Large crowds gathered around the town centre of Tenby today (Shrove Tuesday) to cheer on those taking on the RNLI’s annual fundraising pancake races.

With the seaside resort busy for the half term holidays, the centre of town was cleared to give a race route for participants, flipping eager to show why they should be crowned ‘Tenby's number 1 Tosser!’

At 12 noon, the Mayor, Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall was joined by RNLI mascot Stormy Stan and the trusty band of Tenby RNLI committee fundraisers to signal the start of the races, with everyone from under 5s upwards to mums and dads and of course the RNLI crew themselves racing to the finishing line, providing much enjoyment for families watching on.

It wasn’t just the crowds of people that gathered mind, as some of Tenby’s infamous gulls circled the square, ready to pounce on any pancakes that hit the floor before the finishing post!

Race prizes for this varied from knitted lifeboatmen to the ever favourite ‘Tenby's number 1 Tosser’ T-shirt from Tees R Us; tickets to Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo and to Heatherton World of Activities - with thanks going to these local businesses that help with their very generous donations, along with the Five Arches Tavern, Two Red Dogs and Underground for also generously donating prizes. These were augmented by wine and chocolates provided by committee members.

The registration for the races gets better every year in the capable hands of Jayne Hughes, Barbara Pegg, Jan Evans and Liz Green. Chris Moore sorted out the risk assessment and collection buckets and Linzi Sellers was kept busy handing out the pans and pancakes, while Sylvie Morgan was in charge of prizes.

There were so many entrants for the 9 to 12 year olds that they had to be divided into two races while 15 entries for the adult race must be a record and it was certainly hotly contested.

Once again the eagerly anticipated crew race proved the highlight of the morning with the usual amount of pushing and shoving nearly sending harbour master Chris sprawling , but Stormy Stan was on hand to sort it all out – well, sort of! Well done to President Shan Thomas, Althea Shaw and Sarah Waring who hung on bravely to the finishing tape despite the advancing hordes! Nothing went to waste as even the seagulls had a fine time with the dropped pancakes!

Thanks must go to RNLI coxswain Phil John and his crew for all their help, to the committee for their efforts, and to the Baytree for allowing the organisers to gather there and for fuelling them with coffee before the start. Thanks too go to Jo Thomas for the advertising and social media and for sourcing many of the prizes. 

Special thanks goes to the Mayor and Town Clerk for their help and support, and for adding some welcome colour to the occasion.

Altogether over £480 was raised for the RNLI and it was good to see Tudor Square alive with happy visitors and locals enjoying the fun together. What better way to spend a dull February Tuesday morning and help keep our lifeboat and crew saving lives. Thank you all.