Hash 461 – Sun @ Hungerford

Did you realise that the Kennet Valley Hash Harriers have never run from the Sun Inn in Hungerford ? – No, neither did I – but on 19th April 2015 we did indeed run from the aforesaid pub and so I now have the privilege of recording a little bit of history. I should point out that it wasn’t originally planned to be from the Sun. Jeremy, our hare, had planned to run from the Downgate, but when he asked politely if that would be alright he was told that the Downgate was far too busy to take a mob like us on a Sunday – and anyway they didn’t want rough types like hashers cluttering up their car park. So, history was made.

The Sun, you’ll be pleased to hear, is a good hashers pub. There’s a big-ish car part that they don’t mind hashers cluttering up, plenty of comfortable space inside and they have that essential ingredient – a good selection of real ales. And of course, as you might expect Jeremy laid a really cracking trail from there. Numbers were down a bit unfortunately. No Margaret and John (looking after relatives from Wales down for her 70th birthday) or Paul and Di, but we few and a couple of dogs set off in perfect running weather – sun breaking through and a cool breeze – westward along the A4 for a bit and then quickly away from the traffic down a path to the lower common and on to join the Kennet and Avon canal at the Swing Bridge – and then along our very own Kennet Valley. There were only a few runners and we kept together well up to the canal but then we began to spread out along the towpath as the good runners like Fiona and Viv and John surged ahead. Your scribe plodded along at the back again but was fortunate in having Brian as company as we not only shared the pleasure of running in such a lovely part of the world – but we put first the election and then the world to rights as we ran.

We came away from the canal, up and over the A4 (which we crossed four times by the way) and climbed up paths and fields to what felt like the top of a mountain and then down again to the road near Chilton Foliat. Oh Good, I thought- it’ll just be a short trot down the road to the pub now – but then we came to a big arrow pointing back up the same mountain that we had just come down. We hashers are used to setbacks and unexpected challenges of course so Brian and I began the steady climb back up to the top of the world only pausing to admire a large sewage works halfway up. But from the top it was a lovely run back down a track to the common again and back along the way we had come to the pub. Another classic trail from our Jeremy full of interest and variety and just the right length

Brian and I were last back of course and were welcomed back with an ironic cheer from the runners who were sitting in a little patio at the back. The walkers were establishing their independence however by sitting in the warmth of the pub, it not being quite warm enough for them outdoors – and so after just one pint we hardy types joined them. Warm, chatty après that went on for ages before Brian thanked Jeremy for his excellent trail and Annie presented the bags to me for being such a nice chap (or at least I think that was the reason). Thank you Jeremy – only 40 hashes to go before the 500th !