Shropshire Woman

Reigning Beauty

Jackie Jarvis catches up with Shrewsbury's Kerry Price whose poise and personality has won her the coveted title of Miss Shropshire. She discovers that there is much more than outward beauty to this accomplished, bright and personable young woman whose county triumph gives her the one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in the prestigious Miss England finals later this year.

Kerry Price is a Shropshire lass through and through.

And her sheer pride and delight at having been crowned the 'queen' of the county is almost tangible.

Speaking after her triumph the 22 year-old Shrewsbury beauty says: 'I am Shropshire born and bred so am especially proud that I will be representing my county of birth over the next year.

"I went into the competition really not expecting to win as I was up against some stunningly beautiful young girls. I decided not to take it too seriously and just enjoy the experience and have fun with it," she added.

Kerry, who is a self-employed recruitment consultant and also works for a TV production and events management company based in Shropshire, was encouraged to enter the contest by her proud grandmother Anne.

Photograph by John Bowen

"When I was writing my application I honestly thought to myself that I would not get through to the end. I was so shocked when I was voted the winner. It was surreal. I felt so bad for the other girls because they were so lovely, but someone had to win,"she said.

Kerry set out on the road to victory back in December with the first of a series of heats, culminating in the final which was staged at Bada Bing in Telford Shopping Centre in March where she found herself competing for the crown alongside nine other beauties from the county.

The panel of five judges included reigning Miss England, Laura Coleman, who flew in from Thailand to attend the pageant. "The best thing of all was that my family were there to witness it all. My mum just burst into tears when it was announced that I had won," said the former Belvidere Secondary School pupil.

Now, Kerry is looking forward anxiously to the Miss England finals which will be staged at London's Hilton Metropole hotel on July 20 and which could catapult her into the glittering Miss World contest which will be held this year in Johannesburg. This will be the first time in 13 years that a contender from the county has appeared on the Miss England stage after the contest was shelved over a decade ago.

At her side, and with hopes riding high, will be her mother Alison Jones, stepfather Steve and Kerry's 13 year-old brother Matthew supporting her as she battles it out against 50 other regional winners.

One person who will not witness one of her finest hours is her much missed father Kevin who sadly passed away when Kery was just 17, following a long illness.

His devoted daughter helped care for him up until his untimely death and says he was a huge role model in her life.

Kerry, who trained as a beauty therapist on leaving school, admits that she would love to pursue a career in modelling.

"I have always wanted to do some professional modelling but have never had the opportunity. I think it must be every little girl's dream to be a model," she said.

And she has already been given some sound advice on how to follow her dream, and avoid the pitfalls, from one of the Miss Shropshire judges, Graham Whitehouse, who works in the industry.

Kerry, who says she feels totally comfortable with the way she looks, keeps in shape with sessions at the gym and enjoys going behind the lens just as much as posing in front of the camera. In addition to her passion for photography, this highly creative young lady taps into her artistic talents through drawing and is also a dab hand when it comes to slaving over a hot stove. 

" I can't dance and I can't sing but I can cook a mean chicken and courgette lasagne, my signature dish," she jokes.

A National Trust member, Kerry loves touring the many beautiful houses and grounds which have been preserved for the nation by the organisation.

"I am absolutely mad about the National Trust. By being a member you help keep all these lovely homes open for everyone to enjoy. I think they do a wonderful job preserving all these fascinating places. I am an ardent supporter of their work," she said. 

Kerry is now looking forward to acting as an ambassador for her county over the next year, helping to promote all that is good in Shropshire and raise money for charity along the way.

In the build up to the Miss Shropshire final she managed to help boost the Miss England chosen charity, the National Autistic Society, to the tune of over £300.

And she is also keen to put her life on the line in a bid to do her bit for good causes.
"On a trip to Australia I did a 14,000 feet tandem sky dive. I'd love to do another one for charity," she said.

The first runner-up in the Shropshire competition was Teri Kempton, while second runner-up was Lucy Westley. The winner of the public vote was Sarah Jane Howard who was crowned Miss Popularity and now goes forward to the Miss Popularity round on the website. The Miss Shropshire contestants raised just over £1,450 for the National Autistic Society. The contestant raising the most funds was Layla Weirowski who was crowned Miss Charity Shropshire.

To help Kerry win the Miss England crown voting will start on 20 June, ending on 20 July. Anyone wanting to vote for Kerry should text her first and second name to 84205. All votes will cost £1, plus standard network charge, with 10p from each vote going to the Miss England chosen charities, the NAS and the Beat charity.