Didcot H3 Run 860 - 23/12/08
Run: 858
Date: Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Venue: The Bear at North Moreton
Hare(s): S/Shoveller & Penelope Pitstop
Hounds: Eric, Lemony Snickett, Buzz, Pressganger, Billy Whiz, Gnome Alone, Bootsy, Big Stiffy, Pyro, JWax, Baldrick, Golden Shower, Deaf Aid, CS Gas, Wee Joker, Mrs CS Gas (Stella); Highlighter, Highlighter Junior (Jack), Baby Driver, Monkey Whisperer, Norah Batty, Rear Admiral, R-Sole, Prep H, B-Cider, Mr Sloppy, and Hutch (later in pub)
Scribe: S/Shoveller
The “Pre-Christmas Carols” Run
Somewhere around 28 Didcot Hashers made their way to North Moreton for this run – some arriving after the run and some in time for the run. The driveway at the home of S/S and P/P was carefully packed with cars with the rest parking at The Bear.
This darkness run started soon after 18:30 hours and headed off straight through the car park of The Bear and out into The Croft beyond (rec to you and me). The trail went hard right though a narrow winding path past the Village Hall and then down Bear Lane to where the fast short-cutting runners had gathered. A brief delay until Mr Sloppy picked up the trail back across The Croft and into the field beyond. The trail then looped west and north into the Village graveyard – spooky by torchlight!
Emerging onto the check by the road no-one found the footpath opposite until shown the way by the Hare. At the other end, another Check, successfully broken by Golden Shower and off to our left up the muddy/grassy track.
At the triangle at the top of the track, yet another check, for which the onward trail was down the slope and around the corner to the right and on through the mud. At the end of the hard road the pack ran on into the darkness only not on trail. The trail was off to the left through a gated stile and across the paddock to a similar stile on the opposite side before a diagonal crossing of the next paddock through a narrow gap in the posts and then over two more stiles and along the back of the houses.
A check was sited in the muddy area and the trail went right through an area of mud which Mr Sloppy was tempted to jump into except for a warning of “no mince pies”
The final loop in this trail was up and around the ex-Council houses and back down the road for a final mega-distance trail of 1.6 miles!!!
Everyone piled into the house for Hot Mulled Wine, Mince Pies and other nibbles before R-Sole and Co came in and said that they were already carolling in the pub which prompted a quick exit to the pub after some quick words from Golden Shower.
S/Shoveller