Miss Ramsgate Organisation – the role of the Court Manager

2024 was another good year for the Ramsgate Town Court; Miss Ramsgate, Kayla Armer; Princesses, Mollie Gibb and Nkemdrim Uliem; Deputy Princess, Annie Johnson; and Deputy Miss Ramsgate, who is also a Court of Kent Princess, Lana Pearce. They have taken part in carnivals across Kent and Essex as well as attending events in Ramsgate Town. They have attended approximately 45 events and won 43 awards so far this year.

On several occasions people ask me what I do as ‘Court Manager’. The Court goes out nearly every week and sometimes they have multiple events in a week.

The following is an account of a typical carnival day as Court Manager.

The day before a carnival, I prepare the Court regalia dresses. These are usually bridal dresses with voluminous skirts, they all need to be washed and ironed which is usually a two-person job. Once that is done, I check and replace any rhinestones that may have come off. I lay out everything the girls need for the carnival so it’s ready. Every girl is allocated a colour, and I mark every item with that colour, so we know which item belongs to which girl.

The I get everything ready for the float, packing bottles of water and tissues. I also carry a ‘Chaperone bag’ which is known as my ‘Mary Poppins’ bag. This has everything in it that may be required in an emergency. First aid kit, sewing kit, stain remover, spare items for the girls, the list goes on. This is for use of our Court, but other towns know I carry this bag so are always coming to us, especially for safety pins!

A carnival day for me starts around 7am, to prepare and load the car before we collect the Court from their homes around 10am, we then go back to my house where they get ready. The girls always have two people to chaperone them.

We usually arrive at a carnival venue around 2pm, sometimes on arrival we are given a meal before the parade. The Court is judged from the time they arrive at an appointed venue. After the meal each Court is asked to perform a curtsey to present themselves to the Mayor and special guests of the town. Once the meal and formalities are over, I transport the girls to the float.

The Court must be sat on their float by 5:30pm. Once they are on board, I check that everything on the float is perfect. I have a vision in my head, and it is up to my husband and I to execute it. I spend hours making sure the float is exactly how I pictured it.

The parade doesn’t move off until 7pm, during this time there are judges moving up and down the parade, judging both people and floats. Not just the look of them but the construction and safety aspects. Any float not deemed safe is not allowed to enter. During the parade there are usually two chaperones walking either side of the float to make sure the girls are safe. I always make sure the girls are comfortable and have water and snacks to hand.

After the parade the Court go back to the carnival dance. This is where the awards are presented to the winning Courts. The dance usually finishes around 11pm, after which I gather up all the dresses etc, and take the girls home. I get home around 1am.

After a carnival, I unpack everything and locate all the items that need cleaning. Once it is all clean and dry, I put everything back in the girl’s boxes, and then repeat everything ready for the next carnival.

There are also two main events that I help organise for the Miss Ramsgate Court. The first is the ‘Selection Dance’, where we choose our new Ramsgate Court, this is held in the first week of March. The second event is our ‘Ramsgate Carnival Dance’ which is for all the visiting Carnival Courts and their chaperones and Court Managers. The Committee and I organise everything including: the venue, decorations, judges and food for approximately 180 people.

This shows my role as Court Manager and chaperone.

I have been the Court Manager for approximately 31 years and have been involved with Ramsgate Carnival and the Miss Ramsgate Organisation for the past 34 years. I love working with the Court and I love the challenges it presents. However, as I am getting older it is getting harder to keep up with all the work involved. It is almost a full-time job, as the Court is out nearly every week of the year.

Some towns present awards to chaperones, and I have been lucky enough to win some of these awards in the past. I am very proud of what I do, and I am proud of the Ramsgate Court and the way they serve Ramsgate.

Written by:
Marion Pearce
Miss Ramsgate Court Manager