Doug Coup wrote of his perception of the Pride in Brighton and Hove parade (Letters, September 4) comparing it to the Notting Hill Carnival and was "sad to see the pathetic efforts of the Gay Pride parade".

I have been the Brighton Pride Parade director for a number of years and, coincidentally, am also involved annually with the Notting Hill Carnival, albeit operationally on the medical side.

I understand the sentiments of the letter and am pleased Doug shares the same concerns as myself, although I strongly dismiss his use of the word "pathetic", especially as the parade increases and improves annually.

The Notting Hill Carnival is a three-day event. The children's parade (a small event) is held on the Saturday and the main carnival on the Sunday and Monday.

The carnival comprises lorries with either sound systems or steel bands on board and groups in colourful costumes dancing behind. The floats follow a circular route. There are a few static stages on the route broadcasting music with audiences free to dance.

Many thousands of residents and visitors wander the streets, buying drink and food from residents who set up stalls in their front gardens.

The daily events commence at 11am and cease at about 11pm. Floats and costumes are re-used each day. Thefts, violence and deaths are not uncommon.

In comparison, the Brighton Pride Parade is the "Pied Piper". It leads about 25,000 people from the city centre into Preston Park so they can enjoy the Pride in Brighton and Hove festival without having to clog up the streets.

The route is only two miles long and the front of the Parade takes only one hour to reach its destination, where the floats are dismantled.

Personally, I would like to start the parade in Hove again, to include both parts of the city and make the parade more worthwhile for the participants and the thousands who lines the streets to observe.

The varied floats are usually hired and the lorry drivers paid by the organisations using them. Brighton and Hove City Council has a grant procedure that can be applied for, as Brighton Pride saves the council a tremendous amount of money in advertising, bringing in revenue for local businesses.

Most floats are paraded by voluntary organisations and erected on the morning of the parade because of participants' work schedules and the cost of hiring lorries and drivers.

Only one open-top double-decker bus was in this year's parade. The owner of Club Revenge gave his staff micro-scooters to use in their display on the condition they were all given away to kids near or at Preston Park and all money raised on the day distributed to charities.

We successfully encouraged an increase in walking tableaux this year and one group of 50 dancers dressed in red and dancing to camp tunes travelled from London to join in the fun.

The parade was led by the city's famous Carnival Collective samba band that led a fantastic parade of 37 floats, which included another two samba bands.

Flower City had a flower-laden float with staff giving the thousands of flowers to those lining the streets, although the Property Agents (4sale) didn't give away any houses.

Three drag queens covered their car totally in bright fun-fur, six Smart cars carried passengers in amazing white costumes, eight "dykes on bikes" rode their motorbikes, two floats had Egyptian themes and WKD put three muscle-boys on show with their float as the lead vehicle.

This was a brilliant Pride procession and the city has every right to be proud of it.

-Terry Wing, Parade Director, Pride in Brighton and Hove