Along with many of the stallholders and others who wrote to me and to the Oxford Mail in the days following this year's Lord Mayor's parade and charity event, I was personally very disappointed with the attendance, the change of date and venue, and the lack of publicity.

That deep disappointment was shared by the other civic office holders and councillors who were there.

I met the city council's chief executive last week to set in train a number of measures that I hope will improve the planning and organisation of the event in future years.

The council should clearly take the lead in organising the event, and build it into the events calendar for the year. A report along these lines is being prepared for later this month.

Secondly, the venue for the charity event/fairground can only be South Park, where it is easily accessible to a very large local population.

Oxpens is fine for specialist events, but is not easily accessible for bigger public events.

This means that the traditional route has to be made available and managed appropriately.

Thirdly, the traditional Bank Holiday Monday date still seems the most popular, but whether the Sunday or Monday is chosen, the key factor is good publicity and poster coverage. Again, the council can play an important organising role.

Perhaps the most important role that the wider Oxford public can play -- other than attending the event! -- is to consider whether their workplace or community organisation can participate in the parade. The decline in the number of motorised floats, due to stricter safety rules, can be compensated by the 'walking floats' and music/dance groups such as those that take part in the Cowley Road Carnival.

The parade just needs a lot more of them and I would urge your readers to make the 2006 event a much bigger and brighter occasion by responding to the invitations to take part when they go out in the autumn.

Bob Price (Councillor)

Lord Mayor of Oxford