We assembled in cold rain. This made a change from the slightly warmer rain that we have been having over the past six weeks. Dave Barclay even thought it might be snowing. Paul drove in so that meant it was 1102. JM Phil welcomed newcomers Kevin & Patrick Breen and said it was nice to see Mandy Wood back. The hares were JMs with Sue Spooner, Willie and Sue Shackell. We were warned about crossing roads, avoiding large lorries and that sort of poppycock and then we were away - the pack of hares, the pack, the dogs of the hares and so on. Soon, wonder of wonders, the rain stopped the wind dropped and we warmed to the task - I think the sun even came out. We skirted the Selhustpark Hill heading north and a check or two found us at Droke with some heading east missing a falsie and having a long trek back. The pack finally found the way going back up the hill to the west. The trail then ran back east through the middle of the wood up and down, up and down until we met our outward trail. Phil had forgotten to kick out a falsie so we had a chance to regroup. By this stage we had acquired another who identified himself as James aka 'Bournville'. A little further on we could see Phil 200m down a hill waiting at a check with quite a number going up one track. Why was he right down there looking obvious; there must be a back check and indeed there was. The advanced patrol forsook the right way and rejoined the rest leaving four false trails unexplored much to Phil’s chagrin. So a check or two later we had run for little over an hour and we were back.

JMs conducted ceremonies in the car park. The nominees for the hashit was this scribe for refusing to check out unlikely paths etc, several others who short cut shamelessly but the award went to Jan for being wantonly brazen by undressing in public.

We retied to the Hurdle Makers at East Dean where the roads were awash, the stream having burst its bank. The pub has a well in the back yard with artesian water gushing up out of it with sandbags keeping water out.

Mike was touting Nash Hash which is at Winchester 24 to 27 August 2001.

Many thanks Phil and his team for producing new twists on this well trod yet well loved area.

Bruce. 01243 773744