Thursday 27 May 1982. I went down to Blackpool's North Pier to the second heat of the weekly Miss Blackpool Contest.
At the organ is Raymond Wallbank, who had a shop selling musical instruments in the town.
Contestant No.1 please... (fanfare). Sadly I didn't manage to note down the girls' names apart from the winner of the heat - and I can't give that away so early...
And what she looks like when not obscured by a microphone!
Getting good at this obscured faces thing! Contestant No.5.
And she was moving fast here too so lost focus. I'll catch her next time!
Meanwhile Contestant No.7 is taking to - no she's leaving the stage...
Step forward contestant No.8 - oh blimey, she's off as well!
Sad to say that not everyone is giving the contestants their full attention. Come on! These girls are putting their all into it!
Staying wide awake, however, is judge, skater Robin Cousins.
Contestant No.9... leaving the stage...
Once all the girls have been on in turn, they come out to line up together. First they line up on the stage.
Then they line up in front of Robin Cousins, lucky lad! He's so embarrassed, he's closed his eyes!
He gets an all-round view.
A shortlist of six contestants is agreed. Having been selected, they line up on stage again and Robin now has to decide on his final three placings.
In third place is Contestant No.1.
Runner-up is Contestant No.11
Winner of the second heat of Miss Blackpool 1982 is Contestant No.5.
She is Wendy Phizacklea from Barrow.
A final appearance on stage. Each of the placed contestants has a prize cheque in an envelope. Having peeked, Contestant No.1 looks quite pleased with hers!
Of course, (ahem! ahem!) what I really came for was a photo of Raymond Wallbank...!
The Press are taking their photos of the winner, Wendy Phizacklea, so I join on the end of the line.
It can't be denied that she absolutely deserved to win!
I seem to recall that she turned up a couple of years later in one of the national contests, Miss UK or Miss Great Britain, but I wouldn't swear to it. If she happens across this article perhaps she could leave a comment.
Haven't I seen one of those before? Oh yes! You let me use it once, for what, we won't mention....:)
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