THE “400TH ENTENTE CORDIALE” HASH (400) OR THE “WHO ’HOGGED ALL THE CHECKS?” HASH
Run Number: 400
Date: 25 Jun 07
Time: 50 mins
Distance: About 6km
Run Location: Blandford Camp
The Pub: Chateau Lechanoine
Weather: Mild with a threat of rain
Hares, Hounds and Hash Stats
THE WORDS
The prevailing atrocious weather did not put off our seasoned hashers, and a goodly group lined up outside Entente’s Kennel for the BH3 400th. Entente was a little anxious at first, as a punctual arrival was scuppered by the efficient camp guards. Storm clouds were also looming which had necessitated a slight change to the culinary activities al fresco. However, Ça Va had everything under control - the food looked very tempting and this boosted our keenness to get On with it. Hash Flash, BrEW, was also keen to capture a decent photograph before the heavens darkened and Ça Va did the Onours, with a patio backdrop, so that he would not remain incognito.
After the briefest of briefings, during which Alamein made sure we knew he was back and fighting fit, we began to check. Blobs were soon picked up, taking us back along Down Wood Road and into the depths of the quarters 'patch'. A couple of checks in quick succession and then Birdseye took up the cry steeply down into a belt of woodland, where his enthusiasm got the better of him and he managed to pass both a check and false trail in no time at all. Called back to a path junction we headed right for a short distance and then left so that again the direction was downhill. Eschewing the more obvious paths, the Hare then took us over and around some dug out pits before emerging near accommodation blocks. These we skirted as far as the boundary fence where there was another check. Warthog decided on the logical route to the left, whilst Madness headed right towards a false trail marker the rest of us knew he would find from a previous check. Well, someone had to play the game.
Despite his 200th, Warthog showed no signs of flagging and it took the likes of Kinky Bugger, recently seen in secret training with the Doddlers, Birdseye and the Slobby Uno ♂ to keep on his tail. At the edge of another piece of woodland the pathways divided and Birdseye’s selection of the middle route took us into the woods and another check. This area afforded lots of possibilities and the Hare tested our agility as we swerved to avoid the trees and roots. Eventually, and after a few more checks, the trail led us back to the boundary fence, Warthog again in the lead at the check, and as Strider brushed passed Ronlet, she wondered why he was following the ’hog and not checking up hill. An example of someone not playing the game and mercifully before anyone had to, the On was called downhill…
The pack now took up the chase passed the assault course, with the usual suspects well out in front. Just as well Entente had put in a check back which allowed the steadier members of the group to take up the lead. Back in the wood it was now all up hill until we emerged in the open just below the Sergeant’s Mess. BrEW had disappeared from view at this juncture and we wondered if he had got lost, until he reappeared with a relieved expression on his face. The whole of the Camp now beckoned and there was a scattering of hounds checking in all directions. But the Hare, keen to promote the delights of hashing to Mess members, took us back up and through the patio area – unfortunately with not a sergeant in sight. It was steep going now, and with the likes of Strider up ahead and hidden eyes from the soldiers’ accommodation potentially looking down on us, we had to put on a brave showing. Well, Warthog certainly thought so and when we gratefully stumbled upon a whip-in just past the gym, he regaled the back markers for slowing to a walk. But that’s what a whip-in’s for!!
Bags of choice at this check and the correct route took us along a path towards the school instructional blocks. There are a maze of pathways crisscrossing here and the one leading steeply down to the quarters area (called cardiac hill for obvious reasons) hosted the On. Those of us with bad knees (ah, most of us then) struggled down in pursuit of Birdseye. At the bottom we fanned out again and it was Strider who had the nose for the trail this time and inevitably, having lost so much height, we spent the next 5 minutes regaining it. The only resident who seemed interested in the proceedings was a rather sleek looking husky, who eyed Alamein with a look that said ‘Dinner!’ Madness commented that it also said ‘Afters!’ and Ronlet wondered whether he was referring to Silent Running, who was cleverly making use of the Alamein-turbo-charge factor, or to all of us, as we were all looking well cooked at this stage.
At the top of Racedown Road (badly named), we gathered again for a whip-in. The Hare appeared to hint that there were possibilities over the road and as Walt knew there was an inviting field behind the hedgerow, he took up the challenge. The area was sawdustless and Warthog sensing a homeward manoeuvre had found the On left, along the road, diverting left again into the woods. The Hare had obviously been keen to stay under cover whilst laying the trail. A couple of checks did not prevent Warthog’s roll and he called us On back to the instruction block. There was a certain inevitability as the correct trail was again credited to Warthog. A check at the road allowed for a short history lesson from Entente, concerning the Roosevelt Memorial and the Camp’s hospital role after the D-Day landings, before the main man found the trail again and relentlessly back to the On In – well, with a slight circumnavigation to avoid the tarmac.
Whilst shorter than the current run of hashes, the Hare had timed the trail to perfection – we had avoided the forecast downpour, were ‘out’ for a respectable 50 minutes, and more importantly back in good time to do justice to the fine spread of food. The difficulty now would be pacing ourselves to enjoy all the courses!
On Pres kept the momentum going with a presidential speech, praising our host and hostess for their contributions not only to this evening’s entertainments, but also for their loyalty as stalwart members of the Hash. He then quite rightly praised the members themselves for achieving their 400th, half of which had been hogged by Warthog. A suitably engraved tankard was presented to him for his special achievement. Thus presented we could move swiftly on to the matter of energy replenishment, interrupted briefly later (after everyone had signed it) by another presentation to Warthog, depicting him in caricature format. Quite a resemblance! On On.
Hares, Hounds and Hash Stats
Hare(s): Entente
Hounds: Birdseye, BrEW, Hidden Depths, Jibber, Kinky Bugger, Pierre,
Ronlet, Shady, Silent Running, Two Shoes, Walt, Warthog, Steve (Needs a
Handle) Thornton
Social Hounds/Puppy Hashers: Ça Va, Tinkerbell, Tour Guide, Sarah
Bryning, Ombeline Lechanoine, Janice Vincent
Hounds: Alamein, Dumb Blond
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MUG & T-SHIRT RATINGS
(??*) - Denotes attendance by those not Mug Rated (social hounds).
RED T-SHIRT AWARD (100 AND OVER) ….when we get
them
Andy (Warthog) Goodman (200); Bronwen
(Ronlet) Jones (161); Brian (BrEW) Errington-Weddle (124 + 2*);
Ed (Birdseye) Sadd (117); Terry (Buggalugs) Canham (108 + 1*); Terry
(Walt) Disney (108)
GOLD T-SHIRT AWARD (50 AND OVER)
Mark (Jibber) Humphries (96); Tim (Silent Running) Bryning (95 +
1*); J-F (Entente) Lechanoine (78); Tim (Classic) King (69); Duncan
(Day Glo) Ray (64 + 2*); Jason (Kinky Bugger) Wareham (65); Martin
(Madness) Lawson (63)
MUG AWARD AND CAN WEAR BLUE T-SHIRT (25 - 49)
Sylvie (Ça Va) Lechanoine (44 + 2*); John (Semaphore) Carr (42);
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)
Gail (Tour Guide) Sadd (8 + 16*); Tom (Two Shoes) Gillard (21);
Mark (Shady) Vincent (21); Steve (Bob the Builder) Pritchard (20); John
(Strider) Bryning (19); Gordon (F Med) Rafferty (18); Rowland (Pet
Rescue) Stibbards (16); Lesley (Tinkerbell) Bryning (14*); Edward (The
Wanderer) Vincent (12); Sarah Bryning (1+9*)
NEED MORE HASHES (5 - 9)
Emma Sadd (8 + 1*); Ben (The Slobby Uno ♂) Sadd (9); Graham (Hidden
Depths) Plaice (7); James (i-Plod) Vincent (7); Clare (The
Slobby Uno ♀) Sadd (4 + 2*); Ombeline Lechanoine (5*); John (Nokia)
Noraika (5); Wendy Stibbards (5*)
KEEP HASHING (1 - 4)
Jean-Baptiste (Pierre) Blandenet (4); Peter Fuller (4); Patrick (Sloe)
Ginn (4); Nikki (Xtra Miles) Brooks (3); Heather Terrington (2 + 1*); Steve
Thornton (3); Jenny Fuller (2); Paul (Crazy Fool) Kadoch (2); Steve
(Cloth Ears) Lomas (2); David Orriss (2); Rod (Dyno) Thomas (2); Janice
Vincent (2*); Chantelle Wareham (2); Mary Burden (1); William Burden
(1); James Carr (1); Julie Carr (1); William Carr (1); Martin Gabbi Lomas (1);
Colin McGrory (1); Hilary Naylor (1); Fiona Ray (1); Robert Carr (1*); Sandie
Disney (1*); Kate Forrest (1*); Renee Ginn (1*); Alf Sadd (1*); Fiona Vincent (1*)
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Price: Entente # 400 |
