Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	More
948	2020-08-16 11:00	Bambi & Dr Blood	Goodwood - Counters gate car park	SU897113

Okay, we did really need the rain, it was nice warm gentle rain and it did not start until we had finished the running, so we needed a shower anyway, just forgot the soap and loofah.

As a prelude, Dr Blood tried to explain his invention of a new type of check, the "Silent" check marked by an S. This was not helped, as you can imagine by Bika who heckled with other examples of S, such as Shortcut, and others that were quite witty but I can't remember now.

A sound not heard for a long time, the dogs howling with enthusiasm to get going so bubble one floated out right on time North across the road and then West towards the racecourse.

The long long path down Park Hill to Eastdean proved so attractive that Snake Charmer, Pancsi and Bika over-ran the false mark and disappeared forever, almost. By the time the muttering trio returned, bubble number two had floated down the trail and we were about to get into horrible trouble with a double bubble. So bubble two held back and were able to watch the trio recross the road into Goodwood Country Park.

Things went much better after this first hiatus, heading West through a series of checks on the Northern edge of the park with the girls in our group making all the right choices leaving Bika and Pancsi eating dust down all the falsies.

The bubble managed reform on the grassy knoll that overlooks rear of the grandstand, where a tannoy was making announcements that were annoyingly just too indistinct to make out.

Snake Charmer was the first to sniff out the trail that led from the knoll past the red brick toilet block ending down at the top of the private access road to Birdless Grove.

This check proved a real puzzler until everyone calmed down and inspected the undergrowth with forensic detail to discover the brambly start of a disused path parallel to but above the road. Bika managed to spear himself on the rapier like thorns at the entrance and was keen to let no one forget the agony and ongoing pain in his hand for the rest of the run.

The green gloom of the overgrown path was replaced by the grey gloom on the grassland above Birdless Grove as the big broad fence posts were used to guide the bubble in a half loop around the perimeter, past the entrance to and exit from the rally car course, on and on until the inevitable fish hook caught Pancsi, Two Ferrets, Snake Charmer and Bika.

Now we were heading East back in the park and starting to hear the pitter patter of tiny drops on the lush canopy but not receiving any moisture down below.

Then Two Ferrets was brave enough to find the trail down the almost vertical path that leads to a lovely view over the long verdant meadows towards Molecomb with Bushey Clump in the distance. We were meant to linger here at a regroup, however Snake Charmer, without fear rushed past all on the slope, missed the regroup mark in the blur of scenery as she approached the speed of light and was gone leaving the hazel leaves rustling in her wake.

The bubble followed without pause all enthused by the display of athletic prowess with Bika still muttering about his bleeding hand bringing up the rear.

The Charmer did not get far ahead on account of the false trail that ended just before the locked entrance gates to The Plantation. About fifty yards before this Two Ferrets poked her nose through a small gap in the green stuff and discovered a path heading North, even better there was flour on it showing white in the gloomiest gloom of leaf above leaf above leaf above.

A quick off piste jaunt through ankle high ground elder and crunchy bark bits and we were soon back to the Easterly trail down Appletree Bottom where Bika once again showed me his nasty gash.

The check on the rise above the bottom proved another puzzler, with most of the bubble being on flagging Energizers while Duracell powered Charmer got so far up the slope she found the falsie from the final check, but came back to join the rest as they found the true trail continuing East meandering through the trunks on long roots of the widely spaced pines above Molecomb Peak.

All that now remained was a turn North and up the wide much used pine needle path to the On In and the car park after one hour and ten minutes of humid hashing.

Coming out from the leaf cover we discovered that the pitter patter noise above was replaced by the gentle splash of droplet impact on exposed pates, the ground almost hissing as it soaked up the rain.

Guess what? it was Snake Charmer's birthday, and she treated us to a mound of beer and cider and a sanitizer dispenser.

Being Hashers, there was the reminder not to drink the sanitizer but use it to clean the bottle opener, easy to get mixed up in the frenzy.

The umbrellas came out and the odd folding chair while the rest stood in the warm rain and got wet both inside and out.

Quite a while later the second bubble emerged from the trees and repeated the exercise, no!, don't drink the sanitizer.

We toasted Snake Charmer, we thanked the Hares, Bika showed us his bleeding hand again, the dogs had a fight, we picked up the Hash Signs and drifted apart as the water levels rose.

On On ! Bambi

See: Bubble #2 track ... AND ... photos