Day 97 – The Eve of Flora Day

Every year in Helston, they celebrate Flora Day which dates back to pre-Christian times.  It is a celebration of the beginning of May and consists of lots of dances throughout the town, mainly known as the Furry Dance.

“Dancing here, prancing there, jigging, jogging everywhere” and to the sound of a big base drum the ladies and their gentlemen all dressed very elegantly dance in and out of all the shops, houses, Churches and anywhere else they can dance.

But, during the evening before Flora Day, all the shops and houses are decorated with lots of greenery and many flowers, ribbons and bows.  It’s lovely to see everywhere in the town dressed like this and lovely that the townspeople do so much to have Helston look wonderful for the Dance.

We drove into Helston this evening to take some pics of the flowers everywhere. Tomorrow the town will be packed with all those dancing as well as all those just coming to see this wonderful event.

(Because of the problem of the WordPress gremlins that have been here a while now I can’t write between the photos as I had hoped so they are one after the other)!!

Original photograph taken by me - copyright 2011

Original photograph taken by me - copyright 2011

Original photograph taken by me - copyright 2011

Day 30: Sad Feelings

I suppose as this is a journal for a photograph every day for a year, then it should also show the times when I feel sad, as well as the good times.

My man Paul unearthed some old treasures from a box today, which had been tucked away for a very long time.

One of the things he unearthed was this plaque of mine for medals I won many many years ago for dancing.

Original photograph taken by me today 28 February 2011 - copyright 2011

You will see the bronze medal and the silver one but there is a gap where the gold medal should be.

The reason I feel sad is because seeing that gap reminded me why I did not get to take the gold medal.  My dear Dad used to take me to my dance classes and exhibitions and things like that and also to the places I had to go to dance before judges to hopefully get a medal.  He also used to come and pick me up from those places and it was a very enjoyable routine.

I was soon to dance to hopefully get a gold medal, but very sadly, my dear Dad died.  Needless to say, when I was back in the swing of things, there was no-one that I knew who could drive me to the dance classes and to get a medal so I never got the chance to get it.

There is also now another sad reason when I look at the plaque with the medals on because a number of years ago I had an accident at work, which resulted in me breaking two bones in my neck!  It was three years before the doctors actually found that that was the problem and so I have been left a bit disabled as a result of the accident and never having had my neck put right. So I can no longer dance. 

So, rather wistfully, I think of the times I could dance and now cannot.  Now, when looking at this plaque which has been tucked away for such a long time, I just have sad feelings and wish things could be different.