Magical memories of the Brisbane Queen Festival continue this week as a rare photo has surfaced of the last Brisbane Queen before the Second World War.

The photo is of Mabel Jamieson - and is provided by Largs woman Margaret McKenzie, who had the picture passed down to her by her family.

Mabel is Margaret’s second cousin on her mother’s side, and the picture shows the beautiful gown that used to be worn by the gala queens of that particular era.

Margaret, aged 76, got in touch with the Largs and Millport Weekly News after seeing the recent nostalgic coverage on the Brisbane Queen, and said: “I hope the photo is interesting - my mother gave it to me, and I know that Mabel married a doctor who she met at Glasgow University, and her sister Gladys Jamieson is still alive and a resident at Haylie House Nursing Home.” Margaret herself, who has happy recollections of the Brisbane Queen Festival, also recalls some important places in the town, including the Marine and Curlinghall Hotel, where she worked a receptionist for many years.

And working under former editor John McCreadie, Margaret was a general office worker for the Largs and Millport Weekly News in the 1950s, and recalls obtaining correspondents’ notes over the telephone by shorthand, long before the days of computers. She said: “We were based at the Largs Printing Office, and Jimmy Brown was in charge of the printers, and I thoroughly enjoyed the job.” She also recalls working under the Logan family at the Curlinghall Hotel: “I was working there when they actually combined the two hotels - the Marine Hotel and the Curlinghall, and I remember when they decided to build the beautiful ballroom - that is what connected the two hotels. I danced there frequently - it was a beautiful atmopshere. There were three receptionists and we were all on shifts, and in those days, you worked on a Sunday as well as a weekday. I was married in the Bruce Lounge - the bar nearest John Street.

“The Moorings Ballroom at the pier was very popular, and I think it was about 7/6 for entry. The Marine was always more expensive but it was more exclusive. It was a beautiful place, and very sad when it was demolished.” Margaret, who now lives in Douglas Street in Largs, enjoyed her time at the hospitality industry, and after marrying her husband, Eric, went on to run a hotel in Glenshee for many years; Eric sadly passed away a good number of years ago.

Speaking about the Brisbane Queen Festival, Margaret recalled: “When I was young, it was always held on a Wednesday. It was a whole holiday Wednesday we called it back then.

“There were no supermarkets and all the shops closed on a full day, or at least most of them did.

“People thronged to the crowning of the queen, and of course, the schools were on holiday. It was a very festival atmosphere. I would like to see The Brisbane Queen brought back in the form it was previously. As you can see from the photo of my mother’s cousin, she was wearing beautiful robes and a crown, and it was extremely regal. I don’t know if it would be brought back the way it used to be, but it would be nice.”