we moved to Odyssey on Bloom Street, Manchester and from the 24th June 1998 we moved upstairs into the cafe bar called Hollywood Studio and Lounge (previously called the Hollywood Showbar)... and then (from the 2nd January 2008) we have moved back into the upstairs bar at Rembrandt Hotel, (talk about peripatetic). But sadly now the Northern Concord has lost its Wednesday night meetings venue and we are therefore not holding any weekly meetings until further notice.
Our magazine 'Cross Talk' might give you a flavour of our approach to cross dressing, for it is our philosophy that you need to be able to laugh at yourself and not to take your little idiosyncrasy too seriously that has made us a fairly big voice in the TV world. "Cross Talk" costs £6.00 (six pounds) in the UK, £7.00 (seven pounds) in Europe and £7.50 (Seven pounds fifty pence) in the USA and Australia / New Zealand, which includes postage and packaging, the latest issue No.80 is now available and copies of No.6 through to No.78, (also the same price), are still available, (except No.10, 18 41 and 79 which we have completely sold out!).
If you become a member, (which costs twenty pounds per annum in the UK.(£20), twenty five pounds for Europe (£25) and thirty pounds for the USA (£30), Australia or most other far flung places) (£30), the magazines would be sent to you as part of your membership package. If you would like a copy of issue No.80 or any back issues as far back as No.6, your cheque or P.O.s should be made payable to The Northern Concord and posted to me at the above address. If you feel I can be of any further help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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The
two founder members of Northern Concord are Bev and Jenny |
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Jenny Baker,
Group co-ordinator.
To Contact Northern Concord write to:
The Northern
Concord,
P.O. Box 258,
Manchester,
M60 1LN,
England
or E-mail JennyB@northernconcord.org.uk
The Northern
Concord
is a completely voluntary organisation
1987 - 2017
Working for the transgender community for the past 29 years