Run Details

*NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE* New start time of 19:00

#2365 - The Plough, Upper Dicker - With St Bernard working away and unable to set a hash from Saddlescombe, On On Don (and Pompette) stepped up to save the day with a last minute hash from a lesser-run pub - The Plough in Upper Dicker. In typical OOD fashion, maps were furnished to several of the r*nners (Nasty Nips, Hot Fuzz and Rebel WHK) and important points were highlighted (and already marked on the map). With the kitchen closing at 8:30, the r*nners needed to be back on time. With a small pack in attendance, and no hare on trial, what could possibly go wrong? And so the hash set off NE along Coldharbour Rd, over the roundabout (with check), passing the church and turning SE at the Post Office off tarmac and onto trail. Continuing SE, the pack would find themselves running across first the football pitch and then the cricket pitch into the corner of the field and picking up the footpath through the farm to the N of Michelham Priory and over the Cuckmere River not once but twice (as the river here exists in parallel streams). Footpath followed along the N bank and into the woods heading E and to the first fishhook, for 7. With only 7 r*nners, you would expect everyone to do the fishhook; however, Whose Shout played the 'age rule' and so Private Dancer ended up fish-hooking twice. Trail continued E to the road by Knockhatch Farm where a 4-way check stumped the pack for a short while as the gap besides gate (which OOD had disclosed to the map holders) went unchecked. Continuing E along the road and around Knockhatch Adventure Park, trail then turned SW just after the lake at a check. Footpath followed the field edge, turning NW then back SW again leading another fishhook. Continuing up the steps and W into the field, passing by Knockhatch Ski & Snowboard School, trail then turned back SW to Arlington Rd. So far, everything had gone to plan and the hare's marks had been followed without issue. Little did those 7 r*nners realise that this was all about to change... At Arlington Rd, on the opposite side lay two routes - one directly opposite and another at a 45 degree angle away. The maps provided indicated that the pack should take the second option, and (with FRBs checking) NN was marking this option when PD called from the opposite path! Obviously OOD had made a mistake in his mapping, and so the markings were corrected and the hash set forth on the marked trail, leading them along the E edge of Wilmington Wood, turning deeper into the woods at the crossroads with Highlands Wood. And then the marks disappeared! FRBs could find nothing in any direction and, cognizant of the fact that they were now simultaneously both on- and off-trail, a decision was made to cut NE along the footpath in an attempt to pick-up the mapped route, providing them with a more direct route back to the indicated trail and pub. The pack found themselves back near the junction with Arlington Rd, now taking the mapped but not marked route along the bridleway and towards a footbridge (FB on map) that should yield a check and back to trail. Attempts to short-cut even further found the group running in circles in the N edge of the woods before NN turned around and led the group back to the bridleway and the FB found. But there was no check... Instead of following the mapped route, and with no marks in sight, the map-holders agreed to continue with the Bridleway SW to the road. Finally arriving at the road, the pack turned S for a short r*n along the road to Primrose Farm where the track found the hash back on the marked trail. Finally! And so, a simple final few kilometres found the group of 7 r*nning along the track, turning into the field at the bend in the road and proceeding NW turning N around Mill Wood and to Michelham Priory Rd. FRB PD was observed covering a fish-hook and (already running late) Just Naomi and NN decided to run through the fish-hook (NN crossing it out in the process), a fact not lost on Hash Gomi, HF, RWHK and WS who claimed to have done it. On Inn was called, with a r*n back along the road W to the pub. Gathered once more at the pub, circle called, NN pointed out that the last time BH7 had visited this pub was in 2012, run #1796 to be precise. And so Hares OOD and Pompette were called up, as too were HF and RWHK for co-haring / map-holding on the run; DD to "Here's to the Hare's". Next up, DDs for the first FH were given to WS (for using the 'age rule', as he put it) and PD (for being the only one to FH twice); DDs to "10,9,8...". NN then recounted to everyone, but especially the w*lkers, how the first third of OOD's hash had gone without hiccup, and then pointed out the mapped / marked discrepancies and their trail trials tonight; OOD was called back up for 'poor mapping' with DD to "You're Useless". Finally, PD and Just Naomi were called up for not Fish hooking that last one (since PD has initially covered it up, and even though NN had crossed it out); DDs to "The Grand Old Duke of York". And so another fabulous hash was closed out with a toast.

(NN notes: Whilst the above may imply and the reader may infer that OOD did a bad job at haring, it would be remiss of me to point out that nothing could be further from the truth. OOD was thanked several times (and especially for stepping in last minute), and his mapping / route-laying discrepancies only added to the enjoyment that evening and provided quite a post-dinner topic of conversation. After all, it's not every hare that furnishes you with a 1:25000 OS map printout to give you such ability to navigate if the trail is lost!) - Nasty Nips