Miss Helena (Lena) Kay

May Queen, which started life in the 1880s as the Bands of Hope Festival was always at Whitsun - typically Whit Thursday. This meant it was not unusual for it to be held in June.  The event was not held for several years after 1914, due in part to the War but also down to a lack of funds after a few lean years when most of the local churches had withdrawn.

When it restarted in 1919. Miss Winnie Hewitt of Naylor's cottages, Higher Lane was May Queen and crowned by Miss W. Houghton.  The venue was the field known today as Ridgway-Grundy Park and the  field, could be approached via Maltmans Road.  (The houses can be seen in the background).  But in 1920, the procession arrived via Westleigh - home to the Houghtons on Eagle Brow who appeared to own the field.  May Queen that year was   Miss Helena Kay of Yew Tree Terrace on Rush Green Road. There would have been much celebration in the Kay household that year as just the previous year all four of Helena's older brothers had returned safely from fighting in the Great War.