Burton Latimer - Sport & Leisure:Gala Parade day 34-38

John Meads 2010

Parade Days 1934-40

Megan White, Burton's first Queen in 1934

Seen here in 1934 is Burton's first queen Megan White (in the centre), with her attendants
Phyllis Buckby, Rene Cook, Gwen Fox and Ruby Payne

The Gala parade passing the Dukes Arms in 1935 or 1936

This photograph, taken near the Duke's Arms in the High Street looking south, shows the great
crowds that used to turn out to watch the parade go by. With the exception of the Duke's
Arms, all the buildings seen in this picture have now disappeared. The year is 1935 or 1936.

Thornloe & Clarkson's Gala entry, mid 1930s

An early Gala entry at the Recreation Ground by employees of Thornloe & Clarkson, makers of
'Beau Brummel' clothing at their factory in Alexandra Street. 1st left is Louie Stokes, 3rd is Eva
Fennell, 4th Florence Clipson (later Mrs John Smith), 6th is Rhoda Toop and 7th Frank Toop.
2nd from right is Lil Humphries. Factory manager Bob Chamberlain is seated in the middle.

Irene Cooke - Hospital Carnival Queen - 1935. On the float: first left is Joan Buckby then
Philip Quincey, Roger Saddington, Sheila Daniels, John Baish, the Queen Rene Cooke, Ruby Payne,
Freda Coles. No names have been given for the back row of the schoolchildren. In the second
row are …………? Kath Dams, …………? …………? …………? Front row Sheila Fennell, Eileen Rickards,
Kath Dent, …………? …………? Pam Cooke.

The 1936 Hospital Gala Queen Audrey Mason. L-R: Eileen Spanton, Mary Wright, the queen
Audrey Mason, Flora Reed, May Evans, Jean Olerenshaw. The young attendants are Philip
Quincey, Roger Saddington and Billy Hickman. Betty Loak and Ivan Cox are on the grass.

Mary Wright the 1937 Queen with her attendants

The 1937 Gala Queen Mary Wright in the centre with her attendants L-R: Gladys Conquest,
Kathleen Capps, Mary Wright, May Evans and Jean Olorenshaw.
The children are Betty Loak and Ivan Cox.


Audrey Larratt Hospital Carnival Queen 1938	The contestants in the competition held in April 1938 to become Hospital Carnival Queen. Standing: Gladys Conquest (Maid of Honour) and Phyllis Meadows (Deputy Queen) Seated: Sylvia Conroy (Maid of Honour), Margaret Groom (Maid of Honour) and Audrey Larratt (Queen)

In 1939, as a departure from the traditional Gala Queen selection contest, the Gala Committee decided that it would be appropriate to chose girls to represent the various industries of the town. Below are pictures from the Evening Telegraph. The first one was taken at the crowning on 28th June and the other was taken on Saturday 15th July, the day of the parade.


The crowning of Burton Latimer's Trade Queens in 1939 by Mrs A. Timpson (Kettering)	Burton Latimer's Trade Queens L-R: Sylvia Johnson (Shoe & leather Trades Queen, Rosie Johnson (Other trades Queen) and Sylvia Conroy (Clothing trades Queen)

By the following year, the Trade Queen idea had been dropped and the traditional Gala Queen selection returned.
There was one innovation however, for the first time the chosen queen was a married woman - this was
19 year-old Margaret Annie Giles, née May, who had married Sidney Giles the previous October.


Mrs Margaret Giles !940 Gala Queen	The 1940 Queen and her attendants. L-R: Mary Bugby, Margaret Giles and Brenda Whiteman

Although Gala Parades were held during the Second World War, there do not appear to have been
any contests to select a queen.

Click here to return to the Gala Days introduction