Run 845 The Chequers, Houghton Conquest

Sunday, 18th November 2007

RUNNERS 16 APRES NIL MUTTS 2 ANKLE BITERS NIL (SORRY NO PICS - HASH FLASH WENT AWOL)

Saturday dawned cold, wet and dull. The weather forecast was for more rain and the possibility of snow showers. It was the sort of day to stay indoors in the dry and warm. But two hashers had a job to do so in the tradition of good hashers they just got on with it. Armed with biogradeable shopping bags we tied strips of orange plastic to the trees and fences. Very simple we thought, one strip for 'on', two for a check. Just a short run was our idea, but three hours later, in total darkness we finished the trail. We hoped at least some hashers would turn up tomorrow morning for a beautiful country run.

Both hares were delighted on Sunday morning when 16 hashers arrived. Capt. F had to be thawed out before he could run as he had cycled from Shefford in a pair of shorts. At eleven o'clock it was out of the carpark and down the footpath by the pub and follow the path around the back. Some confusion at the first check, hashers do seem to have short memories. After explaining the system again it was across the fields and up to the woods. There were no numbered checks, the hares thought up a number when they arrived at the check and that number of hashers had to run to the back. It was the usual FRBs who were caught, Capt. F, My Little Pony, Five Baah, Forking Dickchair. They didn't mind too much as keeping running was the only way to keep warm.

Into the woods and up and up, until the markers showed the trail down the hill. By this time the knitting circle was growing quite large. MLP spied a tree with a hollow trunk and discovered that he had run here two years ago and had planted a variety of bits and pieces in a box inside the tree trunk. Rumaging in the box he discovered that someone had been there after him and had written in the sweet little pink note book that he had left there. If this box is discovered in about ten years time all hashers should deny any knowledge of it as ii could give hashers a very dubious image.

A long straight run and onto the ruined house, Unfortunately no-one could say how it was burn down nor why it has not been rebuilt. Anyone who knows the answer send it to the next quiz setters, they might be in need of a question. By this time 12 o'clock was drawing near and the pub, which we could see in the distance, looked a long way off. Down the hill and through lots of shiggy and the FRBs decided to make a run for it, leaving the knitting circle to follow in their wake. We all arrived back at the pub by 12.25 so it was quite a short run by my standards.

The tradition of hashers downing beer took a respite when Shagpile, Underlay (Eh! I think not! That was OverFlo and Flo, I do believe - Shagpile) and one other were seen drinking hot chocolate. A reluctant circle was held in the biting cold with 'down downs' to the hares, SAS for a birthday, Shagpile for something or other and a few more, but by this time I was too cold to care. Pussies turned up trumps by producing sausage rolls and White Rabbit produced biscuits and cheese all of which were greatly a predated by cold and hungry hashers.

ON ON Pussies Galore and White Rabbit.