Village fetes are in danger of being consigned to the archives of local life as organisers battle with red tape, bureaucracy and insufficient volunteers.
The organising committee of the annual Longton Gala has cancelled the event due to difficulties with getting enough volunteers.
Increased bureaucracy has meant the already busy organisational calendar has become cluttered with health and safety legislation risk assessment and there simply aren't enough hands to the pumps.
In neighbouring Penwortham, the town council waits to discover whether the 30-year-old show will go on as the licensing committee is to decide its fate.
New rules mean Hurst Grange Park will need to be licensed for drinks and entertainment, and with no licence there will be no gala.
Other events have been strangled by red tape as organisers battle with regulations to put on a traditional event.
Margaret Clark, committee member for the Longton Gala says: "There is a lot of behind the scenes work – you have to get insurance, get the roads closed, carry out risk assessments.
For full feature, see Wednesday's Lancashire Evening Post.
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