Hash 471 – Salthouse @ Clevedon

I sometimes worry that nobody reads the hashmags now that we no longer produce them on paper and bring them to the following hash. Online mags have their advantages of course but they can be forgotten and I do rather miss my read of the hashmag in the post-hash bath. I am optimistic nonetheless that you will enjoy hearing all about our hugely enjoyable Summer Hash at the seaside and hope that the sweetness of hashmag 471 is not wasted upon the desert air.

We went to Clevedon – which is actually on the Severn as it approaches the sea – but it is a typical Edwardian seaside town with a pier and fish and chip shops and donkey rides on the beach and buckets and spades and ice cream for sale on the promenade. And we had the perfect weather – warm sunshine and a gentle breeze to keep you cool whilst running.

We gathered on the slopes of the enormous garden in front of the Salthouse pub which overlooks the water and a grassy tree-lined area behind the promenade full of children and activity. Nobody was late and so GOM Brian welcomed all 19 of us and told us about the adventures we were about to enjoy – and then, on the dot of 11, we were off running up the back of the cliffs and then up and down a well trodden coastal path towards a wide sweep of a bay. Brian (“Prof” Brian this is. I know the hash name committee haven’t deliberated on his hash name yet but he said he was known as Prof at school so I thought ‘why change it’) and I were in our usual place at the back at this point but going strongly. We were engaging in an intellectual conversation about the nature of things when I noticed we hadn’t seen any trail marks for a while. We turned back and spread out and fortunately found the trail which had sneakily turned inland. All straightforward after that – over fields and dales and a field full of cattle who, luckily, ignored us and back through the churchyard to the coastal path and home. We saw nothing of the other runners after the first mile and the walkers not at all but they all said at the après that they had had no trouble finding the trail and had had a lovely time.

The après was as always a relaxed and very companionable affair. We sat in the very large pub garden in hot sunshine chatting and laughing and watching the children playing games and chugging round on the little steam train on the green below us. I remembered our earlier summer hashes at Studland and in Wales when we went swimming and played energetic games. Maybe I am getting old but today seemed just right. I thanked GOM Brian very briefly for yet another splendid trail and he was given a very warm round of applause – and then we began to drift off to wander round the seafront and along the pier before going home. A lovely, memorable hash