Will Mr Pink Be The Next Spalding Flower Queen?

[Mister M]

16 minutes ago, peak4 said:

From what I can see, the event returned last year after a 10 year gap, was open to all with the winner taking the title of "Ambassador."
Some folk persuaded the organiser to change back to the original title this year.
The event has its own Facebook group, where the majority of people seem quite happy about this year's event, with the inevitable few complaining.
Many of the loudest anti's don't seem to be locals. Plenty of support for both the organiser and all the contestants.
Civil critical comments seem to have been left up, with only the offensive ones removed; it is a family fun event after all
Comment from the organiser Stephen Timewell
We had an ambassador last year and everyone complained saying we should have stuck with tradition and had a flower queen. I guess I can't be right. The LAW states we cannot discriminate between gender or anything else and that's what I have done. It was open to all genders./gender neutral etc. Any publicity DOES NOT make an unfair advantage. The judges will NOT be looking at gender but looking for the person who will best represent Spalding and has the best personality

 

It look like Keith is a local character who's involvement is all quite light hearted.
The raised publicity seems to have boosted the group membership up to 11K

The official page for those interested in the event, rather than those who prefer to promote division.

 

Inevitably the Telegraph has jumped in with a pejorative headline
Male finalist in Lincolnshire Flower Queen competition ‘gaslights women’

Thanks for this Peak4. 

I knew that the Torygraph had used it as part of their diatribe against anything different, and I'm glad that people local to the area don't take themselves too seriously, and are welcoming. Good for the people of Spalding, and Boo and Hiss to the sour old scrotums everywhere.

 

[cressida]

2 hours ago, The_DADDY said:

No thanks. My last time there didn't end well. 

Did you trip over the tulips?

[The_DADDY]

1 hour ago, cressida said:

Did you trip over the tulips?

Tulips were involved but I didn't trip over any. That would actually have been far less embarrassing 😳 

[hackey lad]

54 minutes ago, The_DADDY said:

Tulips were involved but I didn't trip over any. That would actually have been far less embarrassing 😳 

You didn’t bend over and do your vase trick, did you ? 

[The_DADDY]

2 minutes ago, hackey lad said:

You didn’t bend over and do your vase trick, did you ? 

Did it dry mate. 😪 

Twas a stag do.

Edited February 4 by The_DADDY

[Guest]

Looks like they changed the rules last year when they had a competition to find the Spalding Ambassador:
 

Quote

 

The Spalding Flower Parade will return on Saturday, May 6, and it needs a figurehead.  Where previously a Queen was crowned, now anyone can step forward to be the South Holland Ambassador for 2023.

 

The Ambassador will receive £250 as well as some amazing prizes including a tiara, sash and trophy. The Deputy Ambassador will also receive £150 cash and prizes.

 

Both will receive a dress or suit from Fancy Frox to wear on the day.

 

Though the winner last year was still a pretty young girl, in keeping with traditional, folkloric associations of young maidenly beauty of these sorts of things.

 

Of course, the organisers can change the nature and the entrance requirements for the competition as they wish, and good for them if you're not in favour of what some might see as just another regressive beauty pageant. 

 

The rumblings of discontent obviously stem from keeping the 2023 entrance requirements (ie open to women and men) while reverting to the title Flower Queen with all its traditional and historical associations and requirements, which include selection of applicants by sex and the legitimate exclusion of men from the competition. 

 

This is all in keeping with the well known beauty pageants which maintain that an applicant's 'legal gender' must be female, so excluding men but including those with a gender recognition certificate as well as biological women.  Miss America, for example, excludes transgender applicants who have not fully completed medical and surgical transition.

 

Despite the wild card bloke, the Spalding Flower Queen competition does still look like another regressive beauty pageant to me, or May Queen like festival, if you prefer.  Perhaps it needs more publicity around, and emphasis on, the notion that that's no longer the case.  Perhaps some old hags (you know, women over 30) could enter the competition too.

 

[cressida]

Or even infantile grandads,  fair do's.

[Guest]

Fantastic publicity and exposure though.  National press and lots of social media buzz.  Top job.

[Axe]

On 03/02/2024 at 18:49, Mister M said:

He's made it to the finals, so obviously he's been allowed to enter and the other competitors are probably fine with it, if not they're free to withdraw.

It's an insignificant contest, so what. If everyone enjoys themselves then great. 

Why stand on the sidelines, and make derogatory comments towards him?

I have not made any derogatory comments towards the odd bloke.  What I am against is the policy of non exclusivity. 

[Mister M]

1 hour ago, Axe said:

I have not made any derogatory comments towards the odd bloke.  What I am against is the policy of non exclusivity. 

It's already been pointed out that the organisers of the event were quite happy to allow a male to enter the competition, and the little bit I've read about it, the competition is about the enjoyment and the taking part. 

One of the other contestants was happy for a male to enter the competition. If she's happy, why aren't you? Why can't you just live and let live?