
Newsletter #59 1st May 2021
Editor - Derek Godridge with guest Author Wendy Bate
PCC News of the Week: As we get nearer to what would have been Flora Day on May 8th, this week is Wendy’s final Flora Day issue reminiscences.
Meetings
Great meeting last night with some excellent judging.
Next week 6th May we have some discussion on “Through the viewfinder”.
Competition
We had some really great images for the Image of the Year – see our Facebook page to view the images. https://www.facebook.com/PenrynCC. The winners and runners up were:
1) OPEN DIGITAL
1st Place - Parisian Dreams - Maly Pellerin
2nd Place - Primavera - Derek Godridge
3rd Place - Bus Queue - Ann Glinn
H/C - Gyllyngvase Beach - Raymond Bate
H/C - Rose Reflections - Christine Hamshaw
2) OPEN DIGITAL - MONO
1st Place - The Artists - Maly Pellerin
2nd Place - Tunnel Vision - Keith Russ
3rd Place - Along The Riverbank - Jeanette Ruberry
H/C - Coffee Break - Liz Richardson
H/C - Giggles - Victor Tullin
3) OFF CAMERA DIGITAL
1st Place - Oh Deer - Eve Govier
2nd Place - Silver Sea - Janet Godridge
3rd Place - Shepherds Warning - Liz Richardson
H/C - Flying Carpet .... Soon Will Be - Nicky Evans
H/C - Misty Brixham - Claire Tagg
4) OVERALL DIGITAL IMAGE OF THE YEAR - THE ARTISTS by Maly Pellerin

Huge congratulations to all our competitors and a massive Thank You to our judge - Kevin Leah who had some very perceptive observations to make as his many years experience shone through!
5) The next Lockdown competition is on 13th May and the subject is “Flowers / Plants”
Guest Author – Wendy Bate- Text and some Photos
FLORA DAY. (Part 3, the final part).
The big day has arrived and all the preparations are in place, everyone is ready to enjoy the day. The photos attached, basically, span 100 years, starting with the Early Morning Dance, in St. John’s Road, which is a postcard photo, and dated, 1921, The Mid Day Dance, taken in Cross Street was in the 1920’s. The First Children’s Dance, was in 1922.

1. Early Morning Dance 1921 in St' John's Road, (the little boy with a x, is my dad).

2. Early Morning Dance, Cross Street.1951. The little girl on the right with the hat, clutching her dad's hand, is me.

3. Middday Dance in Cross Street in the late 1920's. The gent in the trilby hat, on the pavement, is my Dad.
There are Midday Dance photos from the 1950’s, and you will notice the gents are wearing black top hats, which was changed to grey top hats, but not sure of the date this happened, but definitely before I took part in it, in 1965.

4. c1950s The Midday Dance leaving the Guild Hall. You will notice, the men are wearing BLACK top hats.

5. c1950s - My Uncle leading the Midday dance, coming out of Leslie House at the bottom of Lady Street.
The Children’s dance hasn’t altered as the children still wear all white and flowers in the girl’s hair, the boys wearing their school tie, which represents their school. All the dances go ahead, whatever the weather is, on the day.

6. 1922 Meneage Street. First Children's Dance. The first children bottom right, my Mother and Uncle.

7. 1952 My first time dancing. Taken roughly in the same place as no.6. I am the first girl on the right.

8. 1960 Cross Street. Leading my school.

9. My first time in the Midday Dance making our way through the entrance to Penhellis Gardens.

10. 1968 Cross Street. It poured with rain for the whole dance. Note the umbrellas are up and not too many people watching. The dances go ahead, regardless of the weather, I am the second lady there dancing with my cousin, it was his first time in the Midday.

11. 1972 Cross Street. 2nd Couple, my friend Coleen was leading and she was one of my bridesmaids.

12 1974 Church Street. Leading the dance.

13. 1974 Paper cutting. Lismore Gardens. Here the dancers wind their way into a circle, so all the dancers get on to the lawn. The nearer you are to the front of the dance, you actually end up in the middle of the lawn, and all the other dancers surrounding you.

14.1974. Dancing through the old Vicarage Gardens in Cross Street.

15. 2002 - Coinagehall Street. The last time I took part, dancing with Hugh Bassett, who I also led with in 1974.
The Professional Photographers still use the many advantage points in the town where they get the best photos, as they did years ago, which you will notice from many of the photos, having been taken in almost the same place.

16. 2015 Midday Dance
Flora Day has been postponed again this year, because of Covid and, it was the same last year, let’s hope next year, we will be back to normal.
Best wishes Derek & Wendy