Run # 757

Sunday 5th March 2006

The Cowper Arms, Digswell

Hares: Pongo & Private Parts

HASHERS: 16

What a cracking sunny morning for a run, the RA must have been working overtime because he laid it on for another bunch of runners using Digswell village hall. By a bit of luck Dead Meat metamorphosed into Private Parts. Last but not least to arrive with rubber smoking from the tyres of PUS was Nik Nak. After a few falsies the pack was clear of the residential area and into the woods over the railway tunnel before streaking out into the sunlit open fields where Capt Fantastic very nearly thwarted Private Parts cunning plan to take the pack to the top of the hill on a falsie with a view looking down on the remains of a Roman building. My-Little-Pony having missed so many runs was really pleased to run a nice long falsie. To think that Romans may well have stood on the same spot two thousand years ago? Florence and Overflow were not happy; they really thought there were no more up hill sections.

Back on the trail we were eventually caught up by Dan Dare and Fifi after an eight back check having disappeared down a falsie in the early stage. He still had the energy to run a large loop around the back of Oaklands whilst Donut and I took a crafty short cut to the tunnel vent in Harmergreen Wood. For the sake of any hasher interested in railways the undulating lumpy ground on which we were running is simply the spoil from the tunnel excavations. The cold weather was starting to take its toll on Lady P and Gorjoyce but fortunately the FRBs were way ahead before taking a back check.

Within the woods we came within a gnat's whisker of the 'out trail' before running between some rather large houses and onto Harmer Green (Did I hear any whinging about going in the opposite direction to road signs?) Past the half frozen duck pond and turn right we were soon treated to a magnificent view of Welwyn Viaduct and beyond and a down hill run in the open to the ON INN. The cold wind resulted in many rosy cheeks.

It is hard to believe that construction of Welwyn Viaduct was started in 1848 and the first train crossed over on 5th August 1850. The present outer skin of blue bricks was added in 1938 after the original soft reds had started to deteriorate. The viaduct and tunnels with only two tracks still form a bottle neck on the main line. I do ramble on but I do like to have some idea of the history of where we run.

Back at the pub we were joined by G-String, Knobber, and Walnut Whip Willy who had deserted us for the village hall run. (What run was it, did WWW get a medal?)

On-on
Pongo