MH3 Run 271, Exeter Arms, Derby

MH3 Run 271
Date: Monday 11th January 2016
Location: Exeter Arms, Derby
Hares: Gobalot with a little help from Oriface
Weather: Hint of drizzle in the air and feeling more like winter
Pack size: 13




The threat of drizzle faded and run 271 was done on a dry albeit cold evening. Having set many previous January MH3 trails from the centre of Derby in blizzards, deep snow and treacherously icy conditions, our hares today - Gobalot (chief hare) and Oriface (Helper) - got off lightly with the January weather.
Excellent choice of On Inn, the Exeter Arms, winner of the Derby CAMRA Food & Drink, Pub of the Year for the last three years. It's certainly in my top three favourite Derby pubs the only gripe as a Hash location being the lack of any nearby free parking before 8 pm. We parked on the road right outside the pub paying for an hour's parking (£2.20). Certainly a warm atmosphere inside with much of the pack staying on to do the quiz.
The hare promised us with some precision a trail of 4.8 miles and that's exactly what I did. I know my way around Derby but frequently found myself at the back repeatedly passing super-walker Seaman Stains. By the time we got to Markeaton Park on the A38 the pack was becoming well spread out, Butcher's Dog probably back in the pub already, Trianal who knows where, and Malteaser after disappearing down a long check finding herself bringing up the rear behind Seaman Stains who, although a walker, usually gets around the whole trail in about the same time as the r*nners. The hares made good use of a more direct route and often popped up in front of us (a small sub-group of Artless Dodger, Lightning Rod, Jelly Knob and myself) at strategic points towards the end.
For the hares, not so much a Derby trip down memory lane as a trip across THE Zebra Crossing - the place where they first met 41 years ago.

The circle was led by Dobber in the somewhat cooler back room of the Exeter Arms. On the day the death of David Bowie was announced Lionel took the first DD as being the representative of someone from another planet. Trianal got his customary DD for many reasons, dressed like a vicar, forcing us to move from the cosy room in the pub and checking out the trail before everyone else had arrived. Malteaser got the third DD for hugging the rug, or should I say hogging it. The pub had kindly provided fleece blankets to keep us warm in the cool room though Malteaser kept the one big enough for three persons to herself. Seaman Stains got the penultimate DD for his competitive walking. The Final DD of course went to the hares for an excellent trail, just right for a cold winter's evening.

On On
Durex

Trail as run by Durex