Date : 16th March 2003 Venue : The Foresters, Fleet
Under a cloudless sky a healthy pack squinted, dazzled once again by Fairy Snow’s personality. He promised the earth and, by God did we get it!
Another Surrey H3 escapee joined us, this time a lady called Glinchie. We also welcomed back that travelling ambassador Hamlet, but the star of the day was one month old Robert, son of The Real McCoy and Salt N’Linekar. Both participated in the run with young Robert sleeping the whole way through in his baby sling, pretty much like his dad really. Leaving our sunny car park we ventured into the woods behind the pub and along a track, I found the first check and took us to another on a main road. With the racecourse tannoy system bellowing in the distance, relieve came from another direction when Horn found flour and we made our way through sunlit glades. Horn found the next check as well, and then Andy Hockland chipped in taking us to the first regroup in a wide clearing.
The check was found by Horn once again, as we moved out and along the Basingstoke Canal, but he met a back-check and we had to reverse direction along the canal. Acting on a tip off Aquafloosie broke clear back on the bridge to find a check as we moved back into woods. Her progress being halted by another back-check meant for other FRBs, and I then took us across a field and through a ditch to a regroup. While most of us waded through, the ‘I don’t do water brigade’ decided to cross a few yards away using some logs. Marigold bless, had men swooning at her feet and managed to get only one foot wet, while show off Velcro(m) attempt failed when his bridge collapsed and he plunged into the water.
Andy Hockland called On along a track but our progress was stopped by another infernal back-check, and Horn took us up a steep slope alongside a compound. I then took us on a long run leading to a road junction and another check by an underpass. Horn found it and we flirted with the canal path once more before we climbed an embankment back onto the road. Flying Doctor though decided on more radical action and jumped into the canal to swim across. Unfortunately, she could not find anything to grab on the opposite bank and had to be pulled out by son Nick. I then led us back into the training area and past a squad of army cadets doing weapon training. While we passed behind them Velcro(m) ran in front to rub through a check providing a useful target for them to aim at. Fruit N’Nut called On or ‘open fire’ I am not sure which, before I led through a long stretch of water with deep pockets underfoot. While Petal following up wondered off into some deeper water and had to be coaxed the right way by Flying Doctor. After leaving the wood we ran back to the car-park along a long dusty track.
Down Downs by RA Fairy Snow/Fruit N’Nut.
Fairy Snow/Velcro(m) – Hares.
Glinchi- Visitor.
Flying Doctor – Swimming off trail.
The Real McCoy – Encouraging Flying Doctor in her folly.
Nick– Helping his mum….
Bidet – For constructing a flimsy bridge.
Salt N’Linekar/Baby Robert – Not wearing a hash t-shirt.
Finally champers’ for all to wet Robert’s head.
Scribe: Silvier Fox