The circle formed in the car park, then broke up as another car arrived, then formed, then broke up, then formed  well you get the picture!  It was a large crowd and it was good to see Heather and Kyron back again, and to have virgins in the shape of Jon and Liam. 

The hares described it as a “stonking trail” and we set off right out of the pub and down to the corner.  Off on the road to Didcot and then left onto the cinder path.  The trail then cut off right, over the road and round in a loop before coming back to the main road where we met Epic, Heather and Jon who had missed the earlier turn off and short cutted! 

We were lucky to have Scrubber with us as a local.  After the field full of cowslips she led us through the farm yard and on to the grounds of the Manor House before we set off for the clumps. At some point there was a field of bullocks which Epic bravely fended off when they showed an interest in Charlie and Sarah ran away from.  From there it was along the road and off towards the clumps.  From early on Liam had been rather fascinated that anyone would wear the supergirl pants over their running trousers and kept chatting to Wimpey (or Pants as he called him – not a bad hash name really).  At the bottom of the steepest slope all the hounds were hoping that the hares had been kind and take us through the gate to the right.  But no.  Up the hill we went.  A few ran it, a few walked it.  Bat Girl got 80% up it before Hotlips (with us at the summit) and the front runners declared it was a fish hook!  The look on Liam’s face was priceless.  Back down we went and off through that gate after all.  At the next check Epic took the path back up to the clumps - a glutton for punishment - but was called back once he was nearly at the top.   How rude!  Noddy was so disappointed that the trail didn’t go that way as she had enjoyed the view from the top so much the first time (if you believe that ….). 

Was the trail stonking or stinking?  Each runner had their own opinion.  Back at the pub we sat in the garden but were sorry to see that the bouncy castle had been deflated.  Heather kept running to the river bank and back until she had done a full 5 miles!  The pub was full of darts players and a scooter group were gathered in the car park.  The chips flowed and the beer was good.  It was lucky we were outside as Big Stiffy threw his beer over the GM! 

Call Girl took on the mantle of RA and awarded the Down Down Vest to Big Stiffy for drowning Gnome Alone.

Wimpey was sorry Liam had had to leave early which meant he had to choose another worthy winner of the Supergirl Pants.  There was Noddy for offering to lick up the spilt beer, Epic for short cutting or the hares for the lack of flour but he chose Eric for being the last driver to break up the circle by arriving late.

On On 

Hares:  Hotlips and Big Stiffy

Hounds:  Professional Peach,  Lemony Snickett, Wimpey, Pressganger and Qualcast, Eric, Gnome Alone, Noddy, Call Girl, Bat Girl, Kyron, Liam, St Bernard, Wilson, Comet, Uranus, Hutch, Saltana, Heather, Jon, Sarah, Scrubber, Pyro and Whisper, Epic and Charlie, Uptown Girl, Boozer, Rubber Sole, Hutch and Zorro

Date:  17 May 2016

Distance: 4.5 miles