FLIPPING heck, Pancake Day is nearly upon us and some good shows are being put on in Comet country. Pancakes for sale and pancakes for flipping, the Rotary Club of Hitchin Priory has planned its eighth Pancake Festival and it s all in aid of charity. Ther

FLIPPING heck, Pancake Day is nearly upon us and some good shows are being put on in Comet country.

Pancakes for sale and pancakes for flipping, the Rotary Club of Hitchin Priory has planned its eighth Pancake Festival and it's all in aid of charity.

There will be celebrations on both Saturday, February 25 and Shrove Tuesday, February 28, with lots on offer for all the family and all for a good cause.

Last year they raised a whopping £6,000 for the Garden House Hospice in Letchworth GC and this year they hope to repeat history.

They will also be collecting for St John Ambulance Service, who will be on call on the day for any flipping mishaps, and Wheels charity from Stevenage which helps young offenders learn new, life-long skills.

Organiser Richard Robinson said: "There'll be lots of traditional games and stalls, we'll be selling pancakes on the Saturday and then the race will be held on Tuesday and we want Comet readers to come and join the fun."

The pancake race kicks off at 11am in Hitchin Market Place, where people from various organisations will be dressed up and running for their pancake glory.

Mr Robinson said: "It's such a good chance to do something in February for the Garden House Hospice and money that we get on the day will go towards the charity. Everybody is very welcome."

For more information about the fun two days, call Mr Robinson on 01462 433535.

* There'll be some flippin' good fun in Stevenage town centre on Shrove Tuesday. The Stevenage Town Centre Management Company have teamed up with Specsavers and Hertbeat fm and organised a pancake race in aid of the charity Guide Dogs for the Blind.

For the fourth year running, Specsavers has helped organise and will be competing in the race, to be held outside its store in Queensway.

A total of 14 local businesses are entering four-man relay teams. Local radio station Hertbeat FM, which will be live on air in-store, will also compete at the race and hope to batter the competition.

The day kicks off with the children's race at 10.30am. Year 7 students from Collenswood, Marriotts and Nobel will be competing. It will be followed by the adult race at 11am, in which sixth formers from the schools will also be competing.

Thanks to a generous donation from Stevenage Town Centre Management, £200 has already been raised.

* Over 100 children and their parents are expected to take part in the Sprout Community pancake race at St Swithun's School, Sandy, next Tuesday.

The race starts at 2pm and the prizes have been donated by Budgens and Meller Beauty.