City of Exeter Hash House Harriers

A glorious sunny day!  And after a very windy journey, we arrived at the village hall at Clyst Hydon.  We took the route via the B3181 and Beare, a not-overly-used lane with grass growing up the middle.  Groucho had laid the trail yesterday, and had a few difficulties with his trail laying.  But it was all going to be fine - including a route through two fields of cows and a field of horses.

It was a Stix-family lay, which normally means that Bollards and I get a map and plan the route the night before, and then one of us goes and lays firth thing in the morning.  We chose to lay from St Lukes becuase Rocky has swimming lessons at 9am.  Plus it was about time we had a city-hash, and there's no parking charges on a Sunday at St Lukes.  So I planned the route on the computer on Saturday evening, and then Bollards completely changed it!  But then I get my revenge because I'm the one was laying today (while Bollards stayed for Rocky's lesson), and  get to change it again!

Busy car park.  Otter Valley visitors (very welcome for the checking and fish-hooks).  Late comers.  Long-short split, back-check, turn left, run a bit, turn right, turn right again onto land that would have been very boggy if we had had more rain.  Down and up, sharp left, very steep down, lots of ferns and gorse.  Long-short split.  Been here before, down gravel track, met faerie folk offering to tarmac my drive and accepted a lift from a demi-wyvern to 300m short of sweetie stop to arrive un-noticed.  Sweets, photograph, long-short split.  Down and right, boggy bit, left and up, jump over gulley, short-cut and re-join shorts.  Out of woods and straight across.  Long-short split.  Long downhill and away from car park - no thank you.  Short.  On Home.  Circle.  Fines.  New shoes.  Anyone want to lay a trail in November?  

I've now set up a page so that you can order and pay for your Hash Haberdash on line by credit card or debit card.  It costs an extra 50p per item, but you don't need to remember the cheque book! Hoodies, Polo shirts, T-shirts and Sweatshirts are available, embroidered with your name and the hash logo.  Click here to order.

Octogenarians are a hardy, experienced bunch as proved by Woodpecker who had risen from his sick bed to lay today’s trail. The chalk talk advised that this was an “old school” trail, there was to be no hanging around at checks waiting for the hare to point the pack in the right direction and as well as a few Long/Short splits, there was a Bold/Cautious split (later to be known as a Brave/Cowards split). What we weren’t told was how many were required to turn back at a fish-hook which meant that fairly early on in the trail, most of the pack found themselves returning to the hare who then advised that only 4 were required to do so.