© NEIL SPENCE / Alamy Stock Photo

Anyone who was around in the 1970s will surely remember The Floral Dance. The lively brass band song was made famous by the Irish radio and TV presenter, Terry Wogan. Despite the song having its historic origins in Cornwall, the late broadcaster made the ditty his own, singing it on a memorable Top of the Pops appearance in 1978. Wogan had worked as a DJ for the BBC since 1966, when his gentle humour made him a big hit with listeners on the Light Programme, but his recording career started much later - The Floral Dance became his debut single. He released it almost by chance, as listeners inundated him with requests to record the single, after hearing him singing along to an instrumental version as a bit of fun during his show. In 1978, Wogan was one of the top DJs on the BBC, attracting around 7.9 million listeners, who tuned into his afternoon shows on Radio 2. His impromptu career as a singer began after the famous Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, from Calderdale, Yorkshire, released an instrumental version of The Floral Dance as a single. Quirky hit The quirky song peaked at number two in the UK singles chart, with only Wings' mega-hit, Mull of Kintyre, keeping it off the top spot. In fact, The Floral Dance spent an unprecedented six weeks at number two. Wogan loved the song and did his best to get it to number one, often playing it on his show. He would sing along in a jocular fashion to the brass band, telling listeners about how he heard the "curious tone of the cornet, clarinet and big trombone" and waxing lyrical about how he first heard the strains of the brass band in a "quaint old Cornish town". His vocals were a rather curious and twee mix of singing and speaking - but listeners begged for more! They began urging Wogan to release his own version of the song, so the disc jockey obliged. His unusual appearance on TOTP, in an era dominated by disco and punk music, was the result! He was accompanied by the historic Hanwell Brass Band, who formed in 1891. Their version of The Floral Dance with Wogan has been their only chart hit in their long and illustrious career. Song's origins While some people thought Wogan had written the lyrics for The Floral Dance, in fact, the song dates back to 1911, when it was written by British singer and composer Katie Moss. As a student of the Royal Academy of Music, the London-born artist felt inspired to write both the music and lyrics after visiting the historic Cornish mining village of Helston. During her visit, the 30-year-old singer had been fascinated by the tradition of the Furry Dance. The festival is held on 8th May every year in celebration of the Feast of St Michael, commonly known as Flora Day. The festivities include the Hal-an-Tow pageant, a celebration of music and dancing, when Helston Band accompanies the revelry. Moss loved the spectacle of seeing hundreds of local children, dressed in white and wearing Lily of the Valley corsages and buttonholes (Helston's symbolic flower) taking part in the Helston Furry Dance. It was said that she was so inspired by the festival, she wrote The Floral Dance on her way home in tribute to what she had witnessed. The name "Furry Dance" is believed to come from the Celtic word "feur", which means "festival". First recording Her song made its public debut in 1912, and in the six decades before Wogan's famous version, it was recorded many more times. There have been popular versions by British actor Stanley Holloway and Australian vocalist Peter Dawson, while the song was also played on the soundtrack of Brassed Off - a film made in 1996, following the ups and downs of a brass band in Yorkshire. Following Wogan's death from cancer in January 2016, when he was 77, his fans began campaigning to re-release his version of The Floral Dance, with all the proceeds being donated to the charity he had supported, Children in Need - he hosted the annual TV telethon between 1980 and 2014. The song didn't make it to the top of the charts, but it generated invaluable publicity for the charity's work with disadvantaged children and helped to raise vital funds. Cornwall's Flora Day Helston Flora Day is still held to this day in Cornwall, when the town is decked out with wild laurel leaves, bluebells and gorse gathered from the surrounding countryside. The fun begins with dancing at 7am and continues throughout the day. Entertainment also includes a patriotic play, where St George, England's patron saint, is depicted slaying the dragon in the famous fable. The festival is always a well-supported and lively occasion, with crowds lining the streets (and in particular Coinagehall Street) to see the festival procession, while cheering heartily at the plays and other entertainment. It is one of Cornwall's most famous historic festivals and attracts visitors from far and wide, as well as hundreds of local people. Cornish folklore expert, musician and author Ian Marshall has written a factual book, The Amazing Story of the Floral Dance, noting its association with Cornwall. Ironically, he was less than thrilled with Wogan's recording of the song! He felt it was a shame the TOTP performance was the one that sprang to mind when anyone mentioned The Floral Dance. He accepted that the late broadcaster genuinely loved the song, but hoped people realised there was a whole lot more to it, in terms of heritage, than Wogan's rather humorous performance on television. All together in the Floral Dance! When you visit Cornwall to enjoy our wonderful heritage, such as Helston Flora Day, make sure you call into MA Grigg’s country store to meet our friendly team and browse our range of high-quality branded clothing. Please contact us for information about our range of products – they’re ideal for the great outdoors!