Hash 522 – Red Lion @ Arlingham

Sunday August 20th loomed fair and saw Kennet Valley stalwarts following a couple of hours after Kay and Keith, our hares, out to Arlingham on the Severn estuary. Apparently the two Ks both laid our lovely estuarine trail, though Kay looked suspiciously immaculate at the pub carpark!

We reached the first circle and how striking it was that while yours truly sprinted away following a trail, the Hashing masses just waited gawping at the circle until they’d been told the correct route. So many hangers-on….! Couldn’t Paul and Kevin’s familys’ well-trained hounds have done just a bit to help?

There were perhaps fewer than average circles after we’d reached the river, since even Sue and Viv could see that the path went alongside the river and not into it. So confident became Viv in her route-finding , that she (ok, with my abetting) laid a false trail leading into the river. This obviously would have been extremely dangerous if we’d had Sue behind us as she’d have run straight into the river, but as usual she was ahead.

Adam too had checked that Sue had got well ahead , since he took the opportunity to waylay a couple of young women, and nearly managed to elope with them. Surely he should have been happy enough in the company of our lovely Hash lady walkers?

The Hash was notable for the offer, halfway round, not of beer but of tea, though Kay seemed very reluctant to let me have some. Maybe it was hers.

For some reason Mick, halfway into his 8th decade, has decided to start running and is already doing well, easily avoiding Viv’s river trap.

A great Hash, and thank you Kay and Keith.

Incidentally, apparently, Jeremy did the Hash with the dogs on his own though we only have his word for that – we just saw him at the pub. At least we didn’t have to put up with him for long. Perhaps he could always buzz off on his own in future!

Then, after a very good lunch at the pub, again organised by Keith, we trundled off to Frampton-on-Severn to – groan, groan – play games. Organised by Margaret and John and allowing good opportunities for cross-dressing, Paul took 3 really easy catches at Rounders which all of us could have done with our eyes closed, but was denied one by the cunning ploy of James who pretended, as a batsman, to be going for a catch; the opposition were too dense to realise he wasn’t a fielder!

Val and I triumphed easily in the 3-legged race. Kay whinged about not getting the right trousers in another weird race. Keith took a wild swing at the ball in Rounders and fell flat on his face. Then, thank God, the rain came to ease our misery and we were allowed home.

However, thanks to all concerned for a great day out in Gloucestershire !