ONE of Brighton’s more contentious traditions is its long-time love affair with beauty pageants.
For some, even today they represent a classic side of Brighton: cheeky, charming, a little racy and tongue firmly in cheek.
It is the side of the city that tourists in Kiss Me Quick hats and hen parties in fake tiaras seem to lov, as they stumble down West Street and along the beach.
Some think it is tacky, even misogynistic.
But after yesterday’s double-page spread on – undoubtedly beautiful – railway stations from across the county, the powers that be here at Timeout have decided today’s pages should be graced with, among other things, beauty queens and pageant contestants.
And what a lovely lot they are.
One thing is for sure, the smiles on the catwalks may be faked but some of the grins captured by Argus photographers of years gone by are genuine and show just how much fun beauty contests were.
Our main image comes from 1984 and shows Miss UK hopefuls splashing around in the sea to the east of the Palace Pier in advance of the competition that year.
The competition and the title still exist in slightly modified form but for more than 40 years from 1958 to 1999, Miss United Kingdom was a national beauty pageant held to choose a representative for the Miss World pageant.
It should not be confused with the Miss Universe pageant, for many years owned by the current president of the United States Of America.
We can also see a Miss Brighton from 1969 – Carol Ann Bull.
She went on to marry recently retired Conservative group leader Councillor Geoffrey Theobald and she is a current Brighton and Hove city councillor and former mayor.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/yesterdays/mystery_pictures/15275245.Nostalgia__Beauties_of_yesterday_when_pageants_were_simple_fun/