Run 694 -Buncombe Hill on down Travellers Rest - Dave no name

Hounds: Bangkok, Ferret, WAM, DiTW, JB, John, Simon, Dormouse, Liz, Tony, Ian, Keith, Sharon.

Arrived at seven sisters car park to meet an eager looking Dave having just laid his first HASH.  After some malarkey with car keys being thrown onto the floor I think Ferret and John agreed to a candlelit diner for 2 and a romantic night in.  

7:30 arrived and Dave said to check it out, found one flour then nothing, ran on still nothing, eventually came across a check  hmmmm!  From the check everyone went in all directions scratching their heads, where’s the flour?  Eventually found another check, maybe Dave is trying to save money on the flour.  Anyway enough already about flour, on on was called and off we went through the woods, all fairly muddy and slippy.  After much searching and not a lot of running we ended up on top of seven sisters for the regroup.  Many sweets were eaten, the bag of chocolate raisins went down particularly well, and the views were great.

Off again, by this time we had sussed that while there wasn’t much flour there was “a bike track”, after a few turns the bike track was still there, yes this was it, follow the bike track. The track got muddier and muddier and then muddier still but the bike track was still there, no flour but who cared we had the bike track.  This eventually led us out on the road below the Pines.  There were rumours that Johnny Depp had bought the big house on the corner and as he had just split up with Vanessa the three witches wondered if they could be of any help to him, with a wistful look in their eyes.  On on was called towards the Pines.  Some of us missed the next check and beetled back to the car park while the others were good and followed the trail.  By this time it was raining.

In the pub afterwards the subject of bonking geese came up which reminds me that I need to warn you all about the stroppy male swan you will encounter on my run next week.

Thanks Dave for a good first effort, great fun splashing through the mud.  Next time buy some more flour!!

Run 693- The Blue Ball.... Just Bull

    

                

Run # 693 Just Bull

Hounds:- Pink2 Lips, Liz, Bigbird, Why Bother, Derek S, Tensing, David, John, Simon, Dormouse, Sore point, DitW, Stephen, MBongo, Alex, Bill, dripped on, Nick T, Tim Ashmore, Francis Ashmore, Becky Garland, Withy 22 in no

Pub :- Wham, Simon, Daisy.

Summertime turnout filled the car park opposite the Blue Ball. Late comers had to squeeze in. Just Bull prepared us of the off, apologizing for the hill!!? Convincing?

Off we went, under the motorway, scrambling up a steep embankment (that’s not a hill) over fields, on to a lane (how level can you get). On on called right but don’t look up if you dare.. Ahead was the hill, long straight track heading vertically up. The pack got stretched out. Impromptu regroup at a check; was that to catch up or catch breath. Check left and right, why bother it had to be up up. 

On on and through woods and then out into the open. What is this? Flatness nothing above ones knees! John thought he was entered in the 3:20 at Kempton Park. Brought back by another impromptu regroup, this time because the air was thin. Then off we go altogether., follow the leader. Hang on, Tensing is not so easily led astray Ò Check he says form the middle of the pack. John says that we have already a normal run and yet no sweeties.

The pack snakes through a plantation, before emerging into the open. On on and then all of a sudden there it was. The hut, and what a view! Culmstock Beacon! Views of the valley on three sides of the promontory. The beacon keepers hut and nearby trig point were explained in the nearby legend. At last we got our sweeties.

>From this point on it was all flat and down hill. On in under the motorway and back to the car park. Trackers claimed 6.2 miles but what a climb and spectacular view to make it worthwhile.

Wham and family joined the thirsty pack in the pub. Cheers everyone!

Thanks to Just Bull for a great run.

Next Week: See what Simon says.

Jubilee Hash from Lydeard House by joannagsp at Garmin Connect - Details

Jubilee Hash from Lydeard House by joannagsp at Garmin Connect - Details

Jubilee Hash no 692

Run  –  692 Hare:  Dormouse Hounds: Elizabeth, Peter, Jamie, Kate, Mark, Iain, Stefan, Sian, Frances, Becky, Bill, Tim, Keith, Sharon, Harriet, Nikki, Pat, Phantom, Bangkok, Tony, Floater, DiTW, WAM, Tenzing, Liz, Ellie, Rachel, Paperwork, Paul, Martini, Big Bird, Why Bother, Pink2Lips, Derek, JB, Dave, John, Simon  (apologies if I have missed anyone or got a name wrong,  but there were lots of you…..) On down: Lydeard House

Being on car park duty, for once the three witches flew in early…  

All runners parked and dutifully dressed in red, white and blue, with bunting being utilised to make some very fetching skirts…. (Thank you to my fellow hasher for the loan of my lovely shorts!)   

A hash pack of 40 (I think) convened by the main entrance, the numbers swelled by some local Bishops Lydeard runners, walkers, and brave new hashers.  

Dormouse gave some brief explanatory hash instructions and on out to the right.  On-on called up a rather steep lane, which despite not seeing flour for some time, several of us doggedly slogged on up…. we should have known better!  A distant call of on-back and we turned on our heels and retraced our steps, back down the hill to a gap in the hedge, a clamber up over a bank and onto the right trail…  A nice steady run through some fields and tracks and then we do it again….. A missed check - causing several of us bowl along once again in the wrong direction, eventually we are called back!   (Too much cackling and lack of concentration on my part!)  Once again we are set on the right trail.  A brief meeting with the walkers and on-on called through some more fields, eventually popping out onto a road.  By this point no one is daring to race off in any direction, so we all loiter for a while, waiting for some brave soul to make a move, eventually someone does and on-on is called and we’re off again.  

Even though Paperwork is carrying an injury, he was very much back in action, generally being the front runner, with John jostling for the lead on the odd occasion.  More distant calls of on-on, taking us through fields of peas, corn and very long grass (being careful to stick to tramlines in one corn field – something to do with stewardship I think!) More fields and then a nice steady bit of road running and onto regroup, for some well earned sweeties and a fabulous view of the Quantocks.  

Check it out and along more country lanes and fields.  Eventually we find ourselves running along a long,  wet, muddy track, which takes us back to fields on the outskirts of Bishops Lydeard, where we run along Quantock View, then turn left, past the ‘Bird in Hand’, and down to the right, into Lydeard Mead.  Carefully picking our way through some rather smelly ‘something’, we run through the last few fields, skirting around the multitude of horses and ponies, and on-in to Lydeard House.

A huge thank you to Dormouse for being the brains behind the event, and setting a fantastic hash.  

I know that all of you would wish to thank the wonderful hostess, for welcoming us all to her wonderful home, Lydeard House and extending such generosity.  It was a lovely evening and I know enjoyed by all.  £170 was raised for Genesis Research Trust, which is a fantastic amount.  

On behalf of the ‘Mad Bird’s on Bikes’, I would like to thank all of you for supporting us.  I know the existing hashers will have enjoyed the run and hope all newcomers did as well and that they will venture out with us again.....  

Next run: Buncombe Wood Car Park ST 200328