Run 1077

Sunday 15 January 2012

The Red Lion, Elstow

Hare: Edwina 123

HASHERS: 28  ANKLE BITERS: 2  MUTTS: 3

Here we are in Elstow, famous for John Bunyan author of The Pilgrim's Progress. My prep started on Saturday evening: a beer in the Red Lion and let the landlord know there will be a pack of runners arriving in the morning. It had to be an early night for me so I could be up at the crack of dawn (around 9am) to go lay trail.
On the day it was bitterly cold, but crisp and clear. Luckily I'd put on warm underpants to avoid ending up like a brass monkey. I'd done my homework and already had a route planned taking in some of the historic sights of Bunyan's Elstow.
Circle up and off we go. First stop 'Moot Hall', built in the 15th century, and then off round the back of Elstow Abbey; originally founded in 1078 it is now the parish church. Now heading out of the village - Oh look, here's The Count heading to the back from a numbered check. Outside the village we finally get off the main road.
Now on to what is known as the "Bunyan Trail", I'm feeling smug because the group is still all together and not too spread out, Oh look, here's The Count heading to the back from a numbered check. Now at a bridge with options of going ahead, left or right - they'll figure it out. Boris begs me to lay her an arrow [after panto friday night she is clearly looking for a lay ... scribe].
There goes Bangers right on trail, and is that Forking going off in completely the wrong direction - it's hard to tell when he's so far away in the distance. A few find themselves on the wrong side of a ditch and have to double back. The Count is in far too much of a hurry for that and does a massive leap across the ditch.
Now on-on to the stone that marks the birthplace of John Bunyan. Oh look, here's The Count heading to the back from a numbered check. A bit further on and now we take the underpass. This place is so very charming with its wonderful artwork. Across the road and now it gets tricky - there are quite a lot of paths going off in all directions and no sign of any flour. There goes Skidmark on the wrong path, and here's G-String with the buggy - how did he get so far ahead of the rest of us? Oh look, here's the Count heading to the back from a numbered check.
Then we finally get to see the "on-inn" and head back along the road past the old houses that date back to the 16th century. History lesson over, now let's have some beer.

On On

Edwina-1-2-3