Despite a clear and sunny day this was not to be one of Blobhoblin's starring appearances - was it sunstroke perhaps or just a vey heavy "night before"? His day did not start well: Groucho called Blobhoblin at 8.30 in the morning to check that he would be able to help with the hash to which Blobby replied: "Don't worry I'll be there at 8.30!". Heart afflutter Blobhoblin raced to meet Groucho at the car park only just remembering the sweets in hand. Added heart anxieties were then caused as Slipshod entered the car park nearly mowing Blobby down as he went for a vacant parking space. [There are some hashers who try and park their car in spaces that are already occupied. This is generally best avoided as the costs of car repair are not insignificant!]
Well as a mottley selection of 23 hashers circled up, bedazzled by a strange shining thing in the deep blue sky, we received our instructions for the coming trail: in flour (with a strange reddy/pink hue), one and on (clearly caused by Blobhoblin's absence - we can tell you know!) one long-short and first three on the fish-hooks to Blobhoblin. In the Sherrif's absence the previous Sherrif, Odd Bitz, agreed to step in and do the honours.
On to the first check we all enthusiastically raced eager to find the way of the cunning hare. Whether it was feminine intuition, spying or a recollection from previous hashes (no! surely not!) but Twin Peaks seemed to find the way from a backcheck some time before the backcheck was even reached by the leading hashers. Well follow that girl we did and lo and behold we found the trail as if by magic! On the road we galloped....well to call it a gallop is a bit of an exaggeration as there was much slippage and bits wobbling everywhere as the ice on the roads caused hash chaos, terror and fright.
Thence onto what we were told was a long-short split - was there any sign of such a split? Did it matter that 3/4 of the hashers had already proceeded on towards the long route? Our Mr Groucho did not seem too worried and allowed the injured and the lame to walk with him on the short route. The rest of the group however had no choice! On we had to dally with the ice whilst only occasionally getting to see fine houses and countryside around that part of the world. Mr Blobhoblin was enjoying the sights very much indeed, so much so he was nearly leading the field. This wouldn't normally have been a problem except that, as he was fourth behind the leader of the pack, the leaders did not have very far to come back when they came across a fish-hook! Once we had been able to recongregate at the re-group Woodpecker gave Blobhoblin a friendly word in his ear advising on generally accepted protocols for the hare ie not to lead!
Mr Blobhoblin was still in a dazed trance as we seemed to wait some time for the injured and the lame: Where were they? Were they coming at all? Where do we go from here? Is the answer 42? All we got from Mr Blobhoblin was "Well don't look at me - I didn't set the trail!". With such a feeble excuse the pack took it upon itself to continue on its merry way sniffing out the way towards the next regroup where apparently, we had it on good authority, the injured and the lame would be waiting. Were they there? Were they heck! Groucho had waited so long he took pity on them and sent them on ahead! Well on we trekked hunting the trails and shouting on on as we came across the reddy/pinky flour, past the little piggies (very sweet - I'm sure they wouldn't miss one for the barn dance!) before arriving,at last, at the band of the injured and the lame by now fast asleep they had been waiting so long (although it did seem to give the Sherrif a chance to take note and write up a long list of miscreants).
That marked the sweety stop - a good selection of liquorice allsorts and coconut chocolates before the hare called us to check out. Woodpecker was heard to say that he would eat his hat if it wasn't that way - of course it wasn't but he didn't have a hat to eat! Into the village of Langford we strolled and then on up past the hill on home a splendidly sunny hash with great Blobhoblin moments!
That marked the end of the days hash apart from the Sherriff dishing out the fines here there and everywhere. Spocky reminded us all that tickets for the barn dance are now officially for sale so get them quick while stocks last - there are only limited places.
On on to the next hash 16 January 2011 at Newton Poppleford village car park - PP and FF doing the honours (although PP did have to ask where the next week's hash was - and was duly fined!). On on........