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Here
are four short films of the 2007 celebrations
Helston Furry of Days Gone By
12
May 1887, The West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, Thursday
Helston Flora Day. Exhibition and Bazaar. Helston has
not witnessed a more successful Flora-day for many years than was
Tuesday's celebration of the ancient custom. A combination of
various happy circumstances brought about this result. The fact of
the Helston railway having been newly opened undoubtedly formed the
principal contributory cause. The passenger traffic on the new line
was heavy beyond expectation. Every train was crowded to excess, and
in the earlier part of the day many had to be left behind. All the
railway arrangements for the day were carried out without the
slightest accident. The weather was superb.
The sun shone brilliantly all day, but the heat was tempered by a
refreshing breeze. Then, in addition to the Furry dance - an ancient
ceremonial, the exact origin of which cannot be explained, although
it has, no doubt, an intimate connection with welcoming May month -
the dog and poultry exhibition, which, in recent times has become a
conspicuous feature in the Flora-day proceedings, was by far the
best which has yet been held in Helston. The bazaar in aid of the
funds of the Additional Curates' Socety, which has likewise become a
part of Flora-day programms, was also rendered fully as attractive
as in former years. Under such auspicious circumstances it was only
what might have been expected to find Helston gayer and fuller of
visitors than it has been for many a long day. The holiday seemed to
be thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. The ladies mustered in
particularly large numbers, and their light summer costumes
contributed greatly to the brightness of the scene. In accordance
with ancient usage the porches of the various hostelries were
bedecked with evergreens and boughs of trees. This practice is one
of the oldest portions of the custom, and reminds the folks of the
present day of the times when the lads and lasses of Helston made an
early excursion into the country on the morning of Flora-day and
returned laden with foliage from the adjoining woods. As carried out
now-a-days Flora-day is a strange mixture of things new and old, and
while the leafy decorations carry the imagination back to primitive
times and rustic joys, the largely patronised swing-boats and the
merry-go-rounds with their organs possessed of "brass mouths
and iron lungs," present in large numbers in the streets, give
a very modern aspect to the fair.
"Furry dance" was well attended this year. This is a very
quaint custom, and consists of a number of couples dancing through
the streets, the ordinary law of trespass being for the while
suspended, as the dancers claim the right to enter any house or
grounds without being accused of intrusion. It is, perhaps, somewhat
imaginative to describe the performance as a "dance." The
participators, in pairs, form a procession, headed by a band, which
incessantly plays the original "Fury tune." At a certain
point of the music the couples indulge in a few spasmodic gyrations,
after which walking is resumed. The large company of ladies and
gentlemen intending to join in the Furry dance assembled on Tuesday
in the Corn Excange, in which the Church bazaar had just been
opened. The company was larger than has been seen for many years.
Mr. E.P. Kendall and Mr. H.M. Rogers acted as the stewards. The
dance was led off by Mr. F.V. Hill and Mrs. E.P. Kendall; Mr. E.P.
Kendall and Mrs. W. Wearne; Mr. J. Sydney Davey and Mrs. Boase; Mr.
Heycock and Mrs. Montague Rogers; Capt. Mainwarning and Miss
Jackson; Mr. H.M. Rogers and Mrs. Farham; Mr. Harris and Miss West.
There were between forty and fifty couples. After they had proceeded
round the town the company adjourned to the Assembly Rooms of the
Angel Hotel, where a country dance concluded the programme. During
the afternoon several other parties enjoyed a Furry dance. These
singular proceedings - unique to Flora-day and Helston - were
witnessed by an enormous crowd of spectators.
The dog, poultry, cage bird, rabbit, and cat show held in the
Market-house was very successful. A report of the proceedings,
together with the prize list, will be found in the eighth page of
to-day's West Briton.
The bazaar in aid of the funds of the Additional Curates' Society,
which was held in the Corn Exchange, was most tastefully and
strikingly arranged. The stalls were named after the several rural
deaneries of the archdeaconry of Cornwall, namley: - "St.
Austell," "Kirrier," "Penwith,"
"Powder," "Pydar," "Carnmarth."
Articles for sale were sent in from all the deaneries except
Carnmarth. The stalls were decorated with extreme care and taste,
and the goods for sale were of a valuable and elegant description.
The archidiaconal secretary, Miss Bennet, of Tresillian House, St.
Columb, worked most assiduously in connection with the arrangements,
the ruridecanal secretaries present being Mrs. Vawdey (Kirrier),
Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Harvey (Penwith), Miss Glynn Grylls (Powder),
and the parochial secretaries of Kirrier, Miss Hill (Helston) and
Mrs. Sutton (St. Keverne). The ladies at the stalls were Mrs.
Vawdrey, Miss Glynn Grylis, Miss Ratcliffe, Mrs. F. Harvey, Miss
Williams, Mrs. Coulson Arthur, Miss Hill, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Wedlock,
Miss Reynolds, Mrs. Williams, Miss Hugo, Mrs. M. Richards, Mrs.
Sutton, Miss Bullmore, and Miss Taylor.
Canon Tyacke, in introducing Mrs. Rogers, of Penrose, who was to
open the bazaar, said he wished to express his deep indebtedness to
all who had for many months been preparing the numerous articles on
the stalls, and who had expended much time and labour in the cause.
- Mrs. Rogers declared the bazaar open.
In the evening a ball was held at the Angel Hotel.
With
thanks to the West Briton Archives
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad/
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Here
are four short films of the 2007 celebrations
Double
click on the arrow
The
Morning Dance
The
Hal an Tow
The
Children's Dance
The
Midday Dance
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