Run No. 1444              9th April 2012

Venue:                          The Grandison

Beer:                              4 Ales only got to try one!

Location:                       Bramfield

Hare(s):                         Paxo

Runners:                      13

Virgins:                          0

Visitors:                         0

Après                              0

Newies:                         0                        

Hounds:                        3

Total:                             16

Membership:               Not welcome without a reservation!

                In a contrast to the previous couple of weeks, the weather for this Trail was what could best be described as inclement, although there would be an easing of the rain for most of the way around the Trail, it was still going to be wet & the bitter breeze would make sure that the acumination of precipitation on the branches of the trees would leave the Pack feeling as if it were raining all the way around.

                Those few who braved the weather to arrive at the venue parked up in the car park over the lane from the Pub’s parking area, it was the decent thing to do as the Hare had got so wet setting the Trail the day before that he didn’t go into the Pub & inform the Landlord of our arrival on Monday!

                In the distance the popping of shotguns could be heard at a local shoot, Henry didn’t like the sound of this & Lofty decided that he would be best holed up in the car, away from the nasty sounds!

As the Pack circled up at the GM’s command, he received a lot of respect as he got the Run number correct again, then the Hare was called forward & as he made his way to the centre he was found to be struggling to get his bergen on to his back, [I know it’s the 30^th Anniversary of the Falklands, but you don’t have to dress as if you’re going to yomp across the South Atlantic Islands! – Ed] Paxo then went on to add that he had thought of putting up some kind of tent for the annual devouring of chocolate eggs!

The more important information followed as Paxo went on to mention that those with hounds should keep them under close control when the Trail passed through the first section of woodland, this was due to a live electric fence being in place right by the footpath!  So, no dogs should cock their legs along there.  T-B-T OBE had already heeded the Hare’s advice as he had already scared the squirrels behind the RA’s car!

The Trail began by leading away down Bury lane, on the uncapped section that becomes a forestry track in to Bramfield Park wood, the first CHK was found at the point where a footpath leaves the eastward bound lane & takes off over the south-western corner of a field to disappear in to the Bramfield Park wood.

The Hare had been slowed up, not just by his Bergen, but by Psycho who was having a bit of trouble with her ankle, she seemed to be convinced that she wouldn’t make it around & would head back as soon as it becomes too much for her!  Paxo was now aware of the situation, he then set off to see that a couple of the few FRBs had continued on along Bury lane to find a T!

The Tail crossed the corner of the field & ran on in to the wood, Louis was soon in to the earthen bank by the wood’s edge, no doubt attracted by the smell of the inhabitants, as he & Mark E Mark entered the plantation.  Things looked a little sparse in the wood, a lot of forestry work had been going on & the timber had been thinned out with the felling of a lot of pine trees.  The path meandered slightly as it made its way out to a wider forestry track, there neat piles of pine trunks could be seen stacked up.  The Trail changed direction here as it took to the wide route of Park lane that leads away to the north.

Party Animal informed the JM & RA that she had been living up to her name the night before, with a session at a local club & then finishing things off by watching TV until 4:00Hrs! [Is there anything worth watching at that time in the morning?  There isn’t during the rest of the day! – Ed]

The Dust led out on to a field of yellow Rape seed, with the moisture in the air the Pack soon got a good lung-full of the distinctive cabbage like whiff of these plants!  The muddy farm track headed out over toward Queen Hoo place, in the not so far off distance the old red-brick Elizabethan Hall could be seen standing out quite majestically.

On the way over to the CHK on the corner of Queen Hoo lane, Lofty explained to the Herts RA that the Run in May from the White Lion is now not going to be a joint run with London, on what will be the anniversary of Windmill’s passing.  She then disappeared in to the undergrowth opposite the old Hall to scare the squirrels.

The Keenies were quickly on to the Trail from the CHK by Queen Hoo Hall, they were soon up the elbow on Queen Hoo lane & in to the tip of the Nancybury Gorse part of Brickground wood, this sits between this lane & the one branching off to the northeast.  Just inside the wood the Hare had marked a SC, for a short cut out to the western part of the plantation of Brickground wood that is closed in by lanes on all four sides.

Mark E Mark, T-B-T OBE, Fliptop & Sludge all followed the Long Trail looping further around the inside of the perimeter of Brickground wood, Crispy Bush, Lofty, Party Animal & 2-1-2 Maureen followed on behind the RA on the SC!  Skip & Psycho would do the same when they too reached this point.

                Both Trails met back up at the edge of the Bramfield road, Dust led over the lane & in to Nicholson’s wood, The Keenies led the way north-eastward through more pine plantation that has been recently worked, the going along the wide forestry track was slippery underfoot as the Trail approached the next CHK.

                Sludge & T-B-T OBE opted for taking the easterly track branching off of the main north-easterly one, they were premature in thinking that the Trail would turn to home this early, they would only find this False!  Meanwhile Mark E Mark had made good progress up the main track but had then taken his eye off of the Dust & had failed to spot that it suddenly led up a low embankment & then off on to a desire line of a path that weaves its way through the denser area of pine trees.

                The Hare’s Hollering to Mark E Mark brought him & Louis around to join the others on the cut through the woodland.  The main core of the Pack made their way deeper in to the wood, where at one point the path was diverted from its natural path by a fallen tree, it now had a route that was reminiscent of an oxbow forming on a river!

The Dust came out on to Perrywood lane, a disused route through the wood that is no longer used for traffic & has a hardcore base.  As the RA emerged out to the CHK on the edge of this open route between the various plantations, the Hare called from up ahead of him to get him to mark the CHK through where the Trail led toward him just a short way down to the edge of Bramfield woods.

The Hare had led the SCBs of Lofty, Party Animal & Crispy Bush up to the Next CHK, while Sludge, T-B-T OBE, Fliptop & Mark E Mark were kept busy with several options, that all resulted in being False Trails, Paxo began to put on a bit of a run as he headed off down to the Basils Park area of the wood with the rest in tow.  It was quite away after a bend in the track, where more orderly piles of logs were found, before the FRBs managed to catch up with him, this was at the point where it joins Back lane.

Here the Hare managed to set up his Easter Egg stop.  With no Horrors being present this morning there was no need to hide the eggs, instead of a free for all it was all rather civilised as Paxo asked if the arriving Hashers if they wanted a large or small egg?  The small ones being Crème Eggs & the large ones being the standard chocolate egg they came with!

As well as crisps to munch on, there was also a choice of drinks from softies, small bottles of French Beers to a Rosé wine!  Mark E Mark commented on the fact that there was no Hyena or Fartin Martin present today with all of these Easter Eggs to eat!

                One of the conversations turned to how some of the Hash were impressed with Sloppy’s write ups, in the absence f the regular Scribe!  Crispy Bush & the RA discussed not being able to get out to Belgian Nash Hash & the characters that normally attned this great little event, the Herts RA usually being one of them!

Fliptop took a few photo’s of the respite in the wood, standing in for the absent Hash Flash, Mark E Mark managed to step in front of T-B-T OBE right at the wrong time, or perhaps the right time depending on your perspective.  The Hare did his best to get the Pack to eat as much chocolate as possible, he was like the witch in Hansel & Gretel fairy tale, trying to fatten the Hash up [There’s no need for that as they can do this themselves on Beer! – Ed]

Psycho & Skip must have thought they would be the last to the Egg stop, Psycho had done well to get this far around & wasn’t showing any signs of her ankle playing up too badly.  Suddenly as the Hare started to pack up the drink & food, Zing-a-long-a-max arrived after late start.

The final stretch of the Trail was now upon the Pack, this had the FRBs taking a longer loop out around from Sally Rainbow’s Dell to run through the edge of Row wood & out on to the Stapleford lane to come back in to Bramfield.  On the opposite path where the SCBs, they took the more direct footpath running through the Dell & out to join the end of the lane as it comes in to Bramfield where it joins Winding shot.

The Pack changed & entered the Grandison, here they soon discovered that every table had a reserved sign on them, this didn’t stop the RA from sitting down at a table around the corner just to knock up the Trash.  A girl came over & cleared off the cutlery & menu, then the rest of the Pack all came around to join him but with a lack of seats it was going to be a problem.

When it was enquired if there would be any seats available?  The girl who it was enquired of replied very abruptly that it was Easter Monday & people come here to eat, the Pack received a welcome that was as warm as the back of the RA’s freezer!  It seems that unless you have a table booked at the Grandison it is not worth going to the place as a drinker’s custom is obviously not welcome there!

                Everyone agreed that it was better when we used to drink over in the Village Hall after Run, so there were no Down-Downs handed out, no final Circle as the disgruntled Pack supped up & left after just the one drink each, which was all very disappointing.  The Pack supposed last time we used the Grandison we were all outside & the owners were happy to take out money while we were out of the way of the diners!