Run 863 - Chieveley
Run PhotosRun: 863
Date: Sunday, 1 February 2009
Venue: Red Lion, Chieveley
Hare(s): Golden Shower
Hounds: Eileen, Twitcher, Plod, Rubber Sole, Gnome Alone, Hutch, S/Shoveller, Penelope Pitstop, Lemony Snicket, Buzz, Wimpey, Pressganger, Tin Opener, Carolin. The K9s were represented by Meg and the visiting Berkshire hound
Scribe: Plod
It was a cold and dreary morning - the weather forecasters had talked about 'arctic' conditions and they weren't far wrong. It was the wind. Piercing and very bitter. I got there at five to - silly boy - only our Berkshire visitors were in the car park. We stayed in our respective cars until, slowly, the car park started to fill up. It was definately a day for multiple layers - see the photos - though one person, the Hare, actually ran in shorts!!!. And it certainly wasn't a day for hanging about. So, after a quick briefing, we were off.
We started towards the centre of the village but then turned left and headed south and within a couple of minutes we were out in the open, crossing a couple of huge fields and getting the full effect of the wind. Golden shower had said something about no mud - at this stage, he was very right. There was plenty of water - all frozen over. But then we were at the M4 and once over it, there was the wood and protection from the wind.
We followed the motorway westwards for a while before turning away from it. Strangely though we never really left it. We may not have seen it for a while but the traffic noise was always there - we never quite escaped from it. Therew was the big house we skirted - with an illuminated tarmacced tennis court - moss covered.
And then just as we thought we might be doing a clockwise loop back to the pub, we went the opposite way and up the hill. It only rose to about 150 feet but it was high enough to need one of the old fashioned water towers on the top. Through some paddocks where even the horses didn't want to be judging by the chewed away wood on the fences. The owner obviously got fed up of replacing the wood and so his solution was electric fencing. Only he /she didn't care for walkers because we found our way barred with this stuff at a style. Several of us got a shock as we tried to manoeuver our way out.
Anyway, we continued on and soon found ourelves in line with Chieveley Services, which meant we were on the return leg. And so once more we ran through the wood, heading for what was obviously the only crossing of the M4 in the area, namely the bridge we had used on the out leg. Only, unlike the out leg, this time there was shiggy a plenty.
And sure enough, we soon ended up at the bridge. The steps to nowhere were explained away by Twitcher. Mounting aids for horse riders who were obviously expected to lead their horses on foot over the bridge. After a cupid pose by Twitcher, we headed back across the exposed fields back to the village and the pub.
4.6 miles was the distance. And this time there was even less hanging about in the car park - although no one turned down Eileen's Weight Watchers receipe 'Stolen' cake, the doubters being swayed by her assertion that despite the rich appearance and taste it was only woth 3 points. And then it was the welcome heat of the pub.
And we were made very welcome therein. Despite how busy it was, we even managed to get some seats and a couple of tables. And so we sat there, mulling over our pints/halves watching a sudden flurry of snow developing outside. The trail was all virgin territory for us, and the comments in the pub were very complementary. So thank you Golden Shower. Shame that there aren't more footpaths in the area - it would have been nice to have come back to here on one of our Tuesday evening runs.
It was Eileen's third hash so a naming was called for, and a straightforward one it proved to be too. She loves baking mince pies - remember Christmas Common - and obviously other things too, as todays cake shows. What does one call a woman who's always mincing? Why, a Mincing Tart! And so Eileen, welcome to Didcot Hash. Hope we see a lot more of you - and your baking - but from here on you will be referred to not as Eileen but as Mincing Tart.
The next hash is in two weeks time when we're at the Flowingwell Inn at Sunningwell. The Hare will be Big Stiffy. See you all there.
Plod