SIXTY years ago young mill girl Janey Tomlinson was chosen Cotton Queen of Burnley before going on to compete in the Miss Great Britain competition.

Now Mrs Janey Smith, she has been selected to crown the King and Queen of Cotton at the first ever King Cotton Carnival in Burnley on Saturday, June 14.

She was just 19 when picked as Burnley's Cotton Queen in 1937. She left school at 14 and had already spent five years as a weaver at Richard Stuttard's mill in Brennand Street.

After being picked as Miss Burnley, Janey had to travel to Manchester for a week to parade at the Lewis Store where her special dress was made. She then took part in the Miss Great Britain contest at Blackpool Tower.

Janey continued to work in the mill until the outbreak of war when she transferred to munitions work at Lucas in Elm Street.

In later years she worked as a 'dinner lady' at Barden Secondary Modern School. She lost her first husband Ken Rowland and recently their only son Melvyn died in Australia, to where he had emigrated. She has three granddaughters.

She is now married to Raymond Smith and they live in Brunshaw Road, Burnley.

The carnival is sponsored by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and Endsleigh Insurance.

The King and Queen will be chosen from people nominated by the public.

They will be VIPs for the day, leading the King Cotton carnival procession into the town centre where they will be crowned by Janey.

A fun-packed, all-day arts extravaganza is planned with numerous artists, entertainers and musical groups presenting cotton-theme performances.

The procession will bring together 500 performers from 20 different arts, community and professional groups.

The parade will start at Burnley Wharf and finish at the band stand in St James' Street.

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