A pearl on the streets of Nelson
Pearly Queen raises thousands for hospice
After nine years of hard work, Nelson’s Pearly Queen, Shirley Miles, has collected more than $80,000 for the Nelson Region Hospice.
Shirley started collecting at Christmas in 2002 when she first put on her home-made Pearly Queen suit.
She collects donations at the Nelson Market every Saturday as long as the weather is fine.
“I also go to some of the other major fairs such as Rose Day, Last of the Summer Fayre and Isel in Bloom.”
She said it was now impossible for her to go anywhere, even in normal clothes, without people saying; “that’s the Pearly Queen”.
Shirley has suffered two lengthy layoffs due to illness and injury over the last nine years.
She said she also used to give talks to community groups but this had to stop when she underwent major throat surgery after which she was out of action for six months.
This year she was also unable to collect money for three months after suffering a fracture.
Shirley said the tradition of people wearing the distinctive Pearly Queen suits adorned with mother of pearl shells, came from the fruit sellers in the London markets.
“In the old days all the shells were made from mother of pearl oysters and the Pearly Queens used to collect for other stallholders who had fallen on hard times.
“Then William Croft had the idea of embellishing the suits to make them more noticeable.”
Shirley said she has adapted her own Pearly Queen suit so it had a distinctive Nelson theme.
“My suit has grapes to represent the wine district, anchors for the port, fish to represent the fish industry, the tower of Nelson’s Cathedral and the sun for sunny Nelson.
“But the suit now weighs 3 kilograms and it’s become so heavy that I simply can’t add anymore pearl shells.
“It’s not a fancy dress outfit though. “It’s a heritage costume that you are only allowed to wear if you are from London and if you have 100 years of London ancestry.”
She said she chose to collect for the Nelson Region Hospice because “it’s traditional for pearlies [in London] to collect for hospices”.
Shirley has been involved in voluntary work since she moved from England to Nelson 48 years ago.
She started helping at the Suter Art Gallery, then helped her husband John as his voluntary assistant in Tonga before returning to Nelson as a relief driver for Meals on Wheels.
She was then part of the Red Cross Beauty Care team taking beauty products around the hospital wards.
She later helped out at Isel House and the Elma Turner Library before becoming involved with work for the Nelson Region Hospice by organising an annual quiz as a fundraiser.
