Run	Date	Hare(s)	Description	MapRef	1:50000	1:25000	1:10000	More
983	2022-05-08 11:00	Vixen & Prancer	Stoughton Inholmes Wood	SU811130

Yet another sunny day in Paradise, and a pack dominated by visitors back for more bliss, Waverider and Nappy Rash from Berkshire HHH and Darling from Gloucester.

Cheesy Chips had helped to lay the trail but the effort had done him in, so he had gone home to recuperate. Thankfully, we had a terse briefing, and only the odd additional woof from Deer Hunter, before we headed south west, directly up the steepest part of the overhanging wood.

Things did not go well here in the green gloom, no doubt flour had been laid, but it had not settled well on the deep leaf litter, and as we wandered around looking for it we could not help but trample amongst the wild garlic, slippery leaves and a heady aromatic fog adding to our quest for a trail.

So, Prancer was forced to point the way, otherwise we would still be there, surviving on garlic bulbs and developing a French accent no doubt.

We were directed south, and broke cover on the trail that runs up hill from Wildham Barn. The pack looked on as Nappy Rash bravely checked down hill from here, towards the barn, and he was on the money, so we followed as half way down he returned to south west following the contour in the delightful dappled shade of new leaf tall beech.

Just as we were getting into our stride and the pack stretching out, a fish hook that caught Splasher, Snake Charmer, Nappy Rash and Bambi brought us all back together.

We continued in this direction for some time, skirting the eastern edge of Inholmes Wood, deep green cover above on our right and sporadic glimpses of the spectacular view towards the ridge above Kingly Vale on the left, with it's dark green yews marching up the hill opposite.

Yes, of course there were falsies along the way, none caused any difficulty, until eventually, when we reached the rutted chalk and flint path that comes up from the Stoughton Road we had to make the steep climb back into the shade at the heart of the wood.

Here on the crown of the ridge the land is flat and shady under the canopy of tall tall mature majestic beech trees. The running is a joy, on twisty paths amongst low fern, light bramble, and this time of the year a carpet of bluebells, real English bluebells, refined and understated, not those big blousy bluebells that have invaded from Spain.

How lucky we Hashers are to find ourselves here in this peaceful hallowed place, shame to scatter flour and run around shouting at each other, good fun though.

There were lots of checks in here, and the falsies got shorter and shorter, presumably as Cheesy Chips became weary, the overall direction was back to the chariots.

When we returned to the path that comes up from the barn (but on the crest this time) we thought it was all over but it wasn't. We had the pleasure of heading west on the path to Black Barn and then north into Stripeshill Copse with the foot high young wheat stretching into the distance on our left like a green lake.

Now it was all over as we made a U turn and charged down to the chariots on the fine gravel road in the unfettered warmth of the sun, after a wee bit over an hour of woodland wanderings.

Snake Charmer's small chariot is a TARDIS, it contains passengers, a dog, and all the associated baggage, and from another dimension, a table and a load of yummy grub, and grog.

Without ceremony, the pack descended on the exposed nourishment and proceeded to devour it with great relish. Amongst all the bread buttering and pate spreading and cheese slicing and cap pulling and Pringle nibbling and grape munching and, and, etc. it transpired that we were celebrating a milestone birthday for Pancsi, who would have thought he was that old?.

During this celebration, we managed to give the Hash-It to kinky for premature on-on calling. Then it was a big "Hashy Birthday" chorus for Pancsi while he made a wish and blew out the candle on his cupcake.

On – On ! Bambi

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