This weekend in Brighton large parts of the city will be celebrating Pride as it falls within a few days of the 50th Anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. Last weekend I was in Liverpool where they were celebrating the same anniversary. The 60’s was an amazing decade and although my birth came right at the beginning of the decade, to be alive when the World Cup came to the UK or a man landed on the moon and where homosexual men were finally granted the same freedom that hetrosexual couples had taken for granted was an amazing time. It would be fantastic, in the future to look back on this decade with a similar level of pleasure and satisfaction. Today Pride will be prefaced by Mass at St Pauls Church in West Street, a church where I have spent many hours preparing to go out into town as a Street Pastor. The Brighton Street Pastors have swapped nights this week so that there is a team out this evening to ensure that people celebrating 50 years of freedom are welcomed into the city by our team of volunteers who will offer directions to locations and advise against going too near the sea. Last week Liverpool Pride was prefaced by a speech at St Brides Church to 8000 people by my good friend Paul Bayes who is the Bishop of Liverpool. The organisation behind both Prides is huge, both in terms of the organisers themselves and also the emergency services etc. Everyone who has helped achieve what is certain to be a very positive event today, and was very positive last week should be thanked and appreciated. As the participants at the various Pride events are being stirred up to bring change to their communities, other Summer festivals are taking place elsewhere. Some have a music theme, some have a religious theme. All of these events offer a break from what every day life looks and feels like. It is noticeable how many of the comments emerging from those who are attending the various events is that we need to help bring positive change to our communities. The challenge is how do we work together when people return from Pride, from New Wine, from Boomtown etc motivated to improve our shared environment. It would be a tragedy if things go back to ‘normal’ when our schools and universities, and Parliament returns from its Summer break.