Well what happened? After the Halloween bash the night before, there were a few fragile heads and a few reluctant hashers. The RA even got someone to 'steal' his lost property bag in which he had stashed his hash shoes!! They miraculously materialised after he announced he could not hash in his sandals!

The circle was called in the kitchen after we had all assembled for the obligatory photo all resplendent in our Halloween T shirts (which might make it onto the web site?). The GM discovers that it's SCREAMER's birthday and hands over to the hare, who issues a few instructions then the pack set off into the howling gale.

At the first check SHAGGY guesses wrong leaving F'CK A DUCK to find the real trail. He guesses wrong at the second check which allows PECKER to forge on to the next (held check).

PENETRATOR runs through a T by the fishing pond when the check is released and gets insider information from the tea-drinking warden (you all know who I mean) on where the trail goes. Only several bellows from yours truly gets him to come back. Good job the pack was not following him to closely or it would have been the shortest hash on record.

Meanwhile KNOBBER has found the next false trail and the pack drift across the road into a stubbly field and up a hill to a view check. The trail leads the pack further up the hill and down the other side into the teeth of the howling gale and the stinging rain. PAINTBALL reports being knocked sideways and HAIRY G has to cling onto KNOBBER to avoid being carried away.

From the Regroup the trail heads downhill which presents traction problems for DONUT as he is carried along by the wind. NIk-NAK experiences similar problems at the steep transition between fields. The next check sees the pack liberally scattered throughout the field with DEAD MEAT and BELL END finding the false trails and CARDIAC the real one, which leads to a ladies check.

The Ladies check is held but FLORENCE is keen to get back for a cup of cocoa and has to be called back. When she sets of again the M1 bridge appears and the pack run through the held check into the Hardwick Estate. Two more checks and it's ON INN to cottage pie wonderfully cooked by the four stop at homes MERLOT, WARD 10, HASH BIKE and UNDERLAY.

Down Downs ensued and I duly got my beer (for haring) and managed not to re-pebble dash the kitchen door. SCREAMER accepted a birthday beer and WHITE RABBIT got the loo seat again for not wearing it on the run. There were many others also, but I won't bore you with the details, plus I can't remember them all.

ON ON SMIFFO