Run 1238

Sunday 28 December 2014

The Hare Inn, Linslade

Hare: Fat Controller

HASHERS: 15  NEWBEES: 3  MUTTS: 3

And so it came to pass, that after reading about a little known real ale pub in the Autumn edition of the CAMRA magazine that Leroy and I set out to lay our post Xmas trail from the The Hare Inn.
The sun shone through the blue winter sky as we all gathered in the pub car park. Ringer had been the first to arrive, and came up to me with the hearty greeting: "Welcome to this No man's Land between Xmas and New Year!" 'Quite apt!' I thought, as Southcott has now been subsumed into the urban sprawl of Linslade. A car with a Belgian registration plate was also parked, from which a well wrapped Snakes and Bladders emerged. This ex-pat Brussels H3 harriette who was visiting her parents in Luton relaxed in the bonhomie of our pack and was soon chatting to Kisses Anytime (ex-BH3), and the jet lagged Lady P and Count Roadkill (turns out that she has a Moroccan man).
Then, to my surprise two hashing friends BB and Play Away arrived. These ex-Hastings H3ers having recently moved to Buckingham, now run with neighbouring MKH3.
'Circle Up!' was shouted. The visitors, who also included Bangers' distaff sprog Sarah and mutt, were welcomed and off we set. Heading up through the housing estate, Hotshot, followed by the Count and a few others took the first falsie on the left, as Ringer and Underlay took the long 'Leroy' laid loop to the left. Meanwhile, the knitting circlers picked up the trail leading out into the winter hinterland.
The holding check in the woods revealed we were a few short, so I sent Knobber back with my blue flour to lay some arrows; as the pack again led by Hotshot headed towards the footbridge that crosses the new road. Just past the footbridge I held the pack and asked them to see if they could spot the 'Loch Ness Monster' that Leroy had shown me the previous day. Alas, the four half-buried tractor tyres of Leroy's furtive imagination gave the pack the hump.
Not far behind, Submissive, Kev, Oscar, Underlay and Ringer were seen crossing the footbridge, we waited for them and set off down the Southcott valley back to the pub.
Whilst setting the run Leroy's mutt Jack was unfortunately injured by a pony – hence the reason for Leroy's absence from the run, but he arrived in time for the Circle and gave news that Jack was recovering.
Three plates of chips appeared courtesy of landlady Fiona and landlord Jim just as 'Secret RA' Count Roadkill took the 'Circle'. The usual down-downs were awarded, and then Play Away called a point of order. "Carpetbagger, in the Circle please!" "What are you pointing at me for?" retorted our lustreless new GM. "my name's Shagpile!" "I knew it was something to do with carpets." replied Play Away. And so 'Carpetbagger' got his well deserved down – down for openly admitting to not caring that he hadn't seen his errant wife for over half an hour!

On on to Lunch at Tempsford – RUN STARTS AT NOON

How Hash Mattress did 1238