Run No. 616 9th June 2003

The Engineer's Arms, Henlow

Runners:  37
Mutts:  -
Ankle Biters:  -
Knitting Circle:  -
Apres:  -
Newies/Returnees:  -

Woke up this morning... this Sunday morning; looked out of the window - what a lovely day for - 'pottering'. Doing things in the garden, going for a walk, having breakfast outside - bliss.

Then was that a dream or was I persuaded to go - training! Not a visit to the gym which as many will know, holds no fears for me: no running! Me running; me training run!

It must have been a dream, so I went back to bed in the hope that I could make the bad dream go away.

Then the 'phone rang. "Hello Matey. Didn't wake you up did I? I have! Haven't I. Do you want to lay that run after all?"

To most people those words would have ended a perfect Sunday morning but to me they were a lifeline. How could I go for a run (spit) if I had to lay a trail? GM you are the answer to my prayers! Well we could be going too far there; I think I would prefer to be slobbered over by a large hound doing a Baskerville impression than say the GM was a prayer of mine. Funny how that is exactly what was in store... being slobbered over by a large hound doing a Baskerville impression...on numerous occasions!

So apologies given and accepted (the training run (spit)) it was off to Henlow and the Engineer's Arms; a fine institution mentioned on a TV programme about the Grange Health Farm in the same village. The lovely health assistants go there to be unhealthy and look gorgeous. What an excellent reason for going to the said pub.

Beer? Do they do beer too? Well I suppose a pub should, shouldn't it?

As always however good the weather looked at the start of the 'lay' it would rain by the end - the GM has a way with him! I've noticed. Every time I lay a run with G-String it rains. Just shows how much I wanted to do a training run (spit).

We had map, flour, dog (to slobber over us doing a Baskerville impression), slobber and no idea where to lay the run, slobber, that would fool the pack, slobber.

A stonking run was laid we said to ourselves with hints that we going off down the trails, that everyone knew so well, and then didn't. G-String kept on about beer, the dog slobbered over us doing a Baskerville impression and I kept trying to think of ways to fool the pack. G-String slobbered over us doing a Baskerville impression and I kept on about beer and Mac tried to think of ways to fool the pack. I tried doing a Baskerville impression and thinking about those health maids from the Grange G-String kept on about beer...Oh no that's when we were back at the pub.

So the day dawned! You have to have those words in a hash write up don't you? Henlow, Engineer's Arms, 7.15, trail checked, Hash several dogs no GM - something is wrong. 7.15 and I'm there! Hazel's (Who!!! surley he means White Rabbit - ED) there! Hazel parallel parked!! Gill's (Ed missed this one - Nik-Nak the hare should have wrote - Archive Ed) there! Something is amiss the runes are looking bad, ah the GM - it must be 7.30! Time for tiffin.

Newies - there were a few. The Hash Mistress made sure all the harriets had a good view of them and, more importantly the young returnee!

So we were off. Hazel quickly spotted - paint on the wall! We may not have been on sawdust (down down later) but we were not on spray paint!

Hash all over the place and only 2 minutes into the run!

Off to the sunken rec - that's recreation ground not wreck. Pecker wasn't going down (excuse the innuendo) but many others would. Oh the hash love that ground; memories of a Victorian age? No picnic!

And it wasn't - a picnic. However much you shouted "no trail", "false trail" "come back" they don't listen, and I'm such a quiet hare. Those with dogs ignore the "no dogs" sign and the shouts of "get that dog out"! Those without dogs assumed the shouted "no trail", "false trail", "come back" were for the dogs.

The RA went on about there being a trail in the wreck - sorry rec - and on and on. At the Crown he RA went on and on about being with the hare and on and on! (No down down)

So as the GM said and who could disagree a stonking run was laid, (though we had to say so ourselves because Pongo was busy getting a beer or talking to the health workers from the Grange) with hints that we going off down the trails, that everyone knew so well, and then didn't...

We were back at the Pub bark, slobber, slobber, bark. But this was the Engineer's Arms and there was beer and I had more than 1 pint and it was very late and there were only the three of us - plus dog bark, slobber - do you think he wants to do a Trevi fountain impression? Well it would be different from doing a Hound of the Baskerville impression. So he did an impression of the Mannequin pis! Who said there's no culture on the Hash. But then I had more than 1 pint and it was very late and there were only the three of us plus dog and he was quiet!

On On

It's goodnight from me ... and it's good night from him...Oowww.