Well, it’s all over.  The shutters have been drawn down on Manchester Gay Pride 2005.  And the organisers delivered on their “bigger and better than ever” promise.

Here at UK Gay News, we still consider Manchester to be the UK’s finest Pride event – at the end of the day it is still very much a “community event” and the parade itself with its mixture of colour, celebration and politics embraces the wider community of Manchester and beyond.

The police estimated that in excess of 200,000 lined the streets of the city to watch the proceedings.

And that, as Americans might say, “ain’t too shabby”!

At Operation Fundraiser, they are busy counting!  Early indications are that at least £115,000 has been raised for local LGBT charities – including those working in the HIV/AIDS area.

“This year’s Pride has been the best ever,” said Emma Pete, Operation Fundraiser Project Manager. “We’re still counting all of the monies raised over the bank holiday weekend and the total at the moment stands at £115,000 and rising.

“Yet again, Manchester has put on a fantastic celebration of LGBT life and raised much needed resources for LGBT and HIV charities,” she added.

Councillors Paul Fairweather and Mary Murphy, lead councillors on Gay Mens’ and Lesbian issues, issues in Manchester, commented in a joint statement: “We are delighted that Pride went so well. It was a great success, and it is wonderful that so many people turned out to watch the stunning parade and support Operation Fundraiser. We anticipate an even better Pride 2006.”

Our coverage of Manchester Pride is almost complete.  All that is to come is some video which is currently being edited.  Hopefully, it will be online soon.

If you are on any of our photographs and would like a high resolution jpg file of the photo, please email us and we will send you a copy at no cost.  Email to editorial(at)ukgaynews.org.uk and mention which page it it on etc..

In the meantime, here is a complete listing of our coverage, as a number of you have suggested:

August 28:  UK:  Manchester Miffed at USA Figure of Those Watching Gay Parade: AP Reports 45,000 Rather Than 200,000.  By Andy Harley.  Manchester is miffed today.  The official figure put on those watching yesterday’s Key 103 Pride Parade was “in excess of 200,000”.  But many American newspapers were this morning reporting that just 45,000 lined the streets of Manchester to watch the colourful parade.

August 27:  UK:  Army Finds It’s ‘Queer Up North” As It Debuts at Gay Pride, by Steven Kay and Andy Harley.  There is an old adage in the military:  Don’t volunteer.  But that was put aside when the Army asked for volunteers to openly parade in the Key 103 Gay Pride Parade in Manchester.

August 27:  UK:  Manchester Pride Parade in Pictures.  Seven pages of photographs from today's parade.

August 26:  UK:  RAF Again In Manchester Gay Parade and Army Will Debut, by Andy Harley.  The Royal Air Force will again be taking part in the Manchester Gay Pride Parade tomorrow (Saturday).  Last year, the RAF became the first branch of the British Armed Forces to take part — in uniform — in a UK Pride.

August 26:  UK:  Manchester To Celebrate Gay Civil Partnerships, by Steven Kay.  The annual Pride in the capital of England’s North West will be celebrating the end of discrimination against same-sex couples who live in a committed relationship.  And there will be a look forward to the two ‘magical’ and long-awaited days in December from when couples will be able to legally get hitched.

August 25:  UK:  Gays Targeted in Saucy Fire Safety Campaign.  The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have come up with a saucy fire safety campaign targeted at gays.

August 22:  UK:  Manchester Gay Film Festival Screens ‘Beautiful Thing’.  For the vast majority of those who have seen Beautiful Thing, the 1996 movie will be in their “Top 10” of romance films – and arguably the best teenage romance ever committed to celluloid.  The problem is that, in Hollywood “blockbuster” terms, relatively few have seen this British movie, made for the cinema by Channel Four Television and World Productions.

August 18:  UK:  At Manchester Pride It’s ‘All Systems Go’ for Ten-Day Event.  It is ‘all systems go’ in Manchester on the eve of the city’s annual Pride which kicks-off tomorrow (August 19) and continues for ten days – and nights.