What a contrast to last week's run! Not in the excellent trail that was produced, but in the amount of beer that was available, post run!! The Engineer's Arms (as chosen by yours truly: I ADMIT IT, IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!!!) was able to provide a selection of twelve festive real ales. This week however there was no beer!!!; until 45 minutes after the pack returned. It was a good job there were so many puppies present (hoping to spot Santa) which stopped the thirsty pack from rebelling. Frankly, I'm worried about GM; the RA took him along to gather the beer and by my calculations there were five or six closer off-licences and two closer supermarkets to Sainsburys at Coreys Mill that actually provided the beer. I think the GM's beer detectors are seriously faulty!! or that the RA was ignoring them!!

Anyway back to the run an exquisite 50 minute jaunt around the urban and semi-rural splendour of Stevenage. LOZENGE was heard to Say "I thought I knew Stevenage, but even I was lost a couple of times". The usual FRBs were thwarted by numerous bar checks and some short cuts. Shagpile (the memory man) twice remembered locations from previous runs I'd laid in the area and was twice fooled when the trail did not go the same way!

The inclement weather took its toll on one harrier (F'C A DUCK) who was heard to complain about his cold hands; hope Santa remembers to bring him some gloves!

In the hall the pack were greeted with an artistic scene constructed by the puppies not on the run (as directed by RINGKISSER), which complemented the other Xmas decs that had been lovingly festooned around the hall.

The circle was convened and WARD 10 got a birthday down down. I got my hare drink. I had another cos I'd used FLORENCE'S real name on the run, she got one for committing the same crime. What else? Oh yes we had a naming not DOGS DINNER but DOGS BOLLOCKS [recte DOGS BOLLOX - Archive Ed] (which was nothing to do with me; just for the record). Welcome Jane to the band of named Hashers.

The circle over the main business of the day took place, Santa distributed presents to the puppies and then did his legendary (and rarely seen) chair dance before jumping on his sleigh and departing.

ON ON SMIFFO