Ballroom Dancing

Despite floods and high winds over much of the country, few cancellations were received for the 1968 festival of ballroom dancing run by the Nelson Amateur Ballroom Dancing Association. Preliminary events were held in the afternoon of Easter Saturday and the Y. M. C. A. was packed for the finals, and the Queen of the Ballroom contest, in the evening. The major title of Queen of the Ballroom was won by Nelson dancer, Miss Sue Mangos. She is being crowned (above) by last year's queen, Dorothy Hodder. With her are Miss I. Verral (Christchurch) left, Miss S. Sandford (Christchurch), right, and the patron, Mrs B. R. Eyre, centre. Below, Nelson M. P. Mr Stan Whitehead would agree that kissing ballroom queens is one of the more pleasurable functions of political life. At right are the most successful competitors at the festival, Nelson pair, Pamela Paterson and Ian Montgomery. They won, between them, six events and were second in another. They also won the Jim Brough Memorial Trophy.

Mrs J. Brough, donor of the Jim Brough Memorial Trophy, with Pamela Paterson and Ian Montgomery. The trophy, in memory of Mrs Brough's late husband, Jim, was given to foster dancing in the district.