Bake Off stars Freya Cox and Lizzie Acker join in the Scarborough pancake day traditions

Scarborough’s Freya Cox and Lizzie Acker take part in the annual skipping and pancake day races.
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The pancake day events returned yesterday after a year’s absence in the town.

At noon, Cllr Eric Broadbent, the borough’s mayor, rang the pancake bell on North Street to herald the start of the day’s activities.

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The annual fancy dress pancake races took place on Aberdeen Walk, with teams of two from different businesses participating.

Freya Cox and Lizzie Acker joined in the fun at the Pancake Day races! (Credit: Scarborough Borough Council)Freya Cox and Lizzie Acker joined in the fun at the Pancake Day races! (Credit: Scarborough Borough Council)
Freya Cox and Lizzie Acker joined in the fun at the Pancake Day races! (Credit: Scarborough Borough Council)

Teams included Marson & Co, Hays Travel, Saint Catherine’s, Scarborough Athletic, Scarborough Girls Rugby Club, Boyes, Huntriss Row McDonald’s, Gladstone Road Primary School, Castle Employment, Dexter’s Surf Shop, and a special appearance from Freya Cox and Lizzie Acker, contestants on the latest series of The Great British Bake Off.

The teams competed to win the Golden Frying Pan, and they earnt extra points by participating in fancy dress, entertaining the crowd and how much pancake they had left in their pan by the end of the race.

The event was staged by Scarborough Borough Council, in partnership with radio station This Is The Coast. The obstacle course was devised by Everyone Active.

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Bake Off’s Freya Cox and Lizzie Acker from the Great British Bake Off reached the semi-final, but in the end the final was between defending champions Boyes against Huntriss Row McDonald’s.

The winner of the Golden Frying Pan was Huntriss Row McDonalds.

As per tradition, Scarborough Sea Cadets cooked and served pancakes at their HQ on East Sandgate.

Alan Atkinson, Civilian Instructor at Scarborough Sea Cadets, said: “I cannot remember how many years we’ve been doing the pancakes, but we have missed a couple of years. Even though we’ve got the scaffolding in, the commanding officer and first lieutenant said we could still do the pancakes. On previous years, it’s been a bit of a money maker for us and obviously we need the funds.”

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Children from schools across the town, and families, participated in the Foreshore Road skipping tradition.

The event is more than 100 years old and is thought to have started in 1903 when fishermen gave disused fishing rope to children.

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