The best thing about today’s hash was possibly the car park. Large and largely empty apart from SH3. We could have had a full size pack … but in fact were less than 20 … opportunity wasted!

  The worst thing about it, according to Belcher, “all those little pricks on the run”.
Included in the pack today was returnee Machinist, absent for all of two weeks … and his two daughters, absent for more than 2 years, both elegantly kitted out in huge size 2XL hash shirts … 🤔.  And then there was PF Moz, who was up at 3 am to get to the Solstice hash near Winchester and see the sunrise at 4.50. 😴
  At 11 am sharp the hare Bonn Bugle announced the run to be 5 km with a shortcut option. Only 5 KM for the full run?  It seems she was pre-advised that the runners would be elsewhere today – either at a very elite exclusive party in Chamonix … or attending Guildford H3’s midsummer madness runs.

  Which meant that we had no FRBs … or rather that anyone, yes anyone could be FRB for a while. Even FRB who actually started out as today’s FRB, only to run into a check within 100 metres, which turned out to be a back-check returning us to the car park and out of the other end … leaving FRB temporarily as back marker.

  The trail headed west then clockwise across Chobham Common, all good until we hit the gorse bushes, which were one of the defining features of the run. Quite a few gorse bushes.

  Onto some more checks, there were plenty, maybe more than needed to keep the pack together given the lack of runners. Anyway, the pack did keep together, regrouping neatly at almost every check. And the FRB role kept changing hands, for example even Fannysniffer for a while until arriving at a check where he gentlemanly offered J Arthur his choice of paths to check … whereupon trail-less FS ended up as back marker!  However. J Arthur didn’t get to be FRB either, as the track split and it was Belcher who picked the correct fork.

  It was best to stay on the main paths as any adventure into lesser trails always seemed to end in even thicker gorse. This generally worked except when Master Bates had his turn as FRB, led the pack astray and had to be called back as Bonn Bugle, being checking chicken, indicated a lesser trail as where we were to go.   Ouch! Ouch!

  After 3 km or so we were relieved to move into a more shady part of the common, with fewer gorse bushes, instead some kind of evergreen tree, maybe spruce, but at least the leaves were relatively soft.
Finally, the last rather tongue-in cheek check which Petal noted was actually in sight of the car park … so 5 km it was, which turned out to be a really great length given the heat.

  In all, a great run, especially if you like sunshine … and gorse bushes … 🫣

  The pack huddled in a shaded spot next to the cars where JM Bolshie initiated the Downdowns. Belcher continued, followed by a few funny but sadly unprintable jokes from Master Bates, who was to turn a sprightly 83 the next day.

  On On,
  Fannysniffer