#1150 Bristol Away Day - Speedy - 31 March 2024

It's been many weeks in the planning by Speedy, but our Easter Sunday Eggstravaganza was underway. Despite a last minute panic over train disruption, all seemed well when the Exeter contingent arrived at St Davids. 

Fantastic to see Buzby joining us as a last minute addition, and he did his best to confuse us over which platform we should be on! Then onto the train.

Pearl did a great Brillo impression by bringing along a four pack and beer mugs! Then it was heads down to think about clues to the start of the hash that Speedy had sent the day before. To be honest, we didn't do much until Paperwork and Sorepoint joined at Tiverton, and they had made great progress.... well we'd got 'merchant' anyway. We thought the number was a reference to a bridge and were totally confused about the pictures of the statues. We thought we may be going to a ship near a bridge??

Anyway by the time we'd got to  Bridgwater, we were joined by a Stag party and more booze had appeared.

It was around here that I realised that Speedy had given us a little Easter Egg on the 'clues' document, where he'd written the answer in white text at the bottom. Unfortunately my phone was on dark mode, and it wasn't quite as hidden as he might have thought!!

Suddenly it all made sense!! 

Software and Dongle joined us as guests of Zoot, Hotlips, Coatcheck and King Louis; all boarding at Worle, but not brave enough to fight through the Stag. But soon we'd arrived.

On-off at Temple Meads, with the later train with Wide, Happy Snapper and Humpty arriving not long after.

Then with the help of Google Maps (and me knowing where Speedy lives) we made our way to the start of the hash and the bag drop.

Wide welcomed the pack.

And we were off

Across Queens Square and through the hoards of Easter Sunday walkers, to the cathedral and a long, long-short, which took us through a film set and a fire engine pretending to put it a fire on a boat!

Then we rejoined the shorts and made our way to the Cabot tower. A few climbed the narrow steps, including Spocky and Wide.

The rest of us were more than happy to continue with rumours that beer was near.

A classic city pub with plenty of ales and more! I had a muddy water NEIPA at 7%. Spocky turned up eventually after messy around...

Now half way round, the tail took us up to Clifton Observatory and the suspension bridge for the sweetie stop.

Then back down to sea-level for pub stop 2.

Then a suprise boat trip back to the city centre.

A quick change and (only 30 mins late) into the Stables for food and drink.

it was now around 4.30, and with homeward trains getting closer, time to head towards the station. But the hash circle first... I can't honestly remember who got down downs, but I know Son of the Bitz had one, and moaned about it as it had a teaspoon of beer in it! 

Then a stop at a brewery! (Temple Meads now getting closer)

And back via the Spoons to the station.

What a fantastic day out, and thanks to Speedy (and his helper, Conor) for sorting it at all out.

Now where are we going next year?!