As someone once said, “I don’t really know if ‘tis meant to be the Flora, the Floral or the Furry but we aren’t that much fussed really”. It has also been called the Faddy and the Foray but for this article I will refer to it as the Flora … unless I forget! Like its name, the music has evolved across the years and while it originates from Cornwall, a lady from up country arranged a version and added the words which she titled The Floral Dance. You can check out the fuller history here.

It could be that the good folk of Helston would consider our version to be a pale imitation of theirs but ours has been running for a fair while now, long enough to form its own tradition.

These two photographs of an early Flora Dance – possibly late 1930s – show the procession passing Bill Dale’s shop which was built before the Second World War. (Photos and information courtesy Clive Benney)

 

During the 1940s, possibly 1948, St Agnes Tennis Club was looking for a novel way to raise money for new courts and they invited the Silver Band to join with them. It was then that the long run of Flora Dances began. However, from the photographs above, it seems that St Agnes Silver Band was playing the tune, and the dancers were doing their thing, earlier than that – perhaps on an ad-hoc basis

1948: Possibly the first of the 1940s Flora Dance in St Agnes. This is in Peterville shortly after the band had reformed but before new uniforms had been obtained. The long coats suggest that it may not have been a warm summer evening.

Exactly where the procession started back in the 1940s I am not sure but when I was playing, during the 1950s to the early 1970s, it invariably began at Dale’s Corner – where Bill Dale had his garage. The band and the line of dancers stretched back up Goonvrea Road, awaiting the double tap on the bass drum which signified that it was time for the off. The traffic was held back by the long arm of the law and the procession moved off at a slow pace and made its way into Vicarage Road which was always thronged with spectators. The dance steps are not complicated – it is essentially a processional dance for couples with a certain number of bars travelling forward and a certain number of bars performing a figure on the spot. That said, I have never actually danced it so my apologies if I am over-simplifying it. There were frequent stops at favourite vantage points where the dancers doubled back on themselves so as to give the spectators ample opportunity to witness the spectacle.

Dancing by the Railway Inn are Daphne and Frank Dunstan, June Kneebone and John Harper, Harold Hoare and partner, Elizabeth and Margaret Thomas, Elsie Vanstone and Ada Oats, Cecile Thewlis and Margaret Davey. (Photo: Ken Young)

There will be those who recall the early days (not me of course), before the wealth of alternative entertainment, when the simple pleasure of such a local event attracted huge crowds. Familiar faces featured amongst the dancers; Margaret Davey, a St Agnes girl, was certainly there and I’m sure that she could have listed them all. Frank Moore led the band, that’s the one with the curious tone of the cornet, clarinet and big trombone, fiddle, cello, big bass drum, bassoon, flute and euphonium. Or so it says in the song.

Early 1960s and on this occasion the procession started at the junction of Trelawny Road and Vicarage Road after numbers 15 and 16 Vicarage Road, had been demolished to make way for the construction of Trelawny Road leading to Beaconsfield Place. Green fields can still be seen at the top of the picture and Mark Hellyer’s carpenter and undertaker’s workshop is shown top left. (Photo: Ken Young)

St Agnes Silver Band members included are:

Back row: Alfie Kneebone, Tony Williams, Austin Tremain, obscured

Second from back row: Frank Roberts, Alfie Woolcock, Roy Marsh, obscured but probably Susan Chaplin

Third from back row: John Harris, Treve Dyer, unknown, obscured but probably David Harris being advised by Frank Moore

Percy Cheesley beating time on the bass drum

Tony Mansell with face obscured by his tenor horn

Some lovely old cars here which I’m sure someone will identify! The leading dancers are Daphne and Frank Dunstan, John Harper and partner, Cecile and Tom Thewlis, Edith and Wilfred Shrimpton, Ruby Nichols and Roy Tregellas, Florence Pope and Margaret Davey. (Photo: Ken Young)

The band and dancers passing Mr Docking’s two-cylinder Bradford van

It seems that the good folk of St Agnes needed little encouragement to use the Flora Dance in its activities and in 1953 it was a part of the local coronation celebrations, led by members of the St Agnes Tennis and Badminton Club, for Queen Elizabeth II. Also, prior to the introduction of Carnival Week, St Agnes Band held an annual Band Week with the inevitable inclusion of a mid-week Flora Dance.

The 1953 Coronation Day Flora Dance with Margaret Davey, Philip Taylor, Jeanette Whitworth, Henry Whitworth, June Kneebone and Harold Hoare

Churchtown was one of the popular places to stand because it was certain that the procession would pause there for the benefit of visitors and locals alike.

1960s: St Agnes Churchtown – passing the St Agnes Hotel, arguably the band members’ favourite watering hole at the time (Photo: Ken Young)

1960s: St Agnes Churchtown where the cars begin to follow on having pulled to one side to let the dancers pass (Photo: Ken Young)

1960s: A quick detour along Trevaunance Road to the Epiphany Home to entertain the folk living there. Some of the band members are out of shot but the dancers are in full swing and include many groups of adults as well as children. Band members in the back row: Alfie Kneebone, Tony Williams, Austin Tremain, Roy Marsh and Ken White. In front of them are John Harris, Treve Dyer and Susan Chaplin. Percy Cheesley is in action on the drum and Eric Lobb is on the extreme right and not playing on this occasion. (Photo: Ken Young)

(Photo: Ken Young)

Back to Churchtown and down Town Hill where the steep descent necessitates that the playing and dancing give way to a stroll.

We reach the bottom of Town Hill but unfortunately there’s no time to stop for a pint at the Peterville Inn

I could be wrong but I think this is Peterville with Nancy Kellow, Margaret Davey, Shirley Spencer and Ken Young

1953: Down Dirtypool (Peterville)

One of the pausing points (is this Peterville again) where the dancers “do their stuff” and the players have a rest – from marching.? It looks like a youthful George Heyworth at the top of the photo – nearest the band.

As mentioned earlier, the dancers in the early years were drawn from the Tennis Club but as time passed their participation became difficult and when they eventually faded out of the picture, St Agnes Band  continued the tradition with other volunteer dancers including children from the local schools. Over the years, St Agnes, Mount Hawke, Mithian, Perranporth, Goonhavern, and Blackwater schools have taken part and it quickly became obvious that the children enjoyed being involved.

After a longish pause in Peterville to play to the crowds, the procession turned right and headed up through Rosemundy towards our destination and a welcome relief from the monotonous tune. Actually, that’s a bit harsh but when played over and over it tends to be a tad boring for the players. So much so that during the 1960s, conductor Frank Moore decided that he had to put his foot down. We were all improvising and playing our own version but he understood why we were doing it and re-arranged the music to give everyone a more interesting part. After that we all stuck to the script…well, mostly!

1964: Just before the entrance to the Rosemundy Hotel – now, is that Clive Benney up when he should have been down? He insists that all of the others were out of step but his wife, Helen, says that his sense of rhythm hasn’t improved.

Having played the tune more times than anyone cares to count, the procession eventually arrived at its destination – the impressive grounds of the Rosemundy House Hotel. Of course, the use of this venue pre-dated its use as a hotel, it goes back to when it was simply Rosemundy House, to what we always referred to as the Mother and Baby Home.

The Rosemundy House Hotel, the subject of a book by Clive Benney – The Secrets of Rosemundy House

Here, the entertainment by the band and the dancers continued but there was also the selection of the carnival queen, various competitions, stalls and of course, who could fail to remember Harry Thomas with his public address system on the roof of his distinctive van.

Harry Thomas and his Radio Van

I am told that the band, and in particular Bill Johnson and Lewis Ely, helped to create the open-air stage at Rosemundy. The St Agnes Theatre Players were the prime movers and there may well have been other organisations involved and my apologies go to them if that is the case. But, whoever undertook the work, how I wish someone had lent them a spirit level. Those who know the stage will recall the difficulty of playing while balancing your chair on the slope and at the same time, trying to keep the gnats from enjoying their evening meal. It is a beautiful setting but oh, that slope!

 Local folk dancers Ada Oats, Ruby Nichols, Cecile Thewlis, Daphne Dunstan, Margaret Davey, Elsie Vanstone and June Kneebone performing the Flamborough Sword Dance

Local folk dancers Ada Oats, Ruby Nichols, Cecile Thewlis, Daphne Dunstan, Margaret Davey, Elsie Vanstone and June Kneebone performing the Riggs of Marlowe

Another attraction was the conducting competition when aspiring musicians, and the occasional prankster, could take the baton and have a go. I recall that I won it one year – when I was learning a brass instrument. The prize was a mouth organ and I always wondered if Frank Moore was trying to tell me something!

The Conducting Competition although on this occasion the band are in fancy dress so it wouldn’t have been at a Flora Dance (Photo: Ken Young)

 

A bit more up to date

Local chap, Les Donnithorne (bottom of shot with glasses), looks on as the procession passes and bandmaster David Olds has swopped his baton for a cornet and is top right

Almost out of shot, on the left, is Jonathan Hore and that’s Clive Ellison on the right with the large bass. Next to him, on trombone, is Robert Johnson and to his right is solo cornet player, Lucy Wetherill.

The dancer on the left is David Whitworth and the guy in the middle is Roy Mitchell – behind him is Mary Chapman

I may be wrong but it looks as though Roy Mitchell is flagging a bit

1990: The band and dancers in Churchtown

Peterville with the schools taking part in the dance

Whilst we like to look back and wallow in a bit of nostalgia it is good that the event lives on through a new generation of musicians and dancers. This year (2008) marks the 60^th anniversary and it was excellent to see members of the St Agnes Tennis Club taking part again. The faces were different but the enthusiasm was just as great as when Margaret Davey was dancing.

 

 

I think it likely that some of the other photographs were also taken by professional photographer, Ken Young, and his name will be added if that is found to be the case.

Other photographs are likely to have been provided by Clive Benney who has lent me so many over the years that I have lost track.

I am afraid that I do not have the photographer’s name for the coloured photographs.