Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000
Run 559	19 June 2005	The Midsummer Hash - The JM’s	Nyton Spinney	SU936056

We all arrived at The Can Man’s abode and parked ne atly in little rows on the North Lawn as instructed, which pleased The Can Man. The truth of the matter was that Groucho had allowed Patch to drive and everybody wanted to have a safe buffer zone before 17 year old drivers came anywhere near their vehicles!

The food and the raffle prizes came in and without much ado the JMs called the pack to order. Claire had blackmailed her boyfriend into coming and Mr. Bean gave us a lecture about crossing the roads (is anybody old enough to remember the Tufty Club?).

We had a nice run around the garden before coming to the roads mentioned by the JMs and deviated into the fields. (When I say deviated I am talking in the directional sense).

Despite the incredible heat younger and more foolish members of the pack surged ahead leaving the more experienced hashers holding their surge of athletic power in reserve for later in the run. A couple of checks and then a regroup as Phil was carrying a small pre-hasher, the pack was beginning to string out, it was hot and we began to realise that there were plenty of reasons there for a rest.

The trail seemed to be a reverse running of a trail here a couple of years ago but as the hashers had enough trouble parking in a straight line, remembering which way the trail went that long ago was a lost cause. The pack was teased across the road and into the stinging nettles making a big loop into an area most of us did remember. Not that this helped. The only thing we learnt was that Patch, who was always a strong front runner has trouble in the heat (Yippee! A weak spot). Also as I complained to Sue Barty that women do not sweat but men melt, she confessed that she had in fact a patch of perspiration that her OWN DAUGHTER said looked like a butterfly. A sweaty Butterfly? This conjured up images that had to be relayed to the Hash naming committee. After intense discussion if was agreed that Sweaty Butterfly was a hash name to be proud of and unlikely to be repeated through the world of hashing. So was it said and so must it be written - Sue Barty is now officially the SWEATY BUTTERFLY.

The pack were wilting now and the cry of On Inn was heard with relief.

So down to the serious business of the hash bar-b-que. Whispers was awarded the hashit for turning up even later than Mussolini usually does. The food was excellent and the rules of the hash raffle were as usual - no returns. The prizes were truly wonderful and some of them were so good that I am sure that they had been here before!

Perhaps a bit of a smaller pack than in previous years but good to see newcomers beginning to attend on a regular basis. Bambi won most of the prizes as he had bought about a hundred tickets with Heather and family winning all of the wine.

So another happy midsummer gathering, many thanks for The Can Man’s hospitality.

Humble Scribe.