The Miss Ramsgate Organisation is very pleased to be involved in the celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Harbour. Miss Ramsgate, Alyssa Redford- Taylor; and her attendants, Princesses, Lucy Woodward and Charley Bowman; plus Deputy Miss Ramsgate, Alisha Maskell will be attending. Plus a Junior Court, Junior Miss Ramsgate, Lana Pearce; Junior Princess, Shannon Pidduck and Evie Quint; plus a Rosebud Queen, Leah Pearce. The Junior Court is a first for Ramsgate and this year is a trial year as several other Towns have Junior and Senior Courts, so we thought a trial would show what a Junior Court has to offer Ramsgate.
We are not quite sure when the Miss Ramsgate Competition started, we have a trophy that was presented at Ramsgate Carnival in 1923 and the Carnival Queen as she was known was an integral part of Carnival Week. The earliest evidence we have of the Carnival Queen competition is a series of photographs taken from 1936. When Florence Desmond is pictured arriving at Ramsgate Airport, in Pysons Road. In 1937, it was Jessie Matthews; In 1938, Miss Valerie Hobson and in 1939, Miss Meryl Oberon. These ladies were all Britain’s famous stars of screen and stage and they are shown Judging and Crowning the Carnival Queen out of the numerous young ladies who entered in venue’s such as Ellington Park or the Westcliff Bandstand (now the Boating Pool). It was supported by crowds of hundreds of people who came to see the stars and watch the competition. The competition was part of the weeklong celebrations for the Carnival and I have a programme from 1938 price 2d, advertising the Final of the Carnival Queen Contest at Ellington park where Billy Merrin and his Commanders were the band that played during the event and Miss Valerie Hobson (Britain’s Newest Film Star) was the Judge.
I am not sure when the title changed from Carnival Queen to that of Miss Ramsgate, but at the time it was a registered title along with other Towns who had similar competitions like Miss Margate. It became a tradition run by the Carnival committee but not to be confused by the other beauty competition which took place a few years later and known as the Ramsgate Aqua Lovelies. This was a beauty competition and the young ladies were judged in swimwear often at the Marina Swimming Pool. They rode on floats depicting waves and seahorses or dolphins or water skies, posing in their swimwear, unlike the Miss Ramsgate Float that was decorated with flowers and built to look like ornate carriages and the girls wore lovely dresses, crowns and robes.
Although the Queen and her escorts attended some functions in the town during their year of office, it is very different from the present-day Court who loved to be involved in the town and take part in numerous activities. Such as litter picking, selling raffle tickets at fairs or other charity events, playing with children or helping the elderly or presenting awards such as Ramsgate In Bloom Competition. They are excellent ambassadors for the town and they attend carnivals around other towns in Kent and they have a special float constructed by Miss Ramsgate Organisation Members which, where possible, depicts somewhere in Ramsgate to encourage people to visit these lovely places. At the present it shows the Italianate Glasshouse in King George IV park.
Please feel free to look over the float at the carnival or while on display at the Royal Harbour 200th Anniversary Celebrations. The Ramsgate Court are also playing hostess to other Courts from around Kent during the Harbour Celebrations and they will take part in the Parade and Drum Head service on Saturday September 25 at the harbour. They will also be involved with lots of other events over the weekend.
Unfortunately, Ramsgate Carnival has been postponed from July 25 to Sunday September, because of the knock-on effect of COVID, but everything about the carnival and fair will remain the same. Moving off from Government Acre at 4:30pm.
For any further information about the Ramsgate Town Court or Carnival contact me, Marion Pearce (Court Manager, Miss Ramsgate Organisation and Acting Chair for Ramsgate Carnival) on 07798 677140 or email
rogma.pearce@tiscali.co.uk.
Thanks to Ramsgate Town Council for the support they give to the Miss Ramsgate Organisation and Ramsgate Town Carnival.