Shrove Tuesday 2015: City liveries gather in Guildhall for annual Pancake Race
The City’s ancient livery companies gathered at Guildhall yesterday for their annual Shrove Tuesday pancake race.
The annual inter-livery Pancake Race began in 2004 and is backed by a host of City institutions, including St James’s Place Wealth Management.
The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers marked time as they tossed pancakes yesterday (Source: Greg Sigston)
Each aspect of the race is given to the relevant livery company – the Gunmakers start each heat with a bang, the Clockmakers are responsible for the accuracy of the timing, the Fruiterers provide lemons, the Cutlers plastic forks, the Glovers white gloves worn by each runner, and the Poulters the eggs essential in the making of the pancakes.
A recent additional attraction has been a specially commissioned piece sung by the Musicians Company. Original participants were livery companies in some way associated with the making of pancakes with invited teams from the Mansion House and Guildhall.
A pancake-tossing Gherkin (Source: Greg Sigston)