Nottingham's Pride festivals
From 1997 onwards
By David Edgley
Pride festivals began in the USA and in London in the 1970s. Nottingham got round to organising its own festival in 1997. It was called "Pink Lace" and continued with that name until 1999.
The first festival was on a very small scale. Broad Street was closed off to traffic, stalls lined part of the street and musicians performed on the steps of Broadway Cinema.
In 1998 and 1999 the venue was Nottingham Castle and in 2000 another move took the festival to the Embankment, at which point it took on the name of Nottingham Pride.
The next two years were blanks, but in 2003 the event was revived and took place in the Arboretum, where it stayed until 2010. By then it had simply become too big for the Arboretum ... health and safety and all that.
The 2010 Pride moved to the Forest Recreation Ground i.e. the Goose Fair site. The 2011 festival had at least 25,000 people attending. Those who happen upon the event by chance may be surprised at its diversity. Quite a few black and Asian faces. Some people in wheel chairs. 50/50 men and women. A tremendous range of ages - toddlers with their families and others well into their 80s. These days there are many stalls, lots of places to get food and drink, stages (in the plural) for various musical and comedy acts.
Since 2009 the day has started with a parade from the City centre with, it seems, much appreciation from casual passers by.
To see the whole history of Nottingham (now Nottinghamshire) Pride, click HERE