‘Brilliant’ dances at annual Angmering May Day celebrations

Children at St Margaret’s CE Primary School, in Arundel Road, Angmering, were dressed in their finery for the occasion last Wednesday.

The royal party, voted for by the juniors, waited excitedly for the procession and dancing to begin.

Best friends Morgan Hodgson and Lily Squire, both 11, the May Queen and Princess respectively, wore matching cream gowns, having shopped together, while May King Jack Burton and May Prince Jacob Hattersley, also 11, were dressed in smart suits.

Morgan Hodgson said: “I am buzzing. I am really happy and excited.”

Lily added: “When I heard my name called out, my heart jumped. It is really exciting. Everyone builds up to it. It is like being pring king and queen, it is as big as that to us.”

The girls were following in the footsteps of their siblings, as Lily’s brother Harry has been May King and Morgan’s sister Tia is a former May Queen.

All year groups, including children from the adjacent William Older Playgroup, processed past the royal party in turn. They then took a turn around the field themselves before striding up the red carpet to their thrones.

Last year’s May Queen, Chloé Sargent, crowned Morgan, then she and David Nairne, last year’s May King, presented cups to the new royal party.

An afternoon of dancing followed the crowning ceremony, starting with the playgroup children’s action song, There Was a Princess Long Ago.

Reception children danced around decorated cones to a maypole medley, while about 130 children from years one and two performed the Sir Circassian Circle.

Years three to six chose modern pop songs for their dances, with Badger and Otter classes dancing to Take That’s These Days, Fox and Mole dancing to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, Amberley and Lewes dancing to Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off, and Bramber and Arundel dancing to George Ezra’s Blame it On Me.

Head teacher David Boreham said: “There were groups doing different things, lots of improvisation and thinking up their own ideas. It was brilliant.”

The afternoon ended with year six performing maypole dances to cheers and claps from the parents.