When I joined SH3 in early 1986 the debate was already raging: should the hare go round again with the pack? Our Uncle Gerry was (and doubtless is still) dismissive: if the trail is well laid, no need to accompany the runners. This does not cater for jokers who obliterate the flour, but also rather blithely attributes undue ingenuity to the front runners. Bigfoot’s trail today went in elaborate curves, spirals, and corkscrews: entertaining and original, ingenious and commendable, but too difficult for our poor brains.. We got to the sip stop rather more slowly than the hare had expected, but together; afterwards however everything fell apart. We came to the choice of a short cut, and courageously eschewed this blue flour; but the white led us back to where we had been 10 or 15 minutes earlier. So we retraced our steps: Master Bates, Belcher and I accepted blue and the short cut. Bigfoot’s son (Raydon?) was acting as checking chicken; he is young, fit and fast, and with his girlfriend went everywhere looking for white flour to aid the others. Well, most of the others; when we got in, catching up with Silent Knight as we did so, we found CL, Petal, J. Arthur and Punami in conversation with Peay and already at the beer. I drank mine and drove home, retracing in my car the in-trail, but no sign of the missing pack. (Roadworks which Bigfoot had not counted on meant that start and finish were heavy on blacktop).

  The notes to drivers for finding the way to the start emphasised the roundabouts to be encountered, but omitted to warn people that the return through Chobham required a diversion: yes, yet more roadworks, which for the last two years have made life everywhere much more difficult. If only the statutory authorities could co-ordinate their schemes!

  The previous trail from Deepcut was a right-hander involving several areas; today’s, though starting in the opposite direction, was also – well, in essence – a right-hander, but exclusively in a single, very large, wood, without clearings; fortunately we had the sun to help us steer and orient ourselves. I am looking forward to the map, or maps, which our editor uses to enhance the interest of these reports, though I suspect everyone would have a different trace today.

  A recent “joke” in these columns described Kier Starrmer as a liar, a curious assertion, since Sir Kier never says anything. I assume the writer just meant “I wish we did not have a Labour government!” Fair enough, but let us not forget we had a recent Tory PM quite incapable of telling the truth. Under oath he had to admit that “I was given categorical assurances that…” meant only “No one ever warned me that…” Normally he refused to own up, laughing off his lies as picturesque language, or even doubling down on falsehoods like the famous £350M a week for the NHS. If only! Why pick on Starmer? You will have been following the contest to lead the opposition; in the last century all Tory leaders did make it to Prime Minister (except Austen Chamberlain, whom you have forgotten.) But more recently Michael Howard, Ian Duncan-Smith, William Hague, all missed the job; I would guess November’s winner will also fail. Well, certainly I hope so; imagine any of them in charge! No worse than Starmer, of course, but what sort of comparison is that? There must be MPs of ability, distinction and vision able to lead us; they seem to be shy!

  On On, FRB