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Inside Out brings Miss Folkestone 1908 to life
Inside Out South East has traced the Miss World Competitions back to the first Folkestone Beauty Pageant in 1908 and recently took the town's Grand Hotel back in time for a reconstruction, marking the centenary of the original event.
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The Folkestone pageant was the idea of Edwardian entrepreneur Robert Forsyth, the Managing Director of Folkestone Pier.
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Although he was already credited with a number of entertainment ventures in the town, it was decided more was needed to attract the crowds. Ìý
May Queens and beauty competitions had been seen before but Forsyth's brainwave was to hold an international event.
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And so the international beauty pageant was born, attracting competitors from Europe and even from across the Atlantic. Ìý
The idea spread and led directly to the first Miss World of 1951.
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To mark the centenary and bring the original idea to life the Inside Out team staged a reconstruction, taking advantage of Folkestone's impressive Grand Hotel.
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Complete with period costumes, presenter Kaddy Lee-Preston joined with current Miss Folkestone 2008, Natalie Archibald, and some of the other girls who took part in this year's competition to re-enact the contest.
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Natalie, of course, played the part of the original 1908 winner, Miss Nellie Jarman from East Molesey in Surrey.
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The contest's original venue, the Hippodrome Theatre on Folkestone's pier, has long since been claimed by the sea, but the Grand's ballroom provided the perfect backdrop for the piece.
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Inside Out producer Vince Rogers explains:
"Along with the vintage costumes, the hotel's unique feel certainly helped give the reconstruction authenticity and it was fantastic that Natalie and her friends were able to take part.
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"We also shot a scene in Folkestone's famous Leas Cliff Lift which will really help to place the film visually in the town."
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You can see the full story of Miss Folkestone 1908 this Wednesday (1 October 2008) on Inside Out at 7.30pm on 91Èȱ¬ One South East.
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