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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race - London Hotels .com

Local police enjoying Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race

The way the story goes is that, about 500 years ago, a woman was cooking her pancakes at home when she heard the bell calling her to church to make her confessions. She ran to church, holding her frying pan and wearing her apron, tossing the pancakes into the air to stop them from burning.

This  became popular and hence started a tradition known as Shrove Tuesday pancake racing. People dress up with aprons, hold frying pans and race against each other. The races are events organised by local communities, and are often used to raise money for charity.

You can join the Great Spitalfields Pancake Race in Spitalfields (Tube: Aldgate East, Shoreditch). It takes place along Dray Walk at the Old Truman Brewery, 91-95 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL or the Great Pancake Race held on Tower Hill Terrace, Byward Street, London EC3 (Tube: Towerhill).