Capturing the joy and emotion of Miss Blackpool contests through the 1990s and 2000s

These photos celebrate a generation of women through the decades of the 90s and 00s who put themselves under the spotlight for the prestigious title of Miss Blackpool.

They capture precious memories of joy and elation but it was never an easy process. It took heat after heat of auditions to land a coveted spot in the grand finals - it was always a tense and emotional time.

At the height of their success, Blackpool's natural beach side location gave prominence as a key place to host decades of beauty contests.

Although their popularity has dipped since the aspiring days which attracted hundreds of entrants, the contests are still going strong, acting as springboards to launch careers with a shift from simply who's the prettiest to celebrating personal achievement. Miss Blackpool, Miss Great Britain and other beauty contests continue to empower women to be their absolute best.

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25. Celebrating Miss Blackpool

Miss Blackpool Winner Natalie James in 2000. To her right is Joanne Birchall who was second place with Amanda J Hope in third place Photo: Darren Nelson