pensnest | Sundries

I don't think the image is big enough—no zoom—but that's a rainbow flag flying from the Castle.

I've never lived in a place that had a Pride parade before! Beast and I got the bus into town yesterday, met up with Bun and her housemates and sundry other friends, and went along to the Chapelfield Gardens to see it start, with a wheelchaired contingent leading the way, followed by some ladies in purple dresses and red hats, with awesome purple and red umbrellas. The 'Norfolk Broads', I believe, the local chapter of the Red Hat Society. I must seek out these ladies! I wish to be a Norfolk Broad, with an impeccable excuse to purchase a red hat that does not suit me.

Anyway. The parade continued, mostly as a very casual and colourful collection of people, occasionally themed and with banners. (Sainsburys, in orange. Aviva (boo!) in yellow. Police constables, with rainbow shoulder tabs.) None of your fancy floats or whatever, although there were a handful of people with BIG HAIR and fabulous outfits, and a musical group with elegant white panama hats with rainbow ribbon trim. And there were some drummers with several young women in sparkly outfits who danced in front of them. Withall, a *lot* people! Clutching our rolls of upholstery foam*, we followed along the route and back to the Forum, spotting only one judgmental man waving an angry crucifix at them, and a lot of smiles along the way.

Purchased too much cake on the way home, and ate it all. Not quite as nice as it looked.

* There's a stall in the market which sells it. Not actually relevant to the parade, though.