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The Grampound Times
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Edition 45

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Grampound Furry

I am sure that almost everyone will know about The Helston Flora Dance but did you know that there once was a Grampound Furry (much the same thing). Having lived here in Grampound for almost the last 70 years I do remember that on Feast (Carnival) Day almost always a dance was included and it was danced to the same music as is used at Helston. Better than me explaining, here are some notes collected from a Mr. PHILLIP LUKE and Ms. MARY GOODMAN back in 1913 by a Mr. CECIL SHARP. I have ‘borrowed’ from somewhere on the Internet……

“Cecil Sharp also collected information about the Grampound Furry during his visit to Cornwall but was unable to stay for the actual dance. His informants were a Mr. Phillip Luke (82) his son, and a lady called Mary Goodman (86). They described the dance much as it was done in Helston except that couples held hands across when they danced forward. They also explained that the procession would stop every so often and the dancers would reform in a ring, going first clockwise then anticlockwise around the circle. Whilst doing this some dancers would perform another figure in the middle of the circle such as a six hand reel. The Grampound Furry took place on Whit Tuesday.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to see it revived again!

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