Queens reunite for diamond Halifax Charity Gala

This Saturday, they will come together on Manor Heath as part of celebratory events taking place to mark the 60th annual Halifax Charity Gala.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work and searching and we’re excited to have found queens from every decade except the 60s,” said Elaine Bowers, who has been heading up the efforts,

“We’ve found 14 gala queens, one gala princess, one gala prince and four gala attendants which is fairly impressive, as we’d anticipated a good number would have moved away from the area.”

The women will travel in the grand procession behind this year’s gala queen and attendant, who are also joined by Halifax‐born Miss United Kingdom Beautiful.

Their line‐up includes 1976 Queen Marcia Medic, now 57 and known as Marcia Binns.

“I set off a charity bed race, opened a garden party, presented trophies, inspected troops, and went on to compete in Miss England as Miss Yorkshire, which all came from my selection as Gala Queen,” she said.

“At the time I was the youngest queen they ever had at age 16, and it’s a bit strange looking back now I’m a grandmother to three little girls.”

Standing alongside her will be former Brooksbank student Billie‐Lou Lowson, now a 21‐year‐old Leeds University undergraduate.

She said: “It was a lovely day, supporting Queen Esther, it was the best thing ever for us both to be treated as princesses for a day.

“I can’t believe this is the 60th Gala, I’ve been going to the Gala for years, since I was a little girl, though my studies have meant I’ve missed the last couple of years, but I’m glad I can come back for this one.”

The gala will be held on Saturday in Manor Heath Park. See next week’s paper for a full report and stacks of pictures.