Run 781: Phantom Crowcombe on down The Carew Arms

Hare: PhantomHounds: Tom Tom, Big Bird, Wam!, JB. Gentleman Caller, Ferret, Dripped On, Floater, Soc App.,  Chubbie Checker, Dog Plucker, 

late comers Martini and Ferret
In the pub: Bangkok

It was a dark and foggy night and the hare said to the hounds….. it’s two and on and there are ewes with lambs so please walk in their presence.
It certainly was foggy as we set off but (drum roll please) it wasn’t raining.   Running in the fog is a bit surreal … it was sometimes difficult to tell if we were running up or down hill and we certainly had to call to avoid loosing any hashers.   Our two new hashers (well Dog Plucker has been once before) where active members of the pack, checking here and there …. no one quite had the nerve to ask them how they got their names (perhaps next week).    
The fog began to clear and the moon was bright.   It was possible to see that we were in lovely countryside, running over streams and through woods.  Phantom had set a ferret trap at the regroup … a sneaky little turn, which Ferret missed …. oh dear … more sweets for us.  After the regroup there did seem to be a lot more up hill than down hill so we did get a bit spread out so JB called an impromptu …. once all gathered together again we made our way back to the start to find Bangkok in the pub having cycled her new bike down Crowcombe hill!!  There was an enormous otter hound in the pub which was only 7 months old so will probably get even more enormous.   They are apparently more endangered than white rhino ….. with only 2000 in the world, 300 of which are in the UK!

A lovely run Phantom.. thank you and I look forward to a re run in the summer so we can appreciate the views!

   

Run 779 Notley Arms, Monksilver Tom Tom

 Run Number:- 779- 26^th February 2014

Venue:- Notley Arms, Monksilver.

Hare:- TomTom.

Hounds:- Pink 2 lips, Big bird, Phantom, Dripped on, Bat eyes, Brush off, Gentleman caller, Grasshopper, Justin, Floater, JB.

Guest:-  Vince

In the pub:- Why Bother.

All met in the pub car park on a clear starry night, very nice to be back after a short break.  After the hare did not assure us that there were not any hills we were off to the first check.  Nobody seems particularly keen for the first few checks with lots of hanging about chatting but that abruptly came to an end when we left the road and ran up across a field, then onto a footpath and up again, then a track and up again and again and again. I didn't think we had hills this high, GPS said 950 feet

Finally we reached the top, great now it must all be down.  Along a track to the road.  JB headed off at a pace down the hill while the rest milled around deciding which way to go. After a while JB puffed back up the hill to be told by a smiling Grasshopper that it was that way after all.  As she said all good for the calorie burn.

We were now in some more woods and through a very wet watery field past a luverly old house called Nettlecombe which I had not heard of before.

Regroup just down the road from Nettlecombe where the liquorice allsorts seemed to be in great demand.  After which a fairly uneventful run back to the pub where we met up with Why Bother.  By now the clouds had covered the stars but all in all a very pleasant evening run.

The Notley Arms had a new landlord who was very welcoming and lit the fire especially for us. The menu looked very good to.

Well done to Dripped On and Vince for travelling all the way from Glastonbury, must have been a 70 mile round trip.

Thanks to TomTom for a well laid HASH.

Run 778 The Cross Keys Just Bull

Venue: The Cross Keys

Hare: JB

Hounds: Big Bird, Pink2lips, WAM, DitW, Tom Tom, Martini, Roadkill, Phantom, Sorcerers Apprentice, Gentleman Caller, Baby Spice.

In the pub: Why Bother, Ferret, Bangkok.

The hare gave us the usual information before we started but with the welcome news of no hills. We set off and checked both roundabouts before setting off up the lane.Then right across the fields till we reached Langford Lane, across the lane and more fields before doubling back to the lane again. Good one JB! Again we followed the lane to the next junction and it was left towards Edgeborough Farm. We heard the alarming sound of a large vehicle coming along the lane behind us, at speed, so we all huddled in a gateway as a large tractor rushed past.

Once the danger was past we branched out across fields again to Pickney Lane, where we turned left and I thought I was on my way home. After the regroup when the rain started, it was back across country towards Langford. These were the usual boggy fields we have become used to this winter, including a path where we were up to our knees in water. Trainers to dry yet again! Finally we negotiated the main road traffic back to the pub.

Thanks JB.