Dalditch Farm - Woodpecker (and Spocky) - 24th September 2017

The first part of today's trail consisted of everyone asking everyone else how many and on it was.   Everyone admitted that they hadn't been listening in the circle, so we never really worked out whether the information was given out in the first place.  Anyway, we reckoned on three and on and it seemed to work.
I've very little idea where the trail went; standard for me for Woodbury common, but there were plenty of long/short splits to keep everyone together.  Plenty of shiggy in places and some large puddles that proved attractive to Splat and Lethal Weapon, among others.
As can be seen from the photograph below, we had to fight our way through undergrowth at times and it was very prickly.  They get everywhere - CC can vouch for that.
Paperwork managed to collide with a dog; belonging to some "normal" people just out for a nice Sunday morning walk.  I don't think the owners were too impressed and told him to slow down!
We had a sweetie stop followed by the final long/short split that sent the longs on a loop back along the trail.
After about 4 miles (for the longs) we found ourselves On Home.  There were fines for the usual misdemeanors and for new shoes worn by Woody.  Not only were the shoes new, but attention was drawn to them by the long red socks that she was wearing.  You really couldn't miss them.
Due to a peanut shortage at Tesco, we were forced to eat non-salted, non-everyday value nuts and raisins.  The consensus was that salted nuts are better.
Thanks to Woodpecker and co-hare Spocky for an enjoyable trail.

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Coming up...

1st October: Uphams Plantation, Woodbury Common - Dobby (SY041860, map)
8th October: Thorverton Memorial Hall - Twin Peaks (SS926020, map)

Clannaborough Cross - Woody - 17th September 2017

• Tick warning - please check for ticks following today's trail!  Info about Lyme Disease and ticks here.
• A reminder that Groucho will be putting in an order at the end of September for City of Exeter H3 hash haberdashery. See here for more details.
• Hares required for 26th November, 3rd and 10th December, and January 7th.

[Words by Bollards] Woody explained that there were no long/short splits on the hash this week because it had been thundering when she laid it.  Clannaborough Cross is quite an exposed location, so I really didn't blame her for not wanting to be a lightning conductor.  We had a quick lesson on check-backs, as Woody did them just a little differently from what we are used to; with an extra dot to indicate which side to check on.  (Must be a Kirton thing).
There was slight confusion at the start when most of the pack found the walkers trail, but Woody quickly called us on in the right direction and we started heading uphill.  Woodpecker joined us at this point as he'd managed to drive up someone's drive on route and was a little late arriving, but he managed to catch up without too much difficulty.
The pace was slow due to the terrain; consisting largely of gorse, with the occasional path.  Woody's sawdust marks had lasted remarkably well considering the amount of livestock around who had been rather interested in it yesterday.  Woody admitted that the trail was largely dictated by the location of the cows as she didn't want to get too near them.
Once we'd reached the top of the hill (or as far up as we were going) we crossed a stream and eventually reached the sweetie stop.  The views were spectacular, so we paused awhile to admire them.
The remainder of the trail was, as expected, downhill.  We reached a river crossing with some very slippery rocks.  There were a number of fallers, including Strapo who did a spectacular slide down the middle of the river, but managed to halt himself before ending up in the pool where some of the most hardy hashers (Wide Receiver, Mouthful and Bull Bait) had decided to have a little swim.  The remainder of the pack gingerly crossed behind a rock helped by Mad Max.
It was a short run back to the cars from here, where there were the usual fines in the closing circle, including down downs for new shoes.

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Coming up...

24th September: Dalditch Farm - Woodpecker (50.643371, -3.348976, map)

1st October: Uphams Plantation, Woodbury Common - Dobbin (SY041860, map)

And even more photos from Wide Receiver...

REMINDER!!! Hash Haberdashery

Groucho will be putting in an order at the end of September for City of Exeter H3 hash haberdashery.
You can choose your own colour, design and style.  Take a look at the catalogue on the Personal Touch website http://personaltouch-emb.co.uk/pt/catalogue.htm.  There are no prices on the site - contact Groucho for details (exeterrock@yahoo.co.uk) but the information and photoa below give some examples of what we ordered last time.

SS10 Mens T-shirt - £11.00 (clothing)  + £3.00 (add name etc) = £14.00
JC002 Performance long sleeved T-shirt - £10.00 + £3.00 = £13.00
SS14 Adult Hoodie - £16.95
SS6B Kids T-shirt - £7.00 + £3.00 = £10.00
SS10 Mens T-shirt - £11.00 + £3.00 = £14.00
JH055 Ladies Full Zip Hoodie - £18.95 + £3.00 = £21.95
JH050 Mens Full Zip Hoodie - £18.95 + £3.00 = £21.95
JH050B - Kids Full Zip Hoodie - £15.75
SS77B Girls T-shirt - £7.00
11970 Boys T-shirt - £7.00
GD05B - Kids T-shirt - £7.00 + £3.00 = £10.00
SS9 Adult Sweatshirt - £14.50
SS27 Adult Polo Shirt - £13.80

Women's hoodie

Women's hoodie

Kid's hoodie

Kid's baseball jacket

Performance top

Stoke Cannon - Twin Peaks - 10th September 2017

Twin Peaks unexpectedly found herself laying today’s trail and did a great job.  Fortunately, she knew the area well enough to put something together at the last minute and even managed to make it a 2 and on with several long/short splits.

We gathered in the village car park next to the pub and welcomed the return of Spocky, X-Bitz and family who hadn’t been seen over the summer.  Puss, Boots and Miss-Chief were there for their last time as a family of three.  Puss’s waters broke during the night and she was having contractions, so they decided to come hashing to pass the time – like you do!?  Not something I would have done, but the intention was to walk to the first check and then go back home; a route that would take them via the hospital – just in case. 

The trail began with a long/short split and we were treated to the stream train passing close by before we all regrouped near the level crossing.  We wished Puss, Boots and Miss-Chief all the best as they headed back home at this point while the rest of us went along a path with many fish-hooks, before reaching another Hash Halt on the edge of a wood where a number of us took the opportunity to water the vegetation. 

Next there were fields, another long/short split and eventually a sweetie stop.  The final long went along some lanes before re-joining the shorts for the finale, that everyone got wrong apart from those with the hare.  Luckily, no-one got lost and we all returned safely to the car park where Blobby and X-Bits offered home grown apples and potatoes, while the rest of us were fined for the usual crimes.

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Coming up...
17th September: Clannaborough Cross, between South Zeal and Throwleigh - Woody (EX20 2QD map)

24th September: Dalditch Farm - Woodpecker (50.643371, -3.348976, map)

Possibly the last photo of Puss, Boots and Mischief as a family of three??!

Wide showing off his pregnant tummy

Exminster - Bollards - 3rd September 2017

HARE SHORTAGE!  
I need volunteers for 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd October please!

Perhaps the smallest pack of 2017 for this week's hash, which was somewhat expected because Stix had been trying to find a hares for this particular date since the beginning of July. The weather didn't help as the forecast had been predicting heavy rain all week for what was originally planned as a picnic! Bollards was the hare, and she had planned a simple and short trail around the village of Exminster.

The pack gathered in the back garden, within which Stix had erected the gazebo to provide some shelter from the rain. Twin Peaks was first to arrive, followed by Sorepoint and Paperwork, who had found their way to the village this time - and hadn't been directed to a 'destination' on the M5 bridge across the estuary! The only other arrivals were the Naughty Hashing Fairies (see their number plate): BB, CC, Stingray and Splat.

The trail was only supposed to be 3 miles, but turned into over 4, once all the fishhooks and falsies were included. First of all, a loop around the houses, then the meadow, and it looked like we were heading for the marshes across the railway line. But no... it was back up to the church. The trail eventually took us for a loop around the park (Deepway) where we had a sweetie stop, and Paperwork tackled Speedy to the ground (not sure why!). After that, there seemed to be a lot of splashing going on, with Splat and Bullbait playing the leading roles. More loops around the housing estates, before heading up Devington Drive and on home.

After the tail, lots of tea and coffee was drunk to warm back up, and a few biscuits eaten. Not a picnic or a BBQ, but plenty of chin-wagging going in.

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Coming up...
10th September: Stoke Cannon Inn - Groucho (EX5 4AR map)
17th September: Clannaborough Cross, between South Zeal and Throwleigh - Woody (EX20 2QD map)