The history of Miss Scarborough and Miss Scarborough Evening News - part one
Scarborough hadn’t held a beauty pageant since before the Second World War, but to celebrate 1,000 years since the town was founded by the Vikings, a Miss Millennium was chosen in 1966.
Dawn Glynn, a 21-year-old receptionist, became Scarborough’s first official beauty queen.
Such was the success of the contest, Scarborough Corporation, in conjunction with Scarborough Hotels Association and the Lions Club, launched Miss Scarborough 1967 to find a cover girl for the town’s holiday guide.
Karen Sutcliffe, an assistant at the Martina fashion house, beat 15 finalists in the contest held at The Candlelight Club.
From 1968, the final moved to the ballroom of Wallis’s Holiday Camp, Cayton Bay, as part of the Scarborough Press Ball, with proceeds going towards medical equipment for Scarborough Hospital.
TV hairdresser Mr Teazy-Weazy was a judge, and also crowned the winner Tina Dennison, a professional actress.
Tina sadly passed away four years later after a long illness.
During the 1969 final, the auction of a tie owned by Conservative leader Edward Heath, and a fez donated by comedian Tommy Cooper, raised £8 and £12 respectively.
As was now traditional, bands fronted by Graham Pinkney and Geoff Laycock provided the music, while the title went to shorthand typist Marian Kitchener.
The judges every year would almost always include the reigning Mayor or Mayoress, plus local personalities such as the current Scarborough Football Club manager, and businessmen like Penthouse owner Peter Adams and Zoo and Marineland boss Don Robinson, as well as a representative from the Scarborough Evening News.
Scarborough Tech student Christine Cole took the title in 1970, followed by Wendy Robinson who became Filey’s first winner in 1971.
An animal-zookeeper at Zoo and Marineland, Julie Rowley, won the crown in 1972, while the youngest winner yet – 16-year-old Diane Shearme, whose
parents own the Roker Hotel, triumphed in 1973.
Miss Scarborough 1974 Diane Sellars had the honour of being crowned by footballing legend Jack Charlton, while world-renown local playwright Alan Ayckbourn crowned the 1975 winner Tina Cape.
Policeman’s daughter Yvonne Hargreaves became the most successful winner so far when she won on her third attempt in 1976, going in to compete in Miss England, Miss Yorkshire Television, and winning Miss Yorkshire Coast and the Miss Websters Brewery national final.
She still works as dental nurse in Scarborough, and says she has nothing but happy memories of her time as Miss Scarborough.
Her dad, a retired policeman, accompanied her to all her pageants and she appreciates the fact that the contestants were all completely natural back then in the days before Botox and fillers.
“It was all a bit of fun,” she said.
Scarborough Football Club took over the running of the contest in 1977, and the winner was crowned during the Boro Player of the Year dinner at the Grand Hotel.
Sandie Robinson took the title but became the first winner to resign when she left the area six months into her reign.
Runner-up Dawn Walker took over for the remainder of the year and crowned 1978 winner Debbie Moore, of Flixton.
Mandy Harrow won the most controversial final thus far in 1979 when her crowning was marred by Scarborough FC director Barry Adamson being hit with a beer glass by a member of the audience who had mistaken him for Don Robinson.
The man accused the contest of being rigged due to Ms Harrow being an employee of club chairman Don Robinson.
Mandy said: “I was totally stunned when I won.
"I think I got £50 and a bunch of chrysanthemums!
"I did feel very special.
“I was in the Benelux procession with my sash on, and was always happy to stand in the freezing cold sea with my bikini on!”
- This has been written by Sally-Ann Fawcett, a former contestant in both Miss Scarborough and Miss Scarborough Evening News herself, now a pageant historian and head judge of Miss Great Britain.
Sally-Ann has written four books on the beauty queen world, including the Misdemeanours: Beauty Queen Scandals trilogy and The Official History of Miss Great Britain (Amazon).
With thanks to the Scarborough News for permission to use their archive photos, and to Patrick Argent for his assistance with research.