Rain fails to dampen spirits at Manchester Pride Parade

By Amy Senior, Entertainment Correspondent

Perhaps the gods were listening to the Best of Barbra Streisand today as the lady famously demanded Don’t Rain on My Parade, and thankfully it didn’t.

Manchester’s infamous weather threatened to put a dampener on the most celebrated part of Pride this afternoon, but the sun burst through just five minutes before the first float appeared.

The occurrence seemed entirely fitting to a general message of defiance from both Manchester Pride and the Love Manchester campaign in the face of recent destruction.

What was clear upon arrival is that the Pride parade has become a rejoiced event that brings together individuals and more importantly families of all ages.

Jeanette Bamber, who brought her five-year-old son Corey for his third Pride parade, said it is something they now watch every year since she stumbled across the festival aged 18.

She said: “We’ve done this for years, it’s a party for the gay community but everyone’s invited.  We love to cheer on and get involved.”

Friend Lindsey Shelvey added: “It’s really a demonstration that there are no boundaries involved.”