Sunday, July 20

Exminster - Stix Family - 20th July 2014

Bollards and I had been worrying all week about the weather for this week's trail.  But it turned out hot and sunny despite all the weather warnings.  Speedy, Rocky, Runner Bean Chipmunk were being parking assistants as the pack arrived.  Unfortunately they directed some of them to the Linden Homes car park for visitors to the sales office, and they then had to move.  It was a big pack, with Isosceles and Strongbow making a return, and out next door neighbours, Lorne and Fiona as virgins.
We set off towards the "posh houses", but the FRBs couldn't find the way out of the estate, until I gave them a prod in the right direction.  Then we got to the Long/Short split.  Speedy took the shorts (the wrong way - he claims he did this on purpose), and I waited for the longs to do a loop around the village, including the church graveyard.  On rejoining the short, the trail continued along a disused and overgrown footpath, which I had cleared earlier that morning.  On to a regroup, and then through the woods onto the A379.  Up to the motorway bridge and then along a narrow strip of land between the M5 and main road.  Another regroup, and then up into the old asylum graveyard and into the grounds of the ex-Environment Agency offices.  Up through the houses, around a corn field, and yet another hash halt.  By this time we had lost a few, due to exhaustion, including Coffin and Ben, and 3D and daughters.  Then down the lane, with a couple of fish hooks, to a sweetie stop in a field overlooking the village and estuary (See below).  Thanks to Henry for letting us use his land!
Then down across the field, through the skate park, a long loop around another field, and back home after nearly 4 miles.  Once back, fines were mostly awarded to me and the family!  I hope everyone enjoyed the BBQ!
On On to the Wedding Hangover Hash next week in Clyst St Mary.
Posers at the Sweetie Stop

Sunday, July 13

Joney's Cross - Up Yours - 13th July 2014

We weren't the only ones gathering at Joneys Cross on this Sunday morning. The car park was busy with horsey types, who were on some kind of orienteering for horses, following a trail of pink bits of ribbon in the trees. To me, it sounded like hashing, but with the horses doing the hard work. They also didn't appear to have beer at the end...

Without Blobhoblin, Grouch and Spocky, is was left to me to welcome the pack - and it was a good size of nearly 30 too given various events yesterday, and the Isca Roman Away Day still taking place. Slipshod made his return to CoE as co hare, but because he and Up Yours were moving house, they had both lost their trainers in the packing! Up Yours had bought a brand new pair of kid's shoes, and Slipshod was wearing sandals (but lets pretend they were flip flops, because then it nearly rhymes with his name!)

The trail led us out of the car park (thankfully away from the forbidden hashing area of the RSPB reserve, after last week's hash-of-two-halves). We seemed to meet the same horse and rider several times. Up Yours' fear of galloping animals getting in the way did not come to fruition - they seemed to be following their trail slower than us! But our trail didn't follow their trail all the way - in fact we were always going in opposite directions. There were lots of fish hooks too - and some tactical shoe-lacing tieing!

At the regroup, we were treated with rolos, liquorice all-sorts and jelly minions - lovely! And then, rather confusingly, back the way we came (there were dots laid on both sides of the path). As Woodpecker mounted a style, he admitted that he struggles to get his leg over nowadays, but that doesn't matter because it saves so much time!

Lots of fines, including to Arthur for being carried around the hash, Speedy and Up Yours for wearing new shoes, and Dirt Band for finishing with the peg.

On On to Exminster next week, for a BBQ at the Stix's house.



Sunday, July 6

Wheathills Plantation - Blobhoblin, Spongeblob and Twinpeaks - 6th July 2014

The week appeared to have taken it's toll on some of the pack.  Double D and Stix both had headaches and Lethal Weapon had had 9 teeth removed and was forced to walk.  I saw more of Paperwork than I had done in a long time too.  He had hashed the A to B trail the day before (a particularly arduous trail, apparently) and was in recovery mode.  A pity really as there were loads of fish-hooks which the pack needed him to find before they did.
It was a very unusual trail in that it was laid in two parts.  There was the first bit, ending with the sweety stop, and there was a second bit taking us back to the car park via a little den in the woods that the little hashers were quite interested in.  In between, the most amazing thing happened:  My family and I bumped into the D family, the Croc family and quite a few other friends who had all come out for a lovely stoll through the countryside.  Can you believe the co-incidence?  All in the same place, at the same time, with the same idea of walking off Sunday breakfast. We proceeded very quietly, admiring the wildlife and taking in the beautiful, and seldom seen, scenery.
Fortunately, it only started thundering right at the end of the trail as we were circling up back at the car park.  I hid in the car and no-one paid their fines as it was raining too hard to hang about.  Remember to pay up next week, or you'll lose out at Christmas!