MAY Day celebrations might have been cancelled, but that didn’t stop Knutsford’s community pulling together for its queen.

Family and neighbours of this year’s incumbent May Day queen, Lily-May Newall, decorated their gardens and greeted her with cheers from their doorsteps as she made a circuit of the green at her Longridge home on Saturday afternoon.

The socially distanced celebration was a surprise organised by the 13-year-old’s mum Melanie Newall, who wanted to make sure her daughter had her chance to shine despite Covid-19 putting a halt to the usual annual proceedings.

Knutsford Academy pupil Lily-May was appointed as Knutsford’s May Day queen in January. However, just one day after she tried on her regal finery for the event, the country was plunged into lockdown.

Knutsford Guardian:

May Queen Lily-May Newall and her family. Image: Julie Whelan

Melanie said: “She was so disappointed. We all were, she had been so looking forward to it.

“I just really wanted to do something to mark the occasion so called on our friends and neighbours to host an alternative May Day on our green.”

Melanie managed to pull off the whole event without Lily-May having a clue what had been planned, despite her husband Sam being ‘rubbish’ at keeping secrets.

She said: “I had to swear my husband to secrecy, but we managed to pull it off.

“It was so lovely, all of our neighbours decorated their gardens and came out on to their door steps to clap for her as she did a circuit of the green. Then we all had a party in our own gardens. It was really quite emotional.”

As well as a miniature Maypole being erected in the middle of the green, one neighbour even went so far as to mow the grass spelling out Lily-May’s name in the greenery.

Knutsford Guardian:

May Queen Lily-May Newall. Image: Julie Whelan

Melanie added: “It was amazing how they all pulled together for her – there was a real community spirit to the day.”

During the celebrations Lily-May was joined by her sister Poppy, eight, friend Natalie Healey and dance teacher Becky Stott for a ‘dance of the swords’ which they would have been due to perform at the event – again all done at a safe distance. Her little brother Ronnie, 23-months, was also part of the celebrations.

Lily-May admits she felt emotional during the occasion, adding: “It was a big shock really. I didn’t know mum had planned it all. It was really nice.”

While there is currently uncertainty around all future public events, Lily-May is hopeful she will get her royal moment in 2021.

READ > Knutsfordians paint town red, white and blue for May Day

She said: “I hope that I get to do it next year and that it will be an even bigger and better day.”

Dad Sam added: “I think the local community has done her proud. We were really disappointed that it had to be cancelled so we just did the best we could to still make it a special day and would just like to thank everyone who helped us to do that.”