South East

Natalie Archibald is Miss Folkestone 2008.

She is just the latest in a tradition that goes back exactly 100 years.

In fact every single beauty pageant right the way up to Miss World can be traced back to Folkestone.

Edwardian beginnings

Robert Forsyth was an Edwardian entrepreneur and the Managing Director of Folkestone Pier.

He did a great amount to provide entertainment for the town.

One day he came up with a brilliant idea for putting Folkestone on the map and attracting more tourists - a beauty pageant.

Eamonn Rooney, a local historian, explains the secret of his success:

Early days - the 1911 winner.

"Of course there have been May Queens and beauty competitions before. But Robert's stroke of genius was to hold an international competition."

So on 14 August 1908 the Folkestone Beauty Pageant was born.

There were definitely no swimsuits back in 1908. That wouldn't happen until decades later.

But the beauty contest led directly to the beauty pageants of later decades.

This was to culminate at a global level with the creation of Miss World.

Feminist fury

Nellie Jarman from London effectively became Miss Folkestone 1908.

But not everyone thought that the beauty pageant was a good idea.

The Folkestone Express reported the next day that:

"The two front rows in the stalls were occupied by "Suffragettes".

"They each wore a large sailor hat with a red band on which the legend appeared "Votes for Women!".

Beauty contest - Miss Folkestone 1947.

But the pageant managed to proceed to the delight of the audience.

One hundred years later, the beauty contest is still derided by feminists for its demeaning attitudes to women.

During the First and Second World Wars the beauty pageant was dropped for different reasons - the threat of bombing raids.

But it was resurrected in 1947 when Patricia Hawker was the winner of the Miss Folkestone title.

It wasn't long before the swimwear round started to appear in the contest in the 50's.

But swim suits became politically incorrect in the 1980's.

Beauty today

Today's competitors have to be all-round performers with talents beyond the traditional realms of charm and beauty.

These days the pendulum has swung so far the other way a British Army soldier from Kent can happily take part in the Miss England competition.

The beauty contest has come a very long way since its beginnings in Edwardian Folkestone!