QH3 Run 888, Canal Inn, Bullbridge

RUN #888

Date : Sunday 6th December 2015
Location: Canal Inn, Bullbridge
Hares: Durex and Malteaser
Weather: Mild with a hint of light rain
Pack size: 34

The QH3 was joined by neighbouring hashes to celebrate our run 888 and this resulted in one of the largest packs we've had for years. Considering the North received unprecedented levels of rain this weekend we did well to get off with a light sprinkling of rain. The RA lost a bit of control there put down to the fact she had to pay a fortune to take forever to get to the On Inn by bus, and still didn't make it for the start of the trail.

Thirty four hashers turned up to celebrate our 888th trail

Non Runner recorded a
trail length of 8.88 km
for Run 888

At the pre-run briefing the hare confessed to resisting the temptation to set a trail of 8.88 miles for run#888 and had instead gone for the perfect 5 miles. However, after the trail Non Runner did point out that he recorded 8.88 km (see photo), though in a time of 2hr 10min you can see how he got his hash name.
This was a figure-of-eight trail with the pivotal point being in the centre of Crich where a drinks stop had been organised. Just the kind of spot you don't want somebody interfering with the trail markings. Enter the Reverend Goodwill who refused to have a flour circle on the pavement outside his house and as a result a lot more arrows and bars had to be added by the hare to keep the pack going in the right direction.
At its furtherest point the trail turned just below Crich Stump. The hares had originally planned a route passing to the top of the tower but H&S dictates that it is kept locked when the steps are wet and slippery, i.e. most of the winter. Good job we don't apply the same rules to public footpaths.

The Canal Inn in Bullbridge is an excellent pub for a hash event. The staff are very friendly and accommodating and the location is excellent for numerous walking/running/cycling trails in the Peak District. Although there is no food regularly served, we were provided with chip butties and a good supply of real ale. 

For the large circle the RA required all 25 pages of her DD song book. Awards went something like this:
1: Butt Plug and Underlay with reference to the former requiring somewhere to put his bag (the latter);
2: Jelly Knob for flying on the trail, (a trip for which he didn't require a licence);
3: Tweeny for his 'in the car' phone moment, a plastic bag on his head and GM of Birmingham H3 (once one GM is offered a drink all GMs drink so in came ASB (AH4), Dobber (MH3) and B*gger (QH3));
4: B*gger All of BH3 gave his car keys to the slowest person on today's trail (once one B*gger is offered a drink all B*ggers drink so in came B*gger, who happened to be that slowest person);
5: Festuring Gash who was overheard at the drinks stop congratulating the hares on a wonderful trail, i.e. before the RA had started the run discussion;
6: ASB was punished for attempting to enter the vicar's garden by a route other than a public footpath. Tweeny dobbed in Hare Malteaser for also being 'directionally' challenged (once one hare is offered a drink all hares drink so in came Durex);
7: Smutley for calling Underlay a dog;
8: Mama Rose, on behalf of the dog who only drinks sparkling water;
9: Shagulater brought in by popular demand when the RA was heard asking for a wee one. Shagulater has  rarely hashed with us in recent times due to his flying adventures, trips that he now finds out were illegal as his flying licence expired at the start of this year;
10: Skids, for a blonde moment at the check with 88 steps. The correct trail was the one from which the non-calling FRBs had not returned;
11: Sweet Pea led an interesting discussion on St Nicholas day, which led to the question as to who was not wearing any knickers;
12:  A Reverend Goodwill look-a-like (Chicki) was given a DD for trying to mislead the flock in the centre of Crich by washing crucial trail markings from the pavement;
13: Too Tuf did a slow DD so the hash scribe could have time to note that he had done it;
14: & 16: Underlay for mobile phone use in the circle;
15: Gentlemen Dobber for adopting the cautious approach to how long ago Underlay's 50th birthday might have been;
17: Ballcrusher as a St Nicholas look-a-like;
18: Barritone who took the river crossing sitting down;
19: Non-river crossers Psychojellic and Skids (once one Jelly is offered a drink all Jellies drink so in came Jelly Knob);

From henceforth you will be known as Whoratio

20 & 21: Tim welcomed back for his 2nd Quorn trail. He managed to get more than two notes from Tweeny's buggle (not trumpet!) and as a result, after much discussion, got the hashname 'Whoratio' [Hornblower];
22: IP gave a story about Too Tuf's spreading infamy, further embellished by Butt Plug;
23: Tweeny finally managed to present Captain Oates with a long promised BH3 T-shirt, now 2 sizes too big. He also grabbed the opportunity to mention the BH3 organised Nash Hash event in Solihull (May 2016 - get registering);
24: Hares Durex and Malteaser. Run vote led to ambiguous result somewhere between 8.8%, 69% or 88.8% (nearly 90%); and
25: Finally, we didn't forget to punish today's FRB Lincolnshire Sausage.

Phew! That was a big circle. Great to see such a good turn out. We should encourage more joint participation events amongst local hashes.

Run 888 T-Shirt

The circle wasn't the end of today's event. We had had chip butties provided by the pub, eight-eight-eight themed cakes prepared by Malteaser and Goblin. Many thanks to those who put the effort into providing this hash grub. There was also a rare QH3 T-shirt (available from B*gger for £5).

To finish with, keeping on the 888 theme, we went to the dogs (and horses) as the landlord provided some racing entertainment which raised over £11 for the East Midlands Air Ambulance.

Great day out.

On On...Durex

Trail as set by Hare