Run No. 530 21st October 2001

The Two Chimneys, Letchworth

Runners:  13
Mutts:  -
Ankle Biters:  -
Knitting Circle:  -
Apres:  -
Newies/Returnees:  -

This run seemed doomed. Co-hare Paintball was unavoidably detained in Barcelona. Stand-in hare Scooper got called up for soccer duty. Then it poured with rain, and the pack at large decided that it didn't want to run in the wet.

I actually enjoyed the rain as I woke on Sunday morning. Lying in bed, listening to the soft beat of each drop lightening the air and watching the rich early autumn colours contrasting with the deep indigo sky. Until I realised that the trail had been washed away.

So no hare, no trail and no pack. But, so what, we press on anyway. Cardiac steps in as last minute hare, the small pack that turns up is keen to run, and we make a go of it.

Panadol, visiting from Darwin, later commented that he had never seen so many falsies. The reason for them was that, in anticipation of a larger pack and limited hare resources, I wanted to keep the pack together as effortlessly as possible. In the event, the pack was stretched only because Tightwad decided to run each one, putting considerable distance between himself and the other hashers. Even Dan Dare limited his own progress by arriving late and then jumping in a stream. Good entertainment, but totally pointless, and punished later by RA for the day Shagpile.

The run took in most of the terrain that Letchworth has to offer; road on the way out, shiggy through Norton Common, and a very nice new cross-country path signposted to Arlesey, but ending up at the pub. A much more interesting destination although the inhabitants were similar.

As for the Two Chimneys, there are two chimneys, but I can only imagine that Santa must live on a diet of their Sunday lunches if he manages to get down them. On the plus side, the IPA was off, which gave a good excuse to drink the Abbot. I was also pleased to see that the landlord had employed a lobotomised ex-resident of the juxtaposed Fairfield Hospital, as a barmaid.

Due to the weather, the circle was indoors and quiet. Down downs were taken outside, although the beneficiaries, being Dan Dare and Tightwad, Scooper and Knobber, have never been known to spill a drop and so could have consumed them inside, as could Panadol, who as an ex-medical student and resident Oz, took his down down as if it was a 5ml dose of Calpol.

As I said, sadly, Paintball couldn't be with us to celebrate our Wedding anniversaries with Jayne [aka Tarzan] and Carey [aka Hairy Gussett - Archive Ed]. So by the time he gets back, see if you can solve the following:

  • Jayne's Dad was married on the same day as Carey's Mum.
  • Carey's maiden name is the same as Paintball's surname.
  • Knobber got married on the same day as Jayne.
  • And can a man in Letchworth marry his widow's sister in Stotfold?

On On,
Knobber