In Essex - but will recover.

It would not surprise me if Paul and Georgina were involved in the instigation of the Garland.
I know that the late Peter Glover's son was heavily involved in the construction of the early garlands, until the son moved to London, and they were carried in the early years by the "goon squad" - mostly people from the Darlington area.

Following the final parade the Garland was suspended from a ceiling beam in the old Spa and at the end of the last dance the Garland was slowly lowered to the waiting scrummage as people tried to grab a piece of heather to start their own particular tradition.

People then tended to mill around saying their goodbyes as the staff tried to herd them out of the door - not much changed there!

In about 1984/5 as this was going on Dave Brady of Swan Arcade broke into a gentle rendering of the Wild Mountain Time which could be heard all over the complex and when the assembled multitude joined in the chorus the roof nearly lifted, to coin a phrase.

Edmund and I turned to each other and said "We'll keep it in"!