THESE leggy lovelies have all been crowned Verwood royalty over the last 81 years.

A bevy of beauties have taken the throne since 1929, first pulled around the town in their carriage by a horse, then a tractor.

Now the search is on for the town’s latest monarch - and organisers are urging as many young women as possible to enter the contest.

The carnival committee says that unless more people get involved in the event this year it will be the end of the town’s annual fiesta.

People are being urged to use it or lose it - and get involved before it is too late.

The first appeal has gone out to girls and women to enter the carnival queen competition coming up next month.

In 1929, Verwood’s first ever queen was Winnie Read.

Many of the early queens are still living in the town today, including the 1939 queen Christine Henning, now Stratton.

She was the last carnival queen before the Second World War - the event restarted in 1946.

In 1951, a 15-year-old Pam Reeks won the competition, dressed as a rose, with petal skirts and a green top.

Now aged 74, she is a mine of information on Verwood’s history and runs the archives at the Heathland Heritage Centre in Manor Road.

She said: “In the 1950s the WI chose the queen.

“We had to parade around, then take to the stage and declare the carnival open - I think this was to prove that we could speak!

“In the 1930s whoever sold the most tickets was declared the winner.”

Now, the contest is all about community involvement and personality.

This year there will be no parading, but girls will be interviewed by a panel of judges.

Verwood’s 2011 carnival queen and two princesses will be selected at the Guide Headquarters at Manor Road on Sunday, March 20. Aspiring princesses should arrive at 2pm and potential queens at 3pm.

Candidates for princesses must be aged between nine and 14 and candidates for Carnival Queen must be aged from 15 to 25.

They must live in Verwood or Three Legged Cross and be available on Carnival Day -Monday, May 30.

The queen and princesses will get to choose and keep their carnival dresses.

Potential entrants can just turn up on the day or call carnival chairman Adrian Read on 01202 826908 for more details.

Businesses, clubs and |individuals can also call Mr Read if they would like to register an interest in the event - either |entering a float or a walking entry, or helping in some other way.

The committee is putting out flyers to get people involved, on which it says this will be the last year of carnival if more people don’t enter.

Mrs Reeks said: “Years ago, there was a big committee and lots of community involvement, but lately there are just a few people working very hard to hold the carnival.”

  • For lots more pictures from the Verwood heritage Centre's archives, see our picture special in the February 17 Forest Journal.
  • MAIN PICTURE: The large group is of the carnival queens' reunion in 1984. Their later married names and the year they were queen are in brackets. Front, from left: Fay Hood (Nicklen, 1950), Hope Shearing (Steel, 1953), Winnie Saunders (Lees, 1938), Joan Bugler (Steele, 1932), Penny Old (1984), Ruth Henning (Pearson, 1931), Edith Stratton (Penny, 1935), Christine Henning (Stratton, 1939), Iris Spearing (Howarth, 1947), Audrey Stone (Wheeler, 1949). Middle: Eve King (Snow, 1954), Rosemary Glover (Hunter, 1953), Heather Barrow (Peckham, 1966), Janet Andrews (Stride, 1964), Hilary Manlove (1968), Jane Bunn (Homer, 1978), Valerie Steele (Eyres, 1957), Susan Barrow (Ross, 1965), Linda Barrow (Revell, 1967), Jean Revell (Middleton, 1962), Pamela Cartwright (Reeks, 1951), Janet Barrow (Deedman, 1963). Back: Caroline Wingrove (Curtis, 1954), Jacqueline Earth (Street, 1969), Tanya Geiger (1980), Claire Atrill (1982), Eileen Fairbairn (1977), Sandra Castle (1972), Susan Close (Eastwood, 1974), Wendy Clarke (1973), Jo Dixon (Dunford, 1976), Daphne Shearing (Griffin, 1958), Helen Roberts (1983).