Thursday, October 28

24th October - Brains Birthday Hash, Clyst St Mary - Tampa

Well this was indeed Brains birthday hash and what a fan base of hashers she appears to have. The rumour mill informs me it was over fifty, whats going on ! Anyway Brains other half, the one and only Tampa, laid the trail or was it a trial before us eager hashers. However our hare then realised that the size of todays pack out stripped the supply of sweets at the "sweetie stop", so as if by magic Brains was sent off to increase supplies.
We were off to a great start with a long/ short split the shorts seeing the longs within minutes, only difference being that at least ten hashers took a non trail short cut known as a short short I believe. They crossed a main road and not via a footbridge but our trusty sheriff had them in his sights, they were of course fined. We then thread our way through Clyst St Mary towards open countryside, where upon hashers were actively encouraged to get their leg over, in this case over a wall to gain access on to a footpath. There a large number of hashers using a vatiety of methods to achieve this leg over exercise. I am pleased to report that everyone made it although several hashers chose a different section of wall to gain what best be described as a lower leg over, see Fruity-Bitz or Baglady for more info. Now we were on flat grassy land the pack now spread out yet some where some how our hare, Tampa, in case you have forgotten had laid a cunning series of back arrows resulting in several groups of five returning to the back of the pack, most encouraging for us back markers. The sweet stop came after about half an hour of hashing, in the hamlet of Sowton, some of the locals passing by looked a little confused to see such a large number of odd people, the pack, all busy munching sweets, not a pretty sight. From the sweet stop came another long/split the longs heading for Somerset I think, it was ages till they were spotted once more. Emerald got the shorts confused in a small wooded area, most unusual for her with her orienteering skills, but she put us on the straight and at times very narrow. Boot led the longs as usual where that boy gets his energy from we don't know but we all what some. Woodpecker did his rear guard pace making sure he was last and bless his cotton socks he was, he did all the longs and Mrs Woodpecker should be very proud of him. Once back at base the fines were collected and happy birthday was sung by the "cats chorus" and then we all went home, some for a long long snooze, especially Stat-Nav who rumour has it watched the rugby at 17.15 Saturday yet got to bed at 04.00 Sunday, some rugby match !

Next hash on Sunday 31 October at Keepers Cottage Newton St Cyres, from Exeter take
A377 towards Crediton at Newton St Cyres school turn left stay on lane for about two miles until you reach log area at a dead end.