The Children's Parade which opens the Brighton Festival took place last Saturday and, once again, was fantastic.

Everyone taking part excelled in imaginative use of costumes, props and structures to evoke this year's theme, World Cuisine.

The work schools put in was magnificent and took many hours of hard work and dedication by staff and pupils but it did not have the effect it should have.

It takes place mostly through the North Laine which is congested as the roads are very narrow.

This takes away the effect of a mass of smiling faces with colourful costumes and structures and the parade stop/starts all the way to the seafront.

With wider roads, it could flow, giving a stream of colour and music. And if it was allowed to proceed either along the seafront or Grand Parade it would look and sound wonderful.

The parade ended this year on the seafront with the recording of a song children had learned but those not in the first 55 schools had no chance of making it in time for the recording.

Our school was 61st and we had some very disappointed children when they realised they were too late even for the 1pm recording.

What a shame Brighton and Hove City Council did not see fit to authorise the closure of roads for the two hours of this event.

If the roads can be closed for PRIDE, why not for the Children's Parade?

Maybe next year the council could give the children of this town the same opportunity to show off their talents and enthusiasm - two hours in a year is not a lot to ask.

-Debbie Knowles, Brighton