#1152 Exeter Quay - Stix - 21 April 2024

A trail to mark my 49th birthday started off with a shortage of places to park, with the Green Lantern half marathon taking place from the quay as well. With everyone eventually in a space, including Pearl in a business parking space with his 'electrician at work' sign in the window, and Sorepoint in a garage's MOT bay, we set off from the car park towards the Quay. Not before Sorepoint and Paperwork got their hare of the year t-shirts from the awards back when they were in Cyprus!

The trail took us to the Millers Crossing (near Mill on the Exe) for the sweetie stop, taking in the old Exe bridge, twists and turns around the leats, river side running and some undergrowth on the way. 

Then around the Catacombs and into the City Gate for the first On Inn. Except that is wasn't open... Except that it was! We all tried to wrong door! After a pint outside, we were off again fire the short trip to the Fat Pig where Son of the Bitz and then Peacock did some pole dancing.

On on again from there back to the quayside, and a hashy burpday song for me.

Into the Topsham Brewery and Taproom for beer and pizza. But it was a lock in because the traffic getting out of the car park was at a standstill - Hotlips and Zoot, and the Bitz tried to leave but ended up coming back to let it die down.

Thanks to everyone who came! Next week's trail is Core Copse, East Hill Strips neat Ottery, laid by Pearl.

#1151 Decoy Park, Newton Abbot - Brillo - 14 April 2024

We started off at two different car parks! Six of us at one, and the hare plus Wide and Tight at the other! With Hotlips and Zoot arriving late, we headed around the lake to find the hare. 

The trail was short, mostly around the lake, with a couple of sweetie stops with Jaffa cakes, within a few minutes of each other. 

Zoot and Hotlips caught up as we reached the On Home, where we tried to extend the trail via a trip to the Keybury Arms, but it wasn't yet open as it was only 11.45!

At the circle Wide remarked that we were almost like a proper hash, with a bit of smutty talk and down downs to the hare and Paperwork (for remarking that Bollards had a big gob).

Next week we're at Topsham Brewery and Taproom, starting from Exeter Quay (Haven Banks 3).

#1151 Chudleigh - Hotlips, Zoot and Coatcheck - 7 April 2024

Just 8 of us today, including the three hares. It was really chucking it down in Exeter, but not the other side of Haldon Hill. We were warned by the hares that it was going to be slippery, and it certainly was, which slowed us down to a crawl at times, but we finished up without any fallers. 

Starting off hashing through the town, the long short near the beginning took us down towards the A38 and the new houses, but it was just me and Bollards enjoying that! 

Then rejoining the shorts down an incredibly slippery path across the fields and to where Bollards and I found a check "kicked out" the wrong way. That took us about half a mile down a steep lane before we phoned Wide and realised we'd definitely give the wrong way! 

Back up the steep lane and then on-left and what felt like a long stretch along the road until we caught up with the walkers and followed them down the fields to Coatcheck at the sweetie stop. Wide had missed the SS, and continued long from here and found Tight (who had gone missing somewhere on the walkers route!). Wide and Tight did their own hash flash!

From there, Bollards and i decided that we'd already done or own haha, so took the half a mile short trail home

Thanks to the hares! Next week we're in Newton Abbot, from Decoy Park, with a trail laid by Brillo 

#1150 Bristol Away Day - Speedy - 31 March 2024

It's been many weeks in the planning by Speedy, but our Easter Sunday Eggstravaganza was underway. Despite a last minute panic over train disruption, all seemed well when the Exeter contingent arrived at St Davids. 

Fantastic to see Buzby joining us as a last minute addition, and he did his best to confuse us over which platform we should be on! Then onto the train.

Pearl did a great Brillo impression by bringing along a four pack and beer mugs! Then it was heads down to think about clues to the start of the hash that Speedy had sent the day before. To be honest, we didn't do much until Paperwork and Sorepoint joined at Tiverton, and they had made great progress.... well we'd got 'merchant' anyway. We thought the number was a reference to a bridge and were totally confused about the pictures of the statues. We thought we may be going to a ship near a bridge??

Anyway by the time we'd got to  Bridgwater, we were joined by a Stag party and more booze had appeared.

It was around here that I realised that Speedy had given us a little Easter Egg on the 'clues' document, where he'd written the answer in white text at the bottom. Unfortunately my phone was on dark mode, and it wasn't quite as hidden as he might have thought!!

Suddenly it all made sense!! 

Software and Dongle joined us as guests of Zoot, Hotlips, Coatcheck and King Louis; all boarding at Worle, but not brave enough to fight through the Stag. But soon we'd arrived.

On-off at Temple Meads, with the later train with Wide, Happy Snapper and Humpty arriving not long after.

Then with the help of Google Maps (and me knowing where Speedy lives) we made our way to the start of the hash and the bag drop.

Wide welcomed the pack.

And we were off

Across Queens Square and through the hoards of Easter Sunday walkers, to the cathedral and a long, long-short, which took us through a film set and a fire engine pretending to put it a fire on a boat!

Then we rejoined the shorts and made our way to the Cabot tower. A few climbed the narrow steps, including Spocky and Wide.

The rest of us were more than happy to continue with rumours that beer was near.

A classic city pub with plenty of ales and more! I had a muddy water NEIPA at 7%. Spocky turned up eventually after messy around...

Now half way round, the tail took us up to Clifton Observatory and the suspension bridge for the sweetie stop.

Then back down to sea-level for pub stop 2.

Then a suprise boat trip back to the city centre.

A quick change and (only 30 mins late) into the Stables for food and drink.

it was now around 4.30, and with homeward trains getting closer, time to head towards the station. But the hash circle first... I can't honestly remember who got down downs, but I know Son of the Bitz had one, and moaned about it as it had a teaspoon of beer in it! 

Then a stop at a brewery! (Temple Meads now getting closer)

And back via the Spoons to the station.

What a fantastic day out, and thanks to Speedy (and his helper, Conor) for sorting it at all out.

Now where are we going next year?!