The weekend could have been a disaster. One year on from the devastating riots that rocked Bradford last year, the spotlight was once again on the city. Would there be a repeat of the running battles and violent clashes?

In the end, no. Instead, a number of high-profile civic events took place in the city centre, including the formal election to office of Bradford's new Lord Mayor, Coun Richard Wightman, and a farewell to the retiring Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David Smith.

Bradford has moved on since July 7, 2001. The Bishop quite rightly used his address at the Cathedral yesterday to voice his unhappiness that the national media still portrays Bradford in a negative light.

There were, indeed, incidents over the weekend of outsiders with little understanding of the issues trying to point accusing fingers at Bradford but providing no practical solutions themselves.

He said that he had witnessed reconciliation between religions whose followers hadonce thought they had to kill each other, and such a massive step forward should be celebrated in Bradford.

Another senior churchman, Canon Derek Jackson, also made the point at the sermon yesterday to mark the Lord Mayor's election, that those involved in last year's riots needed to pay their debt to society.

There were demonstrations last week from those who thought sentences handed down to the rioters by the courts were too harsh. But as Canon Jackson commented: "Those found guilty of those actions have to face the punishment."

Now that the first anniversary of the riots is out of the way, and those who took part in the violence are being brought to book for their crimes, Bradford can truly begin to look to the future.