Helston is a small town in Cornwall, England. It is between the north end of the Lizard Peninsula and east of Penzance. It is also southwest of Falmouth. The town is known for being the most southern town on the island of Great Britain. The population is about 11,178 people.
Once being a town of stannary and cattle market, the town is best known for its annual Furry Dance. This is a medieval tradition on May 8th in celebration of the Apparition of Sanit Micheal. Furry Day is also known as Flora Day in Cornwall. This celebration has gone on for over 800 years since the country's charter. Helston has a parliamentary constituency, created in 1298. Now, it is part of the St Ives constituency, covering the town and parks of Sicily. The town is split into three wards: South, North, and West.
Helston is referenced in Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day on page 35 when the author states, "Miss Kenton states unambiguously that she has now, in fact, taken the step of moving out of Mr. Benn’s house in Helston and is presently lodging with an acquaintance in the nearby village of Little Compton." This town is referenced due to one of the characters looking to move into a home in the town, gathered from a letter.