Helston Flora Day: What you need to know

Organisers have said they are expecting between 20,000 and 25,000 people to visit Helston on Flora Day.

The traditional event marking the end of winter and coming of summer is set to take place on Thursday 8 May.

During the day Helston Town Band will lead four formal dances through the town's streets and gardens.

Here is a guide to the timings, dance routes, transport and other useful information about the historic celebration.

There are four dances during Flora Day which visitors can watch from pavements throughout the town.

At 07:00 BST the Early Morning Dance starts from the Guildhall.

The dancers move up Meneage Street, dancing through shops and businesses, before coming back down and turning right into Wendron Street and Godolphin Road.

At Godolphin House the dancers move into Penrose Road, Church Street and Cross Street.

They then dance down Penhellaz Hill into St John's Road, Castle Green, Monument Road and Coinagehall Street, passing the Godolphin Club, before ending the dance at the Guildhall.

The next dance is the Children's Dance which starts at 09:50 in Wendron Street.

More than 1,200 children from Helston's schools dressed in white dance up and down Meneage Street and then turn into Church Street and Cross Street.

After dancing around the gardens of Penhellis the children continue down Tanyard Lane and Lady Street.

They dance down the pavement of Coineagehall Street before circling the Bowling Green and returning up the centre of Coineagehall Street.

Four Helston-born leaders begin the Midday Dance at 12:00 at the Guildhall.

The couples dance up and down Meneage Street, moving in and out of shops and businesses that line it.

From there they dance down Church Street and Cross Street before resting in the gardens of Lismore House.

After this they resume through the gardens of Penhellis House, the Old Vicarage and Leslie House towards Lady Street.

After dancing down the pavement of Coineage Street they dance around the Bowling Green to the Monument Arch and up the centre of Coinagehall Street to end the dance at the Guildhall.

The last dance of the day, the Evening Dance, starts at 17:00 in which the same couples which danced the Early Morning Dance follow the route of the Midday dance.

As well as the dances, there are seven performances of Hal-an-Tow around the town during Flora Day.

This is a dramatic telling of Helston's history which features Robin Hood, St George and St Michael, the town's patron saint.

The first performance is at 08:30 at St John's Bridge, then the performers move on to The Monument, the cross in Cross Street, Wendron Street car park, the lower end of Horse and Jockey Lane, the junction of The Parade and Meneage Street and the Guildhall.

The town council said there will be a fair at the fairground on Porthleven Road and stalls lining the streets selling crafts, food and drink.

Organisers said Helston town centre will be closed with manned barriers to all non-emergency vehicles from 05:30 until 22:00 on Thursday 8 May.

First Kernow, Go Cornwall Bus and Transport for Cornwall will run buses to and from the town with temporary bus stops put in place on Clodgey Lane and on the A394 at St Johns.

There will also be a taxi rank on the A394 at St Johns and a second one on Trengrouse Way.

Helston Flora Day Association said there would be "plenty of parking" for the event.

The existing car parks at Castle Green, Trengrouse Way and Tyacke Road will be available as usual and extra car parks at Helston Rugby Club and Helston Showground will be made available especially for event.

The Helston branch of Tesco will also offer car parking, the event organisers said, but they warned this has to be booked with the store prior to the day.

They have asked visitors to park considerately on roads which do not have restrictions, reminding drivers they should not block drives or impede access for emergency vehicles.

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