It seems Shrove Tuesday celebrations in Devizes have fallen as flat as a….well, you get the gag…
Traditionally organised by Age Concern Wiltshire, and often supported by local partners like the Black Swan Hotel, which provided the pancakes, and the Devizes Rotary Club, pancake races in Devizes were an annual occasion, aptly on Pancake Day.
Originally held in the Market Place and shifted over to Hillworth Park in later years, you may have fond memories of trying to win a running race, giggling whilst tossing pancakes in frying pans, but these days it all seems to be lost; correct me if I’m wrong, you usually do!
What happened to pancake races in Devizes? Was it stopped during the lockdown? Seems not, the last one I can find evidence of was in 2015, and appeared on a now archived blog called Devizes Days.
Was it stopped because of health and safety reasons? Sounds possible, but other towns, such as Bradford-on-Avon, continue the tradition. Why not Devizes?
I mean, hey, if you want to get technical, the indulgence of Pancake Day is that final day of feasting before fasting for Lent, and being everyone stuffs pancakes but no one actually fasts, maybe the powers that be got a bit over zealous with punishment for our sins?!
Or, perhaps, and most likely, it’s just because everyone has too much to do in their daily rat race to organise a pancake race, which is a sad sign of the times. You know, kids don’t know how to play conkers anymore? Could pancake races be just as obsolete? Or could we revive it? I’d be happy to help, provided there’s sugar and lemon juice.
I feel sorry for the kids today; “No, you can’t have social media!”
“Can we run around tossing pancakes then?”
“Absolutely no chance!!”
I mean, we’d probably have to have frying pans made from foam and a soft landing surface. Pancakes would probably need to be dairy free, and disclaimers would need parent signatures, and failing to find a location to do this might result in the whole thing being played out in Minecraft, but still, it’s a thought. Do let me know yours…..who stopped pancake races, and why?!
devizine.com 