Only one hare? Well why not? This was not a proper hash. It had been decided a couple of weeks before that everybody was away at Easter and there was no point in running a hash was there?
Wrong!!! As the time approached there turned up more than usual with even a sprinkling of newcomers!! As I sat in the car a vehicle pulled up with newcomers in (because I did not recognise the car) and it was not until we got out to run that I recognised my own brother! All hashers look the same in the wet. We then had the sight of Sinbad carefully parking to observe a no parking zone which we had to inform him was just a mark where they would be digging the road up. Still it was all good fun. Mussolini (an ex-master) turned up only to explain to us that he was going to have a run on his own!!! Is that hashable?
I had to explain to the pack that it was a different kind of trail with no falsies but the true would not start until 200 metres (ish).
So without further ado and without any masters present we set off. The pack was given the general direction but managed to get lost before the first check which was across the field leading up towards the forest. It fooled nobody but the second check which gave a choice of going up towards the forest or down the hill fooled a number until Amanda the Panda scurried off downwards.
So back down we went until turning at the next check brought us across a field and then gave a choice off up to Charlton Forest or back to the village. It was a joy to see so many hashers who were sure that they knew which way they were going setting off in the wrong direction. It was not long however that in true sniffer dog style they found the correct trail and were off down the track and across a field which led up to the Selhurst area, although not before some poor souls had followed yet another trail up a large hill.
So we climbed up and up with the occasional hasher walking (did I say occasional?). At this point Old faithful was having trouble with his knee and I declared that he was 'excused further exercise@ and that as the trail came back this way we would collect him on the way back. So leaving him there we struggled even further upward towards the brow of the hill only to find that for some inexplicable reason the trail then came all the way down again. But fear not gentle reader, when we got to the very bottom of the trail and some eager souls felt sure that the trail led along the valley bottom to Droke we turned and ran all the way up again. Most gratifying. However we now began to head for home but unfortunately the leaders took a short cut and we did not go past the spot where we had abandoned Old Faithful. Still ex-masters have a trick or two up their sleeves and we returned to the pub to find him already changed and drinking... Well done that hasher! The Doc and Miraim kindly met us in the pub without actually doing any running but were with us in spirit.
As it was not a proper hash there was not an award for the hashit but if there were we could nominate Whispers for being out of uniform or Ramona for having the cheek to mention in the company of hashers that she had just won a 100 km race!
I know hashers who cannot even drive that far!
So an interesting run / trail / hash whatever.
All back to hashing next time. On On.

Humble Scribe