Pride Games 2005 : The Quays...

venue:   Salford Quays event:   Manchester Pride/Manchester Pride/Pride Games/GHAP/Manchester Frontrunners review date:   Sunday, 21 August 2005 words by:   Huw Edwards photos by:   Sam Milford [ intro | page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | page 4 | page 5 ]

review

The first event off the marks was the Run Against Homophobia in Sport. The run (and walk!) was beautifully organised by Manchester Frontrunners (a new wing of the Frontrunners Club, set up in January 2005) and judging by the satisfied faces of the 50 or so runners, was a great success. The run was also supported by the Salford Community Chest and the Lowry and Fibre Hairdressing provided a Challenge Cup, which was presented to the winner by Home Office Minister Hazel Blears MP. The winners were Craig Reedy, Daniel Murphy and Dan Byrne for the men, and Koro Errazkin, Bevery Jones and Ozoda Numinova for the women.

The morning continued with a chance for everyone to try something new... from wind surfing to canoeing and even rock climbing. For me this was undoubtedly one of the great successes of the weekend. So many of us may have been put off sport in school either because, like me, you have absolutely no innate sporting ability whatsoever or because of the underlying climate of bullying which sport can inflict on young people. So a chance to try all these sports without having sand kicked in your face was a brilliant idea!

Once the sporting bits were all over, we all headed over to the nearby Lowry Arts Centre for a very posh and quite delicious Mad Hatter's Tea Party. What better way to finish the afternoon than a cucumber sandwich and a nice cup of tea? ...Or a nice pint of lager in my case! Well - carrying camera bags is very thirsty work, believe me.

Make sure you also check out REALManchester's Bell Boat Regatta coverage!

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about Manchester Pride

Manchester Pride has been around for a number of years, previously in the guise of Mardi Gras, GayFest and the Ab Fab Weekend. In recent years, the organisation has grown significantly, focussed its aims and provided a network for community groups, the City Council and the gay businesses - no mean feat! The next Manchester Pride date for your diary: Saturday, 12th July - Sunday, 12th October Military Pride @ Imperial War Museum North (Manchester Pride/Manchester Pride) Click for more info and complete listings for Manchester Pride

about Pride Games

PrideGames is an annual tournament of sporting events for LGBT people. Sports featured include Athletics, Running, Swimming, Water Polo, Canoeing, Rugby, Men's and Women's Football, Badminton, Dancing, Archery, Mountain Biking, Aquathlon, Sailing, Kayaking, Youth Games and the famous Bell Boat Regatta! The next Pride Games date for your diary: Sunday, 7th September PG2008 Alexandra Park charity Fun Day @ Alexandra Park Click for more info and complete listings for Pride Games

about Manchester Frontrunners

As the name suggests, Manchester Frontrunners is a running group in Manchester, mainly made up of gay men and women, but open to all. The group aims to provide opportunities in sport for all and therefore welcomes runners of all abilities. Whether it's to run, race-walk, improve fitness or train for competition and long-distance running events, this is a thriving community group that will welcome you with open arms (although we are told that women will be especially welcome!). Next for Manchester Frontrunners this Thursday: Running with Manchester Frontrunners @ Sugden Sports Centre (Pride Games) A run from the Sugden Centre to Salford Quays. Click for more info and complete listings for Manchester Frontrunners