As seems usual these times, an eclectic mix of Surrey hashers visitors and a virgin gathered at Downside Common.  Many of our regulars were absent, including our GM, so we were called to order by Missing In Action. No Dr Death was to be seen but flower was found and we set off westwards towards the On Inn.

  We crossed the road and took the usual route out past Pondtail Farm and across the M25.  Shortly after there was a back-check that was fooling no-one but as we returned to enter the woods at Old Oak Common, three walkers just got ahead of me on the narrow path. Eager to overtake, I asked Veggie Queen “Can I come past?” then Fleur D’Or “Can I come past?”.  Only one to go but it’s FRB so I had better watch my English. “FRB, MAY I come past?”

  A check at May’s Green delayed all but the FRBs as it was kicked out to the right. There were two paths to the right: an obvious one, which split into several options, and the slightly hidden correct solution. From then on, I never again caught the front runners. [#Me too!]

  We crossed into Ockham Common cum Chatley Heath and the trail arrived at the semaphore tower.  As many will know, this has quite a history.

  It was vital to communicate between the Admiralty in London and the naval dockyard in Portsmouth. With improvements to road surfaces and coach building, by around 1820 the journey time between the two had improved to 9 hours for the fastest coaches.  The very best horse and rider could cover the route in just under 5 hours.

  At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, an earlier telegraph system was dismantled.  After Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France, the state of war between England and France resumed.  The Admiralty needed another, and more permanent line of communication between London and Portsmouth, rather than the temporary wooden sheds set up for the earlier shutter system.

  The Admiralty created a new signalling line comprised of stations using a semaphore system, where the positions of two moveable arms would signify a message to be sent along the chain.

  Signalling stations were needed at high points on the route between London and Portsmouth. Each station was equipped with a post and signalling arms, and had an observer with a telescope to keep an eye on the adjacent stations in the chain for any message that needed to be sent onwards.

  The following map shows the chain of stations from the Admiralty at top right down to the dockyard in Portsmouth.

  The system was opened in 1822 with stations at The Admiralty, Chelsea, Putney Heath, Kingston Hill, Cooper’s Hill, Chatley Hill, Pewley Hill, Bannicle Hill, Haste Hill, Holner Hill, Beacon Hill, Compton Down, Portsdown, Lumps Fort (Southsea) and Portsmouth naval dockyard.

  In 1822 it was claimed that a message could be conveyed between the Admiralty in London to Portsmouth in one minute and a few seconds. The semaphore tower on the line between London and Portsmouth at Chatley Heath in Surrey is the last remaining.[More interesting than fibre optics!]

  We then crossed the M25 and returned on a mile of tarmac. Perhaps it was better that our GM was away.

  Down downs were awarded for representing the nationalities that had a special day or special week: In the absence of Le Pro and Agent Provocateur, Fleur D’Or for being French and Missing In Action for being Chinese.

  Other sinners were Ms Bean and Stevie Blunder for Spud crapping on trail, [it was a Thomas Crapper anniversary], Dr Death for wearing a dog collar on priesthood Sunday and Atalanta for living the nearest but still managing to arrive last.  Beers were awarded and drunk down to a roaring rendition of ‘Ou Est Le Papier?’

  On On,

  Simple