Leeds Pride was one of the best afternoons of my entire life - Christa Ackroyd

It may be an act of kindness. It may be a cheery good morning to a stranger who that day was feeling alone. It may be something mundane like clearing out the kitchen drawers with a sense of purpose or sorting out the wardrobe to send that which neither fits nor suits to charity. It may be nothing to others but everything to each of us. It may be huge. It can be small. But collectively it enhances our lives and that of other people.

Pride is a strange emotion and one which definitely doesn’t always come before a fall. Unless it is false pride. And often it is the smallest of things that deserve it the most.

You, dear readers, will understandably not share my pride this week that my 10-year-old granddaughter will next year enter her last year at primary school as head girl, but you will completely understand why I was bursting with it when she told us. And that she had been voted in by the whole school.

For those who have been blessed with children you will entirely empathise with my sense of pride for my daughter as she celebrates her birthday. She has moved mountains to be where she is and has given me two glorious granddaughters along the way, who of course are not only my pride but my joy too. And there is nothing stronger than a parent’s pride.

I have met many people during my career I am proud to now call friends and despite my great age (yes I am proud of that too ) I continue to make new ones along the way. That too is something to be proud of. I could sit at home and look back or embrace what is to come with all its possibilities.

Twice this last week I have caught up with friends old and new in beautiful circumstances. I am proud of my 50-year friendship with Diane, a woman I was lucky enough to start my career with as cub reporters on a daily newspaper in Halifax long gone, who this week introduced me to two friends of hers as one of her closest compradores – a word she didn’t use but one my father taught me to mean sharing a special bond, as we do.

I am proud that two Bradford women, one of whom I bumped into on a ship only three years ago, now considers me such a close friend that after I finish writing this I am packing for a break in Barcelona with her and two more of her friends who I am lucky enough to now consider mine too. Six months ago I didn’t know them. This week I spent time with them, completely comfortable with how we fit into each others lives. It is though, having lost my closest friend two years ago. I was given other like-minded women in abundance to see me through good times and bad. I know she would be proud of me too for picking up the phone and calling new friends in the village I only moved to a year ago and asking if I could join them to watch the England semi-final in the local pub, though the less said about that perhaps the better. Because it’s tough when the old life changes to put your big girl pants on and embrace the new. But we all have to do it some time and be proud in doing so.

I am so proud that those last few weeks, two of my favourite places which I have supported with all my might have achieved milestones others thought impossible. The Piece Hall, once left to rack and ruin, was saved with the support of the council, is run by a magnificent team I am proud to call friends and is in the midst of not only its most successful concert series to date but is in the black at the bank. And yes, it was worth every penny to save it considering it is unique, beautiful and brings not only people into Halifax but is the little piece of the past that ensures the town’s future, when so many are struggling to survive.

I am doubly proud of the part I played in saving the birthplace of the Brontë sisters in Thornton, Bradford, but also – with the help of another friend I made along the way, the wonderful Kevin in the Lord Lieutenant’s office – I welcomed the Queen to open it and this month the news that having announced she and her husband would not be taking on any more duties, she agreed to become its patron. She must have liked it! Actually I know she loved it. Her private secretary wrote to me to tell me so.

But this week’s proud pride of place award has to go to Leeds and the thousands upon thousands who turned out to celebrate 20 years of Leeds Pride. Oh my goodness, you were magnificent in all your rainbow glory. Leeds, you shone, you sparkled, you laughed, you danced and you sang. My goodness did you make me proud.

Over the years I have read about it, shared it on the news and always planned to go. This year for the first time I did, joining the parade with my homeless street angels and loving every uplifting moment. I hugged strangers and embraced old friends. I danced my way through town because that is what inclusion feels like. I saw banners from churches declaring their love and some that simply said ‘ You are all awesome’. I met people whose parents didn’t know they were gay and others who had embraced it for years with partners they were settled and happy with. In fact, whether someone was straight, gay, non-binary and whatever other labels we care to place on them, all I saw were happy, fulfilled people there to support each other, declaring love is love is love in a world that certainly needs more of it at the moment. It was enriching, uplifting and one of the best afternoons I have ever spent in my entire life. And I don’t care if you dont get it, it doesn’t impact you how others live their lives.

For 50 years I worked in an industry where you didn’t have to hide your sexuality, yet some did. And this week I danced with thousands who were out and proud because they can be. That was the best celebration in town and, yes, something to be proud of.

Politicians, please don’t meddle in things that don’t impact the world negatively. Diversity in all its glory was to be found on the streets of Leeds last weekend and in the women I spent much of this week with. You can scrap the departments, you can cancel the titles, divide to conquer but for every right thinking person who doesn’t judge, doesn’t label, there will always be a sense of pride in knowing, as our wonderful Jo Cox who gave her life speaking up for others once said, we have more in common than that which divides us.

And in a world where division is considered the route to power, I would far rather we all turned up the music full blast and sang together What have you done today to make you feel proud?