A Flipping Good Time at Annual Pancake Race

The College celebrated Shrove Tuesday in the time-honoured manner this week with a series of pancake races around Chapel triangle. The entire school community turned out to support the runners in the annual Inter-House competition, now in its 15th year. The onlookers cheered their favourites on, creating a fabulous carnival atmosphere in chilly conditions.

Teams of three runners from each House completed a leg of the triangle, flipping their pancakes as they went and handing the frying pan on to a teammate at each corner.

The bells of St Luke’s Chapel rang out at 4pm to mark the start of the race, with the contest between the Gappies and Catering staff leading the proceedings. The Gappies were surprised to be facing a team of superheroes in the shape of Tom Busby, Dan Sidlin and Andy Trowell, who stormed to victory.

The Lower School race which followed was hotly-contested, with Wardroper clinching victory ahead of Glynn Hughes (second), and Hutchison (third).

The junior runners were up next with Forest taking the win for the boys, and Rosebery for the girls.

Next up were the senior races, which saw Propert win the boys’ race with Fayrer in second place. Rosebery took the spoils in the girls’ race with Raven just behind.

When the final scores were tallied, the overall results were announced:

• Lower School – Wardroper – the Canon Thompson Pancake Trophy
• Senior School, Boys – Fayrer – the Case Pancake Trophy
• Senior School, Girls – Rosebery – the Canon Thompson Girls’ Pancake Trophy

A big thank you to the Catering department for providing the much-needed pancakes, and to the Facilities Department who ensured that everyone was herded safely around the Chapel triangle.

Thanks also to all those who competed, and indeed those who supported, on a rather grey Shrove Tuesday. Despite the weather, there was a magnificent spirit and the event was very well attended.

Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, is the feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It was traditionally the last opportunity to use up eggs and fat before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up those ingredients.

History records that pancake races date back to 1445 when a woman in Olney, Buckinghamshire, heard the shriving bell calling people to confession while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching her frying pan. The annual Olney pancake race is now world famous.

Lower School

1. Winners – Wardroper
2. Runners up – Glynn Hughes
3. Hutchison

Junior race – girls

1. Winners – Rosebery
2. Runners up – Raven
3. Murrell
4. White

Junior race – boys

1. Winners – Forest
2. Runners up – Fayrer
3. Holman
4. Granville

Senior race – girls

1. Winners – Rosebery
2. Runners up – Raven
3. Murrell
4. White

Senior race – boys

1. Winners – Propert
2. Runners up – Fayrer
3. Granville
4. Robinson

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