Run No. 1330 5th April 2010
Venue: The Cock
Beer: Greene King Hare Raiser Bexons St Edmunds, IPA & Abbott
Location: Baldock
Hares: Paxo
Runners: 25
Virgins: 1
Visitors: 0
Newies: 0
Hounds: 5
Après Hashers: 1
Total: 31
Membership: Easter Eggs Hunt?
Time has come to celebrate Eostre again & some Christian thing as well. The Grand Monkey had set the Trail on the Saturday & he was in ‘Corporal Jones’ mode as he left a message for the RA saying that the Pub has a sign on the door that says that doesn’t allow under 18 Year olds in! Don’t Panic, Don’t Panic!
The RA wasn’t flustered by any of this, as there are plenty of other drinking establishments in Baldock, even if they are mostly Greene King! Of more importance to the RA was Sparky’s arrival & his asking “Has anyone seen the Hashit?” The very item he was awarded the previous week, & now it was no longer in his possession! Others were soon quick to bring up the Herts’ ‘Tradition’ of how if it is not worn the following week, then it has to be worn for the number weeks it is missing!
Fartin’ martin had turned out for this weeks Trail, anyone would have thought that there were chocolate eggs to be found at one of the Held CHKs this week, oh, there were! His claim of the Hockey Season coming to an end & that was the reason for his presence fell on deaf ears!
The Pack gathered on the small green verge running down the end of the High street, the GM welcomed the Pack & Newie Ceara (with biscuit, her hound) was introduced, as she was, My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead was overheard by some to enquire “Does she do it nightly?
As Paxo was the day’s Hare, he stayed rooted in the centre of it as he explained that there were short cuts, & that was it! He then just directed the Hash off down toward the centre of the town.
Those with local knowledge were quick to pick up that the Trail would utilize an alley way off of the High Street, between two of the businesses, to lead out on to open green space behind. The first CHK was found on the edge of the park, My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead, Sloppy Seconds & the RA all took to the alleyway leading out of the opposite corner to the Tene where they picked up on the Dust, but it wouldn’t leave the park area that way as Dust was seen on the trees along the edge of the football ground.
As the FRBs followed the Trail along the edge of the pitches, the Hare led the rest diagonally across the pitches. Along the way the RA recalled that this was the very Football Club that a few of the Hash went to see the Out of the Blue play, & Drinker poured half of his beer over a Bikers head, who he didn’t know, fortunately they all got out alive as the Biker realised that Drinker was completely blathered wazzock who didn’t know him from Adam!
Anyhow, the Trail led out to the Clothall Road & the Hash were led up to the east to a CHK by Pinnock’s lane, while Mr. X & My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead searched further along by Prospect terrace, Sludge crossed over to look on the footpath bisecting the crop field before the newer homes on Clothall Common, where (I’ll be back) Reg Holdsworth used to live!
Sludge found the Trail & led, Pepé le Pew, Sloppy Seconds, T-B-T, Bus Stop, Windmill & ARP out to the North, by the time Mr. x & My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead had been called back, they realised that the SCBs were being directed down the Clothall road on a short cut beyond Prospect Terrace.
The Hare followed on behind the FRBs, just to make sure that they would fall for more of his divisive tricks, while Alison, Ceara, Pete, Millie, Roger the Cabin Boy, Sis & Fartin Martin all took advantage of following on along the short cut!
The Keenies followed the Dust up to a footpath running from east to west behind the hedgerow sheltering the sight of the estate, T-B-T stopped to go & scare some squirrels by a block of garages, while the rest followed the path out to the Wallington road. An arrow made sure that Windmill & Pepé le Pew took to the footpath off of Wallington road a little further north, this would end in a Bar CHK.
My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead & Mr. X were just about to embark on the route that Windmill was on, when the two up ahead turned around, indicating that it was a Bar CHK! Sloppy Seconds dithered a bit as the other two made their way back with intent to take to the path running from the edge of the local allotments. Sloppy Seconds was ushered out over a harrowed field to the Clothall road, where Slug & 3D could be seen in the distance with Eddie & Ray heading toward the bridge over the Baldock by-pass.
The FRBs made their way along the path that was littered with lots of (not so) little landmines left by the pooches of Baldock, by now the Hare Raiser was complaining about needing to stop to scare some squirrels, highlighting the lack of trees & bushes around this area. He got little sympathy!
As Pebble Dash, Puddles & Spillage came up to the bridge, the FRBs managed to get just ahead of them & there they found an arrow on the concrete structure to direct them across the road & on to a footpath on the opposite side of the Baldock by-pass below.
Sloppy Seconds led the way down the gravel path beside the ‘Homestead’ farm, Pepé le Pew caught up with the RA after he stopped to pick up a shiny new pound coin. Pepé le Pew said that he would have to run with Mr. X more often but there was no more money to find on this Trail!
Then some cruel, unsympathetic words were mentioned as My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead was slowed up by his bladder being full, the RA pointed out the trees high up on the ridge of the hill, which were still some way off!
The Trail came out to a CHK on the T-junction with a Footpath running from east to west, there Pepé le Pew & Mr. X followed on across the footbridge above the by-pass in My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead’s wake, for he was still desperate to scare some squirrels! There was a good view of the two tunnels cut in through the high ridge outside of Baldock.
Sloppy took the opposite choice from the others, he began heading down the Icknield way toward the southeast but he was called back when “On!” was called on the Baldock side of the by-pass & a CHK was found by the start of the myriad of paths criss-crossing the common. Sloppy Seconds would soon be led along on to a False Trail as the other FRBs were caught out on their first effort to pick up the Trail once again.
Windmill, My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead & Mr. X fell for more of the Hare’s wiliness as they found Dust leading up to a T within the sheltered part of the common, where there has been a lot of tidying up & management of the parkland.
Pepé le Pew was a little luckier as he took to the east side of the hedgerow to follow Sis, with Winston, & Fartin Martin who was now been charged with walking Lucy up along that side of the hedgerow as “On!” was called.
The Trail followed the east side of the woodland on top of the hillside, being so high up it was inevitable that the Hare would try & lure some of the FRBs down the slope on False Trails. He succeeded in this, as firstly Windmill & My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead went off down from the first CHK upon top of the wooded ridge, while Mr. X fell for the Falsie from the second CHK along that route! Whichever one these FRBS were lured down, it was a steep climb back up to the level!
Three quarters of the way along toward the Hatch lane, a Held CHK found in a small clearing. Windmill somehow managed to make his way to that place by an unofficial route, as did My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead who came up from the bottom of the valley from the south!
Windmill made himself comfortable of an old tree, while the others made their way to the CHK. Sloppy was the first there via the proper route, he was closely followed by the RA & the Hare. Paxo had decided that after last year’s debacle at trying to find the hidden Easter eggs, that he would just hand out the Crème Eggs before there are gooing, gooing gone! Puddles & Spillage went around dishing out these eggs made sure that everyone hwo waned an egg, received one, including Eddie & Ray as they arrived with 3D & Slug.
Of more interest to the adults were the Stellas that the Hare was passing round as well! The Pack had a very nice sheltered Easter Egg stop, Millie & Pete were the last ones to the CHK & they had there eggs as the Keenies were let loose once more.
While the majority took their time at the stop, Mr. X, Windmill, Sloppy Seconds, Sparky, My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead, T-B-T, Sludge & Pepé le Pew carried on with the Trail as it led away to the south along the top of the ridge before dropping in to a dell & then back up a steep incline to a CHK on the edge of an open green slope back down toward Baldock. T-B-T would go astray here & would be AWOL for sometime after the Pack returned to the Pub!
Windmill picked up the correct Trail as it lead away down to the southwest, not far from where Pepé le Pew did a Tarzan impersonation from a rope hanging from a bough of an oak tree, he didn’t run that far this time to re-enact the scene, for once on the main path along the bottom of the hillside another CHK was found. From here the Hare had set the Trail to lead back up the slope, as if the FRBs hadn’t had enough climbing uphill, up the slope & then the Trail dropped down to where the SCBs of Ceara, Alison, Pete, Millie & Roger the Cabin Boy were.
As the Keenies came down to the main path, they ran on to catch up with 3D, Slug, Eddie & Ray to find a CHK by the main entrance out to Baldock. Of course the Trail couldn’t go straight back just yet, & so it didn’t, as Mr. X & Sludge found the Dust running along the inside of the wood on a path following the back gardens of Ivel Way,a dog-leg turn in the path led the FRBs on to an alleyway & down in to Ivel way
Now the Trail would weave its way through the residential back streets & out to London road, but somewhere along the way Sludge disappeared! The Keenies made their way up the right (correct) side of the road & around off of the roundabout to find the ‘On Inn’ My Lil’ Said that it had been a while since he had seen that legend on the pavement! This was on the same side of the road as the Pub.
Coming in through the back streets & now out of the breeze, the warmth of the sun was felt & the Keenies had to cool down after the last leg of the Trail.
My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead & Mr. X went up to Sludge’s car but he wasn’t there, after a little while they decided to set off down to the Pub, Sludge came walking up from the Cock, he was full of woe as he said that someone had got things wrong as the Pub wasn’t opening until 13:00Hrs this Sunday!
Undeterred by Sludge’s portents of doom, the RA went down to the High street where Pepé le Pew said that it was now sorted that the Pub would be open in 5 minutes & the piece of paper saying otherwise had been removed. The Barmaid did a sterling job on her own to start with as the Hash slowly drifted in, so much so the RA gave her a spare Crème Egg!
A few settled in to the main Bar, enjoying the warmth of the open fire, blazing away with some very large logs, eventually the Pack upped sticks to settle outside in the Garden, the usual banter took place.
One topic of conversation was about Ketch Up’s Stag month & how some of the Hash were up in Scotland for some mountain biking in the snow! Its certainly chilly around the Trossachs at the moment (Steady on there Pebble dash) The RA said that he knew that they had got as far as Hughie Blaaaaurgh’s local Pub in Milngavie (pronounced Millguy), whether they got any further was doubtful as 1-2-1 had sprained his ankle & he’s only a few weeks away from his Brighton Marathon in aid of Charity!
Another subject that cropped up was ‘Suzie Creamcheese’ & the RA began to educate Pepé le Pew & Pebble Dash about Frank Zappa & the Mother’s of Invention’s old groupie.
Sparky, Sloppy Seconds & ARP had to make tracks before the Circle was called, no doubt one was wary of getting another Down-Down? With no Hash Beer at the Hash this week, it was a little while before the Down-Downs were sorted out, at least the Pack enjoyed an ale & a chat about those who are single on the Hash, before the Circle was called by the GM.
The Circle saw the Hare rewarded for a Trail that saw the Pack around in less than an hour; T-B-T was out for getting lost on the Trail; Millie was happy to receive her Decca Run bum-bag & especially happy to hear that Pete was called out for his Hash name, it seems that the old joke about taking the all of the letter D’s out of (his great uncle) Edward Woodward’s name leaves you with ‘Ewarwoowar’ something the spell-checker doesn’t like & is a pig to type!
Pete was joined by Ceara, who was one of the few people ever to get a Hash name on their very first run & ‘Does she do it knightly?’ was given to her by the RA!
My Lil’ Sperm ‘ead was awarded a wishy-washy Down-Down as he received his personalized 900th Run Ordnance Survey Map.