This report was almost as non-existent as the flour on last weeks hash. Saturday evening came and suddenly I remembered I had to produce something resembling last weeks hash write-up for Gerry's Hash-Trash. So here it is, short and sweet.
We all arrived on another, or one of the few, beautiful English July evenings in the Chilterns. It was good to see so many come and enjoy the anticipated hills around Christmas Common. After Lenore explained the nearly standard but highly confusing rules we set off left out of the pub. At the first check, Lenore as the hare, urged me on to check up the road. Thinking the other direction must be the On-In I raced up the road only to hear the on-on from another direction. Querying Lenore about her move when I caught up with the pack at the next check, she confessed that she forgoten that they put in that extra loop through the woods. Nice one Lenore (Ed's aside, she forgot the end of her run as well – and, surprisingly, also some bits in the middle, but more of that later).
Next we headed down the hill towards Pyrton Hill House, at least I went about half way down before being called back up the hill. Gerry then, being concerned about loosing some of the hashers due to having such a large pack with several newcomers, installed sweepers at the back. As I just happened to catch up to the rear I was appointed first sweeper for the next few checks. As I was at the back I missed a lot of the excitement, or lack there off, at the front. I think the biggest excitement was when any of the hashers found anything that remotely resembled flour, the lack of which Lenore blamed on the rain we never had after the trail was set Monday evening. So it most have been the slugs that cleared erased all evidence of a trail.
The blind trail took us down the hill towards the Getty's place where the short cutters turned up the hill to North End with the long cutters going all the way down and then back up through Blackmoor Woods to North End. At the field on the other side of North End a few of the hashers got side tracked by a young puppy, they presumed to be lost but was only ignoring his/her master and having some fun chasing two legged hounds, as it was running through the wheat field higher than itself.
Up the hill to Hollandridge Farm and up Hollandridge Lane we got ever closer to the pub. But it was not to be the end just yet. Another detour took us into Queen Wood where there was a lot of confusion and on-on could be heard from almost all directions. Thanks to the assistant hare, Ken, ¾ of the pack ignored Lenore and went the right way out of the wood and back to the watering hole. (Eds aside - the remaining few foolishly accepted Lenore's absolute insistence that the trail went the other way and happily trotted off in what turned out to be entirely the wrong direction. Several turns and flour-less checks later Lenore looked somewhat lost and was gently led back to the pub by two hashers who, fortunately, knew where they were.)
Thanks Lenore and Ken for a good run. 5 plus miles was about right, I had 7.44 miles. Next time just a tiny bit more flour!!!