Run No. 1407               7th August 2011

Venue:                          Chez My Lil’

Beer:                             Sheppard Neame Dragonfire

Location:                      Welwyn Garden City

Hare(s):                         My Lil’

Runners:                       15

Virgins:                           0

Visitors:                          0

Newies:                           0                           

Hounds:                         1

Total:                             16

Membership:                Either side of the Border!

            Barbeque weather was need for this morning & to start with it seemed that the Pack would be granted their wish, but would it last as grey skies trolled in as the gathered at Chez My Lil’?  For a Barbeque Run the numbers were a little sparse on the ground.  The Nutters were away, as were the Le Pew’s, the latter family were still up in Scotland where it had been raining heavily most of the night.

            Sloppy Seconds arrival was greeted by Hyena explaining to My Lil’s Mother that he drives a Hairdresser’s car!  Spotted Dick & Custard arrived at the venue, they too had been up to Bonnie Scotland & explained that they had one good day [Wednesday? I seem to recall - Ed] but for the rest of the time it rained, or as the locals say they were ‘bathed in Liquid Sunshine’. 

            Anyhow, the GM was back for this week’s Trail, so when it came around to introducing the Pack to the Run number there were a few waiting with baited breath to see if he would get it correct?  In the end Fliptop was one out on the Run number, so he was given the benefit of the doubt & the blame was fairly placed on the Belgium Beer that he partook of before the Circle was called.

            The Hare explained that it was usual Herts markings & that the Trail headed westward along Howlands to the Chequer’s Roundabout.  So, off the Pack went on their merry way along to the end of one of, if not the longest, roads in Welwyn Garden City.

The Trail followed the footpath as it drops down from the level of the road & Dust led the Pack through a short subway & in to the open centre of the roundabout below the road level, there the First CHK was found.  The RA was happy to see Sludge had fallen for the first Falsie from the First CHK, but he didn’t expect No Eye Deer to be following on behind Sludge as she ran back to the centre of the roundabout in the line of Hashers following on behind him.

The Trail was picked once again, Fliptop, Sloppy Seconds & Spotted Dick led the way over to a footpath running through the remnants of the Creswick Plantation.  Xperiment, No Eye Deer & Custard all followed on as the Dust led through the edge of the wood, beside the back gardens of Eddington Crescent.  The Hare put in the first Short Cut as the likes of the RA, Flanders & Ketchup all choose to the take the simpler option of following the footpath on the A1000 side of the wood.

The SCBs missed out on the trip on a desire line that led up to the Creswick stream, a feeder to the River Lea.  The Trail led over the concrete bridge & other obstacles spanning the stream amongst the trees for some of the FRBs to make their way around to the outer south edge of the wood.  The Hash all met up at the southeast corner of the plantation, there a CHK was discovered.

Sludge was again caught out as he took to one of the obvious footpaths over the farmland between Chequers & the main-line railway to Kings Cross, a couple of others started to search over toward the railway line, but as Hyena’s Trail from the previous week came out that way from Stanborough lakes the Hare had avoided this!”  It took awhile but eventually the RA realised that there was a gap in the hedgerow by the A1000, Ketchup was quick on to this as well as he led Daddies Sauce & pushed Jaron’s buggy over to the ditch in the hedge & then out on to the grass verge of Chequers.

The RA knew that there was an alleyway directly across from the arrow on the verge, he was first up there as it led between the wooden fence to the gardens of Elliot close on the left & the hedgerow for the open fields to the right.  Having followed the Dust out on the path on the kink in Elliot close, an arrow directed the Pack in to the said fields.

Sludge was straight on to one path with Dust leading over to the path of woodland to the south, but it was soon realised that each option had Deut laid down equidistantly.  Sludge was on a Falsie, so was Mr. X but Sloppy Seconds & Xperiment weren’t as they picked up the Trail heading back toward Chequers!  Sludge cut across the barren area of crop field to intercept the Trail a sit made its way around three quarters of the square off shoot of the land.

Sludge picked up the Dust as it led in to the wooded area on a westerly path that would eventually emerge back on to the edge of the barren crop field.  As the SCBs followed the Hare’s SC directions marked on the edge of the field, they passed by a gap in the hedgerow which is a cut-through to the homes on Boundary Lane & out of the blue T-B-T & Paxo suddenly appeared from this route.

T-B-T & Paxo tried to make their excuses to the RA, who just happened top be on the Short Cut where they joined the Trail, it turns out that they were late after Paxo had convinced T-B-T to cycle over to this weeks Run!  T-B-T had agreed to this & it took a little longer than they expected, but the RA asked if T-B-T had given it any thought to the cycle back after the Hash?  Seems not!

The SCBs would now reach the point where both paths join at the same time as Sludge, a CHK was found by the end of the hedge which separates the two fields behind the homes of Boundary lane, which derives its name form what used to be the boundary between the Manor of Digswell & that of Hatfield!  From here Sludge would again get it wrong, the Hare was happy to see him scuttle doff to the south along beside the hedgerow!

Sloppy Seconds & the RA led the way straight out to the east as the Trail led along the edge of the field toward the old rustic narrow lane part Holly Bush lane, unlike the populated urban part further northward in to Welwyn Garden City.

Mr. X & Sloppy Seconds now had to keep hold of Kobe, so he didn’t continue down to the lane, where there was some passing traffic, until the Hare reached this point.  An arrow direct the Pack up the lane toward the homes on Boundary lane, Sloppy Seconds bleated about not continuing with the Trail instead of waiting with the RA as he held on to Kobe!

Sludge now caught up with Mr. X & Sloppy, as did Xperiment, Spotted Dick & Flip Top were soon making up ground as well.  Sloppy & Sludge almost walked on by the part where the Trail left Boundary lane & cut through an alleyway to Golden Dell, the Trail would now lead out on to Howlands & on to a CHK near to local Garages.

From there Sludge found a Falsie off down on the green beside a small block of flats, Xpermiment & Sloppy were soon following on, meanwhile Mr. X had continued along Howlands toward the  QEII Hospital.  Sludge & the other FRBs on the Falsie were soon back to Howlands as the Hare directed Custard, Paxo, Flanders & Hyena over to the opposite side of the street.

Sludge had noticed that he RA was still heading out toward the Hospital & called Mr. X back to the alleyway Sludge was about to start to follow the Trail down.  The RA didn’t turn back as he was heading to the QEII to have a MRI scan!  Yep!  He started the Hash, went for a scan & was back to follow the trail Inn to meet up back at the Barbeque!

Anyhow, Sludge led the Keenies on through a series of alleyways that link the back streets of the Beehive area of Welwyn Garden City.  For Hyena, & those of the knitting circle, the Hare set a short cut continuing up Howlands & then around on to Beehive Lane, directly across from the QEII main entrance to meet up with the FRBs.

The Trail now made its way around by the Beehive Pub & then on through King George V playing fields, the trot around the open green space with its football pitches, it would weave its out to Holly Bush lane & then over to go around Walnut grove to make its way back out to Howlands & Inn.  To reach the On Inn the Hash only had to pass by Layton street, the only ‘street’ in Welwyn Garden City & who’s name is something that is still contentious with the Welwyn Garden City Society.

The Pack had devoured the chicken wings by the time Mr. X had used his local knowledge & followed the Trail back Inn after his ‘off Trail’ jaunt to the QEII, the large pile of chicken bones on a plate were testimony to this!  Paxo was tending the Barbeque & every thing was going swimmingly here were plenty of snacks to munch on while the burgers & Sausages were cooking.

Spotted Dick had picked up a mushroom, or some fungi, which he proceeded to cook on the barbeque before offering to these daring enough to try his foraged food!  Well, it was more than tart to say the least, some thought that it tasted Shiitake [Awful pun – Ed], though Mr. X said that it was better eaten with some cheese!

Having eaten a fair amount of food, Ketchup had to leave before the Circle to take Jaron to a Birthday Party!  So, the Pack was one light when it came to the Down-Downs.

After the GM had toasted the Hash, the RA was eventually asked to take over the Circle.  The Hare was rewarded for a Trail which took most an hour to get around; T-B-T & Paxo were out for cycling over to the Hash, all they needed was a swim to make it a triathlon Hash! Sloppy Seconds & Hyena were out for the one having a Hair-dresser’s car & the other for mentioning it!

Sludge was out for trying to call the RA back & not believing that he had a Hospital appointment, the GM interrupted this & said that the RA should join Sludge as he managed to get his appointment at a Hospital near to the Hash On Inn!

The Hashit went to Spotted Dick for cooking up a very bitter mushroom, which would be situated in the ideal place for dogs to cock their legs up, for the Pack to eat.  This led to My Lil’ saying that Spotted Dick was “a Fungi to be with!” to which the RA added that there was not “Mushroom in the Circle!” all of which led to a lot of groaning from the rest of the Circle!

After the Circle had disbanded the Pack continued to hoover up the food, & there was plenty of it!  But it seems that the mushroom that Spotted Dick had foraged wasn’t the only ‘Bush-tucker’ eaten out on Trail.  Also on offer in the Hedgerow, Fliptop was one how also sampled the damsons, plums & other soft fruits that were ripe at this time of year.

Later on the RA received a txt message from Fliptop saying that he was lucky that the Howard Centre Toilets were open as he had some abrupt effects that were not form Paxo’s cooking!  Initially he blamed the mushroom, forgetting all the soft fruit he had out there, let alone the Ale he drank to wash it all down.

The RA later went on to find the Mushroom by the name Spotted Dick had called it, nothing came up under the spelling he put in to the search engines!  What he did find out was that some species of Mushroom should not be eaten with the consumption of Alcohol (i.e. the Common Ink Cap) also that some poisonous ones can take up to 6 days to kill their victim, so I gather if we all meet up a week later then it was okay to eat these bitter things?  Other edible Fungi have such delightful names as Jews Ear & La Trompette de Morts (Trumpet of Death) & as for the Stinkhorn fungi of Phallus rubrovolvata well its lucky Pebbledash wasn’t there!!!