| Date | Hare | Scribe |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Mar 2023 | Mike | Kathy |
Dear Hashers, can it really be twenty-five years since the ever-youthful Mike Fisher first called runners to arms, and began a social/keep-fit pastime that has grown, evolved and endured for an incredible quarter of a century? Even more astounding is that three other founding members of the Kennet Valley Hash, former GOMs themselves – Mike, Margaret and Jeremy – are still participating today. These hash icons are here not just in body and in mind, you understand, but they still pursue the trails enthusiastically and with no less vigour than they committed to that very first inaugural run, if with a little less speed and frequently at a walking pace these days (Jeremy excepted of course!).
How confident young Mike must have been back in 1998 in the future strength of KVH3, that he even had tee-shirts produced to mark the occasion. In fact his son-in-law Rew – who also attended the very first hash with his toddler son, Sam (now a strapping young husband and father) – drove down from Shropshire to join us today, sporting that very same tee-shirt.
Over the years, as the number of participants grew, the spread of ages and abilities necessitated adding a walkers’ trail too, as well as the runners’ route. But I feel the majority will agree that this agreeable mixture (plus pet dogs) has enhanced the hash experience for everyone, even if it does create a challenge and more work for the hares laying the trails… but I never hear them complaining. And today, the hash walkers usually outnumber the intrepid runners. (Please note, walkers are alternative hashers, not inferior ones!)
As Mike said, I think one of the main reasons for the continued success of the Kennet Valley Hash is that it requires no membership, no fees to pay, no advance booking and no box-ticking. You just turn up when you feel like it, and no-one gives you a hard time if you’ve been absent for a while (well… not too much, eh?). Many of us here today have been passionate hashers for twenty years or more now, come rain or shine. Some of us so fondly remember our earlier hashes that we even turn up wearing exactly the same clothes a few decades later (you know who you are, doc).
That said, no dedicated hasher decides not to turn up just because the weather’s not great, because you know that your fellow hasher/s got up at the crack of dawn to lay that day’s trails… no matter what. So how could you possibly not support them? I vividly remember Viv & John’s winter hash five years ago at Fernham when, by the time our small group of intrepid supporters reached the pub, freezing rain had turned to icy sleet, the winds were cruel, and visibility was very poor. You could hardly see Viv & John’s trail, let alone survive it, so after a brief attempt at braving the increasingly harsh weather conditions, we all ended up huddled around the fire at the Woodman Inn, cupping our hands around a warming drink. But at least we actually turned up in the true spirit of KVH3.
Sunnier hashes need no incentive for folk to turn up, and there have been far, far too many wonderful hashes over the years to list them all. But Margaret’s summer hash just over the border in Wales at ‘The Pelican in Her Piety’ back in 2004 created a lovely memory for me, and is one of my particular favourites. A delicious buffet meal on a perfect sunny afternoon in Jeremy’s beautiful back garden in Ramsbury, after yet another milestone hash when the much-missed Late Keith was still with us, is another.
Our seven, to date, very hard-working GOMS surely deserve to be mentioned by name. Our founding member Mike was followed by Margaret (so far our only female GOM – very well done), then Jeremy, Maurice, Brian, Keith and – still going strong – Kevin. Each GOM has been a truly unique and dedicated leader, and KVH3 would never have got this far without their valiant stewardship over several years’ tenure. But I think Keith deserves a special mention. He found himself suddenly caught in the harsh headlights of the most unprecedented pandemic of modern times. But boy, did he step up to the plate! He calmly steered the good ship ‘Hash’ through the choppy seas of Covid, with unwavering dedication and scrupulous fairness, and ensured that every good hasher got safely ashore. The boy done good.
Today, on this cold, grey morning, it was lovely to see so many hashers gathered to honour Mike on this very special occasion for which – naturally – Mike laid the trails. This was his 83rd solo hash, although on many other occasions he’s also partnered less confident hares in laying some interesting routes. With so many hashers present today, it was understandable that we all became deeply engrossed in conversation as we confidently strode out. Well, that’s our excuse anyway, because the majority of us inexplicably lost Mike’s well-laid trail… but here’s the interesting thing, we virtually all got back to the Brewer’s Arms at roughly the same time. And isn’t that the true sign of a well-laid hash?
Jeremy delivered a meticulously well researched tribute to Mike, in a clear and confident voice, and his appreciation of KVH’s place in our hearts came across with great sincerity. Margaret, too, spoke movingly in her own tribute regarding KVH’s modest origins, Mike’s friendship, and what the hash has meant to her over the years.
Covid didn’t defeat us, nor the loss over the years of several much-loved fellow hashers, and I’m sure you all feel as I do that there’s plenty of life left in the hash yet. We’ve had 644 hash trails, 644 hash mags, numerous summer hashes/buffets/away days and we’ve formed lasting friendships. We’ve also celebrated our unique camaraderie with four delightful cabaret dinners. Four…. is that all? Couldn’t we have another one very soon, please?
We all have our favourite hashes for different reasons. Even some of the wettest ones – bizarrely – have been some of the most enjoyable, and I had to check back on some of them to confirm hazy memories. But as our late, great Queen memorably said: “recollections may vary”! On On.
I’ve been hashing with you all for at least twenty-two of the twenty-five years now, and have missed very few of them. I’ve just had a nostalgic trip down memory lane re-reading hash magazines from many years ago. So many writing styles, so many personalities bursting from the pages. So here’s a big thank you, not just to Mike our founding member, but to all the GOMs and to Jeremy and Maurice who, as well as their times as GOM, have diligently maintained the hash website from its inception – a vital ingredient to KVH3’s outstanding success.