We met in the car park opposite the pub just as it was trying to rain.  A good crowd set off to find the on out which went through the church yard before heading west to the edge of the village and then north, East and North West towards Lyford until we came to the stream.  Here we turned East and continued along the footpaths until we came to the northern edge of East Hanney.  Heading South again we came to the achimedian screw that powers a small development in the village.  The owner of one of the properties was most welcoming and a group had a close look at the screw and chatted with him before setting off west and then south along the footpaths again.  After another turn west we reached the Millenium Wood.  Gnome led us a merry dance here, weaving in and out of the trees and up and down the various pathways, going over the same ground more than once.  No-one had any idea which way was up by the time we found our way out at the south of the wood. We carried on towards Bradfield Grove Farm and came across an electric fence.  Gnome had suggested we have a limbo competition here but most people decided to duck underneath.  Or try to anyway.  Hutch didn’t quite manage to bend low enough.  It could have been the sweat on his shirt but there was a flash, a loud crack and a definite tightening of Hutch’s buttocksbefore turning back North for the long run back into the West Hanney and to the pub.

Just as we arrived it started to rain.  And then it poured!  But, luckily, there was a large sunshade over the garden furniture so we could still sit outside.  The landlord provided large amounts of chips with bowls of chilli to dip them in.    

The shirt stayed with Big Stiffy because he had it this week but no-one had seen him wearing it 

There were lots of contenders for the pants:

- Saltana because he had spent quite some time trying to get through a gate, concentrating so hard his tongue came out, only for someone else to walk up and open it straight away! 

- Anne for answering “I’m fine thanks” to the question “Did you run the London Marathon?”

- Gnome Alone for losing his small sack (Call Girl hid it actually)

- Noddy for shouting “Runners coming through”

- Northern Sole for complaining that he had to do up his own shoe because RSB wouldn’t bend down!

But the winner was Hutch for attacking the electric fence

Then came the namings.  Rachel only runs with us in the summer so was named Swallow.

Anne and Caryn wore Fit Angry Birds T shirts on their first hash and both enjoy the occasional cider.  Or FAB shirts.  This led to Absolutely Fabulous which has just opened as a film.  So Anne became Patsy and Caryn, Edina. 

Finally it was Martin’s turn.  He loves tennis, is a bit of an odd ball and is a thong ranger. So he is now Bong Bungee.

On On 

Hare:  Gnome Alone

Hounds:  Wimpey, Lemony Snickett, Hutch, Professional Peach, Hotlips, Noddy, Led Zepplin, Big Stiffy, B’Cider, Rubber Sole, Nothern Soul, Rubber Sole’s Buddy, Rachel, Saltana, Comet, Uranus, Call Girl, Bat Girl, Barry, Lo-Cost, Hell Boy, babs, Albert, Mismatch, Martin, Jo, Anne and Caryn

Date:  2 August  2016

Distance: 5 Miles