A historic market town is looking ahead to one of its most famous traditions.

Neston Ladies Club Day on Thursday, June 1, will see the highlight of the year for Neston Female Society as for the 203rd time hundreds of women and children will process through the town.

They will be headed by the pipes of the Scots Guards Association.

To encourage a festival atmosphere the town centre will be closed to all traffic from 12.30pm to 6pm with arts group Hip & Harmony providing street entertainment through a grant from Neston Town Council.

The society was founded in 1814 and is the only surviving female society of its kind in the country.

Last year's Neston Ladies Day

It was formed when the country was suffering a period of severe hardship due to long wars with France and a series of poor harvests.

The original charter is kept in St Mary’s & St Helen’s Parish Church.

The celebrations begin with the band marching from the Royal British Legion on Chester Road to the Malt Shovel on Liverpool Road.

Live entertainment will begin at The Cross and at 2.30pm the band and procession will leave the Malt Shovel to walk to the parish church on Neston High Street.

A service will be held in the church with the parade continuing to The Cross for blessings and hymns at 4pm before processing to Neston Civic Hall for the society’s AGM and tea.

There will be continued live entertainment at The Cross.

As well as members of the society, the parade will include the clergy, the mayor and mayoress of Neston and invited dignitaries.

A fun fair on the Chester Road car park will add to the festivities.

Diversionary routes will be signposted during road closures and bus services, including routes to Parkgate, will be affected with notices at bus stops.

Last year for the first time in the history of the society, the traditional procession included Ladies Walk named in its honour and started from the Market Square.

This year it again starts from the Malt Shovel car park which has been used in the recent past.