Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	More
1011	2023-06-18 11:00	Olive Oyl and Popeye	Havant Thicket	SU724101

T’was a hot 25°C and humid as it rained overnight. The sky was hazy with a light breeze and a yellow weather warning for the afternoon. The group of 17 of us together with 3 dogs, gathered in Havant Thicket car park.

Bambi welcomed the group to run 1011 and mentioned that Havant Thicket that was part of the ancient Forrest of Bere, as is Creech Wood (with the comment that we hadn’t been there for many years) before handing over to the hares, Popeye and Olive Oil, who stated that the markings were standard and that mosquitoes had thankfully abated as the day heated up.

The route was very broadly speaking a triangle, if you squinted really hard and overlooked bits. With the On Out to the north west, the true trail was found.
The route wiggled its way north west before turning south west. Towards the end of the straight a fish hook caught Old Faithfull, Bambi, Bika and Snake Charmer before we negotiated a detour around some barricades, past some lung oyster mushrooms on fallen birch logs, then directly south to reach the second point of the triangle.
Then it was east, before going trekking through the forest, ducking branches and climbing over logs. On the path again a regroup gathered us together before the main group headed east, whilst a small breakaway contingent of Popeye, Turkey Tail and MJ, sneaked back to gather lung oyster mushrooms – 4 bags!
The route was then south before another forest trail in dapped sunlight filtering through the beech leaves, south and then east to the On-Inn.

Back at the carpark board there were refreshing down downs for:-

1. The Hares, Popeye and Olive Oil, by way of a, “thank you, for laying the trail”
2. Old Faithfull for forgetting to carry the Hash-it around the course and Snake Charmer for rumours of short cutting and being an FRB for so much of the route.
3. Sonya for gaining the Hash name of Hiawatha for a splendidly large tail feather found (and treasured).
4. Bika for overrunning a falsie and suspiciously staying in front of the pack.
5. Thumper by way of Bambi apologising for commenting on the odd crease in her t-shirt & Bambi because he could.

The Hash-it was awarded to Snake Charmer, as we have so missed her during the past few weeks.

After a quick change it was back to the beer garden of the Harvester Rowlands Castle which whilst being close wasn’t a patch on the previous pub, the 3 Horseshoes at Elsted, with its splendid views of the south downs.

The trail was about 3.5 miles long completed in 70 minutes, about par for the course.

On-On,
Popeye

Bambi's track ... AND ... photos by Bambi, OF and MJ