Marching Championshps - A Blaze of Colour and Boots, Boots, Boots.

Nelson's Trafalgar Park was transformed into a colourful arena as 230 girls contested the 1971 national junior marching championships.

Twenty-three teams contributed to an exhibition of precision and team work which could hardly be equalled by more regular users of Trafalgar Park - rugby teams. The team title was won by Valley Guards, Wellington, from North Island champion, Balmoral, Auckland.

Neither of the Nelson teams, Legionnaires nor Glengyle, gained a place but Legionnaires' leader, Marianne Quinn, was equal runner-up to the champion leader, S. Butler, Heathersone Hussars, Otago.

A worm's eye view of the North Island champion team, Balmoral, which came second. Balmoral won the uniform trophy. And no wonder

The concentration which contributed to her second place in the leader championship shows on the face of Legionnaires' leader, Marianne Quinn, Richmond

Music to watch girls by - 230 of them - comes from Pipe Major James Patterson of the Nelson Highland Pipe Band

Alert judges. The dominion chief judge, Norma Mangos, Nelson, is in the centre

Glengyle on the go. The Nelson team, led by M. Sharland, did not gain a place, but performed well

These judges, Ruth Haswell, Marlene Gudsell and Aileen Sturrock, were once members of the successful Nelson team Tamerlanes. Marlene is now in Wellington but the others have remained here