Pageant News Bureau - Laura Anness

P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u

There are many Plymouths now. But the original is still unsurpassed. It's Plymouth, England, the old seafaring town where bold Sir Francis Drake kept his headquarters.

Here, fighting men boarded ships by the thousands to risk their lives for Queen Bess, Queen Anne, King George. Here, poor people with lofty hopes crowded into little sailing ships and headed over the stormy Atlantic to reinvent their lives.

Oh, the history, the romance, the pageantry! (That last word is what we in the news business call a segue.)

Laura Anness is Miss Plymouth, UK. If Sir Francis Drake had spied her, he might have forgotten good Queen Bess (if only for a moment). He might have forsaken the sea and settled down to open a sweet shop. He might have started using the name "Frank."

Even if Sir Francis had chosen to stick to naval work, he would certainly have cheered her on as she competed for Miss UK. As a sign of his adoration, he would have worn her sash into battle. (What would the Spaniards have thought of that?)

You don't have to go into battle. But when you raise that glass, propose a toast to Miss Plymouth.

P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u

It's "Plymouth"