Flora Day 2020 may have been cancelled officially but in the hearts and homes of people throughout Helston the event was celebrated as usual.
Whether it was dressing up in outfits from previous years or dancing around their garden, residents still found a way to mark the occasion, despite the restrictions of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sarah and Carlton Real. Photos: Kathy White
The Flora Dance could be heard playing on many occasions, be it from a CD or a re-watching of past dances, as well as a few live performances.
In the town centre, Bowden's Home Hardware played the tune out from its top floor window at midday.
Martin Barnett, co-owner of Bowden's Home Hardware, rings a bell for Flora Day
Helston Town Band put in extra special effort in both the week leading up to Flora Day and on the day itself.
They created a special 'Isolation Edition' of the Flora Dance, with band members filming themselves playing their sections at home.
These were then pieced together to form one tune, as it would be heard on Flora Day.
This was intercut with snippets of dancing - and even one member trying to play a watering can.
Catherine Stenton and Keith Busby of Helston Town Band play for neighbours
Band members also headed outside their homes to play the tune to neighbours and those within earshot.
This included on Penrose Road and Trenethick Avenue, where some mini dances took place with couples standing two metres apart.
Others kept to their gardens, including the Johnson family who decided to still mark what should have been eldest Mollie's first year of dancing the Children's Dance - and of course youngster sister Daisy also got involved.
Kristina and Tim Johnson marked every dance around their garden with daughters Daisy and Mollie
Not only did they recreate that dance, but every dance on Flora Day at the appropriate time.
Staff at Helston Tesco combined Flora Day and the 75th anniversary of VE Day, by dressing up as if to dance and also asking customers to draw metre up on metre of bunting, suitable for both occasions.
Staff at Helston Tesco marked both Flora Day and VE Day
Homes around Helston were decorated for the day, some with flowers and greenery, just as they would usually be on Flora Day, and others with flags.
There were also windows filled with coloured in artwork, including free colouring sheets created by Helston artist Alice Hole to help people still celebrate in lockdown.
Sarah Mudge with Bethany and Jake decorated their house
Helston Flora Day Association thanked everyone for sending in their photos and videos of the day, saying: "Thank you to everyone for sharing your celebrations and family pictures, what an amazing tradition and history we have.
"A special thank you to Jack Curnow and the Helston Town Band for all their efforts in this strange lockdown Flora Day.
"Stay safe and let us all start looking forward to Saturday 8th May 2021."
Social distancing 'dancers' line up in Osborne Parc
Helston Town Band has set up an online donation page at www.gofundme.com/f/flora-day-2020-helston-town-band-fundraiser to help cover band costs for the next 12 months, as without Flora Day it has missed one of its biggest fundraising events.
The band said: "We could not be prouder of the part we play in Flora Day. However, not only is it a wonderful day in itself, but it also provides the Town Band with its biggest single source of income for the year.
Lily, Erin and Taylor dance down their street with Andy Tullin
"As passionate as we will always be about the magic of Flora Day, Helston Town Band exists for 365 days of the year and it takes a great deal of work to keep it running; we know only too well that the fortunes of a voluntary organisation can change very quickly."
Not only does the band play a vital role in Flora Day, it is part of the community all year round, appearing at civic functions, Helston Carnival, the Remembrance Sunday commemorations and at the Christmas lights switch- on.
The Robertson family dressed up for Flora Day
In particular this year the band has been fundraising to replace its gold-braided blue jackets and hats, which will be forever synonymous with Flora Day but have deteriorated over the years.
A jacket alone costs £220 and the band needs more than 30 of them to ensure that when members finally step off from the Guildhall again, now at 7am on May 8 2021 rather than 2020, they will look the part.
Julet and Chelle celebrate with the Robertson family over a glass of Spingo
Packet readers have also been sending in their photos of how they marked the day.
And it wasn't just in Helston that Flora Day celebrations took place, with former residents who have since moved away still marking the occasion.
Chloe Wiseman in her Children's Dance dressed, with pictures she had coloured from artist Alice Hole
Jenine Williams stands under the Grylls Monument after getting dressed up in a past Midday Dance dress
Natalie Marsland and her daughters Ocean and Maya in Constantine
Read more: VIDEO: 'It will still be Flora Day' - the voices of those for whom today means so much
Read more: Flora Day through the war years as VE Day marked
Read more: Flora Day flashback: Pictures from 1995
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