Cardiff Mardi Gras 2004

title	Cardiff Mardi Gras 2004
event:	Cardiff Mardi Gras
review date	Friday, 3 to Monday, 6 September 2004
photos by	James Brooks & Sam Milford

REALBrighton review

Yes, folks, this is the last UK Pride of the year for REALBrighton's roaming reporters. The Lesbiaid a Hoywon Caerdydd-Cymru Mardi Gras 2004! (and no, that wasn't a typo). Crossing the border into Wales is like... well... driving into another country. The signs suddenly turn all bilingual on us, the hills seem just that bit greener and the toll... oh bugger, the toll... has anyone got £4.60 in change on them?

The Mardi Gras Weekend was a fabulous success. Very, very different from the last couple of big events that we've been to, this was a much more local affair. Still very much a community event, Cardiff boasts lots of free events... with road closures and street parties, dance podiums, outside bars, hot food grills, stages... and all this was just at the Golden Cross pub! The main event was the party on Saturday afternoon in Cooper's Field. An estimated 40,000 people arrived in the park, which far exceeded the organisers' expectations. Having said that, they coped with the crowds admirably...

latest captions who was snapped?

"Bright Light"

Said by hillbillycub on Tue, 21st February 2006.

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Click the VIP's name to see where we caught'em!

hillbillycub
Huw
jonsugar
Samwell
Wilma

the photos...

A Sunny Sunday
photos by Sam Milford

There's little doubt, having trawled the bars and pubs over the weekend, that other than the main event a the park, all the action was at the Golden Cross...

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Golden Cross... Then Savior... On Ice!
photos by Sam Milford

A packed evening of alcoholic excess at the Golden Cross before heading into the Ice Rink for some hardcore clubbing. We may have been rattling around a bit in there, but the atmosphere was good and the night a success...

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Saturday: Cooper's Field
photos by Sam Milford

The park was packed, the weather held out, the crowd was happy, the drinks weren't overpriced and all in all... what a bloody good way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

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Arrival. Detox. Addiction. In that order.
photos by James Brooks & Sam Milford

We roamed. We snapped. We soaked up the atmosphere on your behalf. We had plenty to drink on the way around and we enjoyed ourselves. That's all that matters, surely?

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Friday: Exit
photos by James Brooks & Sam Milford

James and Huw donned their REALBrighton vests and spent the night trying to explain what a Brighton website was doing up in Wales... Huw's hometown, you see. Not that we need an excuse...

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