| Run 496 16th February 2003 - 11.00am |
Run 496 Paul Mussolini Mortimer and Caroline Matthews
Stansted Click for a map Click for a detailed map (not sure which car park) |
We arrived at the car park on a very cold Sunday morning to find two smug hares waiting for the innocent to arrive. It was Carolines first time as a hare but she had the master trail layer Mussolini to teach her the evil ways of the rogue hare.
She added her own brand of insult by having a healthy breakfast of chocolate as we arrived.
Even though most of the pack were wrapped up warm, with a few notable and insane exceptions who were in shorts; Splashers little message regarding his old fellow JM Invisible Porrett was time wasted in the cold. After a short preamble from the JMs and the Hares we were off to find the trail. Although a few souls did try crossing the road to find a trail there was no enthusiasm for it and when the cry On Back came they eagerly turned and followed the main group.
With Bambi and The Eskimo in full flight this time the pack moved swiftly on from check to check. Mussolini had obviously given Caroline the essential rules, lay down very little flour, go through all of the muddy bits and keep em guessing.
On one particular check Spiderman disappeared up one track, Bambi another, Eskimo and Old Faithful another and Hairbrush and Pancsi following having hardly enough time to grumble.
The check led us in a merry circle until we ended up exactly where we were in the first place.
Even the Can Man looked surprised. Still in a short time we were off again and on to a nice check - a ladies check. Sue said this was not actually true as it must be questioned if there were any hashers who were ladies. This was echoed a couple of minutes later when Miriam The Chamois turned up and greeted the Ladies Check sign with derision and a comment of There is no such thing as a hasher who is a lady. The Doc who was standing nearby kept quiet as being married to the Chamois he would know. The trail carried on and as time went by we began to realise that Mussolini had taught Caroline his most famous trick of trail laying. Stand at the Check and look smug! She had this off to perfection!
Another Ladies check followed and Rasta just about managed to turn up as fifth lady there when there were only four trails to check, now that is a true hasher.....
We had been informed at the beginning that there would be little treats to be found at certain checks and true enough these little tokens were splattered around the course.
We did note with surprise though that on one occasion when the Eskimo was searching for the trial and the treat The Can Man on hearing that there was a prize at this check rushed down the trial and found it even though it was a Ladies Check!!!
It is clear that there is little point in Chichester pack having a Gentlemens check.
Eventually Old Faithful bellowed On In and the pack struggled back in to the car park and nice warm chariots.
Dave Hairbrush Barclay was awarded the hashit for (a) being Dave and (b) for getting changed and being far too smart!! A really good trail which all enjoyed.
On On to the 500th!
Humble Scribe