QH3 Run 892. The Plough, Huddlesford

RUN #892

Date : Sunday 17th January 2016
Location: The Plough, Huddlesford, nr. Lichfield
Hare: Captain Oates
Weather: Cold with snow on ground
Pack size: 10

 
A hare's worst nightmare - heavy snow the night before your trail. After establishing: (1) the Hare had successfully managed to lay a trail, and (2) at least two hashers were turning up, we set off for this distant outpost of our hashing area. Never before have we run from a location with a WS (West Staffordshire) postcode. The snow was actually melting fast and became less deep as we travelled south along the A38. Perhaps bringing the sledge was not such a good idea.
A hard core of nine hashers turned up, plus the hare (Captain Oates) who could be forgiven for turning up on his bicycle 15 minutes late on this bitterly cold day. This was trumped by Barritone who turned up even later on his bike all the way from Nottingham. He had set out the day before and spent the night in Tamworth - what dedication to hashing.
The hare promised us the shortest trail ever, said he would be very surprised if

No need for flour - just follow
the hare's characteristic footprints

we all didn't get lost but only remembered the bit about sticking to public paths when passing the rifle range after we'd set off. This was a trail of two halves, the first being undistinguished along roads into the outskirts of Lichfield with a beer stop at the hare's abode. This was an apartment towards the top of a block of flats with a splendid view across today's trail area. Indeed the hare could have easily planned the whole route sitting on the balcony with a beer. We were one down by the time we got to the beer stop, B*gger returning early to the On Inn because of recurring injury. Wallington claimed repetitive strain injuries from 'banging the keyboard' yet he managed to keep up with today's somewhat slow pace.

The second half was mainly on public footpaths through muddy snow covered fields where the hare had employed turmeric powder on top of (rather than mixed with) the white flour making the trail markings look like fried eggs. We did remarkably well to find the trail all the way back to the pub, the hare even choose to avoid the straightforward route back along the Coventry Canal and

Turmeric on white flour - fried egg markings

sent us through yet more muddy fields. The last half-mile was along roads with intermittent flour but there was a giant 'On Inn' scrawled across the road just to make sure we knew we had arrived. The hare's sense of distance was obviously affected by the weather, a promised short run was actually 5.5 miles.
This is a popular pub for a Sunday lunchtime and it rapidly filled up. The RA, after a wobble on the last trail, returned to her high standard of weather control. No precipitation whilst we were on the trail, this was saved until we were snugly inside the Plough. On account of this, we had a quiet circle inside the pub.
First DD went to B*gger, the RA pointing out we catered for all disabilities. Next was Wallington, late to the circle having just completed his Sunday dinner, was punished for his Stevie Wonder impression (banging on the keyboard (?)). Somehow the conversation wandered to discussing Tommy Walker and Pin Ball Wizzard, Captain Oates being rewarded for his admission that he always thought the words were 'Shaun plays a mean pin ball'. Barritone's dedication to hashing was acknowledged turning up on his bike, albeit twenty minutes late. Goblin then got a DD for something, I was distracted at this point by a wet black pussy running past the window. 
What can you say about a trail set under such conditions that also included a beer stop. Something between 42% and 42%! Well done Captain Oates for an enjoyable hash. Finally, the Beer Master (Too Tuf) got the remaining DD for not equally dividing the beers he purchased amongst the unknown number of DDs awarded by the RA.
Announcements were brief as we have no hares allocated to do a trail until 6th March. Too Tuf and Chicki rapidly volunteered to set our next trail on Monday 26th January.

On On..... Durex

Trail TO the beer stop as done by Durex.
Trail FROM the beer stop as done by Durex.