The period of Lent began last week, on Ash Wednesday (March 2), the day after Shrove Tuesday– or ‘Pancake Tuesday’.

We went down to Strand Street in Douglas on Friday to ask people what they are giving up – if anything – for the 40-day period, and to get to the bottom of the age old question: ‘what is the correct topping for your pancakes?’

Shannon Greenwood and Tobias Cowin didn’t give up anything for Lent this year.

Miss Greenwood said: ‘I’ve done it in the past, I gave up Facebook when I was 14.

‘I fell back into the trap afterward and I don’t think I could give it up again.

‘Unfortunately, [Lent] falls around my birthday, and I quite like to be on Facebook around my birthday.’

Mr Cowin has succeeded in giving up chocolate in the past, but other challenges haven’t been as successful.

He said: ‘I tried alcohol – that wasn’t successful.’

But the pair both fully participate in Pancake Day – and there was only one correct answer with regards to toppings.

Mr Cowin said: ‘It has to be the classic lemon and sugar, definitely.

‘Everything else is the wrong answer.’

Miss Greenwood added: ‘They had all sorts at work – we had pancakes for breakfast at work and then we had pancakes for dinner as well.’

Lorna Watson, of Douglas, hasn’t given up anything either this year.

She said: ‘I’m not particularly religious, but in the past I used to give up chips and chocolate and all the rubbish.

‘I would give something up again in the future for the challenge, and any money I’d saved I’d want to put towards a charitable cause – like Ukraine – so instead of going out for dinner, I’d save that money and donate it.’

Asked what toppings she had on her pancakes, she said: ‘Cinnamon and sugar, a bit of fruit, and Nutella, you can’t go wrong with that, and some chopped nuts.’

Denise and Chris Palmer, of Onchan, also chose not to give up anything this year, saying it ‘doesn’t work’.

But Mrs Palmer said she would be willing to give it another go in the future.

She said: ‘I might try doing things, I’ve taken up exercise after Lent and done that before and kept it up for quite a while.

‘I did hula hooping one year – I hula hooped for half an hour a day.

‘It’s quite good exercise actually because it’s all over. I bought a weighted one as well and did that for quite a while, I did it for a few months.’

She added: ‘Sometimes you need to do something rather than not do.’

In terms of perfect toppings, there was no doubt in Mr Palmer’s mind: ‘Lemon and sugar.’

Mrs Palmer disagreed, saying: ‘He’s traditional, but I like syrup and cream – quite American isn’t it, indulgent.’

Anne Lambert, from Douglas, is participating in Lent this year, giving up cakes, biscuits and chocolate.

When we spoke to her it had been two days, and she said: ‘It’s not too bad so far!

‘I have given up chocolate in the past – sometimes I’ve found it okay and sometimes it’s more of a struggle.’

She didn’t make pancakes this year, but said the best topping is lemon and sugar.

She said: ‘It’s a classic, I’ve tried other things but that’s the one.’