Travelling abroad is a bit of a nightmare these days, so it’s nice to know that there are some beautiful parts of Britain worthy of our attention. Devon is a county in the South West of England where you can enjoy the tranquility of its beautiful countryside and glorious beaches. Walking through the countryside or exploring its hidden coves brings peace of mind, especially if you’re spending much of your life in the hustle and bustle of London.
In the heart of South Devon is the historic town of Totnes. It’s a beautiful little town, full of old world charm, on the banks of the river Dart. There are many small independent shops where the focus is on fair trade, and plenty of charming pubs and excellent restaurants, many of which have outside seating so you can enjoy a summer’s day. The local market is a thriving hub of the town and there are lots of things to keep the history buff in you interested.
Totnes is set to host their tenth Pride event in the historic market town on Saturday 3rd September 2022.
They’re laying on a whole host of free activities, which will bring the LGBTQ+ community together with their allies, to celebrate difference and demand queer liberation! The day kicks off at 10.30am outside The Royal Seven Stars. The award-winning Samba ROC Band will then lead a procession up Fore Street, High Street and Cistern Street to Rotherfold at the top of the town.
This year, for the first time, there will be a ‘Pride Market’ at Rotherfold where visitors of all ages can enjoy outdoor games and drag story time. There will also be live music and a whole host of community stalls. Due to funding from The National Lottery Community fund, entry to all daytime events is free.
Totnes Pride is organised by Proud2Be. Inspired by the mental health issues they faced as a result of the bullying, isolation, and discrimination they experienced growing up as LGBTQ+ in a rural village, twins Max and Maya Price set up Proud2Be in 2011. In a short time, Proud2Be has established itself as a well-respected social enterprise, facilitating various groups and events for adults and families. Proud2Be also runs a youth project, which includes online and in-person weekly youth groups in Totnes and Newton Abbot, 121 youth support, and a family coffee morning in Newton Abbot. In September, Proud2Be will be launching a new LGBTQ+ youth group in Torquay. Proud2Be delivers interactive workshops to young people and awareness training to organisations and schools around the UK.
About this year’s event, Proud2Be co-founder Max told QX:
“The last two years have been extremely challenging for many of us. Many of the people we work with tell us that the pandemic has exacerbated the issues they faced pre-covid. We are pleased that we have been able to offer safe spaces for people to come together for mutual support – and we are so excited to be able to host Totnes Pride again this year. The Pride Action Group has been working tirelessly to ensure our event continues to be an inclusive and thoughtful event and we invite everyone to come and join us for our tenth Pride in the town.”
To find out more about Totnes Pride, please visit proud2be.org.uk or email [email protected].
The www.trainline.com : It takes an average of 3h 1m to travel from London Paddington to Totnes by train, over a distance of around 170 miles (274 km). There are normally 34 trains per day travelling from London Paddington to Totnes and tickets for this journey start from £33.80 when you book in advance.
If you’re on a budget you can also travel by coach from Victoria station.
