Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	More
937	2019-12-22 11:00	Old Faithful & Bambi - Festive Clothing!	Havant Thicket	SU724101

Brightly dawned our hashing day with barely a ripple on the mud, slurry and water between the trees. The Santa hats and tinsel were in common use again, with the sight of Two Ferrets dressed as a pudding bringing a smile to all.

There were prizes on offer for collecting lollipop sticks on the way round.

A full contingent of Old Faithful genes turned up with Rob, Finley and Grasshopper, and Pancsi brought some with Ellie, hereinafter known as Minnie Cheddar on account of her propensity to serve Belle with little savoury snacks.

We headed North first into the gloom of the trees, suddenly noticing that Vixen was regaled in light emitting diodes, like being surrounded by a swarm of glow worms, the battery pack being hidden cleverly somewhere about her person, along with a spare apparently.

We turned west at the little ponds with the pudding well out in front easily guessing the turn North into Long Wood at the next junction. Now our involvement with water started to get serious, the trail had morphed into a stream and Pancsi had Minnie Cheddar on his shoulders as the little purple wellies were proving ineffectual.

The pack now ground to a halt, not finding anything on the established paths and unwilling to venture into the surrounding bog. With a little encouragement Spiderman vaulted a ditch to the West and, behind a screen of young fir, found the deep rutted track of some mechanical monster that had demolished everything in it's path as it wound it's way West towards the centre of the thicket.

Grasshopper and Finley raced off delighted by the challenging terrain while the more cautious likes of Canman and Sinbad treated the deep fetid pools and razor sharp splintered branches with more respect.

The nightmare ended with a scramble through thigh deep mud that spat us out on to the shale around the pond at the centre of the thicket.

It was now that Dogwhistle noticed a nasty gash on her shin, not the bleeding sort, the sort where the thin skin is sliced back to reveal the bone. "Tis but a mere flesh wound" she said as adrenaline masked the pain, however after a brief consultation with Pink Flamingo and Dr Blood she was ordered off the field in the company of Pru for an early shower, and long wait in A and E no doubt.

Meanwhile the pack, unconcerned as usual, had wasted no time in finding the narrow trail alongside the pond's feeder stream North up Horsefoot Hill. Here Canman came upon a cache of cans and could hardly contain himself with glee, the remains of a rave in the balmy days of summer even held at least one unconsumed dose of Sam Smith.

A short regroup at the top of the hill and we were all together to head South West suddenly becoming aware of the muted traffic roar on the A3M and seeing Prancer, Vixen and Flash racing away in the hope of being first to pull a lolly stick.

Seeing the open green fields ahead, the pack rightly chose to head East, keeping in the trees and heading for the chariots, they were not expecting a detour through the tall thin pine and birch of Furzy Plain with its deep gullies.

This is where the Christmas pudding, after surviving in immaculate condition for so long, came to grief with a bottom to bottom ditch experience.

The On-In was reached after one hour and twenty minutes of definitely moist hashing. Waiting to greet us was Pru and a table laden with food and grog, which after an initial polite hesitation, we set upon and consumed with vigour.

With drink in hand, sausage roll stuffed into our cheeks like hamsters and mud drying and cracking off our knees we circled up.

First for ridicule was Snake Charmer who, on trail, had mentioned nearly losing a shoe while experiencing a bit of "sucking off".

Then there was Two Ferrets Fighting for the added chocolate sauce on the bottom of the pudding.

The Hash-It was picked up by Spider Man as he had been heard moaning about 2FF's lack of vocal prowess by saying "she is not much of a Call Girl is she".

The lolly sticks were converted to prizes and there was a big round of applause for Pru, obviously for satisfying us hungry thirsty hashers on the last hash of the year.

On – On ! Bambi

See: track ... AND ... photos