A plea for more help with the organisation of Keighley Gala has gone out from chairman Brian Hudson. He says Sat-urday's successful 122nd event was only able to go ahead thanks to the commitment of friends and the magnificent support of Keighley Air Cadets and St John Ambulance. He particularly praises the air cadets, pointing out that some of the 16-strong contingent worked on the gate at Victoria Park for six hours without a break.

"We are all getting older and have a very small committee," says Mr Hudson. "We just don't have the bodies. I am grateful to the team who did a really hard job."

He says the committee was very pleased with the day. Early indications are that takings on the gate were up and that the amount of cash collected for charity in tins and thrown on to a lorry was higher than last year.

The street collection which included collecting boxes and the penny wagon raised £941.

He says: "The atmosphere was great and everyone seemed to enjoy it."

Keighley Gala Queen Serena Gunputh led the biggest and best procession in the event's history. So many floats were involved that the procession took over an hour to wend its way to the Victoria Park gala field.

This year a special trophy was presented in memory of Geoffrey Reeday, a former gala president, who left £15,000 to the event in his will. It went to the best vintage vehicle, Bertie the Bus.

Mr Reeday first donated £1,000 three years ago when the gala was left with no funds to give to charity.

Another new trophy, the Kathleen Dawson Rose Bowl for the best float, went to Keighley's Whinfield Centre, whose alien insect costumes were all designed and created by Pamela Short for a Bradford College degree project.

Mother-of-two Pamela, 29, of North Dene Avenue, produced 10 costumes single handed to help the Whinfield Centre win first prize in the children's tableau class as well as the trophy.

Pamela, a single parent, began her degree course after a two-year art and design course at Keighley College. Colleagues at the centre worked on the float itself while she produced the costumes using a variety of materials and colours, including papier mache masks and wings.

The gala procession was led by the Eclipse Jazz Band and also featured Queensbury Scout Band and the Red Rose Band, Keighley Comets Majorettes and Pudsey Diamonds Majorettes and Cougar Spice Cheer-leaders.

Queen Serena was crowned in Town Hall Square by Dr Ann Cuthbert, an Airedale Hospital consultant, and Bradford Metropolitan Concert Band entertained in the square for two hours.

Attractions on the gala field included The Man in the Iron Mask, a motorcyclist negotiating obstacles blindfold at high speed, Irish dancing, youth theatre, clowns, jugglers and majorettes. There were exhibitions by the RAF, police and Yorkshire Cable, games, stalls and a fairground. The event concluded with fireworks at dusk.

Results of the float

competition.

Best tableaux. Open: 1 The May School of Dance (Aladdin); 2 Tierney School of Irish Dancing (Ireland); 3 Cavendish Lodge Day Nursery (Teddy Bears Picnic).

Children: 1 Whinfield Centre Braithwaite and Guardhouse (Aliens), 2 1st Keighley Brownies (Nursery Rhymes), 3 Stage-Skope Juniors (James and the Giant Peach). Business: 1 Timothy Taylor and Co Ltd.

Trade Advertising: 1 Great Northern Cars, 2 Balti House, 3 Nelsons Ltd and Uriah Woodhead and Sons.

Cars: 1, 2 and 3 Reg Thompson Cars. Veteran Vehicles: 1 Bertie the Bus, 2 Vintage and Commercial Vehicle; 3 William Morrisons.

Fancy dress: 1 Christopher Strevenson, aged four, 2, Robert Hickman, aged 10, 3 Tony Bond, adult.

Gala Queens: 1 Keighley Lions Queen; 2 Colne Gala Queen, 3 Glusburn and Cross Hills Gala Queen. Sunday School, youth club and carnival queen: 1 1st Keighley Brownies Queen; 2 North of England Retiring Carnival Queen; 3 Temple Street Sunday School Queen.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.