THE two Janets stripped off their cloaks and swapped them in front of dozens of onlookers as they played out the starring roles of an ancient York ceremony.

The retiring Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Looker and her successor, Coun Janet Greenwood, took centre stage in the city's Guildhall as the chains of office passed between them yesterday.

The mayor's distinctive fur-lined, gold-trimmed red cloak also changed hands, along with the rather large, wide-brimmed, feather-bedecked black hat that has sat atop Coun Looker's coiffeur during the past year.

Councillor Charles Hall, who proposed Liberal Democrat Coun Greenwood for a term in office, said tradition once dictated the ancient role went to men who were born in the city.

In these more enlightened times, Scottish-born Coun Greenwood vowed to do her best to uphold the age-old traditions.

Coun Hall also rated the mother-of-two highly for the role. He said: "She has an easy and relaxed attitue when meeting strangers, never short of a word or two, or three, or four. I am confident the future civic party will be a credit to the city."

Coun Janet Hopton who seconded the motion revealed that Coun Greenwoood had attended 91 of the 102 council meetings over the past year and had never missed a full council meeting in the past six years.

She described the new Lord Mayor as conscientious, capable and hard-working - qualities which "make her eminently suitable" for the strenuous schedule ahead.

Coun Greenwood's husband, Michael, will be her consort during the year when her chosen charities will be St Leonard's Hospice and MacMillan Nurses.

"Janet will be a difficult act to follow," said the new mayor. But she was happy to leave Coun Looker's record of travelling the most civic miles by bicycle unchallenged.

A councillor since 1999, the Derwent Ward representative has lived in Dunnington since 1969. Recently retired, she worked for British Telecom for more than 25 years.

A former Sheriff of York, Coun Greenwood is joined by fellow councillor, Gil Nimmo, as the new Sheriff. Coun Nimmo, who succeeds Bob Scrase, was elected to represent Holgate Ward in 2003 following a military career, which saw him awarded an MBE for military service.

Updated: 10:29 Friday, May 20, 2005