It is one of two days in the year when most Helstonians are happy to be given an early morning wake up call from Helston Town Band - the other being Flora Day, of course.

Band members performed the first of their two parades through the town at 7am this morning, to celebrate the start of May.

Normally taking place on May Day, the parades were put back to today, as May 1 fell on a Sunday this year.

This meant, however, that being a Bank Holiday Monday even more supporters than usual were able to join the band to dance along behind in an unofficial 'practice' ahead of Flora Day this Saturday.

See the attached picture gallery for photos from this morning here. Photos: Keith Richards

A second parade will take place this evening, at 7pm, when even more people are expected to join in - and the sun is forecast to come out.

Due to confusion this year over who was responsible for booking the road closures, both of this year's parade routes are shorter than usual.

While the route usually takes in the area around Cross Street, this year it is being kept to the town centre.

It meant that the band assembled at the Guildhall and marched up Meneage Street to the end of the one-way system, at the junction with The Parade, then turned around and marched back down the street.

Members then continued along Wendron Street, before turning into Penrose Road. At the end of that road they turned left into Church Street to the traffic lights, before turning right and marching down Coinagehall Street.

The band finished the parade by going around the Bowling Green and marching back up Coinagehall Street to the Guildhall.

It is a route that will repeated this evening, with the band not going up as far as the Spar roundabout like usual.

Graham Carter, honorary secretary for the band, said beforehand: "We apologise for those who would normally experience the delights of the day but we hope to resume normal service next year."