South Yorkshire Times, April 18th, 1970

It was the “Matinee Princess” Dancers Big Day

Sunday’s Junior and Juvenile Matinee Princess competitions brought another kaleidoscope of colour to the Empress Ballroom at Mexborough as 105 competitors – 45 in the junior title class and 60 in the juvenile, passed before the adjudicators against a background of soft music

Constance Grant Competition Matinee events are held each month throughout the year; this is the big day – a day of competitive dancing with adjudicators from Newcastle, Bradford, Farsley and Bridlington – a day for rainbow-hued ballroom gowns, frothy with lace and sparkling with sequins.

Over 350 competitors were there; they came from as far as Newcastle, Hull, Birmingham, Nottingham, Chesterfield and Sheffield. And as near “home” as Darfield.

Third in the junior “princess” title went to Cheryl Hicks of 14 Vicar Road. The Junior winner was Hazel Simpson, 33a Kingsley Crescent, Sawley, Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire, the runner-up, Margaret Brown 10, Barnborough Crescent, Shire Moor, Northumberland.

The Juvenile title went to Glenys Jessop, 34, Nettleton Street, Ossett, Yorkshire. Second was Karen Dorsett, 27, Rinstead Garth, Bransholm, and third Sheila Page, 28, Alliance Avenue, Hull.

Their sashes and prizes, and the gifts for parents and escorts, were presented to them by Mrs. Joan Estelle Lavelle, of Lavelle Hair Fashions, who shared the adjudication with her daughter, Mrs. Sheila Camm, hairstylist, and the Editor of the “South Yorkshire Times”, Mr. R. D. Ridyard.

The adjudicators made their individual selections from several parades, scrutineers calling back to the floor those receiving majority votes until finally seven remained in the one title and five in the other. The choice of first, second and third was again made on majority vote. The Juvenile title is open to competitors under 12, the Junior title to competitors under 16. Each “Princess” receives the “Freedom of the Empress” for a year.