THE “STING IN THE TAIL” HASH
Run Number: 423
Date: Sunday 27 Jan 08
Time: 95 minutes
Distance: An undulating 6.13 miles less the checking
Run Location:
The Pub: The Anvil
Pub Links: To follow
Weather: Bright, sunny and relatively mild
Hares, Hounds and Hash Stats
THE WORDS
Chief Hare, Day Glo was joined by Alan Kerridge, Maiden Hare (isn’t that a fern?). In his briefing Day Glo demonstrated once again his aversion to sawdust. Also eschewing the sheep spray, the Hares had opted for flour. Apparently it isn’t as heavy – well it wouldn’t be in the miniscule amounts it was being laid. We were warned about whip-ins and smileys and advised that all false trails were marked (until the end when they’d got fed up). He said it was long and undulating with a sting in the tail – oh good! Quelque Chose stood in as Hash Flash (BrEW being absent on Jolly Boys’ Ski Outing) and lined us all up in front of the Village Hall – good photo but he needs to practise the ‘bend the knees’ technique a little more.
As we bomb-burst to check, Sarah was still a little bemused about the hash markings – mind you, you needed a magnifying glass to spot them. Eventually they became more discernible – just in time to lead her to the first smiley up Arlecks Lane. The pack meanwhile had found the On heading towards the church and at School Lane came upon the next check. Plenty of scope but it’s always best to check up hill and we found ourselves on Down Road, going in the wrong direction. Jane revealed that she didn’t really like hills and Ronlet could only wheeze her agreement with the sentiment.
We staggered up to Stud Farm Dairy, Birdseye, Sarah and Paul in the forefront. Day Glo asked Ronlet to call an impromptu whip-in at the next check, not realising that Birdseye was already checking. His calls from the left, down in a dip were picked up just when we thought we could have a breather.
What goes down must come up and we had a long On to the next check where fortunately there was an indistinct but much appreciated whip in, well spotted by the eagle-eyed front runner. Re-grouped we proceeded north of a plantation only to find ourselves heading back towards it on the other side. At the next check this wood did look tempting to Jibber, who then had to make a smart detour across a field when Birdseye called the On straight ahead. Silent Running didn’t allow this short cut to be overlooked. However, chatting about the finer points of hash etiquette, meant that he, Ronlet and Kinky Bugger missed a check and had to run back to take up the trail on the other side of the hedge. Of course this only brought us out to where Birdseye had just confirmed the false trail behind the hedge. He was pleased. But in compensation we had a fine view of the Signals’ Blandford Tower across the valley. I think it was at this point we were informed that our Maiden Hare was taking a short cut so as not to aggravate an injury – but could he be trusted?
From this check Sarah headed back towards Stud Farm Dairy – the Wise waited, anticipating correctly that it had to be left along to the Long Barrow. Another check and Paul called the On and in a gentlemanly fashion waited for us to catch up at the next junction. Here some of us debated various psychological advanced hash-laying techniques – thereby avoiding the need to check downhill. A good move as the trail led in the other direction and round to another copse. Again Sarah’s trick of being On without realising it manifested itself. However, the Hare soon discovered that it was not her eyesight – someone had systematically and thoroughly eradicated his dabs, thereby sabotaging his next smiley. As obedient hashers we nonetheless ran along the track only to be called back. We skirted round the edge of wood and at the next check Sarah obliged by going the wrong way again – much to the delight of the Hare.
Meanwhile the rest of us headed north coming to a gap in a hedge where the Hare warned us to protect our accoutrements from bramble damage. Carefully negotiating the gap, some were caught out by a good feint by the Hare, sending them in the wrong direction. Pet Rescue had the On left. At the next check inexperience revealed itself as Paul and Sarah could be seen disappearing into the distance along a long falsie. Much too long to have reeled in the veterans. We headed down to check where there was a lot of mud, much to Monty’s delight. However, Sarah, sprinting in, put him in the shade in the mud rolling stakes. An apt baptism and surely a basis for a suitable hash handle?
We now slid along left towards Pimperne Wood. Birdseye liked the look of the woodland paths but was incorrect. Sarah and Ronlet reckoned it was straight on and had a good head start to the next crossroads and then the On down Gunville Down – what a relief. It was around this juncture that Alan re-emerged, still looking as if he’d been up to no good.
At the bottom of the hill, Pet Rescue and Ronlet checked right and slightly downhill, contradicting the Golden Rule – always check up hill. This meant a harder catch up as the route took us along an incline to Keeper’s Lodge, an idyllic setting, to look at the view and draw breath. From this mustering point we were directed south to a cross road and another check. The landscape was already looking familiar. We could see Pimperne in the distance but the direct route was not on the Hares’ cards. Instead we dragged ourselves up a steep hill (the last sting in the tail?), before racing down to the road and the 750-yard ‘dash’ On In.
Day Glo was happy to inform us that the route, less checking, was 6.13 miles and proudly displayed a chart indicating the overall climbs and falls. My legs could confirm that the Hares had made good use of the contours. After a tricky ablute in the car park with several veteran car owners looking on (veteran could apply to either), we retired to the Anvil and some tasty nosh swilled down by some expensive beer. Silent Running is probably still in shock.
HARES, HOUNDS AND HASH STATS
Hare(s): Day Glo and Alan Kerridge
Hounds: Birdseye, Jibber, Kinky Bugger, Pet Rescue, Ronlet, Silent Running, Jane Allen, Paul Allen, Sarah King
Social Hounds/Puppy Hashers: Madness, Tour Guide, Jenny Fuller, Mia, Alice King, Ben King, George King, Elsie May Ray, Fiona Ray, Wendy Stibbards
Real Hounds: Alamein
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MUG & T-SHIRT RATINGS
(??*) - Denotes attendance by those not Mug Rated (social hounds).
RED T-SHIRT AWARD (100 AND OVER) ….And we’ve got them – for £10!
Andy (Warthog) Goodman (214); Bronwen (Ronlet) Jones (184); Brian (BrEW) Errington-Weddle (147 + 2*); Ed (Birdseye) Sadd (135); Terry (Walt) Disney (126); Tim (Silent Running) Bryning (120 + 1*); Mark (Jibber) Humphries (119)
GOLD T-SHIRT AWARD (50 AND OVER)
Jason (Kinky Bugger) Wareham (92); Martin (Madness) Lawson (83 + 5*); Duncan (Day Glo) Ray (69+ 2*); Tim (Classic) King (69)
MUG AWARD AND CAN WEAR BLUE T-SHIRT (25 - 49)
John (Strider) Bryning (33); Helen (Elle) Goodman (30*); Gail (Tour Guide) Sadd (8 + 19*); Mark (Shady) Vincent (27); Tom (Two Shoes) Gillard (26)
NEED MORE HASHES OR POSTING ORDER (10 - 24)
Rowland (Pet Rescue) Stibbards (24); Peter (Emptier) Fuller (17); Graham (Hidden Depths) Plaice (17); Lesley (Tinkerbell) Bryning (14*); Pierre (Quelque Chose) Leroy (14); Ben (The Slobby Uno ♂) Sadd (13); Edward (The Wanderer) Vincent (12); Patrick (Sloe) Ginn (11); Sarah (..) Bryning (1 + 9*); Emma (…) Sadd (8 + 2*)
NEED MORE HASHES (5 - 9)
Wendy (…) Stibbards (8*); Jenny (…)Fuller (3 + 4*); James (i-Plod) Vincent (7); Clare (The Slobby Uno ♀) Sadd (4 + 2*); Paul (Crazy Fool) Kadoch (5); Manuela (…)Leroy (5*)
KEEP HASHING (1 - 4)
Nikki (Xtra Miles) Brooks (4); Andy (Muddy) Cheney (4); Steve Thornton (4); Alan (…) Kerridge (3); Pierre Leroy Jnr (3); Rebecca Leroy (3*); Fiona (…) Ray (1+2*); Paul Allen (2); David Orriss (2); Elsie May Ray (2*); Alf Sadd (2*); Janice Vincent (2*); Chantelle Wareham (2); Jane Allen (1); Sandie Disney (1*); Renee Ginn (1*); Ben King (1+1*); Alice King (1*); George King (1*); Sarah King (1); Mike Lock (1); Colin McGrory (1); Hilary Naylor (1); Emma Rae (1); Jon (Circus Boy) Smallwood (1); Fiona Vincent (1*)
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Price: Day Glo & Alan # 423 |
