Thunder crashed but it was as if the sun still shone at Pride 2002 in Brighton.

Rain-drenched revellers created one of the most colourful rainbows ever witnessed in the city.

Thousands lined the streets to watch the spectacular carnival parade. Dazzling drag queens, glammed up to the nines, jostled for space alongside sailors, naughty schoolgirls, cowboys and angels.

Some had dyed their hair blue, yellow, orange, green, purple and red, the official colours of Pride.

And those were just the spectators.

The flamboyant procession began shortly after 11am on Saturday at Madeira Drive and slowly made its way to Preston Park.

The carnival started with a band of scantily-clad Adam and Eves banging drums and playing trumpets.

They were followed by a Lara Croft lookalike dancing on the top of a car, the cast of the Royle Family and stars from musical La Cage Aux Folles.

Next were the totally gold Egyptian Pharaohs dancing away on their Pyramid Float.

Those who took part in the procession included the Brighton Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, mental charity MIND and Aids charity the Terrence Higgins Trust.

Enthusiastic spectators waited patiently to cheer on the gay, lesbian and transgender procession.

One bus carried a banner reading "Camp Attack" and while it was certainly a day of celebration for gays, the bizarre cavalcade also attracted families with prams and the elderly.

Barry Richardson took 45 members of the Gay Essex Men's Social to see the event.

He said: "It's really nice to dress up and be a part of it. It's a time when gay people can just be themselves.

"It's important that Pride keeps going as it brings the gay community together. If there are more festivals like this, heterosexuals will accept us more and more.

"There are festivals in Brighton, Manchester and London. I'd like to see them in other cities too."

Fellow member Tim Brown, wearing a sailor suit and gold nail polish, said: "It's just a brilliant atmosphere and the floats are really nicely decorated."

Louis Loizou, in his sixties, caught the event by accident. He said: "I didn't even think about turning up for the parade but I was going home on the bus and I saw the floats on London Road.

"I thought it was incredible and just had to get off the bus. Isn't it wonderful?"

At 1pm, as the procession reached Preston Park, the heavens opened.

A torrential downpour turned the showground into a quagmire. Those in the more ridiculous platforms and high heels were stopped in their tracks.

But it takes more than a spot of rain to ruin Pride.

Within minutes, barefoot and with mascara dripping down their faces, hundreds marched back out to enjoy the festivities.

By the time Petula Clark took pride of place on the main stage, blue skies were back overhead.

The international gay icon told the audience how she had flown in specially from the US for the show before camping up old favourites and new tunes.

Limahl, of Eighties pop heroes Kajagoogoo, also performed on stage, while in the Line Dancing Tent, gay pairs waltzed to country and western music.

Melanie Goldie, who runs a stall selling army and navy uniforms, said: "Gay people love my stall and I keep coming back year after year. It's a big money spinner."

It wasn't just the punters who had smiles on their faces. The police also got into the spirit of things.

Some put Pride flags in their hard hats and others posed for pictures.

One smiling officer said: "It's our policy to be more laid back and show ourselves to be less formal. We want to show a different side. After all, we are human."

Among the stranger things on offer at Pride, which is the biggest free gay festival in the UK, were gay "marriages".

The Independent Free Christian Church had ceremonies at 2pm and 4pm for gay couples who wanted to tie the knot.

The church's national president, the Rev Dr Carl Hassack, said: "We open our arms to anyone, and what better venue to marry than here. We had five couples marry in our first ceremony and we expect a few more at 4pm. We call it a blessing."

One happy lesbian who had just "married" her partner said: "We always wanted to bless our relationship but we didn't think we'd do it here. After a few drinks, you get carried away. The only trouble is we don't have a ring."

Even the police had set up recruitment stands at the festival.

Police forces from Sussex, Kent, Thames Valley and the British Transport Police all welcome gay people applying for jobs.

An officer on one of the stalls said: "Why shouldn't we try and get new staff at a place like this?"

As evening approached, hundreds of people, mud-covered but still smiling, made their way back to the city centre where the partying really began.

Sussex Police said the event, which last year attracted 50,000 people and led to a series of homophobic assaults, passed off peacefully with just three arrests for minor offences.

Ronnie Gilluley, of Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, writes: I came to Brighton for my very first Pride and had an excellent time. Everyone was very friendly. Can't wait till next year to do it all over again. Thanks for an amazing weekend!

Roger de Souches writes: Oh what a pleasure it was to steward on Saturday, but the rain put a dampener on it. Please can I steward next year? It was a real pleasure. I assure you, the town, the people, everything, its beats the hell out of Mardi Gras. And I have done 4 Mardi Gras so I should know.