Saturday arrives and it's freezing cold, so Poopa and Capt F have a lot of difficulty deciding whether to set the run on Saturday or Sunday. Eventually we decide that a good night's sleep is necessary and so despite the temperature we will just have to groin and bear it.

By the time we get back we are both cold, but Poopa is frozen solid and needs a bath before he can stop shivering. Eventually we both thaw out and it will teach us to go out without thermals on.

Sunday arrives and Poopa and Capt F arrive at the pub first and what do you know, it's a darn sight colder than it was on Saturday. The landlord requests that we keep his car park as free as possible, so we create a human blockade to the pub entrance and proceed to create total mayhem on the byways of Ampthill.

I had told the landlord that there would be twenty or so of us on the run, but what I hadn't reckoned on was a pretty significant number of the Milton Keynes hash turning up as well. Still it's always a pleasure running with MKH3. Ringpiece was especially welcome as our RA hadn't turned up and he was quite happy to be the RA sub.

After a quick intro from the GM, as there were no birthdays or anniversaries this week, we set off. As usual Shagpile calls on-inn immediately after setting off, he was mumbling something about rules and I thought there weren't any!! (he's right there are none, but we do try to educate Capt F in the basics of haring see here; sadly I think it's a case of 'old Dogs and new tricks' -Ed)

After a few obvious false trails along Church Street and Bedford Street, we eventually head out of the town along Woburn Street towards the Rugby club. Ringpiece and a few of the other H3 cohorts are so far ahead (and running on the wrong side of the road) so they do not hear the calls of false trail and also somehow fail to see the rest of the hash disappear into the Ampthill nature reserve. Oh well! At least it was a bit quieter for a while.

The hares at least managed to keep what remained of the pack together for a while, as Stallion and Cum Dancing find the bar check at the end of the hill. Short cutters are advised to stay put as the rest of the group set off on a big loop via a ladies check where Underlay, Phyllis & Bed Pan do the honours. At the top end of The Crescent, Bell End, Five Baah and Stallion are sent to the back of the pack and finally we regroup with the short cutters.

As we re-emerge from the nature reserve, we encounter with Ringpiece and his merry troupe and also Mekon who is a late arrival from H4 (Ehhh thought she ran with us! - Ed) As promised, the trail leads to the park and to a Play check, but by this time the wind is bitter cold and it even starts to hail a bit, so the check is ignored and its on up to the top of Ampthill Park.

After a few minutes of superlative views and some exhausting hill climbing, we leave Ampthill Park and head back into town. We are pretty close to the pub at this point, but unfortunately its too soon to be going back, so the pack head out of town along Bedford Street. A false trail at the top of the road bring the pack back at which point Mekon heads off into the forest followed by a few others who all return except for Mekon. After waiting a few minutes Poopa goes off in search of Mekon and also disappears. A few minutes later Capt F decides that this is getting a bit worrying and so goes scurrying in after Poopa. Poopa is quickly found, but there is no sign of Mekon anywhere. By now the whole of the hash have disappeared fortunately on the correct trail, but it has left Capt F miles adrift. As it turns out whilst trying to catch the rest of the pack, Capt F stumbles across Mekon in the middle of town whilst making her way back to the pub.

Well that's just about it at least everyone got back safely even if it was a bit haphazard. After a quick pint in the pub, the RA calls the circle. Down downs were awarded to the hares at which point the RA decides that the run was not good enough for the hares to be awarded decent drinks, and so they are given some Tescos finest instead (thanks very much you b**star*). Down downs were also awarded to Shagpile for being the GM, Knobber for loaning Shagpile a poofy jacket, Ringer for it being his second run at the Rising Sun, and finally and by no means least to Florence and Will for romancing on the hash this was promptly followed by an announcement of their engagement. My Little Pony attempted to claim a down down for Snail's birthday, but this was rejected on the basis that Snail was not on the run and if she had been, then she would have got the award anyway. A good effort MLP, but justice was done in the end.

ON-ON Captain F and Poopa