London’s Pantomime Horse Race returned to Greenwich over Christmas with an eccentric line-up for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The 12th annual event promised comedy costumes with a rockstar-themed line-up and more fundraising for children’s causes, with organiser Mark Biddiss having planned another colourful December spectacle.
The race has since become a festive favourite, raising thousands for causes including children’s cancer charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Demelza Hospice.
Organiser Mark Biddiss said he started the race simply “to make people smile” at a time of year that can be difficult.
Biddiss, who is a writer too, said: “I’ve got this weird thing where every day I have to do something creative.
“It went from writing and music to, well, pantomime horse racing.”
In 2019, the spectacle raised £18,000 for a young girl named Rosie to pursue pioneering treatment in the United States.
Biddiss said: “To those kids who don’t have the opportunity, they’re stuck in hospital fighting for their lives.
“And at this time of year we should give a thought to those children and their parents.”
The event takes almost a full year to plan, with artwork, animation and promotion almost entirely created by Biddiss alone.
He has admitted considering handing the reins to someone else, but only if they were “dedicated” to keeping the spirit of the race.
One company once suggested staging the race along The Mall, but Biddiss declined because there are not “many pubs on that road.”
“I had to turn down the royal family,” he joked.
Biddiss said the race is a warm way to celebrate English eccentricity that gives the Greenwich community something uniquely theirs, noting that he tells himself every year it might be his last one.
He added: “But it depends how much we raise, because it’s a lot of work and I’m slightly exhausted.”
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