I just wanted to share with you all my experience of a truly memorable long weekend in London, when I attended my first Pride with our son Jo.

Saturday lunchtime and the carnival atmosphere on the parade was contagious – the crowds whistling and cheering. We were a small (but perfectly formed?) group of parents, sons and various friends. We might not have had the flamboyant costumes or wonderfully imaginative floats of some organisations in the parade, but we certainly attracted our fair share of whistles and applause. I found it really moving to hear FFLAG’s name cheered from the crowd – and shouts of “Yo the parents!” Of the many images that remain of that afternoon is the amazing float from Battersea Dogs Home (!) with staff dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz – I certainly don’t remember Dorothy looking quite so muscular and masculine in the film – and all to the impossibly loud strains of “Who Let the Dogs Out”. And a group of ‘Gay Gordons’ complete with kilts – very admirable in that heat. An exhausting but exhilarating march across what felt like the whole of London in pavement - splitting heat was rounded up with a well earned ice-cold lager within the cool marble portals of the National Gallery. Suitably refreshed we joined Jo’s friends in Soho and enjoyed being part of the wonderful noisy, happy and all encompassing crowd. We sat in the evening sunshine surrounded by people celebrating diversity, watching the world go by… and most of the world seemed to be there!

A spur of the moment decision saw Jo and I heading for the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday evening to see Europride’s ‘The Show’. Compared by Stephen Fry, along with Sandie Toksvig and Julian Clary, it was a non-stop extravaganza of extracts from London musicals including Chicago, Mamma Mia and Avenue Q. As well as wonderful music from the London Gay Men’s Chorus and Never the Bride… and an unforgettable take on Swan Lake featuring a very overweight chicken (Believe me you had to be there!) Graham Norton worked the audience in his inimitable way – but I am sure that I wasn’t the only one with a lump in my throat as he sought out the couple who had waited the longest to register their civil partnership – 20 years? 30 years? A lesbian couple who had been together for 34 years were finally embraced and embarrassed on the stage. There were moments of reflection, with Stephen Fry, Ian Mckellen and many others reminding us all of the work that still need to be done to bring real equality. Ian Mckellen then gave a memorable rendition of his pantomime dame. The evening climaxed with David Furnish introducing his husband Elton John – and the Royal Albert Hall erupted in cheers and whistles with Elton and Kiki Dee belting out “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”. What an evening! (and I didn’t even mention the appearances of Ruby Wax, Jennifer Saunders, Boy George etc etc….)

I didn’t think things could get any better – but on Monday Jo and I went to see the new musical Avenue Q – a kind of X-rated Muppets with a touch of Friends. As The Times theatre critic put it, “it’s brash, vulgar, puerile and sometimes downright obscene and I loved every minute of it”. Judging by the reaction of the audience and the standing ovations, everyone there loved it too. One of the ‘characters’, Rod, has issues with his sexuality and for me the best song was “If you were gay, I’d shout Hooray!”

And then on Tuesday it started to get serious – I came back to earth by attending the Stonewall conference Education for All. But I shall leave that for someone else to write about. Now back in Cornwall, I relive the memories of a truly fantastic weekend, listening to and thinking how relevant the words from the Avenue Q soundtrack are …

“If you were queer I’d still be here

Year after year because you’re dear to me”

Sorrel Atkinson - FFLAG Cornwall