QH3 Run 914. The John Thompson, Ingleby

RUN #914

Date : TUESDAY 30th August 2016
Location: The John Thompson pub & brewery
Hare: Gobalot
Weather: Late summer sunshine 
Pack size: 11

With sunset at 19:58 this was probably our last daylight evening hash trail of 2016. Goodbye summer. And what a nice sunset it was - no RA needed for some splendid summer sunshine, just Durex standing in as temp RA for the day.
There were a number of faces we haven't seen on a Quorn hash for a while. Hare Gobalot now sets as many trails as she actually runs, and then there was Oriface, stuck on 100 runs since June 2014, he has finally made it 101. It was also welcome back to Rutland hasher Bummer.

The pack passed Bugger and Goblin arriving at the On Inn just after the On Out, though with the first bit of the trail being a three-quarters of a mile uphill stretch they soon caught up, despite Malteaser taking off as though she still had the runs. Indeed, for a trail on the Trent flood plain the hare managed to find a route with a lot of uphill. Wallington was our SRB for the day with his poorly wrists which didn't stop him walking most of this 4.5 mile trail. Trianal was also present doing his usual lots of checking and, with Ballcrusher, Lightning Rod and Oriface assisting, the pack moved around swiftly. This was just as well because after witnessing a lovely sunset we still had a couple of miles to do. Fortunately the clear sky meant we all got back before darkness.

Durex led the circle awarding:
1. Welcome back to Bummer;
2. Lightning Rod and Oriface for always checking together, the latter giving a very good impression he didn't know where the trail was going;
3. Wallington was given a beer to help cure his wrists, no problem doing a DD;
4. Trianal for starting a new job, we like to celebrate new things on our hash;
5. The hare Gobalot for an excellent trail even though we didn't see the puma and there was no pub quiz for us to enjoy. We actually had a secret ballot and it was thumbs up all around - that'll be a 48% good trail then; and finally, of those that had stayed for the circle,
6. The two remaining NODDYs (Not Offered a Down Down Yet) - Ballcrusher and Malteaser, the latter won the award for her enthusiasm at the start of the trail.

That's the way I saw it, On On.. Durex

Trail as done by Durex

QH3 Run 913. The Spanish Bar, Ilkeston

RUN #913

Date : Sunday 21st August 2016
Location: The Spanish Bar, Ilkeston
Weather: Warm and dry 
Pack size: 14

Barritone, our hare for today has a penchant for finding excellent 'new' hash On Inns and associated virgin trails. Our run from The Spanish Bar in Ilkeston fulfilled all expectations with a well laid and well constructed trail from a pub with a really nice atmosphere and good beer. The pub looks like a small shop from the outside but is deceptively roomy extending a long way back with a beer garden bedecked by numerous hanging flower baskets. Many of the hounds chose to come by bus - there was a bus stop right outside the pub. Car users had to use the public car park just 120 m up the road and free to use on Sundays. 
The hare explained the usual Quorn hash markings and emphasised the need to appreciate that a bar didn't mean you always have to go back to the last check to find the correct path. It was a master class in how to lay a good trail with helpful arrows and bars to keep the pack on track and difficult checks that kept the pack together - no need for holding checks on this run. Ilkeston is blessed with disused railways and off-road public paths. Too bad some spoilsports had chosen to try and obliterate the flour markings on several parts of the trail. Barritone always uses lots of flour so this was quite difficult to do especially as the trail had been laid earlier in morning rather than the night before. One particular quarter-mile stretch of the course had been subjected to particular stringent cleansing that must have involved a bucket and scrubbing brush. What goes on in these peoples' heads?

In the circle the RA Chicki made the following awards:

Too Tuf and Barritone christening new shoes

1. There was an abundance of new shoes with four hashers choosing to christen new footware on this trail - Jelly Knob, Too Tuf, Chicki and Barritone, the latter fulfilling a need identified some 18 months ago. Chicki was puzzled why her new shoes were the wrong size. One member of the circle was lucky to get away with suggesting it was something to do with the colour of her hair. Too Tuf pointed out that tradition states christenings are done on the left shoe, hence Barritone's first effort (see photo) had to be repeated with the right one. Hashers should also note that there are not rules on the hash (rule one), we just have 'traditions';
2. Continuing the theme of shoes, Sausage got a DD for squelchy shoes after the bog crossing;
3. Puss in Boots was caught flashing under a bridge (at the cross-over check that must have had at least five bars and even when Butcher's Dog found the correct way it was like a maze getting out of the check);
4. Durex was punished for being a 'girlie' and pulling up his long sock to avoid been stung by nettles. It was pointed out that girlies (e.g. Chicki and Lily the Pink) could do such wimpish things (like going out of their way to get around nasty boggy ground);
5. Pre-Mature, also being a 'girlie' by following them the long way around the bog;
6.Wee Willy for running back from his first hash in Nottingham and getting back to West Bridgford before the RA who caught the bus;
7. Lily the Pink for enjoying herself (?) with Too Tuf in the wood, both received DDs; and
8. Barritone for an excellent hash. No sheep on this trail though there was an urban fox who did a better job  than many of the SRBs of finding the correct trail home. Shame about the 'invisible flour' which hares have been using in recent runs. A 62% vote for the trail was well deserved.

On On.. Durex

Trail as done by Durex

MH3 Run 278. Chequers Inn, Stanton-by-dale

MH3 Run 278
Date: Monday 15th August 2016
Location: Chequers Inn, Stanton-by-dale
Hare:Butcher's Dog
Weather: Hot and sunny
Pack size: 15



A good-sized pack and a lovely summer's evening for a run around Stanton by Dale. The hare (Butcher's Dog) promised us a c.5-mile trail and a walkers' shortcut had also been laid to cater for the usual group of MH3 walkers which this week included Beer and Loathing. It was quite apparent from an early stage that this trail was not going to go where we thought it should do. That's what hashing is about. At first it looked as though we were heading out towards Dale Abbey but then the trail cut back behind the village and headed eastwards under the M1 and into Sandiacre. There were a number of fallers again this week. I suddenly found myself two feet shorter when I put my left leg down a hay-covered hole. Fortunately, I wasn't travelling at my usual great speed and just gently keeled over. Pull-Through (?) (son of Lightning Rod) chose a slightly harder surface to trip on - a busy road - and for a second  hash in a row we had blood spilt on the hash (Gobalot's scars are healing nicely).
No sheep on the trail this week though plenty of horses for a bit of horseplay.
After the walkers had been diverted along a shorter route, the FRBs got a chance to stretch their legs. Good checks kept the pack more-or-less together. This included a section across the Erewash Valley golf course where the public footpath passes across half-a-dozen fairways. On a weekend a long line of hashers makes a good target for golfers, fortunately for the hash all the golfers had gone home. The hare counted us out and counted us all back in!
The MH3 August trail is usually set to celebrate Butcher's Dog's birthday and today was no exception. Cake at the On Inn guaranteed a favourable run discussion.
RA Dobber gave out the following awards:
1. Durex - abusing the RA, something about a narrow gate and the need for vaseline;
2. Lionel (Roy Rogers) - the horses caused him to move more quickly than usual;
3. Pull Through (?) - tripping over the road kerb (kerb crawling?);
4. Welcome backs for Smutley and Ballcrusher;
5. Oriface - rapidly approaching 65;
7. Butcher's Dog, the hare awarded a 'good run' to the tune of hashy birthday; and finally;
8. Gobalot - whilst our athletes are achieving medals in Rio for their skill and athleticism, she got first prize in the Ticknall village show for putting a bunch of flowers in a vase! 

Where's the summer gone? We're looking for a hare to set September's trail.

On On ..Durex

Trail as done by Durex

QH3 Run 912. The Wheatsheaf Inn, Cropwell Bishop

RUN #912

Date : Sunday 7th August 2016
Location: The Wheatsheaf Inn, Cropwell Bishop
Hare: Shagulater
Weather: Glorious sunshine with some wind 
Pack size: 15

GM B*gger welcomed a good-sized pack to Run No. 912. The absence of the RA was noted and the weather was still wonderful - Durex and Butt Plug were nominated as stand-in RAs. The hare was still out laying the trail at ON OUT time and instructions were conveyed by phone. It was the fifth time we have run from this ON INN - the last time was 8 years ago when Shagulater was also the hare.
The first check at the canal was a good one, especially as several had been down the correct path but had come back before a distant third blob had been found. Newcomer Wednesday saw more flour in the first mile of this trail than she had seen on her previous two trails.
The trail was very well constructed with good checks that kept the pack together. Indeed, no need for the many holding checks the hare had deployed which betrayed his anxiety not to be caught as a 'live' hare rather than holding up the pack. It has been a while since we've had a sizeable pack of real FRBs swelled by returning newcomers Craig and Wednesday joining the usual suspects (Butcher's Dog, Sausage and Lily the Pink). These all enjoyed the extra 1.5 mile long loop added by the hare to make this a 6-mile plus trail.
In a shameless attempt to influence the run discussion the hare had organised a good supply of chip butties. This was supplemented by a Butcher's Dog birthday cake served once the circle was complete.
Durex and Butt Plug ran the circle, the RA's song book was missed. Awards (not necessarily in this order) were given to:
1. Lily the Pink - doing a good job as hash flash and posting photos on the hash

In hashing circles you will forever be
known as 'Wee Willy'

Facebook page;
2. Wednesday - wrong calling the first check;
3. Slug - straining to get an EE signal on her phone;
4. Butcher's Dog and Puss in Boots - hashy birthdays;
5. Butcher's Dog, unusually being the sole 'dog' on the hash today;
6. Malteaser - interfering with the hash flour;
7. Craig - returning for his 2nd hash trail in a kilt! Named today as Wee Willy;
8. Wallington - wearing strapping on both wrists received the obvious abuse about how such injuries can be inflicted, too much time on the computer;
9. Jelly Knob - who managed to get from Littleover to Cropwell Bishop by public transport on a Sunday and also succeeded in not going down on the hash today;
10. The hare, Shagulater who received a wee DD and accolade for a good trail; and lastly
11. Pre-Mature was today's NODDY (Not Offered a Down Down Yet), he'd only stayed for the the circle so he could get some cake.

Cake, chip butties, a good long trail, and not driving today - all ingredients for an enyoyable hash day. On On.. Durex

Trail as done by Durex