THE NEW mayor and queen have been announced for this year’s popular Randwick Wap celebrations.

The ancient festival, which features a traditional fair, costumed procession and ceremonial cheese rolling, welcomes Wap mayor Simon Vincent and queen Tabitha Lythgoe for this anticipated event s which culminate in Wap day on May 11.

Joining Simon and Tabitha as they are carried through the village in May will be high sheriff Diana Giles, sword bearer Perry Loveday and mop man Julie Burns.

Additional support will be provided by princesses Amelia Atkins, Caitlin Smith, Anya Prosser, Kirstie Philcox, Tatiana Rose-Patterson and Amelie Reed, flower girls Lyra Loveday, Tabitha Maher, Leia Holt, Carmen Hollier and Innes Warner-Fontenla, flag boys Charlie Adamson, Stirling Hollier, Jago Loveday and Spike Clarke and junior guard George Edmunds and Sam Hepner.

Fun festivities will start on the day as mop man Julie Burns wets the crowd with water, before the mayor Simon Vincent is dipped in the pond.

Real cheeses will then be rolled by the queen and mayor down the bank then divided and eaten and the procession then makes its way to the fair field by Randwick village hall.

The Wap is a village festival dating back to the Middle Ages. Various theories exist on how it began, it seems likely that it was originally an ancient spring ritual combined with the annual summoning of village men and weapons to check that the community could defend itself.

This year's great attractions include a strong man and Severn Rescue Area Association.

Volunteers are crucial to this fantastic traditional event and anyone who can help with preparations, or on the day should contact organisers via the Randwick Wap - Festivities and Ceremonial Cheese Rolling Facebook page.