Gareth Gates wowed the crowds at the Party in the Park in Bingley yesterday, but at the end of the day Bradford gained so much more than a blistering performance by its favourite musical son.

Thousands of people spent the weekend partying and proving that when Bradford gets together to celebrate something, it does so in style.

The whole weekend was a tremendous event and a perfect way to round off a significant summer for the Bradford area.

Over the past few weeks, all the stops have been pulled out to prove to the world that Bradford is so much more than its detractors sniffily claim.

With the bid to be named European Capital of Culture in 2008 gaining momentum over the summer, the wealth of entertainment and art in Bradford has no doubt surprised even a few of the people who live here.

If only those people whose task it is to deliver the final judgement on who will win Capital of Culture title could have been in Myrtle Park as the sun blazed down on Saturday and Sunday.

Gareth and his co-stars Darius, Atomic Kitten and Blazin' Squad, along with Saturday's rock tribute entertainment, would have left them in no doubt that Bradford well and truly deserves the accolade.

The weekend showed just how united Bradford can be when celebrating so joyously. This was real grassroots culture, the kind that everyone can enjoy. And 27,500 fans voted with their feet over the weekend to make the party a success.

As Gareth Gates himself said about his Bradford supporters on the day: "You don't get better fans than this."