Keighley Gala Queens from across the years have been united.

Around a dozen former holders of the coveted crown gathered at the Bridge Inn, Stockbridge.

Those present spanned the generations - from the 1939 queen Mary Gee to pretender to the throne Michelle Tretton, who will be crowned at this year's gala on June 2.

The unprecedented union - organised as part of the 125th anniversary of the popular charity extravaganza - follows months of painstaking searching and several appeals in the Keighley News.

Contact has been made with ex-gala queens now living all over Britain, and even in Majorca and on the Spanish mainland.

Not all could attend last Thursday's get-together, but it is hoped as many as possible will join in the fun on gala day, when a vintage bus or a state-of-the-art Keighley & District Travel single decker will be provided to take them in the procession.

"It was lovely to see our former queens at last week's gathering," said gala secretary Mrs Joyce Ashworth.

"The age range was wide, which meant queens from the different decades could compare how the role had changed over the years.

"Although we have now managed to trace about 25 in total, it is still not too late for ex-holders of the title to contact us to be part of the celebrations on June 2."

This year's gala - on a medieval theme - will officially begin as normal with the crowning ceremony in Town Hall Square (1pm).

The new Gala Queen will then be taken to Malsis Road to start the procession (2pm), which will make its way to Victoria Park where there will be a packed programme of entertainment culminating in a spectacular fireworks display at dusk.

A full guide to the day's activities will appear in the Keighley News on June 1.

Any former gala queens who have not yet made contact with the event organisers should phone Mrs Ashworth on 01535 605816 or Maureen Hudson on 01535 604379.

* Keighley Gala Queens at the Bridge Inn get-together were Mary Gee (1939), Sheila Greenwood (1945), Irene Huckle (1963), Carol Stephenson (1977), Alison Bedford (1985), Janine Halmshaw (1987), Caroline Crabtree (1988), Angela Smith (1991), Deborah Hudson (1995), Serena Gunputh (1998), Emma Jones (1999) and Michelle Tretton (2001).

The surnames are those used by the gala queens at the time of their crowning.