Run 765: Brush Off The Harvest Moon, North Newton

Hare   Brush OffHounds: Phantom, Bigbird, WAM, TomTom, Pink2Lips, Why Bother, Martini 

A small select group of hashers met at the Harvest Moon... a strange place... but more of that later!
The hare told us to beware of the killer shetland ponies that nearly had his dog for dinner but other than that the usual two and on.
The first bit of excitement was when P2L spotted a distant christmas tree adorned with lights, but when we got closer it was an old high viz jacket hanging from a nail and reflecting our head torches....JB reminded us that it is nearly christmas after all.  Wam was excited about the prospect of snow but Why Bother put the dampeners on that in his usual cheery way!
On we went across wet and muddy fields and along some equally wet and muddy lanes eventually stopping at the first re group.  It was decided that we would wait for the next regroup for our sweeties as it was rather a cold drafty spot so we set off again across a particularly soggy field.   We arrived in lane opposite Maunsel house which reminded Wam! of the recent national newspaper story of the owner who had spotted a Big Black Cat prowling around his estate.  We were now on the lookout for dangerous cats and ponies.  Luckily the cat didn’t show up and the ponies ignored us.
We had a lovely regroup by  Maunsel Lock before trotting down the towpath (with several fishhooks that were ignored by  all except P2L and JB), over a few fields and back in the way we went out.
Into the pub which was filled with men.... not a woman in sight except the barmaid. It felt a bit like we’d been dropped into the Deep South and  I also think we may have alarmed them a bit by doing our usual strip and change in the car park, the smokers certainly got a eye full....that will teach them smoke.  

Run 764: WAM! The Anchor Inn Hillfarrance

Hares: WAM Hounds: Big Bird, Pink2lips, Why Bother, DitW, Phantom, TomTom and Martini. Down in the Woods arrived on time-just… shaken but not too stirred this week after puking little daughter delayed her planned pre run checks. It was a lovely rainy autumn evening for a hash in rural Somerset. An intrepid pack set off after 
WAM had given out dire warnings of rabbits on trail (should that read as rabbit holes on trail?), mud being a bit slippery (well isn’t it always?) and then added it was not too long and flour being maybe not too easy to see because of torrential downpour of rain during the afternoon (now….having done a few hashes … I know not too long can be a double bluff or open to interpretation), and (even in the dry and in daylight sometimes flour may not been seen very easily!). 
Right out the pub car park, took a sneaky path through the churchyard across a little paddock, past the piano tuners, around Court Farm, head towards the railway and then up left to road then not too sure where but ended up heading towards Pontispool and Harnham Farm where the pack did a quick footpath loop around this property before heading back along side elephant grass plantations.
There was a sheltered regroup under a tree for a sweety stop ( WAM had inside knowledge that the extreme sweet consumers of Bridgwater 3H were not attending this week so her supply of sweets was rather reduced this week- to two packets but we still had some left Ferret and JB !) 
It rained lots and lots, but we found the flour, no-one got lost, no-one slipped over in the mud or down a rabbit hole. To avoid the extremely muddy field the hare and the writer of this accurate account (local knowledge pays dividends here) took a little short cut at the end to arrive back for a well earned spell in the dry in the pub that has won the 2013 Somerset Best Pub Sunday Lunch Award (a trophy on the bar told us). At £9.95 I think but you need to book in advance as so busy now. Teenage off spring do the washing up/veg prep and ‘waiting’ here so they are in the know.  
Thanks WAM for your considerable efforts in extreme weather conditions to lay a hash for us all. 

Run 763: Baby Spice New Inn Halse Halloween Hash

Hare:  Baby Spice

Hounds: Bigbird, Tom Tom, Pink2Lips, Phantom, JB, Bat Eyes, Gent Caller, Brush Off, WAM!, Why Bother, Baby Spice’s friend JanetIn the Pub:  Dormouse and Mrs Dormouse
Unfortunately Wam! and JB were late again but at least suitable dressed in Halloween costume .... well enough to terrify a local coming out of her door (perhaps we always look that scary) but quickly caught up with the pack who were milling about looking for the trail just up the road.  Unfortunately the leaders shot off and ended up on the last part of the trail and had to be called back by Baby Spice and put on the right track again.
Off we set over wet fields and muddy roads.... over styles and streams and back to where we went wrong for a re group.   Baby spice at made a delicious orange halloween cake (Delia’s recipe ..... boiled oranges etc etc ask BS for the details) and some spooky chewy eyeballs courtesy of Ferret and Bankok.
Off we set again, spreading out over a large field looking for the trail which took us across to the corner, down onto the road and back to the pub.
Gent Caller first prize for best costume .... black marks for Bigbird, Tom Tom P2L, WB, B Off and Janet for NOT dressing up!

Run 762: Big Bird Thurlbear Church

Hare: Big BirdHounds: Grasshopper, WAM, Tom Tom, JB, Phantom, Martini, Roadkill, Brush Off, Ferret and Baby Spice.Walking: Bangkok, Dormouse and Floater



On pulling up outside a dark church I jumped out the car and was surprised to find everyone still sat in their cars but of cause I didn’t have gentlemen caller with me!  
The hash started slightly uphill and on tarmac, first check point was searched and we were still on road, the fit ones were soon racing away up the hill.  On to another check and we were now off road.  A great run if not a little long but a nice mix of on and off road with long patches of good running.  Nearly lost our way near some woods but we soon heard the cries of ‘on, on’.  A low flying bomber added to the evening, I wonder if somebody had reported strange lights running across the moors.  It was shortly after that encounter we stopped for well-earned treats.  Big bird directed us through a gate and I found myself at the back with Brush off but this paid off as the hounds had gone the wrong way down a stony path.  I thought at this point feeling a little tired that staying close to Big Bird was a good move but she did have me worried a little when she didn’t seem too sure of the way back!  As it was we were near home, on through a couple of fields into a muddy farm and out onto the road.  A tough finish uphill back to the cars.  
I gather the walkers got lost, well Dormouse did according to Bangkok!  I’m sure Floater with his GPS and crampons knew where they were all the time!  They also found lots of mud as Dormouse left his trainers outside the pub and as us Bishop Lydeard people like to stay together I left mine outside too. 
Well done hare on a great run which I understand you had to change last minute.
Baby Spice.