As the flags reappear again in the streets of the town, the people of Helston look forward to Flora Day with renewed enthusiasm to support Helston's Ancient Festival after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. 

As it will take place on a Saturday this year, the Flora Day Association is anticipating the day will be very well attended as people take the opportunity to visit Helston and enjoy the unique event. 

Mr & Mrs Corbridge are the new owners of Lismore and welcome dancers to the historic residence, having bought the property from Michael Jay.

Additionally, the Association expressed their delight that people will be able once again to enter the Old Vicarage this year, and have offered a special thanks to Sir Nicholas & Lady Serota.

Cornwall Council have promised to attend to the road surfaces in the town, but the Stewards of the Dance would still remind the participants in the dances and the viewing public to be aware that there may still be some uneven surfaces under foot. 

Don't forget to mind out for "kennels" along the edges of several streets (although the water will be turned off for the day!) 

In a break with tradition, this year, the band will play the first 3 refrains of the Furry tune at the start of the morning dance outside the Guildhall in a stationary position. This is to honour all those we have lost in the past two years, many of whom loved Flora Day and are sadly missed. 

There will be some structural changes to this year's event as precautions from the pandemic. 

Not all dancers this year will be formed in the Guildhall, the adult dances will be split with a proportion forming in the Guildhall and the majority being formed in the Museum courtyard, this will help keep to the current government guidelines for events. Each of these dances will start at their traditional time of 7am, 12noon and 5pm. 

Spectators have been asked to be aware of the dancers, a cordon will be in place to safely guide all those participating as they are led around the Guildhall, past Henlys to their start position. The same arrangement will be in place at the end of the Midday and Evening Dances so the dancers can safely return to the Museum courtyard on completion. 

The Morning Dance will return to its tradition end position of Wendron Street as the dancers make their way to the Godolphin Club. 

At the start of the children's dance which will commence at 9:50am this year, reverting back to a more traditional time, the second band will stand and play at the junction of Wendron

Street and Meneage Street by Lloyds Bank. Spectators are requested to leave space for them. Mr & Mrs Corbridge have agreed that the dancers may enter the property by the small gate in Cross Street and then proceed immediately around to the driveway of the house, to exit onto Cross Street again without going into the Gardens. 

The second band will remain outside the Monument and follow the dancers up Coinagehall Street. 

Parents are advised that the Children's Dance will finish at approximately 11:20am and that they should be in the appropriate location to collect their children from that time. Access to the Lismore gardens will be available to spectators for the Midday Dance from 11:30am and later in the day at 4:45pm for the Evening Dance. 

The route of the Midday dance will be largely as 2019, commencing at the Guildhall and proceeding on the road into Meneage Street and through Church St. The Dance will enter Lismore Gardens as usual. then proceed after Penhellis Gardens via Cross Street through the Old Vicarage gates, through the garden then on to Leslie House. Finally, leaving Lady Street onto the bowling green and returning to the Guildhall. 

"Entry into properties and gardens on the route of the dances is a great privilege to us and we would remind the public that it is by courtesy of the owners who retain the right to close their gates/doors if they so wish. We ask you to respect their properties," Nick Wills, honorary secretary of the Flora Day association commented.

He continued:

"As ever, the Stewards are delighted that the Helston Town Band will be in attendance, playing the tune as only they know how, and we would also like to take the opportunity of congratulating them on their recent successes at the West of England Brass Band Championships. We thank them for encouraging so many young musicians to join with the older members, so that in years to come we will still have a full complement of players. 

"We would ask the public to support the band by giving generously to the collectors who will be preceding the dances. The cost of buying instruments and supporting our Band is ever increasing, especially this year as they travel to Cheltenham in September to compete in the National Brass Band Championships."

Mr Wills added: "The Association is pleased that Gillian Geer will once again organise the Hal an Tow and would like to convey our thanks." 

The Hal an Tow will be following the same route as normal, starting at 8.30 am after the Morning Dance finishes, beginning at St John's Bridge, in St Johns Road. The route then will go up towards the Grylls Monument at the bottom of town, then proceed to Number 1 Cross Street – one of the oldest buildings in the town.

The pageant which tells the legendary story of St Michael defeating the devil and St George killing the dragon – will then head towards Penrose Hill and will perform outside the CAST building. They will then head on to Meneage Street, the bottom of Trengrouse Road, and then towards the Guildhall where they will finish, in time for the Children's Dance.

Greenery will be available from the car park to the rear of Boots at approx. 8:30pm on Thursday 5th May and then a smaller delivery on the morning of Friday 6th May at the Anson Gun by the Museum at 10am. 

The Council have requested that property owners take down any greenery from their buildings before 8:30am on May 7th so that the collection teams can remove it from the streets. Any greenery left out after that time may not be collected. 

There are road closures and parking restrictions in force on Flora Day from 6:30am. These take effect from early in the morning and we request that cars are not parked in the streets overnight on the 6th May as they may cause an obstruction early in the morning of Flora Day. 

"We warmly welcome you to Helston to enjoy our unique and ever popular spring festival on Saturday May 7th," Nick added.

Click here to see more from the Flora Day Association.