Wednesday, March 17

Layby nr Bowd Inn - Sunday 14th March - Spocky Bitz

The usual suspects gathered at the usual time, 11am, but not necessarily at the usual place!....or the same place (more about that later!).

As hare, Spocky-Bitz provided the instructions to group, Long-short splits, fish-hooks, sweetie stop and most importantly one and on! Somehow, Tuned-In and Stat-Nav missed this important detail. Tuned-In claimed to miss this as she was handling her baby, Stat-Nav claimed not to have heard as he was handling himself (let's move on - quickly!).

On-On and the group raced up the road and into the woods. A few twists and turns later and we came across a back check. Looking over the side of the imposing ravine a few mutterings of 'he wouldn't take us down there?' were heard.Oh yes he would! Tuned-In found the trail and the hashers followed her down the steep sides. Well the only way was up and straight up the other side we all went. Well...not all of us! Ringpiece was spotted pearing down over the far edge, shaking her head and running back to the path. The girl was clearly not going down today!

Following the trail, up another steep bank and we came to the first long-short split. The longs followed the trail down past the fruit farm, out along the road and to the footpath and back up through the woods to rejoin the shorts, who were already checking out. Unaccustomed to front running, Blobhoblin had run passed the flour, but Twin Peaks soon caught up and was calling On-On for him. The hashers followed on and after running the mountain bike trail for awhile ran into a familiar face. Dr Jeckyl where have you been?

I went to the 'shady lay-by' she exclaimed! Radiohead seemed to know which one she meant! But the shady characters she wanted to meet had gathered up the road. Anyway, we had to move on as the sweetie stop was beckoning. Twin Peaks arrived first and sniffed out the sweets (under the wheel barrow! - thanks for the hint Spocky).

At the sweet stop the subject of Groucho's facial hare came up. Grizzly Groucho had an admirer though....X-Bitz (sponsored by Specsavers)claimed he looked like Sean Connery! What!!

After the sweet stop we raced on to a long - short split and longs went up, up and away before descending back to the shorts and the re-group by the tunnel. 'It's dark, deep and damp' stated Ringpiece and that was all fearless Stat-Nav needed to hear as he started eagerly exploring!Echoing down the tunnel 'On-On, On-on, on-on' as Stat-nav and Runs Again found the trail leading out the tunnel and up the bank on the other side. A steep and slippery bank, it proved quite a challenge for all...but much more of a challenge for the ladies behind Groucho! 'Groucho Bond' (X-Bitz fantasy world) was clambering up the bank on all fours with his backside stuck right up in the faces of the pursuing mob. (A View to a Kill wrote Ian Fleming but this certainly wasn't A View to Die for!!!).

A few checks and fish-hooks later and the hashers were On-home back to the lay-by. Beers were handed out, fines were handed out and compliments to Spocky on a really good hash.