Helston Flora Day Midday Dance Leaders Announced

The names of the four people who will be leading the Midday Dance on Helston Flora Day 2011 have been revealed. They are Nicholas Bassett and Lisa Pascoe and Matthew Rogers and Sally Head.

39 year old Nick Bassett lives in Newbury and works as a Research Manager for Vodafone UK. He says: “I'm absolutely delighted to have been selected to lead this year’s Midday Dance - it came completely out of the blue and took a good 24 hours to sink in!!! It has also been very difficult keeping the secret.

It is a huge privilege to be invited to lead the Midday dance - something that of course not anyone can be invited to do. Both my father & brother have led the Midday Dance, so I follow in their footsteps (wearing a huge grin!!)”

Nick first danced in 1979 when at Parc Eglos School and has danced many times since in the children's dance, the Early Morning and the Midday.

He’ll be dancing with Lisa Pascoe who says: “Being chosen to be in the leading set is a massive honour. I am very proud to be Helston born and Flora day is the best day of my year. Leading the Midday is just so exciting. I have lived in Helston all my life (apart from when I was at university in Southampton) and bought a house here last year with my boyfriend. My father’s side of the family are very proud Helstonians and my mother has lived here the majority of her life also. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Lisa, who will be 27 on Flora Day, is a Senior Regulatory Affairs Executive at TRAC Services, a pharmaceutical consultancy based in the Pool Innovation Centre on the Camborne College campus, and has also worked in the Bell Inn for the past four and a half years. 

Lisa danced through primary school at St Michael’s and this will be her fourth time dancing the midday dance. She also played in Helston town band for eight years and has taken part in the Hal-an-Tow a number of times.

Matthew Rogers, who currently lives in Loughborough, will be dancing with Sally Head who lives in Lowertown. Sally says: “I was speechless when I found out. It’s one of those things you think will never happen to you but it has. It took about two to three days to sink in and it’s an absolute thrill and an honour."

Sally, who works at the Church Street accountants Paul and Maundrell, started dancing while at Parc Eglos School and has been dancing the Midday since 1980. Her dress is being made by Maggie Truran and her hat is from Encore Hats.