All the world was there at the Lord Mayor’s parade which was based on the magic of film and circled the city centre in blazing sunshine on Saturday lunchtime.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Khadim Hussain, followed a marching New Orleans jazz band and behind him came a colourful carnival made up of local schools, groups and organisations. Celebrating Bradford’s identity as the first UNESCO city of film was the order of the day and the history of the moving image came to life in front of thousands of onlookers.

Charlie Chaplin swung his cane and Darth Vader marched with Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.

But the real stars were the hundreds of youngsters in costumes made as projects at their schools or social groups.

And Coun Hussain thanked all their parents, teachers and helpers for putting on a tremendous show.

Saying how his Mayoral year had flown by, Coun Hussain, who has attended more than 900 civic functions, said the parade summed up his hopes for Bradford.

“The wit and humour of this parade has been most entertaining – we’ve had a Bollywood version of Wuthering Heights, which is a great example of a ‘Bradford marriage’,” Coun Hussain said.

“We have so many people from diverse communities here to celebrate today being inclusive is Bradford’s strength and its richness.

“And it has been a privilege and an honour for me to be Lord Mayor and to be here at this wonderful parade,” he concluded.

Then Bradford’s children raced to crowded City Park to cool down in the sparkling fountains watched by happy mums dressed in everything from burkhas to bikinis.