Colourful fancy dresses, balloons and side-shows, made a gay scene at the annual carnival of the Pontefract Parish Church, held for the first time in the grounds of the Pontefract Community Centre, on Saturday.

The weather provided a pleasant surprise, for after a grey morning there was warm sunshine. The event began with the customary parade through the town of the carnival queen, the retiring queen, their retinues, and fancy dress competitors. The procession began at the Northgate Junior School and, headed by the Knottingley Silver Prize Band, moved through Market Place, Corn Market, Newgate, Wakefield Road and King’s Mead. Also in it were ponies provided by Mr. .W. Thornton. 

The new queen, 18-year-old Joan Walker, a pupil of the District Girls High School, was crowned by the Mayor, Alderman W. Ryder. The Mayor remarked that it was usual for women to crown carnival queens, and perhaps some people thought that men could not do it. His answer to that was that ‘Queen Elizabeth’ was crowned by a man, and I do not see why the Mayor of Pontefract shouldn’t crown Queen Joan. After thanking and welcoming visitors, the Queen received a silver cross and chain from her predecessor, 15-year-old Barbara Holt, on behalf of the Sunday school teachers. Catherine Wright, an attendant, presented a bouquet to the Mayor, who promised to hand it to the Mayoress.