Two Bits – 11 April 2014

Entries are now being called for this year’s Miss Ballito contest and I know that, once again, I am going to face a night of indecision.  I’ve been fortunate to be a judge at these affairs for a while and as I always say to my
mates, someone’s got to do it, but the truth is it’s damned difficult whittling out the top 10, let alone the top three.

Everyone says it’s not all about looks and that’s true, it isn’t, but I cannot deny that a finely-turned leg does no harm on this judge’s scorecard. What I really enjoy is the first interviews, to talk to the girls and see the hope shining from their eyes.

There is something so pure and innocent about what they want for themselves. What is hard is seeing the flash of disappointment when they’re not chosen. Strangely enough not all who don’t make it are disappointed – some even look relieved – but still I am glad that I am one of a panel and didn’t have to make the decision myself.

I would be lost as a judge if I hadn’t had very early training from two great North Coast beauties, Penny Rey and Yvonne Hulett. I’ve told the story before, it was at a kindergarten Spring Queen and they showed me there is
absolutely no point sitting around wringing your hands and wishing everyone could be winners. Sorry darlings, there’s going to be one queen and two princesses and look sharp about it.

They’ve been there, done that and got the teeshirt about beauty contests and they didn’t get all doe-eyed about slinging out everybody else.

Recently I ran into two of the contestants in last year’s Miss Ballito and asked how they had enjoyed the experience.

They couldn’t say enough good things about it, about how much they had learned about themselves, about making good friends amongst the other contestants, and how much they had gained in self-confidence. They had
lost nothing by entering and gained much. And those who make it to the top in the beauty queen stakes shine on for many years.

Recently Rose met two former Miss Worlds shopping in the Lifestyle Centre. Our own Penny Rey, who held the title in 1958, was with Miss India and Miss World of 1966. Penny met Reita Faria at the 25th anniversar of the Miss World contest and they’ve been firm friends ever since.

Reita was out here on her first visit to South Africa. These ladies were strutting their stuff in the beauty contests of the world before most of you were even born, but look at the photo and tell me the judges got it wrong! They are as beautiful as the day they were born, and that includes the one in the middle.

I am sure Penny and Reita would encourage young ladies to enter the Miss Ballito. It could change your lives. See page 21.

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Out Of The Closet. A woman has a problem with the door of a built-in cupboard of her bedroom. Every time a bus passes by, it keeps falling off.
So she calls a handyman. The handyman arrives and he can’t work out why the door falls off when a bus passes. So he decides the only way to find out is to wait for a bus.

“OK, I’m going in,” he says. “Just shut the door behind me.” He steps into the cupboard, but before a bus can arrive, the woman’s husband comes home from work, opens the cupboard and finds the handyman. Shocked and angry, the husband says, “What the hell are you doing here?” “Well, you’re not going to believe it,” replies the handyman, “but I’m waiting for a bus!”