Beauty Queens Join Parade of Mining History

By Chris Robinson

COAL Queen Linda Findlay remembers when she was crowned the mining beauty of Northumberland.

Back then she was 16-year-old Linda Todd, a miner’s daughter from Blyth whose father worked at Bates Colliery.

Now a 56-year-old grandmother, Mrs Findlay, the original Miss Northumberland, hopes to line up with past beauties as part of anniversary celebrations for the National Coal Mining Museum for England.

"My dad was a miner and he said to me, ‘why don’t you go in for it?’ and I actually won it for the colliery," she said.

"I remember we had to go along to the Band Room in Blyth for the first heats. I had to walk around the room and they had to choose a third, second and first, the one who won became the Northumberland Coal Queen and then went on to the national finals.

"I really enjoyed it. For a year I used to go around all the mines in the regalia. It was brilliant, I used to wear the sash and a bathing costume and heels and used to attract a lot of attention."

The competition, The Coal Queen of Britain, was run by the National Coal Board between 1969 and 1996. Each colliery was encouraged to choose its own Coal Queen and the Colliery Coal Queens from each region then competed for the coalfield title before 12 regional finalists competed for the National Coal Queen of Britain title.

The early competitions were staged at Skegness but moved to Blackpool when the big Mining Festival weekend was organised, and remained there until the Mining Weekend, as it became known, came to an end in 1983.

Later this year past winners are being invited to take part in The National Coal Mining Museum for England’s 20th Anniversary celebrations as part of its fourth Annual Miners’ Gala.

Mrs Findlay, a marketing manager, added: "We all went down to the finals in Skegness and they put us on a special train. Everyone was lovely.

"They would ask you what you wanted to do and I said that I would like to raise money for charity and wanted to travel.

"There was a girl called Rose won from Durham, she was lovely, but all the girls were lovely and it was a special experience at the time because you were doing this for your family and your community."

Woodhorn, Northumberland Museum and Archives, in Ashington features memorabilia from former Coal Queens in its Coal Town exhibition.

Deborah Tate, marketing manager at the venue, remembers when she was crowned Northumberland Coal Queen in 1982, at the ageof 19.

She said: "It wasn’t just a competition to find a pretty girl, it was an opportunity to make your dad proud of you and of the industry you worked in.

"It was about being a part of the industry, but the lighter side rather than the dirty, dangerous side of mining. There was a warm feeling to it, it was about the girl next door."

Any past winners should get in touch with Rachel Bannister at The National Coal Mining Museum for England on 01924 844560 or email rachel.bannister@ncm.org.uk.

(c) 2008 The Journal – Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.