Author David Thomas still lives as a man, but has begun the male-to-female gender transition. This week, David talks about mastering trips to the ladies' loos as a trans woman

I have now done it at six motorway services, as well as sundry other garages. I’ve done it at London Victoria, Gatwick airport and my local railway station. And I’ve also done it several times at a hair salon – but less often at a couple of restaurants, a pair of museums, a handful of Starbucks and one cinema.

Yes, I’ve recently been using a lot of ladies’ loos.

Now, I don’t wish to brag, but I feel this makes me something of an investigative reporter, fearlessly going where others dare not tread.

After all, the presence in female-only spaces for transwomen – and particularly those, like me, who have not yet had genital surgery – has proved to be a rather hot topic of late.

So what actually happens when I, wearing one of my many fashionable frocks and sporting the messy bun that I’ve recently got the hang of creating, walk into a ladies’?

Well, I start off by locating a spare cubicle. I use it for the purpose for which it is intended then, taking care not to get my skirt caught in my tights, flush and exit the cubicle.