Run No. 1396               23rd May 2011

Venue:                          Admiral Byng

Beer:                             Seven Real Ales

Location:                      Potters Bar

Hare(s):                         My Lil’

Runners:                        12

Virgins:                            0

Visitors:                           0

Newies:                           0                            

Hounds:                          0

Après Hashers:             0

Total:                             12

Membership:                A to B & a bus to C

Only a handful managed to make it from Windmill’s wake to the evening’s Trail, it had been a long day for everyone & it was understandable that a lot who attended the Funeral Service weren’t going to do both that & then the Run, especially with having to cart a change of clothes around. 

Those who aren’t very bashful decided that getting changed in the Pub facilities would suffice.  But a few were surprised to see that Kylie had eaten another plate of food, after scoffing two rounds of food at the wake!

            One who did attend both events that day was Skip, though this was a close run thing as he retired to his home for a while & he nodded off!  Hyena & Party Animal joined those who had been out all day.

The GM managed to get the Circle called outside of the pub in time for the hour.  The Pack should have known that they were required to take some money and/or their Bus passes with them!  It was going to be an A to B Trail.

            The Hare did say that there would be short cuts & that the whole of the Pack would be back before 21:00Hrs!  Without further ado the Pack were ushered away down Darkes lane to the south, as they crossed at the roundabout the weather changed to a fine drizzle.

            The RA & GM both led the way down the east side of the shopping parade to follow the Dust up to the railway bridge, where the infamous rail crash happened in 2002,

The RA spotted that the Trail led up the alleyway between the Railway embankment & the local McDognuts & Dominos.

            Zing-a-long-a-max made up ground on these two & was soon up to the CHK where the footpath emerges on to Mutton Lane.  It took a while for the Trail to be picked up once more, with the side streets of Albermarle avenue being searched first, then both ways out on Mutton lane.

            The Trail briefly led up Mutton lane & then off on to Abingdon place, running behind the car park of the local Superstore, no riots outside of this particular branch…..  The Dust led the FRBs along the footpath behind the homes on the left & the Cricket pitch on the opposite side, semi-hidden behind the tree-line to the right.

            The Trail crossed straight over where it emerged on to the Walk & then continued along by the local tennis courts before coming out on to the edge of local Park land.  Zing-a-long-a-max was the only one who followed the Trail out toward the north before coming back around the central grassy area to the east, perhaps he didn’t see the Hare up ahead marking the Trail back on the acute angle that the tarmac path took.

The Next CHK was found by a group of large stones, kind of like Potters Bar’s very own mini Stonehenge.  From here Zing-a-long-a-max & Fliptop both went off on a Falsie on a path through the rhododendrons, they soon returned to run up by the ponds & then out on to High street. By now the precipitation had ceased.

Ahead of the FRBs were the SCBs, of Psycho, Party Animal & Hyena, they were across the main road & heading toward Oakmere park.  Zing-a-long-a-max pressed the pelican crossing button just in time for it to turn green as the RA approached, so he didn’t have to break stride to get over the road.

In the park land the Hare had used all of his trickery to keep the FRBs on their toes, he set a falsie on one side of the first pond, then had the real Trail come back around the opposite side of the next pond down just beyond the Bar CHK.  Then, after leading the Pack down a falsie from the bottom end of the ponds, he had the Pack going back up & then across to find the Trail out through the gates on to Chase avenue.

Some of the Pack were glad to get out of the park as a few NEDs were messing about there & one was dragging his girlfriend about by the hair, who said romance was dead?  Anyhow, a bit of street running lay ahead of the Pack as the Trail descended down the long arc of Chase avenue.

Zing-along-a-max, Flip Top & T-B-T were caught out down an alleyway off to the left from a CHK halfway into the suburban valley.  The Trail now began to rise up the other side of Chase avenue, a turn off on Conningsby drive & the Dust led on through a gap in the white gate in a corner by a set of garages to the edge of a wooded area.  From within the trees that surround the crop field behind the homes, the Trail headed westward, but before the RA could progress along this route he had to stop & scare a few squirrels in the hedgerow!

The Dust headed over to the North West corner of the field to begin a nice trot up between the mature oaks & broadleaf trees of a long finger of woodland.  The Keenies followed the route as it led on the bone dry ground above the small brook on the inside edge of the wood, Psycho now decided that it was her turn to stop off & scare the squirrels!

It was a fairly long trot until the Pack emerged from the tree canopy & out onto a CHK on a wide farm track.  Flip Top, Zing-a-long-a-max & T-B-T all fell for the Falsie across on the continuation of the brook to the east, all emerged out of the foliage to go up the southward route of the Track up Foxholes Hill toward the distant M25, they would soon be turning around again as this too would be false!

Mr. X & Party Animal were both on the right track as they followed the uncapped by-way northward, this too would be up hill but not on such a steep gradient as the opposite side of the valley.  The Dust led up to a CHK by Five Acre wood.  Here the Pack saw the RA disappear in to the wood, he called back that T-B-T should stay on footpath running parallel on the outside of the wood due to the drop down in the floor of the wood to the stream below.  It was also fairly dark under the dense tree canopy & we all know what happened to T-B-T the week before!

“On!” was called by Zing-a-long-a-max, Skip & T-B-T as they picked up the Dust on that parallel outer path, the RA emerged from the tree to join them.  As they ran on by the end of a farm, T-B-T pointed out the A4 sized day-glo Orange inverted V shaped board on top of a pole. 

Here Mr. X learned something new as T-B-T explained that these are used by helicopters to detect gas mains & possible leaks!  Psycho later said that there should be one of those outside of Skip’s bedroom!

Back to talk of the Trail.  Sure enough a concrete marker indicating a gas main was found on the end of the drive!  The Trail followed the drive up to Coopers Lane road & then off on a footpath within the edge of the Fir wood running parallel to the Coopers Lane road.  The Keenies of Zing-a-long-a-max, T-B-T, Skip & Mr. X were all caught out as the Dust had been laid a fair way beyond a stile in the hedgerow of the wood.

A Bar CHK was found & so it was back to meet Psycho, Hyena, Flip Top & Party Animal with the Hare as they crossed Coopers Lane road to find the Trail leading down Hook lane.

Down from the picturesque ‘chocolate box’ cottages & the wild dog roses in bloom on the opposite side hedgerow, from here the lane became an uncapped by-way through the edge of the broad-leafed Hook wood.  It was now Skip’s turn to go off & scare more of the local squirrel populous!

The majority now understood where the Trail would lead from here & that would be up the opposite side of the valley to follow the Track out to its end where it joins the Northaw road in to the village of Northaw.

A short trot up toward the hill & the Pack were directed over to the Two Brewers, & that was all it took for the Trail to come to the end at the first On Inn. 

It was once everyone was in the Pub, enjoying a Beer, that it was realised that Kylie wasn’t with the Pack.  Later on back at the Admiral Byng he would be found after he went astray near the beginning of the Trail & couldn’t find it after the estate before it ran out in to the sticks!

The Pack supped up & walked over to the small stone bus shelter, the Bus was on time, as the journey to the second On Inn was now under the bright skies of a glorious evening, the rain clouds had gone & the sun was shining over the rolling green countryside as the Pack were soon whisked back to Potters Bar, while Zing-a-long-a-max had ran back & he was at the Spoons Pub not long after they arrived

No one ran along Darkes lane to the Admiral Byng, it seems everything had taken its toll.

Most opted to have some food as it had been such a long day, but there was a surprise when Kylie said that he had already had his second plate of food in the Spoons when he got back after getting lost!

There were no Down-Downs this day, just a thank you to those who attend the whole day & a toast to ‘Our absent friend Windmill’!