A chilly morning up on the common greeted the 20+ hashers that gathered. We were immediately hit with some tragic news and that was the fact that the hare had left the sweets on his kitchen table! However at todays hash we welcomed back Itsy Bitz (and mommy) who we haven't seen for a little while.
The hare called us onto check on the far side of the car park and then drove off to the garage to buy more sweets! It was a sneaky ploy to put the check on the far side of the car park as we eventually found the trail back over the other side! Confused....we were!
On On down the hill only to find at the next check that Chad, Howling Wilf and Stat Nav had run through a back check so we weren't onto check at all! This was only pointed out to us by Spocky Bitz who was walking while carrying Itsy Bitz so on back we went to try and find the trail again.
Up the hill we went only for Odd Bitz to turn around and come back toward us, but he kept telling us to keep coming! We then came across another back check, naughtty sheriff! Leading us astray like that! At the top of the hill poor old X-Bitz looked to be suffering a bit. Was it her chest infections she's been fighting of late??? 'Was it 'eck as like', more likely to do with the 2 bottles of red wine she'd drunk the night before!!! Good standards!
After performing a big loop we eventually made our way back to the check we got to by mistake! From here we climbed over the gate into the woods and along the path which Tuned In soon found out was very boggy......and Chesty being so close behind, found out too!
After another check we headed out onto the path running parallel to the woods. It was here Chad was frantically called on back by the hare for 'daring' to use the main track to run on rather than the little path. It soon became apparent why, because after another back check we took the higher track and went up to the sweetie stop. Luckily the hare and the sweets were back with us so tangfastics and allsorts we did eat! It was at the sweetie stop Finn was heard to say that he'd already fallen over twice this morning! But in true hash fashion he'd picked himself up and off he went again!
Off we set again up hill and down dale before arriving at another regroup where the sweets came out again....I like this 2 sweetie stop idea! As we were all waiting at the regroup some people further ahead were calling on on. Who were these people we asked??? Do we know them??? It turned out to be Dynamo, Swooner and her partner who had arrived late and couldn't follow the trail so waited where they had found it! Off we set on the long short split with only a handful of us on the long. True to form, Howling Wilf consistently went the wrong way, still, it kept us all together nicely. After a false trail down a very large hill, we headed back uphill only to arrive at a fish hook at the top of a long old hill! Well it was worth the 10p fine to not bother going back to the hare! From here it was on home back up to the car park.
At the hash circle, Groucho gave out more information on the Autumn Gathering 2009! Also, fines were handed out....mostly to Tuned In it seemed! For calling the hare a fatherless child for his extensive use of back checks, for ignoring the last fish hook (well worth the 10p), for referring to Radiohead as Mark although it's been so long since he came hashing I'm not entirely sure I know who you mean??? I personally think it's a stitch up! Beth was fined for paying her subs then offering another pound for todays run! I think Spocky should be fined for not taking it! On On to Core Copse, East Hill Strips next week. According to the hare, the directions are..... coming from Ottery, turn right onto East Hill Strips at the top of the hill, Core Copse is about 1/3 of the way down this road (but how long is the road???) on the left hand side. I think that's what he told me anyway!!!!! Just don't blame me if you get lost!