Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	More
970	2021-11-07 11:00	Kinky & Thumper	Graffham Recreation Ground	SU931176

No amount of spin can disguise the fact that this outing attracted only a few Hashers, at ten minutes before the Off there were no runners, Canman, looking forward to a walk, was doing his crossword, aided by the brains of Treefeller and Soapbox, while Kinky paced up and down a bit muttering, as you would, and Thumper, the other Hare was preparing to leave for a luncheon engagement.

Kinky turned on his phone and unleashed a tsunami of WhatsApp boings, carrying apologies for no shows, what feeble excuses, "I am in Belfast" how did that happen ?, just woke up this morning and found I was in Belfast, so sorry.

Just in the nick of time, three chariots screech to a halt, their occupants rubbing their heads which had just hit the roof as they went over the car wrecking " leeping" Policeman on the access track.

So we ended up a band of five to listen to what Kinky had to say and to set out to enjoy his trail on a really lovely sunny autumnal morning in Graffham. Obviously it was going to be hard work finding the way round, nevertheless, our spirits were high as we set off East on the Track towards Upper Norwood Farm, with little spiders floating by, the breeze carrying them on glistening strands of web, magic.

A small loop up the boggy climb to the copse and back to the farm saw Slightly well out in front until he failed to notice that he had strayed off the footpath and headed South towards the Stud Farm, climbing over a gate, heading into the sun, on a mission.

This left Sausage Lottery to find the way East on Norwood Lane, then North to Lower Barn, this is the Southern edge of Lavington Common which we know and love of old. This is where we started to notice that some sabotage had taken place, was it a coincidence that as soon as we ventured on to National Trust land the flour started to be "interfered with"?, I mean they have recently voted to ban all hunting on their property, does this include Hashing?

After Kinky had consulted his extensive database of maps on a few occasions, we overcame the lack of trail and headed West, leaving the NT and heading for Popple Hill but not quite getting there. Bambi almost reached the hill but to his dismay discovered that he had overrun a falsie and had a thousand miles to back track, by which time the rest of "The Pack" (if you could call four people a Pack), had made it to Middleheath Copse, crossing the rickitty racketty bridge to a regroup, thankfully, on the North bank of the stream.

From here, no one wanted to look East for flour, the path was submerged in glistening black shiggy, the sort that will suck off your plimsoles as soon as look at you. Betting that Hares had been too chicken to venture into the quagmire, we all headed West, climbing dry footed on the springy centuries old carpet of organic matter almost all the way to the road that passes Homeball Wood.

I think that we all recognised this neck of the woods, the way On-In back South across the sturdy bridge and through the gentle meadow with it's two great oak trees, the higher of which guards the stile leading up the path that emerges on the road not far from the village stores.

Looking at my H. Samuel Everight watch I was pleased to discover that we had successfully completed one hour and seven minutes of very energetic Hashing.

At the small radius circle, a lower case Oh, our JM's tried to give Bambi the Hash-It for overruning the falsie, until it transpired that possibly Dr Blood had done the same but even more so. In any case he fell on his sword and Pink Flamingo plonked it on his shoulders, saying "It doesn't matter, we won't be Hashing next time".

The question hung in the air, "will anyone"?.

On – On ! Bambi

See: photos by Bambi