Run 857

The Fox, Willian

Sunday, 3 February 2008

Hare: The Count


HASHERS: 34  MUTTS: 4  APRES: 2


Was it that cold Screamer?


Smiffo, had a softie

Have a look at the OS map south of Willian. Not exactly a maze of footpaths I can assure you. In fact nothing at all to warrant popping down to the Co-Op for an extra bag of flour. So imagine my surprise (I never thought I would actually say that so I'll say it again) imagine my surprise and delight when I found out that the good burghers of Letchworth had pushed back the crops to interlace the area with a patchwork of wide pathways without telling the man who does the dotted red lines at OS. No doubt so that the ladies-who-lunch at The Fox can have a riff-raff-free walk behind their labradors.
Not this Sunday morning they couldn't. Your hare was out and about as early as them, wrapped warm against the gusty, cold southerly (thank goodness, think of that from the north east) and prompting many querulous looks while laying countless falsies only to return to apparently stalk them with a bottle of white powder.
It had turned into a long and complex run and ambitious for a lone hare. So imagine my surprise and delight, again, when I saw that a large number of hashers had seen fit to join in on this raid on the home of the gentry [I know I keep banging on about this but - as we were to find out later - Willian have an Arboretum whereas the plebs in Wymondley have a Wood. Typical]. But great to see virtual returnees Bell End and BOF, and Skid Mark and G-String out for the first time this run-year.
After a few minutes when most of the hash seemed uneasy about following any of the trails away from the pub, Shaggy found the right one and eventually lead the pack up the hill towards the Golf Club and next out into fields exposed to that wind before a quick tour of the Arboretum. Then south to the Wood where your hare managed to lose the front half of the pack (look, it happens, OK? get over it) leaving the extensive knitting circle to walk up the hill into the wind much like a band of trainee Marcel Marceau impersonators. When they came to a "9 to the back" check they walked straight over it as if they didn't know what it meant... well come to think of it they probably didn't.
Back to Willian on the road for a few short-cutters and round the paths to Roxley Court for the rest - apart from Gorjoyce and White Rabbit who engaged in their own bout of outrageous crossfield short-cutting.
White Rabbit again attempted to feed the circle, but the size of this one warranted loaves and fishes rather than crisps and biscuits [see down-downee's eye view above] and the ailing Smiffo celebrated his birthday with a softie (or so Screamer told me) before Rapid Withdrawal stepped up as RA. Sharp eared as well as sharp eyed he had Capt F, Screamer, Mekon, Shaggy and Forking bang to rights for a series of indiscretions. SAS was spotted with a very un-SAS haircut and once more the GM had to admonish Splitblox. I blame the parents.
The Hashit was returned to Penetrator for allowing a large photograph of himself and a very young lady to be circulated throughout North Herts, and especially into the letter boxes of the genteel folk of Knebworth.

ON ON to Renhold

Count Roadkill


Splitlox, winds up GM again


SAS, triffic haircut