Rain fails to dampen Angmering May Day fun

Children, parents and teachers gathered at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School, in Arundel Road, last Friday (May 23), to once again enjoy the May Day festivities.

But as the closing stages of the annual event came to an end, with year-six youngsters dancing around the May pole, the ‘Heavens opened’, said one of the event’s organisers, putting a halt to proceedings.

Jan Smith, the school’s bursar, has been teaching the children the May Day dance for 20 years and helped with this year’s fun.

She said: “It was halfway through the May pole dancing and the Heavens just opened up. It was pretty nasty, which was a shame.”

She added: “The children really wanted to continue in the rain but the parents, understandably, didn’t.”

However, in spite of the gloomy conditions, children still held a party in the school hall to finish the day in style.

This year was the first time St Wilfrid’s had organised the May Day celebration alone.

Traditionally, they would join with neighbouring primary school, St Margaret’s.

The split did mean St Wilfrid’s could choose it own royalty for the day for the first time.

This year James England, ten, and Jassey Wilks, 11, were crowned May King and Queen.

And to mark the event, a former St Wilfrid’s May Queen from 1969, Sandra Dolmon paid a visit to crown Jassey.

Jan added: “It was really lovely of her to come along and do that.

“She actually called us out the blue and said that she wanted to come down. It was very special.”

The school will be organising a date for the year-six pupils to finish their May pole dancing, later this term.