Hash 419 – Vale of White Horse @ Minety

Today’s hash, and I can say that as I am writing it immediately upon returning home, was great. And as I sit here pondering what else actually to say, GOM is already sending me photos of the event, as well as photos of some previous events, because, apparently, he can’t really see which photos he is attaching to his emails as the icons on his PC are too small. Sounds like he needs bigger icons, … or a pair of glasses?

Anyway, if I keep ignoring pings from my inbox I’ll try to say something about the event.

I arrived relatively early and was greeted by Kathy who immediately told me all about the hashes held up in Shropshire at Nina and Rew’s two weeks ago – I wasn’t there, see. She was particularly pleased that the second hash was accidentally extended by a couple of miles as this allowed her to see Ironbridge itself; for as she said, it would have been a shame to go all the way there and miss it. She was most positive about Nina and Rew’s house, and the comfortable bed she was given. She even had a wing to herself. Her only disappointment was that she had no company that night. Even though she’d annointed herself with perfume, and spent many hours listening for softly approaching footsteps, her luck wasn’t in – the cats stayed away.

Anway, I must try to say something about today’s hash …..

GOM came up with a variation, today providing us with a very short hash (2.3 miles), a short hash (3 miles), and a proper hash. Although, truth be told, he only laid the very short and short hashes. Most of the runners did a proper hash though. This they achieved by first running the short hash, and then on getting back in record time, deciding to go out and run the very short hash as well (Viv’s idea). Now, this has never, ever happened before; well, except on one previous occasion (see Hash 203), when guess who was the hare. History possibly provides us with cause to fear the next time GOM lays a trail, since the next one he then laid (Hash 211) was, and probably still is, the longest we have ever had.

But, you ask, what happened on today’s hash?

Around 11:10 GOM started explaining the routes to us, in his relaxed laidback manner. It was all about going clockwise and anti-clockwise, I was getting quite giddy. Jack and John were throughout this engrossed in a discussion on who had the better GPS system on their wrist. The most I could add was to say that my watch said it was 11:20, which is roughly when GOM finished his introduction, and off we went; the runners going anti-clockwise and the walkers, well, the other way.

The route was firm, the cows the runners had been warned about had disappeared, but then they popped up in the Distillery Meadows (so called apparently from the area growing sugar beet which was turned into alcohol) a mile or so down the trail. We traversed playing fields, with lots of rugby training in progress, back into the village, and oops, here we are back at the pub. Marion had been cruelly felled by a tree route, so she, Margaret and John happily finished there, whilst the remaining 4 runners went off again to tackle the very short trail. This turned out to be quite similar to the runners’ trail, albeit with different fields. Two points of interest were a burger van, and an array of solar panels set up in a field – I guess simpler than sticking them on the roof. On our second pass through the playing fields the kids were all packing up and going home for mum’s (or dad’s) Sunday Lunch.

Back at the pub, we sat out on the terrace, Kay and Kathy being the last back, having walked the very short course twice – now that definitely is a first! A few drinks, and a few rounds of a beef and brie ploughman’s which looked superb.

Many thanks Brian, an excellent trail, from an interesting pub.

ON ON