Saturday on the August Bank Holiday. Starting on Deangate at 2pm, the parade including 200 floats, snaked it's way round the city centre, finishing with an event at Princess Street.
On the way, the parade passed thousand of people waving and cheering and the Mayor doing a bit of judging. Not sure what the pizes were. The God Squad turned out, telling everybody they were evil, and a contingent from the right-wing, hanging about being all intimidatory. Personally, I know which group were having more fun.
Plenty of exhibits and loads of lovely people. Letting it all hang out. Next to Afro-Caribbean Carnivals, I think these events are the most colourful and exuberant that we have in this country.
The biggest cheers of the crowd, went to the public service workers. The NHS, Fire Service and Ambulance Services and the Gay Police Association in full dress uniforms, don't they look smart. And now the Probation and Prison Services had floats. The Royal Air Force fielded a team together with the Army for the first time last year.
Some of us are a little distressed that although we're all in favour of liberty at work, the idea of recruitment to military services under the cover of such a celebration, is not right. Earlier last year, people at Brighton Pride did protest at these developments. [see:
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2005/08/320582.html]. All this on top of the rampant commercialisation that is now so obviously represented there.
Manchester Pride 2006
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/349780.html http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/349801.html Manchester Pride 2005
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/09/322251.html http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/09/322272.html http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/09/322293.html Manchester Pride 2004
http://tashcamuk.fotopages.com/?entry=542032 Nottingham 2006 Pride
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2006/08/348508.html http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2006/08/348529.html Nottingham 2005 Pride
Pix 1
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/07/319629.html Pix 2
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/07/319652.html Nottingham 2004 Pride
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/07/295272.html Collected Pix
http://tash.dns2go.com/digital/GayEvents1/index.htm http://tash.dns2go.com/digital/GayEvents2/index.htm http://tash.dns2go.com/digital/GayEvents3/index.htm http://tash.dns2go.com/digital/GayEvents4/index.htm Manchester Pride website:
http://www.manchesterpride.com ____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:
tash@gn.apc.org Web:
http://tash.gn.apc.org Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
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"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
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