THOUSANDS of people spread rainbow colours across Woking on Saturday for the first Pride in Surrey festival.

Members of the LGBTQ+ communities invited friends, relatives and supporters to join a celebration which it is hoped will trigger continuing and increasing understanding of all aspects of their cultures.

The event opened at 11am with the Pride Parade from the HG Wells Centre in Church Street East, through Jubilee Square and Wolsey Place shopping centre and on to Commercial Way.

Senior police offices and politicians, including Surrey Chief Constable Gavin Stephens and Woking borough councillor Graham Cundy were among those taking part. Cllr Cundy led the parade, along with drag artist Queen Alexandra, head of The Party Royal.

The police displayed a Jaguar I-Pace demonstration electric patrol car specially “wrapped” in a rainbow design for the day by a vehicle livery company.

Festivities moved on to Woking Park, where all the tickets for entertainment and attractions lasting until 10pm had quickly been reserved.

“I’d like to thank every volunteer for their time,” said organiser Stephen Ireland. “Our motto was to make people’s Pride magical, and we certainly did that during our family friendly day of Pride.”

See the special picture feature in the 15 August edition of the News & Mail