AS reported by NOTA (14 January 2026) before his untimely death, well-known Gloucester identity Dave Snowden was planning the first Bucketts of Pride Festival for this year’s Valentine’s Day.
“I really thought it would be a great idea to celebrate the wonderful diversity of Gloucester, and I can say that festival-goers will be in for a wonderful surprise, but I can say no more,” Dave told NOTA in May last year.
Dave later let slip that part of the festival was to involve him riding down Gloucester’s main street in the same glittering silver stiletto that was part of the closing ceremony for the Sydney Olympics, and a prop for the stage version of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”.
Due to Dave’s death, the organisers who had been working with him decided that it was necessary to scale back his plans a little and hold a picnic in Billabong Park instead.
The picnic, held on Saturday, celebrated both Dave’s life and also his dream that a time would come when no child or young adult would be picked on because of their sexuality, and that bullying and non-acceptance towards the LGBTQIA+ community would cease to exist.
“It was clear from this event (the picnic) how much love the community had for Dave and we know he would have been watching over them with pride today,” said Tamworth Pride on Facebook, which supported the event.
“From little things big things grow and we can’t wait to attend their next event in 2027.”
According to the organisers the picnic was a lovely evening full of great stories and laughter.
Although there was no parade as planned by Dave, the giant stiletto was still the centrepiece of the evening.
By John WATTS
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