Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	More
1023	2023-12-03 11:00	Substandard and Popeye	Stoughton Forest	SU815125

It wasn’t a beautiful day. Although dry at the start, it drizzled with a cool 8°C and force 4 on the high seas – a cool breeze in the leafless forest.
There was a very commendable turn-out considering the weather, 11 of us with 4 dogs, as we met in Stoughton Down car park.

Bambi welcomed all to Hash 1023, with an interesting fact that the first text was sent on this day in 1992 which said “Merry Christmas”.
He introduced the rain drenched Hares as, Sub-standard and yours truly. We explained that there were no roads for dogs to concern themselves with, that the tractor mower had mown all the paths and clean forgot anything else constructive to say doh….., such as “the mowing makes the paths slippery and muddy in the wet, with wet leaves everywhere”.

The trail was a clockwise H shape. We skirted the field to west then after a loop into the forest, headed north west on a long run to the top of Wildhams wood, where a fishhook for 5 at the top, which caught Bambi, Snake Charmer, Kinky, Old Faithfull and Bika, before returning down the side of another field.
Having skirted this field, the track took the group south east along the edge of Blackbush copse, past a fish hook for 3 to another top, the Blackbush house junction, before descending to Greatdean Bottom and a hairpin turn in the path, then past the yellow tractor mower back down to the On-Inn (written with too many Ns).

The trail was 5.1 miles, completed in a sprightly 84 minutes – apologies from me for an over long hash in the muddy winter rain. Very well done to the hard core who completed it.
The walkers judiciously cut all corners of the, “H” shape creating a 2.5 mile walk in just over an hour.

In the post run circle, down-downs were awarded to:-

1. The Hares for a good run (Substandard unfortunately, “in absentia” due to another engagement).
2. Prancer for being late (the sat-nav took him to the wrong side of Kingly Vale. Coincidently the hares met people with the reverse sat-nav problem, again on the wrong side of Kingly Vale (there are 2 Kingly Vales on Google, but one in real life).
3. Cheezy Chips for laying but not running the last, really nice hash in Staunton Park.
4. Bambi, because he felt like it!
5. Bika, because he was thirsty!

The Hash-it was awarded to Snake Charmer for wallowing in the mud, together with a down-down, joyously to the Flanders and Swan song, “mud, mud, glorious mud”!

We then departed headed for the Barley Mow where we’d made the grievous error of not booking in advance. After coffee (not normally served Sunday lunch time), we felt relieved to leave and head home. The Fox and Hounds might be better in future (or anywhere else for that matter).

On-On,
Popeye

Bambi's track
... AND ... photos by Bambi