TODAY we have reported on news that Pride is to return to Brighton and Hove.

The past 12 months have been bleak for most people in Sussex, but perhaps now we can allow ourselves some cautious optimism.

Major events like the Leeds and Reading Festivals are set to go ahead in August and September, so having our own event which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city could be the filip we need.

Without doubt, assuming things are allowed to reopen this summer, Pride could be a vital part of the city's economic recovery, particularly in the tourism and creative sectors hit so hard.

Many people will have lost their jobs and families will have lost income. The lockdowns will also have taken a devastating toll on people's mental health.

Then of course there are the thousands of musicians, bar and restaurant staff, and performers who have not been able to work at all during this pandemic.

Pride represents the biggest opportunity to regain a sense of normality, to see our friends and enjoy ourselves again. For businesses it is also the chance to welcome customers and patrons back after such a gloomy period.

It will actually be nice to have an event which means so much for our city back as a date to look forward to in our diaries, it is the light at end of the tunnel... or the rainbow after the storm.