Wednesday 19 October 2016

MH3 Run 280. Bluebell Inn, Melbourne

A sign of things to come? Mobility scooters parked outside the On Inn

MH3 Run 280
Date: Monday 17th October 2016
Location: Bluebell Inn, Melbourne
Hares: Gobalot and Oriface
Weather: Clear skies with nr. full moon
Pack size: 10

The question I had before this trail was "could the hares, freshly back from their USA adventures, find a sufficiently long trail around the small town of Melbourne without resorting to night-time manoeuvers in the dark countryside?" Yes they could, and a fine trail it was. Even with a temporary fairground occupying part of the town, sufficient pathways were found including a stretch along the disused railway. Torches were certainly needed as 75% was along unlit paths/roads but no shiggy fields or the need to disturb sleeping cattle or sheep.
The pack split in two from the start with walkers Dobber and Catflaps setting a casual pace at the back and r*nners Wriggle, Ballcrusher, Artless Dodger and myself trying to keep Trianal in sight. Seaman Stains defies classification, although walking, was seen checking at the front of the pack on several occasions. The hares popped up at random points around the trail just to make sure I was checking for bars at the end of every false trail. Just look at all those false trails I did on the GPS map link below!
Alas the fairground was closing down as we arrived back in town - no rides on the Helter-Skelter this time.

In the circle RA Dobber made the following awards: 
1. Seaman Stains for walking around faster than many of the pack. Rumour has it that he is fitted with a transponder. Maybe his final MH3 hash?
2. Ballcrusher was seen appearing through hedges like a badger - hedge hunter.
3. Trianal got his usual DD for being all over the place though for once on the right trail, just too far out in front to be seen or heard.
4. Catflaps for leading Dobber astray. And I thought you just had to follow flour.
5. Hares Gobalot and Oriface were thanked for a good trail.

On On ..Durex

Trail as done by Durex

Sunday 16 October 2016

QH3 Run 919. Duke of York, Lichfield (Joint trail with Bull Moon H3)



RUN #919
Date : SATURDAY 15th October 2016
Location: Duke of York, Lichfield
Hares: Durex and Soggy Balls
Weather: Lovely autumnal sunshine (again!)
Pack size: 16

What a grand day out our joint trail in Lichfield with the Bull Moon H3 turned out to be. Our RA did us proud with yet another dry sunny run.

Lichfield is a lovely little city and we can't believe we've never visited it before even though we live just 25 minutes up the A38. I can even forgive them for claiming Lichfield rather than Solihull was the birth place of Dr Johnson.

The Duke of York was an excellent On Inn, a friendly pub with excellent ales, plenty of room and real pub food snacks such as pork pies and scotch eggs. Worth a visit if you are in Lichfield.

The Bull Moon Hash celebrates full moons with a hash trail, fittingly done this month in Lichfield at a weekend when the Lunar Society were also meeting in Lichfield with a conference celebrating 250 years of the society.  Lunarticks (as they were known) have had many famous members from the scientific community including Erasmus Darwin, Josiah Wedgewood, Joseph Priestly and James Watt. They've just been going for a bit longer than the Bull Moon H3.

A reasonable sized pack, half-and-half Quorn and Bull Moon (depending how Wriggle wanted to be classified), set off just after noon on a promised 5.3 mile trail. After just over a mile with the pack still together the SRBs led by a limping B*gger were offered the option of a shortcut. This was readily taken by a majority of the Bull Moon H3. This left Ballcrusher, Goblin and Malteaser (the 'C-Team') to do most of the checking.

Hash hound Freya showed the fishmen how not to catch fish by jumping into the fishing ponds. Being in Staffordshire there were no sheep or cows to entertain us, just a couple of horses.

Just over two-thirds around the trail was a beer stop courtesy of Soggy Balls. The walkers arrived here well before opening time but it was a most welcome drink on a warm sunny day.

In the Duke of York we had a room to ourselves, which is probably just as well with Quorn RA Chicki trying out a full range of DD songs. Distracted by a large pork pie and hash chips I forgot to make any notes about the circle led by Stretch and Chicki. This is what I remember... though no necessarily in this order.

Hares Durex and Soggy Balls were given seperate DDs and thanked for a good trail. The former was smiling as nobody had been lost, the latter was under the supervision of his parents. Malteaser received two awards, one for not seeing a check she was standing right next to and for being overheard mentioning she could no longer fit into her waterproof trousers. This was Skid's 200th QH3 trail and she had come a long way to participate. Coach was selected as the token Bull Moon walker accompanied by hash virgin Jan (?). Nose Job was thanked for his lack of control of the said hash hound at the fishing ponds and Mad Max for showing such great appreciation of strawberry flavoured water at the drinks stop. Too Tuf's roll of honour as a Down Down champion was recited following his recently added accolade as Madrid Hash DD champion. Ballcrusher did a lot of checking today but was only remembered for the one on which he turned back on the correct trail. Well that kept the pack together allowing Stretch and Nose Job walking at the back to keep up. Then finally there was Wriggle, promiscuous regarding the hashes she associates with, mingling with many but unable to decide as to which one she belongs to.

These joint trails are always great fun. Let's have more!
On On..... Durex 


Monday 3 October 2016

QH3 Run 918. Great Hucklow Bunkhouse weekend



RUN #918
Date : Sunday 2nd October 2016
Location: Foundary Adventure Centre, Great Hucklow
Hare: Butcher's Dog
Weather: Lovely autumnal sunshine
Pack size: 30

This Sunday's trail was the end-point of our bunkhouse weekend in the Peak District. Friday night had seen the "back-to-school" assignments followed by a long 10 - 12 mile walk on Saturday (Gt Hucklow-Foolow-Longstone Moor-Coombs Dale-Stoney Middleton-Eyam-Foolow-Gt Hucklow). Saturday was party night (see the QH3 Facebook page for photos!) so all but one of the registrants were grateful not to be the hare for Sunday morning. The weather on Saturday had exceeded all expectations remaining dry all day whilst Nottingham was hit by heavy thundery downpours. Sunday was even better with blue skies and lovely autumnal sunshine, our RA Chicki can do no wrong at the moment.
Hare Butcher's Dog was out before most got up for breakfast. During the setting she met the unhappy farmer who bore a grudge against any groups or runners using a public path across his land, though the Tweeny incident of 3-4 years ago obviously hadn't helped.
Much of the first half-mile was down hill which may have accounted for Captain
A nice way to spend a Sunday morning - hashing
in the Peak District (photo by Lily the Pink)
Oates
being at the front. Nice to be running with a larger than usual pack, our ranks swelled by seven hashers from Norfolk who had joined us for the weekend. After a few checks the usual FRBs became established, namely, Sausage, Lily the Pink, Puss in Boots and Trianal with myself also present to report on anything of note. By the time we got to Bradwell the pack was well spread, even with the walkers being shepherded off before this point. Out of Bradwell it was useful having a holding check so everyone could regroup and walk through the field with cows and calves. 

The public footpaths of Stanlow Dale are poorly marked and differ in several places from what the maps show. After the encounter with angry farmer the hare obviously opted for the cautious approach and took us back along the well established tracks and road.
A comfortable circle was held in the lounge of the Adventure Centre, the beer master taking the opportunity to use up what drinks were left, mainly mild and dandelion and burdock, both sometimes supplemented with cream. Awards were as follows:
(1) Wallington - for strapped wrists;
(2) Slug - champion snorer;
(3) B*gger - many sporting socks have "L" and "R" written on them and B*gger still got it wrong;
(4) Twonk - organising Nash Hash 2017;
(5) Yogi - not realising that QH3 can't count past 3 so we call On-On not "three";
(6) Goblin - chef for the weekend. Round of applause for excellent food;
(7) Trianal - after yesterday's 12-mile stroll he warmed up for today's trail with a 4-mile run yesterday evening;
(8) Butcher's Dog was awarded a good run accolade achieving a higher than average of 48.2% though Barritone complained there were no brunette sheep;
(9) Basset was dobbed in by Smutley as a sinner though I missed what for as I went out the room to get another drink;
(10) Shagulater dobbed himself in for using skin cream rather than toothpaste whilst standing next to Sausage who he thought was Captain Oates;
(11) B*gger failed to workout how to lock the key in the keysafe but had fortunately failed to locked the door as he was one of the last back from the trail; and
(12) Durex for snitching on the RA's dog and Too Tuf's contribution to the Tweeny incident from many years ago.

Thanks to all who made it a wonderful weekend especially to our guests from Norfolk who add something of the exotic to the event.


On On..... Durex