Staining and Normoss annual summer gala celebrated in rain

People gathered on the streets with raincoats and umbrellas to watch the procession from Dobson Road in Normoss to Staining Village Hall.

The annual Gala Queen, the Staining Junior Football Club, the Staining Women’s Institute, local church representatives, councillors, Blackpool town crier Barry McQueen and Fylde MP Mark Menzies took part in the soggy Saturday parade, which failed to dampen people’s spirits on the day.

Staining councillor and former Mayor of Fylde John Singleton said: “As soon as we started it began to pour down with rain, and the word of the day was ‘umbrellas’.

“Everyone on the floats had their umbrellas up.

“Rather than the queen being crowned on the village green, the crowning proceeded at the village hall in Staining, and after that the sun came out.

“It’s just one of those things. You can’t plan for the weather.

“It’s the last Gala on the Fylde and all the previous ones had hot weather.

“We went from Normoss and crossed over into Staining, and went right through to the village hall.

“The streets are always flocked with onlookers, but this year it was fewer because of the rain.

“Still quite a few turned out and we would like to thank them for that.

“Our MP Mark Menzies was there with an umbrella getting absolutely drenched.”