Newspaper Article 1957 – Finalists Selected in Blossom Queen Quest

Finalists Selected in Blossom Queen Quest

The six young women who are to contest the final of the Hastings Blossom Festival queen competition were selected in the Municipal Theatre last night.  During a variety programme the last elimination contest in the teenager road-safety quiz was also held.

Last night’s programme was the third in a series of four planned by Greater Hastings.  Other elimination contests were held in the past two shows.

The finalists in the queen competition are Misses Dawn Stewart, Serena Tahau, Frances Taylor, Kay Kelly, Shona McDonald [MacDonald] and Mrs. Louris [Lauris] Varney.  The five judges were unanimous.

The road-safety quiz judges, Miss C. M. Miller and Messrs J. W. Coddington and R. J. Fowler, selected Misses Margaret Townshend and Geraldine Wills, and John Lane and Trevor Rosser, to contest the final of the contest with eight other competitors.

The Blossom Queen, who will be crowned after selection at next Thursday night’s programme, will lead the blossom procession in September on a float.  The girl and boy who win the road-safety contest are to go on a short motoring holiday.

AUDIENCE QUIZ.

For achievements ranging from a wart on the right hand to a hole in a sock, and from being the mother of 14 children to wearing pink underpants, large quantities of quick-frozen peas and beans were awarded in an audience quiz.

In another session later in the show the prize for answering one question was £50.  The quizmaster, Mr. E. H. Culver, asked the origin of the slang term “gat” used to describe a revolver.

The answer, which Mr. Harry Davison did not give completely […]

Photo caption –

THE SIX FINALISTS in the Hastings Blossom Festival queen contest were chosen in the Municipal Theatre last night.  Here are five of them.  Back: Mrs. Louris Varney, Miss Serena Tahau.  Front: Misses Dawn Stewart, Kay Kelly and Frances Taylor.  Miss Shona McDonald is absent.