Run No. 1401 27th June 2011
Venue: Standing Order
Beer: White Park Brewery Kelly Hopter, Bedford Best, White Gold
Location: St Evenage
Hare(s): Sludge
Runners: 14
Virgins: 0
Visitors: 0
Newies: 0
Hounds: 0
Après Hashers: 2
Total: 15
Membership: Off the Beaten Track!
It was the Hottest day of the year, so far, & the few who turned out knew that the conditions would not be conducive to Running, so a slight delay was welcomed as Mark E Mark had text the RA to inform the pack that he & Ketchup would be late due to delays on the Train from Hertford North, no doubt the heat was to blame for this?
Sloppy Seconds made his way to the venue in his ‘Fanny Magnet’ & had the top down to impress the girls, though having failed to park it in a small space outside of the Pub & then stalled it in pulling away it didn’t look that cool. Still, it’s better to arrive in a ‘Fanny Magnet’ than on Ketchup’s Granville’s bike, it just needs the basket on the front!
With the GM absent today, possible AWOL due to domestic issues of the culinary kind, Paxo stood in to welcome the Pack to Run Number 1401, which he got spot on as it’s an easy number to remember! The Hare was brought forward to explain what to expect out on the Trail, he confirmed the fears of those who had overheard his earlier comments about it being a long Run!
After being told it was normal markings, in both chalk & flour, the Pack were ushered off southward down the High Street, the arrows led through the passageway between the main row of shops & the separate ones in a block near to the High street. The FRBs went around this block of shops & then on to the Zebra crossing to reach the other side of the street, where Underlay & Sloppy Seconds had parked up.
The Trail cut through a side road near to the Bengal Restaurant, where the doorman was dressed in an Indian style outfit, Fartin Martin added that the guy used to have a decorative sword on him but it has since been removed! Anyhow, the Pack were led out to Primett road not far from where the RA took & passed his Driving Test from. The delicious smell of the Indian could still be smelt wafting through the air as they ran off.
Skip, Underlay & Sloppy Seconds led the way up the service road, while the likes of Mr. X, My Lil’, Fartin Martin & Georgina all took the Hare up on his offer of a short cut over the dual carriage way of Lytton Way to miss out a loop the rest of the Pack would undertake.
The next CHK was found on the opposite side of the underpass, the Trail was soon picked as the Pack made their way down the cycle/pedestrian route along the edge of Lytton way toward the south. The Trail turned westward up Woolmer way & then over toward the traffic lights on Chequers Bridge, these are need to regulate the traffic on the 90° turn in the narrow road as it crosses over the Main line Railway below.
Having crossed the Railway line, the RA said that one of the only parts of his driving test he could recall was along this part toward Fairway road, it was the spot where he had to perform his emergency stop!
From the CHK at the T junction where Chequers bridge road joins Fairway road Underlay was way down to the south, he would be on a Falsie as the Trail would be picked up in the opposite northerly direction.
It wasn’t far to the next CHK opposite the dead end Brick Kiln lane, from here the Dust was discovered on the closed-off end of the old lane of Meadway. The Route began under the thick green canopy of trees lining the route, where the shade was appreciated, before it emerged on to the open area on the edge of the housing estate as Meadway becomes urban again as it approached Gunnelswood road.
The Trail took to another of the cycle ways as it passed beneath the main road, & then on the opposite side of the road it took to cycle way leading northward down below the main drag. A short way along this most welcome of shaded routes led on to A Held CHK by the roundabout above. There was a slight respite as Georgina stopped on the way to the Held CHK to explain to a woman walking her dog what the Hash was about.
Back on Trail & the Dust led the Pack on though more alleyways to reach Symonds Green lane, No Eye Deer was impressed at the Chequers came in to view as the Trail led around the quaint area of Symonds Green, as sits on the edge of the olde worlde green, she said that it was “a little oasis” in amongst the over flowing sprawl of the New Town of Stevenage.
Others were less impressed as the Pub is shut on Monday’s & with the blinds shut it was obvious that this would not be the possible Beer stop the Hare had mentioned earlier. The Pack soon sniffed out that the Trail would lead by the Duck pond took to the old Symnonds green lane, which is no longer open to traffic.
It was all rather rural as the Trail was shaded by the old broadleaf trees lining the route, Mark E Mark led the way on to a CHK on the corner of an open area of sports fields, from here T-B-T, Sloppy Seconds & Underlay would go off toward the A1(M), possibly lured away as one of the Bike Bashes went that way to go beneath the motorway to reach a Pub for a beer stop. It wasn’t top be the case this time!
The Trail resumed on the continuation of the Lane, here on one corner it passed by what used to be Temporary housing in the form of some quite smart looking prefabs, but all are now empty & going to waste.
The Trail emerged on to the west end of Scarborough ave & then on to Clovelly way. It was noticed that Psycho was putting some effort in today’s Run, especially after being caught out here as she went off on one of the Falsies leading through part of town that is all named after UK coastal resorts.
The Trail was now heading toward Fisher’s Green where Fartin Martin had dined the day before. He wouldn’t be going back there today as disappointingly for some there was no Beer Stop planned for this nice Pub.
T-B-T’s running style was pointed out by Mark E Mark as Lobby Lobster said “He looks like he’s running away after stealing something!” She has a point as it did seem that he was on the run from the Keystone Cops! Ketchup managed to get in insult as well about T-B-T, fancy talking about your ‘Hash Dad’ like that!
The Pack moved on over to a green space of a part of Fishers Green, a few didn’t take the proper route of using the subway, where the CHK was, to get over to the green space. Skip, Mark E Mark, Ketchup & T-B-T were among those who cut across the roundabout at road level!
The Path now led on through to Kessingland ave (the real Kessingland is in Norfolk) & away again by way of Fishers Green footbridge over the Mainline Railway. A CHK was found on the split in the path & those with memories of running this way before took the left-hand option & followed the Trail down the path within the wooded area beside Sainsbury’s store.
The Pack negotiated the junction on A602 Hitchin road, once across the double set of crossing lights, Underlay, Skip, T-B-T & Mark E mark all were lured off down the footpath that drops below the height of the road junction for the roundabout to Hitchin & the A1(M) this would turn out to be a falsie!
The Pack were getting back together as the Trail was picked up on the footpath running along the edge of the rock hard field with carbuncle of the Maximum Security Mental Health centre situated at one end. The RA warned the Hash not to stop, in case they were picked up & locked up for the night, as they ran near to the High security fencing & then on out of the field by the local Tennis Centre, then on to the North road.
There were a few who now knew that the Trail would simply cross over & follow the footpath along the edge of the crop field behind the homes off of Granby road, the Trail took to the footpath cut-through between two of the homes & the Pack made their way around through one cul-de-sac & around Chancellor’s road to the cul-de-sac where Sludge lives for the long awaited Beer stop.
Fartin Martin & Georgina missed out on the Beer Stop, they continued on with the Trail! Meanwhile those who did stop off to imbibe were made welcome by Flanders, with a selection cold or warm Beers, or fizzy pop! During the respite, the Hash got to see a Playhouse in Sludge & Flanders’ back garden, apparently this is Sludge’s recovery den (Dog-house) for when he’s been kicked out by Flanders after getting pie-eyed at the Rugby. Apparently the phone in there has been cut off!
Suitably refreshed, & with Flanders joining the pack for the rest of the Trail, it was now time to move on. The Pack were soon out of Chancellor’s road, once through the fenced off meadow on one side of the footpath away from the homes, the Pack were soon back on the edge of the crop fields they were on earlier before reaching the Beer Stop.
On the way out the RA noticed a board that claimed this area is now known as ‘Forster Country’ with a stone carving to indicate E M Forster spent his childhood days at the near by Rooks End. His most famous work was probably ‘A passage to India’
The Trail left the field to make its way through St Nicholas Church grounds, where Sludge’s Mother & Father were married, & apparently Sludge is named after! Mr. X said that he was lucky that they weren’t spliced in St Etheldreda’s or St Mary the Virgin!
Having told T-B-T to respect the dead in the graveyard, as he attempted to blow the hash Horn, Sludge then allowed a few to go the wrong way from the CHK by the very newly restored War Memorial on this consecrated ground.
Having made their way through to the Fitch gate of the Churchyard, the Pack were now out on the Weston road & soon where across the junction to find Dust leading down Rectory lane, but for the Keenies the Hare would have a trick up his sleeve as they were led on further down the lane on the footpath & on to a Bar CHK!
The Real Trail branched off back on the bend where the old lane disappears temporarily through the small wooded area before climbing up the concrete bridge spanning Martin’s Way below, once over the dual carriage way the Pack descended the curly-whirly spiral off ramp down to continuation of old lane, Sludge requested that none of the Pack above him, who had been caught out by his earlier Bar CHK, should refrain from spitting upon him below them!
As the Pack made their way along side the main road on ‘the Jubilee Memorial Avenue’ & the School grounds, Sludge informed those around him that he used to walk this on his way to School, no doubt carrying his chalk & slate! The Thomas Allyane school was name dafter the priest from Uttoxeter, who was buried in Stevenage in 1558 [Two minutes to four in the afternoon is a bit exact? - Ed] & he had three Schools named after him, one in Stevenage, the others are in Stafford & Uttoxeter, as he bequeathed them money in his will.
The Trail turned off on to an alleyway running between two parts of the School grounds, the path now became Church Way as it changed direction to lead out to the end of the developed end Church lane, where the end of the Trail would come in by the older houses built in 1899 on what was a part of the old Town, these are now surrounded by more modern, but sympathetically designed newer ones.
The Pack found the On In behind the Spoons Pub, one thing that was appreciated was the Air conditioned Bar while buying the Beers, before sitting outside in the patio garden along the side of the Pub, there the exhausted Pack found Spotted Dick & Custard.
They arrived late & asked at the Bar if the Hash were running form the venue, the Bar Staff didn’t know, that would have been because the Hare didn’t need to bother to go in & ask as the Spoons Pub has no car park for the Pack to use.
As the Pack enjoyed an Ale or Two, Police sirens could be heard every so often as if they were a reminder that the Pack were in St Evenage. Sloppy Seconds didn’t stay too long, no doubt wary keeping the wheels on his Fanny Magnet?
Once Georgina had been over to the local Subway to eat, the Circle was called before the food at Spoons came out. Down-Downs were awarded to the Hare for a Trail that took the Pack off of the beaten track through the unseen parts from the urban streets of Stevenage; No Eye Deer was handed her Down-Down for being the RA’s Mum & warning him “You shouldn’t be running after donating blood!”
The JM stepped forward & then handed the RA a Down-Down for completing his 900th Herts Trail. The Hashit went to Ketchup for insulting his dad, behind his back on the Trail!