One of the great fun days in Newbury is the annual pancake races organised by the Soroptimists on Shrove Tuesday, which fell on 5 February this year.
When I emerged at midday from the Town Hall in my robe and chain, the Market Place was already crowded with competitors some in fancy dress, stewards, officials and seemingly hundreds of spectators. It was my duty to start each race and so it was that there turned out to be 17 teams which would be split into four separate heats with 4 in each team. I was delighted that the Town Council entered a team. Having competed last year as a member of the Greenacres team, I know that it is not easy to run with a frying pan and a pancake let alone tossing it at the tossing point so I had sympathy with anyone who dropped a pancake, the frying pan or both. We were ready to start and I was about to get the first heat off when it was noted that the pancakes had not materialised. It was one of those moments when you feel for the organisers who having thought of everything else but had forgotten to get the most essential items. Fortunately, this was not the case and the pancakes were brought out of the organisers’ tent. I managed to get the first race under way and there were fortunately no casualties and everyone completed the circuit. The second heat produced the first casualty when one competitor, whose team were in the lead, lost her pancake onto the ground and the delay in having to recover it resulted in them losing that heat. The third heat was somewhat more spectacular. The cleric’s team, short of one competitor, had a lady dressed as a bunny girl inserted into the team, which on reflection, was somewhat bizarre. It proved even more incongruous when, on coming down the home straight, the somewhat ill-fitting costume could not compete with gravity and one of her vital assets broke loose near the finishing line. A gasp and a cheer went up but the offending asset was popped back in quick time. Regrettably, the cleric’s team did not win as no points were awarded for the added spectacle.
The final heat went unscathed and a great performance was put up by the eventual winners, Newbury College, whose turn of speed made some wonder if they had been practicing during their cookery classes.
The presentation of awards was made by John Hampson of the Newbury Weekly News who presented a frying pan and the Soroptimists Gold Cup. There were some splendid costumes worn by some contestants; these included a St Trinian’s hockey team, and the Newbury and District Agricultural Society whose costumes resembled rather outlandish farmyard animals. Nevertheless they won the best dressed team as adjudicated by the Mayoress. The best tosser of the pancakes came from the solicitors Charles, Lucas and Marshall. It will take him some time to come to terms with that award!
After the races we retired to the grounds of St Nicolas Church for the old tradition of throwing pancakes to the children from the tower of the church. Reverend David Stone did the honours and I could not resist going up onto the roof to help. The first salvo of pancakes in their brown paper bags did not hit their intended target due to a high cross wind and some went into the canal and but fortunately, none of the children from the Rocking Horse Nursery tried to recover them. The swans must have thought it was their birthday! The rest landed at the foot of the tower and the children were suitably pleased. We then went into the church hall for a lunch of pancakes which went down well.
It was a great event and I must thank the ladies of the Soroptimists for organising the event which raised a great deal of money for the RNLI; to the competitors for their efforts; to the stewards and helpers who did a great job and to the spectators who must have enjoyed the races. I look forward to next year when I will be able to take part.
When I emerged at midday from the Town Hall in my robe and chain, the Market Place was already crowded with competitors some in fancy dress, stewards, officials and seemingly hundreds of spectators. It was my duty to start each race and so it was that there turned out to be 17 teams which would be split into four separate heats with 4 in each team. I was delighted that the Town Council entered a team. Having competed last year as a member of the Greenacres team, I know that it is not easy to run with a frying pan and a pancake let alone tossing it at the tossing point so I had sympathy with anyone who dropped a pancake, the frying pan or both. We were ready to start and I was about to get the first heat off when it was noted that the pancakes had not materialised. It was one of those moments when you feel for the organisers who having thought of everything else but had forgotten to get the most essential items. Fortunately, this was not the case and the pancakes were brought out of the organisers’ tent. I managed to get the first race under way and there were fortunately no casualties and everyone completed the circuit. The second heat produced the first casualty when one competitor, whose team were in the lead, lost her pancake onto the ground and the delay in having to recover it resulted in them losing that heat. The third heat was somewhat more spectacular. The cleric’s team, short of one competitor, had a lady dressed as a bunny girl inserted into the team, which on reflection, was somewhat bizarre. It proved even more incongruous when, on coming down the home straight, the somewhat ill-fitting costume could not compete with gravity and one of her vital assets broke loose near the finishing line. A gasp and a cheer went up but the offending asset was popped back in quick time. Regrettably, the cleric’s team did not win as no points were awarded for the added spectacle.
The final heat went unscathed and a great performance was put up by the eventual winners, Newbury College, whose turn of speed made some wonder if they had been practicing during their cookery classes.
The presentation of awards was made by John Hampson of the Newbury Weekly News who presented a frying pan and the Soroptimists Gold Cup. There were some splendid costumes worn by some contestants; these included a St Trinian’s hockey team, and the Newbury and District Agricultural Society whose costumes resembled rather outlandish farmyard animals. Nevertheless they won the best dressed team as adjudicated by the Mayoress. The best tosser of the pancakes came from the solicitors Charles, Lucas and Marshall. It will take him some time to come to terms with that award!
After the races we retired to the grounds of St Nicolas Church for the old tradition of throwing pancakes to the children from the tower of the church. Reverend David Stone did the honours and I could not resist going up onto the roof to help. The first salvo of pancakes in their brown paper bags did not hit their intended target due to a high cross wind and some went into the canal and but fortunately, none of the children from the Rocking Horse Nursery tried to recover them. The swans must have thought it was their birthday! The rest landed at the foot of the tower and the children were suitably pleased. We then went into the church hall for a lunch of pancakes which went down well.
It was a great event and I must thank the ladies of the Soroptimists for organising the event which raised a great deal of money for the RNLI; to the competitors for their efforts; to the stewards and helpers who did a great job and to the spectators who must have enjoyed the races. I look forward to next year when I will be able to take part.
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