Miss She Competition 1955 - 1983 Back

Click here to view a poem written by Miss She entrant, Vera M Lacey

Information, photo & article kindly submitted by Ron Stanway - General Manager, Entertainment & Promotions for the Butlin Group 1974 to 1990 and Competition Producer 1968 to 1990

The National Magazine Company, distributors of several leading magazines throughout Britain, launched a Miss Vanity Fair competition in 1954 in an attempt to boost sales of that particular magazine.  After one year it was felt that `She' magazine was more suited to a competition and Butlin's were approached to include it into their weekly entertainment programme for the holidaymaker and the competition was renamed Miss She.

Billed as a competition in 'Day Wear', the Miss She became an institution throughout Britain with enormous entries at the weekly heats on all the Butlin Centres and Hotels.  Ladies from 18 to 80 competed and whilst the word `fashion' was never mentioned in publicity, it did become more of a fashion show at the Area Final and Grand Final stages as the regulars tried to outdo each other.  The enormous age range of the competitors was one of the nice things about this particular competition as Grandmothers could easily compete against the younger beauty queens.

As the Butlin empire increased with the addition of Camps at Bognor Regis, Barry Island and Minehead; the purchase of further hotels at Llandudno and Scarborough, so the entries grew to over 10,000 per year.  The `She' became the biggest sponsored event ever at Butlin's spanning a period of thirty years.

The winner of the title in 1964 reached the dizzy heights of stardom when in the same year she won the, Miss World title.  That lady was Miss Ann Sidney. A photograph of Miss Sydney receiving the Miss She trophy from Mr Butlin follows this report.

Mr Roy Schofield, Publicity Manager, National Magazine Company, was the sponsorship linkman for the whole period of the competition. He forged a strong liaison and long friendship with, Ron Stanway, General Manager, Entertainment & Promotions for Butlin's, who for the period 1968 to 1984 was responsible for the production of the Area Finals and Grand Final.

Following the announcment that She Magazine wanted to pull out of the competition after the 1984 Final and end a 30 year association with Butlin's, one of the regular competitors wrote the following, addressed to Ron Stanway the Butlin's Competition Producer and Roy Schofield, the Publicity Manager of She Magazine.

A plea from a Miss She Competitor to the competition organisers.

Dear Ron & Roy,

May I call you both by your first names? I feel as though we are friends as over these past few years you have given myself, my husband, family and friends so much pleasure.

I cannot begin to tell you how sorry we all are, and I know I speak for everyone concerned, that the Butlin's Miss She competition is coming to an end. It's not just us girls directly involved that will miss it but all the people we know in our home towns, the friends we drag around the stores to get the right bag to go with the right shoes and not forgetting the gloves. The girls at work who sit through endless coffee and tea breaks discussing what we should wear and how we will wear it. The pride our parents, husbands, children, brothers and sisters feel when once again our pictures appear in the local newspaper and who knows next time may become Miss She.

You see, you give us a dream! You give us the glamour with the hope that we too could perhaps become a model and wear fantastic clothes - which is one thing we all have in common, the law of fashion. You are going to laeve a big gap in our lives Miss She please don't go.

Margaret Payton 1984.

A list of the Title winners follows.

Butlin's, Miss SHE
A competition in Day Wear

Sponsored by SHE Magazine for 30 years in conjunction with Butlin Holidays.

The dates listed above are the `Year of the Reign' (eg. the year following the qualification at a weekly heat)

Butlin's, Miss ULTRA GLOW

Sponsored by Ultra Glow Cosmetics. In conjunction with Butlin's Holidays.

A similar 'Day Wear' competition to the Miss SHE but now with additional emphasis on face and make-up.

Butlin's, Miss ALBERTO BALSAM

Sponsored by Alberto Culver UK. Ltd. In conjunction with Butlin's Holidays.

A similar 'Day Wear' competition to the Miss SHE but now with additional emphasis on hairstyle and condition and no hats were permitted.

The 1964 winner Ann Sidney seen here with Billy Butlin