Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, fell relatively late this year with the benefit of having better Spring weather.  Otherwise known as Mardi Gras, it is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.   The 47 days of Lent leading up to Easter was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxons went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins).  Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on their Lenten fast and pancakes were the perfect way of using up these ingredients.

 

 

Around the UK, the tradition of pancake races has long formed an important element of Shrove Tuesday celebrations – an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race tossing pancakes. The Inter-Livery Pancake Race in the City has to be one of the most visually spectacular and most esoteric of them all.  It is  competed in Guildhall Yard, appropriately directly above the site of the old Roman Amphitheatre. 

 

 

The Pancake Races have been organised for the past fifteen years by the Poulters’ Company,  assisted by the Gunmakers providing (and firing loudly) the starting gun, the Clockmakers timing the races and the Fruiterers providing the lemons. It is an event that blends tradition, skill, friendly rivalry and humour, with some companies exhibiting a lot more seriousness of purpose than others.

 

 

With last year’s races driven indoors into the crypt by heavy rain,  a revised event had to be devised, won by the Tylers and Bricklayers.  This year could not have been more different.  The perfect Spring weather and clear blue sky brought spectators out in great number.  

Competitors either wore  full livery regalia, complete with apron  and chef’s hat – the pleated toque blanche, or else fancy dress.  It was a colourful occasion and full of camaraderie. The Tylers and Bricklayers, always serious contenders, fielded a team of four.  Once again we were led by Jenny Rolls, this time as Master, and joined by Liveryman Ed Renwick in fancy dress, Brendan McMillan and Rachel Malpass-Brown. 

 

 

T&B supporters were of course there in force to cheer our team and Liveryman Michael Ash made a special contribution by offering a charitable donation for any Liveryman or partner wearing a red flower or ladies having yellow in their dress or scarf.

 

Organised in heats, our competitors had the task of racing full pelt across Guildhall Yard with a heavy frying pan, stopping at designated points to flip their pancake, trying hard to maintain their hat on their head, all timed and carefully scrutinised for adherence to the rules by judges. The fancy dress competition had many imaginative entries which were judged by the Lord Mayor in consultation with Sheriff David Chalk.    It was won by the Framework Knitters, presenting a knight in chain mail dressed as Sir Knit-a-lot. 

 

Alas, we did not win any prizes this year but a really good effort was again made by the T&B team.

 

A buffet lunch was served afterwards in the Crypt of the Guildhall, catered by the Clink Charity.  Funds raised by the event go towards the Lord Mayors Appeal.

 

David Williams - Court Assistant