IT was out of the frying pan and into the fire as pancake racers ran and flipped for all they were worth through the town centre on Sunday.

More than 300 people flocked to Ross-on-Wye’s Market House to watch the return of the much-loved annual event in beautiful sunshine, with some racers tripping as well as flipping on the uphill Broad Street course, sending their pancakes flying in their bid to ‘batter’ the opposition.

Ross vicar Rev Sean Semple narrowly avoided a pile up running in his cassock, after two racers took a tumble right in front of him.

Thankfully, the only damage was to the pancakes as they scrambled back to their feet and hot-footed it to the line.

Youngsters as young as two took part in the Ross Lions and Ross Rotary Club-organised event, sporting assorted Batman, Spiderman, tiger and cat costumes, to adults and relay teams.

Three-year-old Mia Lerego from Ross was judged best fancy dress costume by town deputy mayor Cllr Ed O’Driscoll, who also handed out all the medals and certificates.

Ross pancake races 2022
Three-year-old Mia Lerego’s cat costume won best fancy dress prize. (Ross Gazette)

The team relay for the Golden Frying Pan trophy, which involved helter skelter downhill legs as well as the strenuous uphill sprint, was won by Art Studio Ross comprising Tom and Harry Dean, Sarah Morton and Colin Medler.

The Lions and Rotary organisation of the event, taking place two days before Shrove Tuesday, was taken over from the Association of Ross Traders in time for the 2020 race before the pandemic scuppered last year’s pancake capers.

There were races for toddlers, children aged 5-7, 8-10 and 11-16, adult men and women and teams of four, plus prizes for fancy dress sponsored by Gelatis and The Royal Hotel.

A collection was also held for refugees in the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

The tradition of pancake racing is said to have originated in 1445 when a housewife from Buckinghamshire was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the bells ringing for the Shriving service and went running for the church still clutching her frying pan and wearing an apron.

Pancake day itself on Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent, the start of the traditional Christian fast, when stores of dairy products were used up in the mix so they didn’t go to waste.