Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	Aerial
679	2010-02-14	Bambi & Soapbox - St Valentine's Day Special. 500 yds north of the Country Inn on Severals Rd	Midhurst Common - Severals Road	SU869207

Another dry, cold and overcast Sunday in this interminable winter did not deter a fair number of hashers from turning up for a scamper in an area that we infrequently visit.
There were two items of interest on the agenda before the start. Can Man started off by giving us a short account of his trip, the previous day, to Cardiff in support of the Scottish rugger team. His dismay at their defeat seems to have been compensated for by being attacked by a horde of Welsh lasses intent on discovering what he was wearing under his kilt. "Aye a few hands got through my best defence" he said with a wee tremble in his voice.
The hares declared that there was a prize to be won for whoever was able to return carrying a certain decorated milk container that had been placed en route, and then ushered the pack on out along the footpath to the east.

The first two checks were a disaster due to major sabotage which left the pack split in two, by the time we were back together the leading group had found their way to the trail through the old gravel workings and Pancsi and Brylcream were already fishing the milk container out of the small lake.

The next sequence of checks took the pack north over the sandy gravel pit, except for Tigger who had been unwilling to run down the steep bank into the pit and decided to make her own, long way around the southern perimeter. She eventually caught up as we all emerged through the dense rhododendrons at the north end of the pit.

From here we headed north east towards the cemetery but then doubled back up the slope and reached a regroup on the bench at the vantage point that provides a lovely view out over Bepton to the edge of the downs.
Here Flash whipped out that little thing that he keeps in his shorts and said “say cheese!”, so we did, and he flashed us.
Posing over, the pack was milling about trying to find a way down when the late arrivals, Pink Flamingo, Bika and Dr Blood turned up, pity they missed the fun in the pit.

Some very easy checks now took us across Severals Road and into the trees, heading for Quags Corner, but not quite all the way, although Mussolini took the bait and the long falsie in that direction.
More easy checks took us towards The Warren until arrival at a check that from the hare's point of view was the piece de resistance of the day. Soapbox had found a tiny hidden path through the undergrowth that was the only way out from the check, and it took quite a while for someone, I didn't see who, to find it.
The rest was more or less a straight run in east to the chariots after one hour and five minutes, almost perfic.

There was lots to mention, Brylcream got the prize, the latecomers especially Bika because he had first gone to the venue for the next hash by mistake!, however the hash-it was presented to Mussolini as we were all getting tired of hearing how warm it is in New Zealand.
Then it was down to The Country Inn for some rehydration and a natter, trying not to mention NZ.

Bambi.