Run Details

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#2436 White Hart, Henfield – With no hare organised by last Monday, Prince Crashpian was persuaded to step up to find biblical weather throughout the day, but that failed to dampen the spirits of the hash with a respectable pack congregating in the pub pre-r*n, including a long overdue return for Wilds Thing. Weather abating for the chalk talk we learned that today’s trail was brought to us courtesy of an on-line look at the Downs Link railway, and there would be a Trafalgar Day sip stop, although no Mudlark who was kayaking down the Dart or some such suicidal endeavour. With Half Moon bizarrely carrying a colander due to some social media challenge, we left the High Street by the side of the Plough, trail cutting through Furners Mead and on to Henfield Common. Crossing the A281 to meet the track above Broadmare Farm, the clouds parted momentarily to give us pretty decent views to the South Downs. Hare had snuck ahead to ensure the FH was complied with before we crossed the Shoreham Road on to Broadmare Common and the slippy 2-plank wide boardwalk. Checks were called through quickly, but the weather had done its worst and marks were at best sporadic, which actually meant the pack stayed fairly tight as we ran up Grinstead Lane and back down Windmill to a first halt under the bridge. Invisible from above, the high arch was to allow farm machinery through. Some fun followed at Berretts Farm where skeletons had been placed at the picnic tables, which Ride-It, Baby seemed strangely reluctant to leave as we rejoined the Downs Link past Henfield's famous Sand Hills (ask the hare, like most I wasn’t listening!), and continued up to the Old Railway pub. Another stop and we learned that the former railway bridge here was simply buried under the rubble when they built the road, for future archaeologists to muse over. Leaving the DL on hare along Staples Barn, a regroup was called at the Toad, and Knightrider on his final final hash was persuaded to attempt the wet hole, before a charge to the sip. With Rum provided by Mudlark and Sallie Knightriders fantastic mars bar cake, we toasted Nelson, the King, Mudlark & Knightrider before the on inn along Church Street.

Circling up, Nasty Nips was thanked for getting a hare organised [NN note: all thanks go to Mudlark though!] and Prince Crashpian stepped up to accept his beer, now fully aware why no-one else had volunteered! Wilds Thing (who despite starting over a 100 behind Fukarwe caught up to jointly run their 300th marathon last week) had got lost at the first check, found the wa*kers and ironically slated the pack as elitists. An early start meant he’d had to get away thus evading a racism charge, however RA was grateful to NN for pointing out that Half Moon had completed her first race, a 10k in 49 mins; and Little Swinger had knocked out a 3.20 marathon in Amsterdam on Sunday after her 250th (and alphabet) parkrun in 22 minutes on Saturday, so they downed to they’re alright. With an RA WhatsApp group, unused charges don’t get missed, and NN had pointed out that RiB had removed herself last week after catching a cold, along with several couples, oh bitter spinster! Her skeletal mischief and insistence that 1 was on, seconds after the hare had announced 2 was on as per usual, also drew attention. She was joined by Whose Shout who, NN pointed out, hashed on his birthday last week but failed to get his reward despite sharing a car with the RA in which the subject was discussed, and sharing a flask with the pack! NN being last week's RA, he joined the pair and I was also grateful to him for supplying all tonight’s charges, effectively letting me off the hook, so he could have the weather fail downer too - Get A Life you lot! A theme of late has been the imminent departure of Knightrider for which he’s regularly received beer, tonight being no exception, but he would be joined by Gromit and Rocks On on their final time as Henfield residents, with G being thanked for treating the wa*kers to a history trail. The song should’ve been Goodbyeee, but Gromit wanted an early start on his down down which was ruined with the countdown, then back up again before he caught up with the other two! With one beer seemingly left on the table, the temptation was to bring in Hash Gomi who’d timed his barfly arrival impeccably: seconds after Angel removed his name from the sign in sheet, and literally just as RO announced free hash chips! However, the circle isn’t complete nowadays without a fishhook charge, this week’s going to Caught Short who was number 6 of 5 at the 2nd, but he’d had also fallen to add salt to the wound of a bad day that was instrumental in his decision to come hashing, as he wanted to avoid sending angry work emails. It was just as I completed the charge, with him also taking one for the team as P.Rick dog had emptied himself millimetres from the pub doorway, that I realised I was awarding him my own beer, doh! After closing circle with details of next weeks Halloween hash, I discovered that Imoan Naomi had deliberately dressed for the occasion of Trafalgar Day, but she was des driver anyway. Another great hash! - Bouncer