Euro Pride, London, July 1st 2006

Euro Pride – July 1st 2006

London Pride is traditionally one of the highlights of my year and a chance to catch up with friends and celebrate the fact that we are gay with a March through central London and a party in a park afterwards filled with fun fair, dance tents and festive fun. This year however it was to be slightly different as London was to be host city to Euro Pride. A similar event but hosting the festivities on a grander scale in representation of the gay community of London and the United Kingdom. For some reason that meant that there would be no main event in a park but instead a number of things going on during a two week festival across the city. Kicking off two weeks ago with a huge street party in Clapham and coming to a highlight on Saturday the 1st July with a massive street parade and March that included some 40,000 participants and over 500,000 visitors to the Heart of our city.

I met up with Kenton & Marcus at noon and made our way to Gary’s House for a traditional Champagne Reception to kick off the day before jumping into a taxi into town to watch the Parade. It seems even the most simple of Plans can go to Pot and my sincerest apologies to those that waited for me outside Hamley’s. As my group grew and grew throughout the day we lagged later and later behind and in the end with all of the closures of roads we were unable to make it to Hamley’s! Please forgive me. I did endeavour to catch up with everyone as some stage during the day. We made our way up to Soho Square and found a nice quiet pub just off the main square where we could use Toilet Facilities, powder our noses and get served without too much of a problem. Having finished some 4 bottles of Champagne in under an hour between 6 of us we were some what trollied by the time we got there. The heat causing the alcohol to seem far stronger than normal. We spend some 5 or six hours in the sun drinking and enjoying company and catching up with friends. I managed to catch up with some of the lads I have chatted to in the past in the chat room including the lovely Jaffa Joe whom I met back in Brighton earlier this year after Little Britain and Partytone & Pojo. Plus had a chance to chill with the very sexy Gary who seems to be looking even hotter than ever. I so would and so would Kenton. The way he was virtually drooling over him! 

Kenton managed to find Cadice & Stu on the far side of the Square and we also found Mark & Richard & Stu before we had to start to rush to make it down to the Embankment to catch up with the rest of possy. Emily Mews Cadmore’ Court Saint Court was waiting with Marcus down by the River and we hooked up with the rest of the gang at the Savoy pier ready to board our boat for the 8pm Discothèque Night Club Chartered River Cruise.

Oh my Gay Goodness. What a surprisingly fantastic event. 4.5 hours of sailing, dancing and such site seeing like I have never seen before. In all of my years living in London I have never done a cruise like it and seen so much of London. From the houses of Parliament to Greenwich, Tower Bridge, The Thames Flood Barrier. (I will attach pictures as soon as I get them off Kenton) He kindly leant me his camera after mine died on the day. What bad luck. We saw it all, danced our tits off and in the best of company. I have to say it made it one of the best events I have ever done at any Pride in my 8 years of doing them and so glad I could share it with so many of my close friends.

Disembarking at around 1230AM and without a taxi in site Marcus & Kenton went back to crash at M’s and I walked back to the Hotel ending a perfect gay pride day.