The maypole was dusted down for another year as St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School and St Margaret’s CE Primary School took part in the Maytime revelry, this year hosted by St Wilfrid’s. The two schools shared the honour of providing the “royals”, all year-six pupils, with Nicole Lamb, 11, crowned as May Queen, Harrison Douglas-Wood May, 11, May King and Chloe Keeping, 11, and Harry Squire, 11, the May Prince and Princess. The afternoon began with a procession down Arundel Road, with the Maytime “royalty” leading the way. St Wilfrid’s pupils and staff were followed by the St Margaret’s contingent and the William Older preschool. Once the parade arrived at St Wilfrid’s, it was time for the coronation to take place, followed by dancing by all the classes from both schools, with year-five and six children weaving intricate patterns of ribbons around the maypole. Hundreds of parents, grandparents and younger brothers and sisters watched the happy occasion on a sunny afternoon in the grounds of St Wilfrid’s. Each of the four May “royals”, who were chosen by their fellow pupils, was presented with a trophy to keep as a memento of the day, and the king and queen were also given shields to keep for a year. l For a full spread of pictures from the event, see Thursday’s Gazette (May 30).
