Saturday lunchtime and Ringkisser and Nik Nak meet in the pub car park. The rain is sheeting down and the wind is blowing a hooley, the first words uttered are: "This is the last time we lay a run in the winter". On with the wet weather gear and wondering how we can keep the flour dry until it hits the ground we battled against the elements. Plenty of mutterings: "Don't suppose anyone will turn up tomorrow if the weather anything like this".

After an hour and getting less than a mile away its back to the pub for a dry out and a wet within. We decide the weather is not going to get any better so we had better get back to it so get up at daybreak tomorrow. So it was best foot forward, little did we know one of us would lose a shoe from our best foot.

Sunday, and it was cold but luckily it was windless. The rain held off until the apres circle up so we did have 25 or so running in front of us. We welcomed a newie Sharon sponsored by Shagpile and everyone was warned about the lack of flour. No false trails just check it out for 300 yards at the checkpoints. So donning our flashing hare's head warmers we directed the OnON. The pack split in two different directions. Those who chose the false trail did a bit of short cutting back past the church to pick up the real trail. Penetrator calls on to another check and led by Shagpile who was led by Ebony some are running down the wrong road at a good rate of knots (good play on words as he is ex Royal Navy) We came to a held check but Shagpile and co do not want to join us, they had come out on to the main road much further down and seemed to think we would run on to join them.

When ordered back Nik Nak informs the pack that across the road is the long loop which most hashers ignored on the previous run last summer and with the knowledge that the run would be over in half an hour if avoided again let them all set off without a single blob of flour to guide them. Nik Nak and a sensible few including a sickly Skidmark decided 'No Way Pedro'. Unfortunately Ringkisser was manhandled by Smiffo and Bell End and only managed to break free some way up the track. Soon we were out into the fields and we had a goodly wait to see Pecker, Steve (now named Giblets), Cardiac and the rest coming in over the hill. We counted them in and wasn't surprised to hear a couple had headed back to the pub. Now it was just the soggy terain to contend with and I'm sure that there was a lot of slip sliding in an attempt to get back. Apparently G-String wanted to go swimming and did a belly flop into a ditch, I think the ditch has survived.

Loads of down downs, now a formality and only kept short but the oncoming of rain. Giblets gets a deca tankard to toast his new name and younger son was christened Munchie or is it Munchy. I like Munchkin personally.

ON ON to summer
Ringkisser & Nik Nak