About this run

Gosh, another hot one, some like it hot, Bambi included. When I arrived, the hares were sitting on the shady bench gazing towards the oil dark still water of Marsh Pond where fishing has been suspended. Thirty Eight degrees is the lethal limit for carp, after that it's fish soup for the herons, they can't read the "No Fishing" sign. We had visitors Chilly Willy (H4), Nutcracker (NH3) and Camping Gaz (GH3) and a big welcome back, pat on the back, for Tumble Tot and Vixen who was finding it a rather cool day, because as a "Master Baker" (at least I think that is what she said she was) fishing the old sourdough out of a steaming oven at 4am most days has given an immunity to the heat. I wouldn't mind trying my hand at becoming a Master Baker, alas, age is against me, I follow the instructions yet rarely get a good rise. Cock Burns was running late, so quite a crowd had gathered by the time she arrived, nursing a "Head" she said, so there was little ado before the hares had their say which was not very much. They couldn't even be certain as to how many blobs meant a true trail, and gazing round thought that a fish hook limit of eight hashers would do, and oh! yes the fish hooks had been drawn the wrong way round, not coming and going, but going and coming, if you get my drift?. Spiderman tried to get us to wait a little longer for some Hashers from Korea that he thought might be on their way, so there was an informal vote to get going, after all, we will mark the checks, and the venue is well signposted from the main road, what could possibly go wrong?. Firstly the trail took us South to Heyshott, where the FRBs reached the Unicorn, which had just opened, before all returning for a back check, good thing too, because otherwise we were heading for a withering climb towards the SDW. Now we were running away from the withering heights, on the undulating wheat fields towards Polecats over rock hard soil with scrubbing brush stubble and a blistering sun overhead. Before getting to Polecats we stopped at the Graffham Road, in the shade of a tree for a meeting with the walkers and few tots of a sweet strong slightly cloudy elixir of elderflower-ish origins, Oh! yes nearly forgot, and a fish hook that caught The Ref, Cock Burns, Lurker, Kinky, Tumble Tot, Chilly Willy, Nutcracker and She Wee. We went up the hill at Polecats to get to The Serpent Trail, now in dappled shade so a bit cooler, but making it hard to spot the flour amongst all the bright stipples of sunshine. Here on the edge of Heyshott common, which at most times of the year is a boggy quagmire, the land is parched, and some of the long heathers are already in bloom. Where the trails have cut through the thin skin of topsoil the exposed sand is dry and deep and every stride is a huge effort. Now we follow the Serpent towards the tail (in Peterfield) down to the cool hollow of a tributary of Coster's Brook, and actual water, the source is a spring not far away. A falsie on the bridge was ignored by the less agile, while the rest had an easy clamber and small leap. Even so She Wee and Cock Burns managed to get into the water and start a splash fight, unfortunately the sandy soil precluded a spot of mud wrestling, the dogs looked on with disinterest. We continued on the Serpent to the old railway, and crossed the cutting on the original brick bridge, much of this area was clear felled a few years ago, so we were back out in noon day sun as we got into Todham Rough. This is in Cowdray Land, if we keep going we will soon be in Midhurst I am thinking, when we turn south, re-cross the chuff chuff track and enter The Roughs, it's all Roughs around here, no sign of any Smooths. A regroup here saw everyone in a line in the shade of a high hedge, before we continued South into Goldball's Plantation, planted not long after the X-Man appeared in Marvel, you never know?. As we then headed East over to … Full run report: https://www.chihhh.org.uk/run1091.php