They did turn up, those intrepid hashers, from far afield. We had doubts as to whether anyone would turn up just a few days before the big weekend away, and being in your "ever so posh" Harpenden in the "saaff".

But they did, and were rewarded with a magnificent run, even after the most apathetic start to a run that I have ever seen. Hours, nay days were spent on working out the most devious and convoluted false trails for the beginning of the run so that any latecomers would find us easily. ON ON was called and no one moved, the hares admittedly did not make things easy by pointing in all directions, but hey, isn't this the essence of it all.

They did set off, and quickly found the right route, across the road on to the only bit of common we were allowed to run on. They then wibbled and wobbled around the back streets of Harpenden, where the back hare got lost with Florence (too much knitting) and missed the other poor sods trying to find the right trail and being duped by a large traffic cone which had been put at the opening to a foot path which looked to all intents and purposes like a "don't go down here because of the dreaded Foot and Mouth", it fooled the hares when we were laying it, but we had the advantage of a map and knew where it came out, it took the pack a bit longer. Boycie and Ringer were loud in the curses and blasphemy department.

They wobbled around some more streets until they came to a bit of countryside, but they chose to ignore that route, getting too used to streets by now, very much to our dismay because we had trekked up the shiggy-filled lane to a cross roads of footpaths, one of which didn't have any tape across so on we plodded, laid a lovely bit of trail only to find the other end taped off and Do Not Enter signs. Great! Reroute, reroute. We managed to get back on to a safe shiggy footpath and loud complaints from White Rabbit reverberated through the air about having to run down a shiggy hill and back up the other side, "This can't be the right way."

Plod around some more streets, but the spirit of adventure was leaving the pack, there in front of them was a double roundabout with lots of streets off, no one could be bothered, but Underlay took up the challenge and tore off down the right route, and after a bit of straight running, obviously now getting tired of the hard road, Boycie and Paintball found the shiggest bit, bless 'em, and then it was over the railway bridge and ON INN.

Down downs were given to Ouija for pushing his son to run the checks whilst idling; to Rajah for an abysmal display of beer drinking - of course the secret RA (Boycie) didn't give him another pint, he had to watch Boycie down it properly!! And to Underlay, Florence and Good Crack for check lounging - as if.

OnOn Good Crack and Rajah