(My first EVER pageant, there's future Miss Swindon Jade in the back too hehe)
When I first entered the pageant world I had no idea how many different pageants there could be. Pageants are really as big here in the UK compared to America which is a shame, only now is the UK learning all about these amazing pageants. So I entered my local regional heat Miss Wiltshire where the team scouted for local talent in and around Wiltshire. All the girls had links to WIltshire, being born there, attending college, working here and they all wanted the same thing, to wear that crown and make Wiltshire proud. I didnt win my first pageant, but become runner up Miss Wiltshire 2010, Miss Popularity 2010 and got the massive bug for pageants!
(Front page of the Adver- once the local town found out there was more than one Miss Swindon!)
From that moment on I truly had the pageant bug, that feeling of walking on stage, owning it and showing everyone who doubted you at school, the bullies, the ex's that said you could never do it, all of them wrong. It was your moment on stage and I loved every minute. What I learned was to truly be a role model and exceptional queen, you needed to put A LOT of hard work in. It wasn't just being on stage for those precious minutes. It was the hard work behind it, the days spent in the cold fundraising for charity, all the emails and letters to the papers, companies to sponsor you and donate to your charity causes. Also there were the outfits, most pageants have an eco or creative round so it was finding the recycled material, spending your time sewing and gluing!
(Representing Swindon at the Miss Galaxy finals)
I've represented Swindon in various pageants, from the finals at Galaxy to winning Miss Swindon in Miss England after competing for the second time round. I've represented Wiltshire in the Miss Earth national finals and also the UK's dazzling beauty finals where I became 1st runner up. I've even been lucky enough to represent England at Europe's Perfect Miss and will be representing England at the international finals for Face of the Globe this year. I'm very proud of everything i've achieved throughout the years of doing pageants but what means the most to me is that every title I have won have been my own county, where i have been born and raised and therefore been able to give back to my community.
(abseiling from the county ground in 2011, I did this again in 2013 from an even higher place!!)
I think as a titleholder you should be proactive with your title, what it says on your sash YOU now represent.You should be making a name for the title and yourself by helping the community, running events, being involved and helping out. I may have had a busy work and study life but throughout my pageant "career" I have always maintained a level where I can help out in my town. I've organised my own events, done charity runs, hikes, hoopathons, zumbathons, absailed down tall buildings, gone pit collecting, donated time to the shops and clothing, helping out the other beauty queens and attending vital calender events in the community like the Swindon Mela, Swindon Pride and the Old town festival.
(Competing at the Miss English Beauty finals 2012, the first time I placed at a National final as 2nd runner up)
I wouldn't dream of representing another county because why should I? If I can't physically be there at their big events, get them involved in my charity events and really make them proud then I see the title as a fraud. Granted if you actually work hard to make appearances for the title then fair play but you are taking away from the girls who actually want to do well for their community just so you can advance to the final. Girls who earn the crown have my resepct, girls who take the crown and leave it to gather dust after all the photos are taken are ones that put the pageant circuit to shame
(Wiltshire beauty queens in 2012, I'm represetning England here at a local Swindon wedding fayre)
This is why the news doesnt shock me which has been circutlating around the internet and papers, found here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/10721899/Row-as-Miss-Hampshire-lives-in-Middlesex.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26728769
This is about hte new Miss Hampshire who is actually not from Hampshire. THis is the rule that allows girls to enter within a 50 mile radius. I understand the girls frustration, last year in my last year competing in Miss England, our Miss Wiltshire heat was opened up so anyone could compete from around England. THis is turn lead us Swindon and Wiltshire girls to feel a bit betrayed and angry, why should we have to compete with pageant queens who have already become runner's up and have a place in the semi finals already. The winner advanced to the finals which was why she was at Miss Wiltshire in the first place, but then has done nothing around Wiltshire to this day. Of course I could be the jaded runner up and moan my head about the injustice, fair is fair she won on points and I will never take that away from a girl. What you do on the night is all up to you and if someone beats you, you just need to try harder next time. But the reason I copete is not to get to the finals, that is a bonus! It's to represent my title, I think it should be a rule that a queen has to do a minimum amount of appearances in the town/county they are representing within a certain time scale, if they fail to complete the easiest task then their title should be stripped and given to the first runner up and so forth. Pageant organisers want someone who will be an ambassador for their pageant, what's the point in handing someone a title if they are not going to use it. That just makes the industry to be looking at just taking girls money and being away with it. There are girls who want to help, who want to wear their sash and crown and be proud. These are the girls who work for it, travel many miles if they do not live there, who take their time to talk to the press rather than ignore them. These are the true pageant queens, regardless of how high their title is and what pageant.
(What pageants are about, meeting new friends, having fun and working for that title)
Pageants should be what you make of it, I've made millions of friends, got so many contacts that I've been able to get the job I love and to be able to help others in doing so. All through representing MY county. Would love to know your views on this all, get back to me!!
x <3 x
Hannah- Team England FOTG
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