THE “SADD & HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE” HASH
Run Number: 384
Date: Sunday 31 Dec 06
Time: 1 hour 35 minutes (including 20 minutes for refreshments)
Distance: Claimed to be only 10km
Run Location: Farnham
The Pub: The Sadds’ House
Weather: Mild and windy
HARE(S): Ed (birdseye) Sadd
HOUNDS- Brian (BrEW) Errington-Weddle
- Mark (Jibber) Humphries and Benjy (Trip Hazard)
- Jason (Kinky Bugger) Wareham
- Alf Sadd
- Emma Sadd
- Ben (The Slobby Uno ♂) Sadd
- Ed (Birdseye) Sadd
- Bronwen (Ronlet) Jones
- Tim (Silent Running) Bryning
- Martin (Madness) Lawson
- Pete Fuller
- Terry (Walt) Disney - kneeling
- Jenny Fuller
- Rowland (Pet Rescue) Stibbards
- Wendy Stibbards
Social Hounds/Hash Puppies:- Gail (Tour Guide) Sadd
- Clare (The Slobby Uno ♀) Sadd
- Alf Sadd
- Wendy Stibbards
Real Hounds:
THE WORDS
Having squeezed our cars along the roadside outside the Hare’s charming residence, exchanged jolly greetings appropriate to the time of year, and deposited various snacks, drinks and kit bags in the kitchen, where important preparations were already in progress, we readied ourselves outside. There was a minor kerfuffle as Trip Hazard was surprised by our hosts’ dog, which is apparently a rather rare Jack Russell / guinea pig cross, but calm was quickly restored for the briefing, which told us there would be four whip ins, one smiley face and blobs generally on the left. There was some mention of possible short cuts, but with only ten kilometres on offer, can you believe, why would we bother? Tour Guide took the photos, which gave BrEW a rare chance of appearing to a wider public, and then we were off, and soon after that we were on (turn in your grave Oscar Wilde).
A gentle trot up the road soon turned into an interminable slog into the wind across a huge field. Those of us with bare legs and arms (and the half of The Slobby Duo running, in particular, given how little he was wearing) might have had second thoughts about kit choice, but it was too late now. A bit of uphill roadwork soon removed some of the chill and by the time we’d stretched our legs across a few fields it didn’t seem too bad at all. There was even scope for Walt to take his first economical of the day – only a few metres stolen from the corner of a field, but it all helps. And then the first surprise! A shiny grey mini at a minor road junction, and beer (and other drinks too). Well done Tour Guide.
Refreshed, we took the track west to New Barn and then up and across Chettle Common, where Jibber managed to put his foot in the only deep bit of mud we had met so far. As it turned out, it wasn’t to be his lucky day. More fields, tracks and false trails came our way, and although the previous day’s rain had smudged a few of the dabs, they were visible enough to lead Pete and Silent Running to the promised smiley face. Other notable front-runners were Ronlet, Pet Rescue and Kinky Bugger. Trip Hazard was notable for the usual eponymous reasons.
Most of the difficulty with the sawdust markings seemed to be in the reading rather than the writing, as first Silent Running, and then BrEW, managed to call the on from the end of false trails. This didn’t bother the main pack too much, as we sensibly hung back (just a little bit, you understand, to reduce the risk of anybody getting lost). It was while we were waiting in such a manner that Emma was pleased to discover a very flat rat. It didn’t seem worth taking home, so she left it where it was.
The pack became rather etiolated during a long, fast downhill bit, and was still regrouping at a check as the front-runners sought the next one true path. We were surprised to see BrEW emerge from under a hedge some way ahead. Had he been sleeping there? Whether he had or not, he was on the right track, and we were soon approaching Chettle Long Barrow, which was when Jenny and Madness suddenly realised they were near where they’d got bogged down in heavy mud on a bike ride the day before. Strangely, the going seemed much easier on foot and Walt even managed to shave off a few more metres with another economical. He dis’nae miss a trick, does he?
Soon it would be time for Jibber to get his other foot soaked, but first he had to get it tangled in barbed wire. Only when he had been freed did he stick it deep into the mud. Warthog would have been proud.
Just outside Chettle, another surprise. Same car, but this time Tour Guide, Wendy and Alf were offering mulled wine and mince pies. Politeness forced us to accept. Then it was one blob and on, which took us through the village and onto the Jubilee Trail back towards Farnham. A whip in and a few more fields and suddenly we saw the On In and it was all over.
All over, that is, bar the eating and drinking. Birdseye and Alf, who had helped him lay the trail in the rain the day before, had also been cooking up lots of very tasty dishes, spiced with ingredients brought back from India not long before. Madness was strangely reticent and restricted himself to only two helpings of everything – perhaps he didn’t want to get food on his smart new yellow 50 hashes shirt.
Many thanks to all the Sadds – a fine day’s work, much appreciated.
MUG & T-SHIRT RATINGS
(??*) - Denotes attendance by those not Mug Rated (social hounds).
GOLD T-SHIRT AWARD (50 AND OVER)
Andy (Warthog) Goodman (190); Bronwen (Ronlet) Jones (145); Brian (BrEW) Errington-Weddle (114 + 1*); Terry (Buggalugs) Canham (108 + 1*); Ed (Birdseye) Sadd (104); Terry (Walt) Disney (96); Mark (Jibber) Humphries (81); Tim (Silent Running) Bryning (79); Tim (Classic) King (69); Duncan (Day Glo) Ray (62 + 2*); J-F (Entente) Lechanoine (62); Martin (Madness) Lawson (50); Jason (Kinky Bugger) Wareham (50)
MUG AWARD AND CAN WEAR BLUE T-SHIRT (25 - 49)
John (Semaphore) Carr (42); Sylvie (Ça Va) Lechanoine (40 + 1*); Tom (Jock) Moncur (38); Frances (Stop Watch) Canham (35*); Ruth (Typhoon) Canham (35*); Jim (Forget Me Not) Forrest (25 + 6*); Helen (Elle) Goodman (27*)
NEED MORE HASHES OR POSTING ORDER (10 - 24)
Steve (Bob the Builder) Pritchard (20); Nick (Tri Harder) Bateson (20); Gordon (F Med) Rafferty (18); John (Strider) Bryning (17); Tom (Two Shoes) Gillard (15); Lesley (Tinkerbell) Bryning (13*); Rowland (Pet Rescue) Stibbards (12); Mark (Shady) Vincent (12); Edward (The Wanderer) Vincent (11); Gail (Tour Guide) Sadd (8 + 10*)
NEED MORE HASHES (5 - 9)
J-C (Moose Milk) Boisvert (7 + 1*); Emma Sadd (7 + 1*); Sarah Bryning (1 + 7*); Ben (The Slobby Uno ♂) Sadd (7); James (i-Plod) Vincent (6); John (Nokia) Noraika (5); Clare (The Slobby Uno ♀) Sadd (4+1*)
KEEP HASHING (1 - 4)
Peter Fuller (4); Ombeline Lechanoine (4*); Wendy Stibbards (3*); Heather Terrington (2 + 1*); Jenny Fuller (2); Steve (Cloth Ears) Lomas (2); Rod (Dyno) Thomas (2); James Carr (1); Julie Carr (1); William Carr (1); Patrick Ginn (1); Gabbi Lomas (1); Colin McGrory (1); David Orriss (1); Fiona Ray (1); Robert Carr (1*); Sandie Disney (1*); Kate Forrest (1*); Alf Sadd (1*); Fiona Vincent (1*); Janice Vincent (1*)
Price: Birdseye # 384 |
