Today should have been Flora Day 2020, but this year's event has been cancelled due to coronavirus.

So instead we're looking back at years gone by – below is how the Packet reported the 2010 event a decade ago.

HELSTON can look back on another magical Flora Day that saw the town buzzing with excitement and joy.

Held on a Saturday for the first time in a number of years, crowds gathered early to secure the best vantage points for the dances.

By 6.30am, as the bells of St Michael’s Church rang out in celebration, hundreds of people had gathered outside the Guildhall for the start of the day’s festivities.

The first dance of the day, led by Christopher Cook and Joyce Meagor, who was wearing turquoise blue, followed by Graham Webber and Clare Bradshaw, wearing bright pink with a contrasting orange sash, began its route around the town at 7am, to cheers from the crowds.

As the dance drew to a close, those taking part in the Hal-an-Tow made their way through, blowing whistles as they went and stopping at various points to tell the story, through tableaux, of how St George killed the dragon, St Michael defeated the devil and how St Piran arrived in Cornwall on a millstone.

Just before 9.50am, thousands of youngsters dressed in white gathered in Wendron Street for the children’s dance.

Led by Parc Eglos School this year, with the town’s other two primary schools, St Michael’s and Parc Eglos, and its secondary school Helston Community College following on behind, the young dancers made their way through the town accompanied by their teachers.

Excitement built as the time drew nearer to midday. At noon the most colourful dance of the day, the Furry Dance, set off led by Stephen Songhurst and Karen Anderton, wearing a purple dress with silver hat and gloves, with Phillip Woods and Tracy Carroll, wearing a dark blue dress and dark pink hat and gloves, completing the leading set.

Despite large clouds looming on a number of occasions, the day stayed dry until the evening dance, when the 7am dancers took the streets for the second time to grey skies and a light shower, which eased off as they continued their route in and out of shops and back to the Guildhall.

Here, Helston Town Band, who led every dance, played the National Anthem to round up the day.