Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	More
907	2018-10-28 11:00	Spiders & Dog Whistle - CLOCKS GO BACK	Graffham Recreation Ground	SU931176

It was one of those, will it?, won't it? days, wear a waterproof that you will not need and end up carrying it around, Ah! the dilemmas that we face. As it is now officially Winter, we will soon have to be just as indecisive regarding our thermals, something that the pilot of the glider that was circling the edge of The Downs to our South could not afford. Each pass just a little higher, as we welcomed two visitors, a son in law of Two Ferrets by the name of Duncan and an associate of Dr Blood from Greece by the name of Ilias, at first I thought he said "Iliad", but that's another story, boom! boom!.

Mercifully, once again, Prancer had failed to gen up on our venue, so the Hares got stuck into an attempt to edify the visitors as to the trail markings. What?, no dogs, and no cacophony of whines as we eventually sauntered out, on to the usual paths from the Rec, finding flour at first on the track East, to Upper Norwood.

This soon proved to be a dead end, which left us stumped until Dr Blood and Ilias fancied a look at the bonfire that was roaring away just opposite the pavilion and found the trail amongst the folk who were piling on the autumn prunings. Smell that son?, nothing else smells like that, I love the smell of a bonfire in the morning.

Evident precipitation justified the use of rainwear, accordingly Iliad deployed his large blue see through poncho, from a distance we looked like a line of yellow wasps chasing a bluebottle as we looped around the edge of the cricket pitch heading North towards The Foresters.

Bambi and Pancsi foolishly headed down hill on the road to Wiblings while the pack strolled on past the pub and dithered below Popple Hill.

We were surprised to find that Spider Girl, being a Hare, led us up the hill, and it was not subterfuge to draw us on a long Northern falsie. By the time we got into Middleheath Copse an impromptu regroup was needed, where Duncan told us about plans to run a Ten Kay and we found some pretty but deadly Fly Agaric.

On then, to the rhythm of Kinky's horn, further North on to the ups and downs of Graffham Common, and an official regroup under tall pines. While Bambi fumbled with a camera to get a group snap, Prancer went through his daily ritual of kneeling towards KL and muttering the old Hasher's mantra "why was I born so beautiful?".

On the go again, and even further North we hit a Ladies Check, three ways to go, three willing ladies, sorted. Spidergirl's attempt to lure us on one of the falsies did not work, and Pink Flamingo came back, so with no sign of Two Ferrets we did it her way and found ourselves heading South through the quagmire on the edge of Northwood Farm, that drains into The Rother.

Surprise, surprise, who should pop up from behind a tree but Popeye, a tad late, just in time to join us for another regroup at the rickety bridge.

All this time Ilias the Greek, had been running with a bulging ruck sack which turned out to contain his photographic what nots. The pack grouped on the bridge for a snap by Bambi and Ilias started to configure his equipment. The pack said "Gorgonzola" and as usual rushed off, leaving Ilias with a lovely view of the bridge.

Continuing South we headed for Little Bury with the FRBs reaching a fish hook that caught Two Ferrets, Prancer, Duncan, Kinky, The Ref and Bambi. All that was left was the lovely soft leaves of the path through Upper Norwood wood and the rutted ankle twisting field to the On-In after one and a quarter hours of lovely autumnal Hashing.

At the circle, we thanked Hares, found that there was no Hash-It to award and admired the workmanship of the new oak framed signs that The Ref has crafted, no wonder they keep getting nicked.

Adjourning, some on foot, to The Foresters, we found a gastro transformation, new spaces, new paint, beer mats replaced by expectant cutlery on every table. Bambi sipped his fiver a pint cider and avoided eating the free dog biscuits this time.

On – On ! Bambi.

See: track