Didcot H3 Run 858 - Oxford H3 500th
Run: 858
Date: Sunday, 7 December 2008
Venue: Snell's Hall, East Hendred
Hare(s): Oxford Hares - of which 3 out of 5 were DH3 hashers
DH3 attendees: S/Shoveller(Hare), Penelope Pitstop, Gnome Alone(Hare), Bootsy, Lonely, Highlighter & Highlighter Junior, CS Gas, Big Stiffy (Hare), Pyro, Mr Sloppy
Scribe: S/Shoveller
This was to prove to be one of the best organised hash events of 2008 and on DH3 territory too!
The weather was cold and sharp to begin with but soon changed into a gloriously sunny and bright day with clear blue skies.
There was a choice of 3 trails – a short 4.5 miles, a medium 6.5 miles and a long 8.5 miler.
After the initial introductions and instructions (particularly a warning of severe shiggy – which was still frozen when we traversed it later!) we were all set on our way along the same out trail. A colourful phalanx of hashers, many sporting new OH3 500th Run vests, trooped away from Snell’s Hall and immediately 90% of the front runners headed down a long false trail! What joy for the Hares!
The onward trail led through the streets of East Hendred and circled around to a narrow path down the side of the village school at the end of which the parting of the ways was evident – with blue flour leftwards for the medium runners, pink flour straight ahead for the Walkers and Old Farts and white flour to the right for the long runners.
Each run group was to experience different things – Mud and Water for the medium trailers, Millennium stones and Best Mates statue for the long trailers and getting lost for the Walkers and Old Farts – before finding the Best Mates Brewery Beerstop. The Walkers and Old Farts obviously knew what they were really doing as they arrived at the beer stop first and promptly drank it nearly dry and then skipped off back towards the Hendreds just before the Long (and thirsty) Trailers arrived. They in turn also drank the beerstop dry just in time for the Medium Trailers to turn up!
The Long Trailers, having hijacked a few of the medium trailers including Bootsy, finished their trail by running along the Icknield Way and crossing the Ginge Brook down in the bottom of the woody hollow – the same location where BH3’s Lemming and OH3’s Mr Sloppy had earlier created havoc with the mud and water for the Medium Trailers. Mr Sloppy was later sighted wearing what looked like most of the mud from the Ginge Brook.
By dint of what can only be assumed as mis-timing and total mis-management all 3 packs arrived back at Snell’s Hall within a few minutes of each other and after a rapid and chilly change most were soon in the warm Hall sampling the Best Mates beer in their new OH3 logo’ed beer glasses or trying out the range of whiskies put on offer by Surrey H3. Down-downs were given to the Hares and then the circle was interrupted so that food could be served. Delicious and abundant Pork Rolls were followed by Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies.
The circle was concluded and a raffle followed and, eventually after much Hash gossip and chat, this much enjoyed event sadly came to an all too soon end.
Although Didcot Hash was represented by those listed above it was a great shame that many of the Didcot regulars missed this real hash event.
S/Shoveller