Mrs Owen wins by 4 lengths

Pancakes were tossed in the little Staffordshire village of Whittington yesterday (Editor's note: Tuesday 2 March 1954) - from the inn up the hill to the gates of the parish church.

Almost the whole village turned out to watch eight women competing in Whittington's first "Shrove Tuesday grand pancake race for housewives".

Frying pans in hand, the eight ran and "flipped" their way for 300 yards up the main street of the village ... and not a pancake was dropped.

It was all the idea of the vicar, the Rev. Robert W. D. Peck, who wanted to "stir up a bit of fun in the village".  He succeeded, but his wife came in last.

The sun shone as the eight competitors, average age about 44, queued up to pay their 6d. entrance fee to the vicar.  Then they took their marks outside the Dog Inn, handicapped according to age and figure.

Cheers all the way

The race coincided with the school's half-day holiday and scores of children lined the route.

Top-hatted Mr. Charles Nicholls, headmaster of Whittington school, dropped a handkerchief and the race began.

Just 2 min. 35 sec. after the start 42 year-old Mrs. Cecily Owen, of Passes Road, passed the winning post first.  Four frying-pan lengths behind came Mrs. Daisy Richardson, at 55 the oldest competitor.

Mrs. Owen, who is the mother of a 16 year-old girl, received the winning prize of a new frying-pan.  Mrs. Richardson, who lives in Yew Tree Cottages, was presented with ingredients for another pancake.

The route was amended later (as the uphill course from The Dog to the Church proved too demanding!) to run from The Bell to The Dog along Main Street.  This 1975 article relates an extraordinary series of wins.

Brenda's eleventh triumph

Despite a strong challenge from barmaids at the village's Dog Inn, Mrs Brenda Hood won the Shrove Tuesday pancake race at Whittington near Lichfield.

She is pictured holding aloft the cup, which she gained for the eleventh time in 12 years.

The band of the Prince of Wales's Division at Whittington Barracks struck up appropriate music as Mrs Hood - a 40 year-old cleaner at the barracks - completed the 300 year dash

She had kept in trim for the race by cycling to work.

Housewife Mrs Audrey Jelf came second for the third time and barmaid Mrs Audrey Donaghy, from the Dog Inn, was third.