Q. What type of lighting did Noah have on the Ark
A. Flood Lighting

Tarzan and I get up early on Sunday morning to lay the run. Shillington is a well-known hash fave and not many chances to lay new routes unless that is you have a mental aberration and get lost which is precisely what happens.

We finish laying the trail with an hour to spare (bad planning) and decide to sit in the car, listen to some music and chill until everyone turns up. The pub has sold off its garden to some house builder, which is a bit of a shame.

The opening circle is conducted as per hash tradition and the newbie (Anna) is given a demo of the hash rules and regs (there are none) and h5 signage (there is plenty).

The small, but well formed, pack set off in every possible direction. As is CF's trademark, there are a few falsies right at the start but after a short period of to-ing and fro-ing the pack sets off in the right direction up Hillfoot road (well named) towards the Church. Bearing right onto Hillside Road (I sense a theme here), Abettin strides off at great pace to the top of the hill, but alas it's a falsie. Back to the foot of the hill and Sue (a friend of Clap Trap) is stood at her French doors waving frantically as we run past.

Along the snicket (I love that word) and the pack emerges back onto Hill Foot Road, where in honour of the run venue a new H5 sign has been daubed (a 2x2 check). The pack is teamed up into pairs and set off two-by-two (skipping in some cases).

The trail continues to skirt around the base of the hill upon which Shillington Church has been erected, but it's inevitable that eventually the trail leads to the top of the hill. At this point the pack (with the exception of Cyclopath) are duped into going the wrong way. After a little pfaffing, everyone is re-united and it's down The Twitchell (loitering is not permitted here) to the High Road.

It's pretty standard Shillington fare for a wee while until a never before trodden (as far as I am aware) trail towards Hanscombe End farm takes us past a briar patch, festooned with fully ripened black-berries. We all gorge ourselves on the fruit, but poor old Blow Felt can’t reach the best fruit on the upper branches, so Ringer and Capt F give him a bit of a leg up. Apparently, this kindly act damaged parts that are well past their warranty period (or so he claims). With a bit of a limp (the operative word here being limp) he stoically carries on.

Emerging onto Hanscome End Road it's back towards the Noahs Ark. The short cut is straight on, but the actual trail is a small detour via Northley Farm and emerging back onto the road where another 2x2 check is encountered. Abettin, Ringer and Clap Trap were first to skip off and it's ON-INN back to the pub.

Down-downs were awarded to:
Tarzan & CaptF (superlative haring); Anna (our newbie from Lake Geneva – nice address); Blowfelt (6th anniversary with Pussies – note Pussies was not there to celebrate); DE (chatting up strange men); Twicza, Clap Trap & Frau (refusal to reconnoitre at ladies' checks); DE (again), Abettin & Cyclopath (short cutting & crop busting) and finally Capt F & Ringer (for apparently damaging Blowfelt's sac)

Yours Affectionately,
Tarzan & el Capitain

On-on to the Old Sun Inn, Ampthill

Editorial note: Cake of the week was Frau's delicious lemon drizzle cake. Nom Nom!