london information / pancake day races in london

What: Pancake Day / Races (Shrove Tuesday): on the day before lent and its 40 days of fasting, it is traditional in England to eat pancakes (with lemon juice and sugar). The pancakes need to be turned during cooking and, in England, it is traditional to do this by 'tossing' them (flipping them out of the fraying pan, into the air and, in theory, landing them on the other side in the pan). On this day there are also lots of pancake races - where contestants do a 100 yard dash with a pan, tossing (and not dropping) the pancake a number of times on the way.

When: Late February or early March

Where: The most famous races are in Spitalfields Market (Commercial Street or Brushfield Street, E1) at lunchtime (from 12:30). Teams of 4 compete in this annual charity event, including the police, doctors, city gents in bowler hats, etc.

Nearest Underground Station: Liverpool Street for Spitalfields

Website: alternativearts.co.uk for information on spitalfields pancake race and an entry form.