What is this summer coming to?  Another glorious evening and huge pack of hounds eager for a good trail.  Gatecrasher was one of the first, doing at least one circuit of the very large car park before deciding which space to choose.  Luckily for everyone else he chose one that meant the rest of us didn’t see him change from his natty day clothes into his running gear.  Rubber Sole was the next to weave left and right before coming to rest directly behind Hutch – he did look a little anxious!

It was lovely to see Finger Flasher for the first time in ages, and to hear he is to become a dad to twins at the end of the year.  Many congratulations to them.  Qualcast was very keen to say hello to Tosker, but we were all warned off him as he is not always as friendly as a Labrador is expected to be.

CS was wearing the green shorts but with a rather large pair of shreddies underneath.  Most odd look but preferable to the commando style he usually employs.

We were all called to order but Mismatch and Gnome Alone (or was it Epic, CS?) were spied at her car.  He seemed to be very interested in her feet!  It transpired that she was trying out some gaiters for her mammoth run on Saturday.  She then collected a dog (Ember) from her pit crew (her mum and dad), also parked in the car park.  CS asked for the category of misdemeanour that the paddle holders (Lemony and Wimpey) would be looking for.  Complaining was chosen.

Much to everyone’s surprise the trail led straight over Clifton Bridge.  At the gate out of the field by the church most people just stood and waited, certain that the trail went along the grass.  But when Epic came back Dave and Lemony felt they had to check along the road.  Neither of them bright enough to realise there was a path through the churchyard.  Dave doesn’t know the area but Lemony has no excuse.  This left CS to check that way, in the green shorts. Somewhat sacrilegious we felt.  At every check Lemony and Wimpey swapped the paddle.

At the back of the church we crossed the road and headed along beside the main road before cutting left onto the footpath.  Here there was a choice of ways.  Stiffy set off left and the trail went – you’ve guessed it – right.  This was a very long leg up to Thame Lane.  Stiffy finally caught up, complaining that no-one had called him back.  Or is it that he was running so fast he was out of earshot.

We went left on Thame Lane for a short time before cutting back through the woods to the back of Culham Science Centre.  At this point Mismatch appeared, somewhat covered in mud.  She had tripped up and taken quite a knock.  “It’s mostly dust” the sympathetic hounds said.  We then turned back into Clifton Hampden.  “That was a short run, we thought, but not a bad idea for such a hot night” but no, we turned right and ran along the footpath parallel with the main road, cut diagonally across the field and came to the weir.  At this check Gnome kindly pointed the trail right to Epic.  “That’s the footpath, there”.  Off he set, being the only one at the front who realised the only river crossing in that direction is Sutton Bridge, nearly 3 miles away.  We called him back quite quickly, ran along by the side of the river and turned over the bridge, back to the pub.

Back at the car park Mismatch’s injuries were tended to by her pit crew (well, it was their dog that had probably caused the fall), and we all dried off a bit. Before crossing the road to the pub.

A lovely run, some virgin terrain for some of the hounds, and a good hostelry at the end of it. 

CS took the floor for Hash Words – or rather the external spiral staircase.  Thank goodness, again, for those shreddies.  He awarded the shorts to Big Stiffy for no other reason than he is getting married.  He did suggest they would make suitable wedding night attire!

Zorro was stand in RA. 

First the naming.  Keep it simple, is always the best advice.  Dave was wearing an Azkaban tee shirt and had mentioned that he had been on a Harry Potter weekend.  So he was named Dobby. 

Then came the Yellow Shirt.  He had thought of awarding it to Hutch for having friends but, in stead, went for Mismatch for coming with a pit crew and falling at Gatecrasher’s feet – we still don’t know if he helped her up?

Then Henry V passed over the shirt she had been wearing.  This threw Zorro into a moment of panic.  But we decided to pass it to Billy Whizz as he, and Hoodie, were the youngest and fittest folk there and had walked most of the way talking continuously about nothing!

Wimpey then awarded the Paddle of Rebuke.  It had been such a lovely trail there was hardly any complaining.  Apart from Stiffy but he already had the shorts.  So it gave it to Hoodie so that both of the lads had a punishment.  It seemed only fair.

On On

Hare: Pressganger and Eric

Hounds:  Zorro, Lemony Snicket, Wimpy, Eric, Epic, Hotlips, Big Stiffy, CS, Gnome Alone, Henry V, A Cruel Joke, Billy Whizz and Qualcast, Hash Hoodie, Finger Flasher and Tosker, St Bernard, Gatecrasher, Mismatch and Ember, Wilson, Dave, Osborne, B’Cider, Rubber Sole, Hutch, and friends (Caro, Dicko, Kimbo and Trish) and a friend of Pressgangers from ‘the village’ whose name I forgot to write down!

Date:  15 July 2014

Distance: c5 Miles