Hexham Pride: Market town hosts first LGBTQ+ festival

The town's flower beds are being replanted as rainbows

An historic rural market town is holding its first ever pride festival.

A series of events are planned in Hexham, Northumberland, throughout June.

Residents and businesses were consulted on the programme, with an emphasis on events for families and young people.

Organiser Richard Bliss said a number of people "wanted to organise something in Hexham to celebrate pride and they all happened to come together at the same time".

"I think you just need a critical mass of people in the right place at the right time and that makes something happen," he said.

"Hexham is a very progressive town. It's a very inclusive little town.

"I don't think we give our small towns enough credit."

Matt Miller's work in progress Fixing will be performed at Queen's Hall

Hexham Pride's events will include film, live music, theatre, talks, author visits, storytelling and poetry.

Hexham in Bloom is planting three "rainbow" flower beds across the town and inviting residents to do the same in their front gardens, window boxes and hanging baskets.

Town traders are being encouraged to create rainbow window displays with more than 40 already signed up.

Katy Taylor, artistic director at Queen's Hall, which is supporting the festival along with the town's Forum Cinema, Curious Arts, Northumberland Libraries and Hexham in Bloom, said it was "proud to support an event that is inclusive and accessible to our local community".

Historic England and the National Lottery have provided funding.

LGBTQ writer Kirsty Logan will be talking about her most recent book at one of the events

Mr Bliss, who was instrumental in organising the region's first pride events, said Newcastle and Durham did an "amazing" job at big festivals with music but "we've tried something a bit different" in Hexham.

"I think people had been thinking how pride could be broken out from these big metropolitan places," he said.

There had been "very little push back" and the response to the consultation was "overwhelmingly positive", he added.

Hexham Pride runs until 24 June.