Sue Darby (née Austin) was Queen of Northampton Carnival in 1962. Her fiance at the time entered her into the competition without her knowledge and the first she knew about it was when she was asked to come to the Northampton General Hospital Nurses Home on Billington Road, Northampton to be judged. She won the competiton over the next year performed many duties as Carnival Queen including sitting for local camera clubs, visitng the hospital and being photographed using Northampton's first cash machine.

Gillian Robinson and Rosemarie Bodsworth were her Maids of Honour and Joan Warnaby was her Reserve Maid of Honour.