Letter: Pretty insulting

Share
+More
Related Topics
Sir: Marianne Macdonald's article on the selection of Holsworthy's 'Pretty Maid' by the church elders of the town (Ritual Britain, 7 July), brought back memories.

At the Methodist church I attended in the Sixties and Seventies, the annual selection of the Sunday School May Queen was just such a beauty contest. Had I known in advance which Sunday it was to take place, I would no doubt have been indisposed, but no warning was given.

All girls of a certain age were required to parade in front of the entire Sunday School, carrying numbered cards, and endure or enjoy whatever insults or wolf whistles were hurled at us.

Those of us who groaned loudly at being forced to take part were killjoys who couldn't see when something was just a bit of harmless fun.

Needless to say, my breathtaking piety, wit, charm and devotion to jumble sale duties didn't ensure me any success over the five years or so I was obliged to take part. The prettiest maid won every time.

Yours - a lapsed Methodist,

JUDITH JONES

Ripon, North Yorkshire

7 July

React Now

iJobs Job Widget
iJobs General

Lecturer in Conservation Studies

£37,382-£44,607: UCL Qatar: The appointment is full-time on UCL Grade 8. The s...

Special Educational Needs (SEN) teaching assistant job

Negotiable: Randstad Education Sheffield: Special Educational Needs (SEN) teac...

Planning Consultant

£25000 - £30000 Per Annum: The Green Recruitment Company: The Green Recruitmen...

Primary Teacher KS1 and KS2 in Lewisham South London

£29000 - £45000 per annum + TLR and SEN allowance if applicable: Randstad Educ...

Day In a Page

Read Next
 

Could Northern Ireland host the next Hollywood?

Simon Kelner
 

For Google, This World is Not Enough

Jamie Stokes
'There is a battle going on inside us that is never discussed'

Masculinity in crisis?

'There is a battle going on inside us that is never discussed'
Have US shock jocks gone too far?

Have US shock jocks gone too far?

An incendiary remark from Rush Limbaugh may be the beginning of the end for outspoken right-wing US broadcasters
The ‘Beverly Hills’ of Surrey pays more income tax than big cities of the North

The ‘Beverly Hills’ of Surrey

Elmbridge pays more income tax than big cities of the North
Heavenly Bodies

Heavenly Bodies

Michael Landy's artistic marriage made in heaven... and hell
'He will always be a friend': Jackie Stewart backs Polanski

'He will always be a friend'

Jackie Stewart backs Roman Polanski
The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act

The price of pacifism

From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.
'It was mass hysteria': Jason Isaacs on groupies, theatre bores and snogging James Bond

Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond

To millions, Jason Isaacs is one of Harry Potter's arch enemies – but his wife prefers him as a Scottish TV detective.
Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?

Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?

Thomas Hodgkinson spent a week at the tiny platform off the Suffolk coast to find out.
Not a bad bone: Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

If you ignore cutlets and ribs, you'll risk missing out on some delicious and easy meals, says our chef.
The experts' guide to summer: From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz

The experts' guide to summer

From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz
Sex, drugs and fast cars: The legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Early glimpses of Ron Howard's film Rush suggest it will portray Hunt as a high-living lothario, with an insatiable appetite for partying.
Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation when using drugs and alcohol. It was hurting my life'

Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'

The next Vanilla Ice or the next Eminem? Macklemore doesn't have a record contract – but he does have the UK's biggest-selling single of the year.
Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Sri Lankan cuisine is light, sunny, wonderfully spiced – and so easy to cook from scratch. Just as soon as you've broken into the coconut, that is.
Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Doctors are hailing the revamp of a Bath neonatal unit, where babies sleep more and feed better, as the model for patient care
One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

Epecuen was submerged under 10 metres of water in 1985. Now the floods have gone – and 83-year-old Pablo Novak has moved back in