Thursday 27th December 2001

The last hash of 2001, set by Heather and Nick, in good condition from the Stags Head at Warford. They managed to take us up and down some icy lanes and muddy paths and fields. The night sky was clear and full of stars and the trail was looped and short Hoorah!!. It was difficult to tell from here that the previous day we had been up to our ankles in a snowstorm on a Welsh hill. The pub was its usual excellent self with a roaring fire and flowing beer.

Wednesday 26th December 2001

A short report on the Boxing Day walk organised by Nick with great skill and co-ordination. As we travelled over to Chester it got snowier and snowier and when we turned south into Wales it became more-so. We met at a layby just south of Llanberis having travelled through Loggerheads. We fitted up the boots and at the last minute put on the waterproof overtrousers. These were a boon as the snow started down as we started climbing and it wasn't being polite. The way up was steep with just enough grip. We got to the viewpointy and what did we see....the inside of cloud. The way down was a lot easier until we stopped for a slight break and the herd of Westies became naughty. Onwards again and the cloud broke and the sky was a beautiful blue. All around was pristine white and the battery had run out on the digital camera. A brief period was spent making snow bunnies and then on back to the cars and home. Cobwebs! What cobwebs! Thanks Nick

Tuesday 20th November 2001

The trail was from The Blue Cap hotel at Sandiway from Kevan and Eleanor, who had been let off hockey practice to take part. The weather stayed mildish so there were a number of knees still exposed to the elements. There was only one road involved in the trail and that only briefly. The trail was good underfoot with a good splashing of mud and puddles to keep you occupied. After an excellent trail with varying degrees of difficulty we were back with plenty of time for drinking.

Tuesday 30th October 2001

Todays Trail was from the highly experienced Tony Higgins (aka Prof Shiggy). Setting from the Nags Head we were off at trundle into a stong headwind. The temperature was quite warm for the time of year, shorts and Ts were really all that were needed. A lot of the trail was across footpaths recently opened and the pack was working well finding most of the routes until 9 o'clock when the heavens suddenly opened. The trail then turned slippy and muddy but excellent for all that. The worst bit was the change of clothes getting wet as they were put on in the car park, while standing in an ever increasing puddle.

Tuesday 9th October 2001

A Virgin trail was set by Roger P. This went from the picturesque Grappenhall Village, cobbles, pub, canal out through some quiet woodlands. It then wandered its way though Not-new territory but completely changed as new roads and diverted paths took us up towards Appleton Thorn and then looped us back towards the motorway. These diversins led us to Massey Brook and the Bridgewater canal and the trans-Pennine way, fortunately westward and back to several pints of liquid refreshment. A good first effort but no-one was lost.

Tuesday 2nd October 2001

Mr H set tonight's trail with much panache ( or is that pan ache?) with the usual following wind. It had survived in excellent condition seeing as he had set 10 days previously. The weather was very kind and the mud was even kinder. Although we started off in one direction I was surprise to be coming back from completely the wrong side, though there was the strong hint of being at the side of Whitley Pond to warn me. A very good trail with an excellent turnout.

Weekend 29th- 30th September 2001

Heather and Nick had reccied Stafford and set a magnificent trail skirting the Chase. The sun shone, the air was Balmy and the hashers were barmy. The ground was very comfortable underfoot and it was a great preparation of thirst for the 14 hashers who were out. The evening at the hotel was slightly restrained but a large quantity of beer and wine was consumed, not all by Eleanor.

The following morning, after a hearty brteakfast we set out on Prof Shiggy's wayfaring. Although drizzling slightly we visited nearly all the check point to give a close finish with the on-on secs team coming through the victor by two points. Great job Tone. Those who met the llama were impressed.

Tuesday 25th September 2001

Dr Rob came up to expectations. Although a bit shorter than some of his trails he more than made up for it with mud and giant man eating nettles. There was a large contingent, and Dave Arthur even ran to the start from home. We went through trees, mud,trees,nettles,nettles,nettles,mud and trees and returned full of thirst to the Egerton.

Tuesday 18th September 2001

This was set by Eleanor and Karen from the newly re-opened Leigh Arms at Acton Bridge. It was a cloudy evening and we needed to use torches nearly immediately. Boswell was trotting around with a flashing light round his neck which meant that no-one ran over him. He even seemed to manage to turn it on and off, neat trick for a dog. (not that easy for a hasher!). El was not there as she was ministering to Kevan who had just had an op for a hernia, young though he is. A certain amount of confusion rose as there was a newby, Cliff, who was of similar build and action to Kevan which led to him being congratulated frequently on his powers of recovery from the op to be out hashing. We know Kev is the Iron man but!!.

Karen, ably assisted by the loveley Mr Murray, ran a tight trail of about so far and thus many checks and we returned to the pub at about 9:20 for much refreshment. Excellent., and another good turnout.

Tuesday 11th September 2001

Tonight was set by Brook from the Stretton Fox, just South of Warrington on J10 of the M56. The night turned out fine again and for the first half hour we did not need torches. Brook took us North into the new parkways and along the hidden footpaths that snake between the new estates. Several trips round the Dingle and out towards Appleton kept the hashers busy. It was a good trail and I am sure the clairvoyant was much surprised when we all appeared in the pub.

Tuesday 4th September 2001

It was Adrian L's birthday so to celebrate he had us running round the wilds of Knutsford - including a goodly number of footpaths accross fields and through woods. The train started in a supermarket car park and covered a really mixed trail. With a turn out of 35 hashers and 2 dogs everything was kept together very well and the only disappointment was how much earlier it is getting that we have to use the torches. ( that and the neck high nettles). A good trail and some good chilli provided by Dot for the birthday boy.

Tuesday 28th August 2001

Its not that there haven't been any trails or that nothing noteworthy happened, but I been away so I didn't get to write any reports.

However, this trail was from David L from the Shrewsbury Arms, near Little Budworth. It was a fine evening and Brook picked me up in his open topped Stag which motored us down the A49 and A54 to our rendezvous. 30 odd hashers and several dogs went on trail fairly promptly. The trail used what paths and bridles that were available to us as some were still restricted, but we went into parts of Delamere and around an excellent route. We were back at about 9 and I had consumed a couple of pints before 9:30.. A good evening but torches were needed for the end.

Tuesday 21th August 2001

here follows a piece Bill put in a Stockport Magazine

Three River Run I thought readers might be interested to know that the Cheshire Hash House Harriers (named after the army canteen or 'Hash House' where the tradition started in Malaysia) had its third run through Stockport on the 21 August. Our previous Stockport runs have started from Compstall and Romiley. But mindful of Foot and Mouth precautions, I chose to set this run in and around Stockport town centre. I set most of the trail in the morning before the run, using discrete chalk marks to set trails and false trails to fool and vex the runners. It was one of the rare hot sunny days we have had this month. It was well worth taking the day-off just to walk round the trail. It took about three hours to mark up the trail. I measured it on a map as 4 miles but with all the twists and turns and false trails it was a lot longer, so I was pretty tired when I dropped in at the Heritage Centre to see what was new. But I had the satisfaction of a job well done, until 6pm, when it stated raining. The trail was set in chalk to make sure that all the marks were soon washed away. But that was supposed to happen after the run. At least the rain stopped at 7:45pm as 18 runners set off to discover the trail I had set. Thankfully most of the markings had survived. From Churchgate we ran through the Rectory Fields estate and over St. Mary's Way on the footbridge onto some grassland. Sometime was spent before the runners found the correct trail down New Zealand Road and into Vernon Park. It was this section that received the most appreciative remarks from the runners afterwards. Even those runners who have lived in Stockport were not aware of Vernon Park or did not recognise it after its facelift. Over the last year, Stopfordians have told me that Vernon Park has been ruined by vandals, but all I can say is that each time I visit it, it gets better and better. The main work may have been done in 2000 as part of the Lottery renovation, but as more of the flowerbeds are planted and as the plants grow the park goes from strength to strength. But apart from we runners, the only other people appreciating the park that evening were three winos and a courting couple. Still, we enjoyed the setting, but there was a limit as to how many loops and misdirections I could fool the runners with, so eventually we left at the bottom of the park and crossed the River Goyt over New Bridge, then turned left down Welkin Lane. This leads to the A560 and M60 underpass then a steep climb to the disused railway cutting. At the best of times the Brinnington Tunnel is dark, but with dusk approaching, runners now understood why I had advised them to carry torches. The railway cutting provides a direct bridleway back to the town centre, but that would have been too easy and I ran them around the flood plain for a while before they realised that the trail followed the banks of the Tame back to town. The trail crossed the Tame on the Tiviot Way bridge, but the little loop to get them back under Tiviot Way on the north side of the river seemed to cause great confusion. But eventually they carried along the Tame River Path. At the end of the Recreation Ground we turned left to see the source of the Mersey, a revelation to most of the runners. Someone had heard that the Mersey rose beneath a shopping centre and another remembered being stumped by the pub quiz question, "Which football stadium lies close to the source of the Mersey". Actually as far as I know, this is the first time the Cheshire Hash has ever run on the north of the Mersey, there being very few parts of Cheshire which lie north of the river. But the run wasn't over yet. We did an about turn up to Penny Lane, past the memorial with its little garden, across Lancashire Hill and up some stairs to Dodge Hill. I don't suppose Dodge Hill has anything to do with Dodge City, the US city with which Stockport is discussing twinning plans? This was another area that runners commented on afterwards. There is a charming cluster of old houses, on flagged roads, perched on the sandstone cliff side looking ready to slide onto the M60 at any moment. Indeed the runners felt they might slip onto the M60 as they took the descent across the recreation ground to the M60 footbridge at a careful walking pace. With the M60 out of sight below, and if one can also ignore the car park and the backs of the first row of shops, this hillside must present one of the best views of Stockport centre. Soon we were running through the centre: Bridge Street, Great Underbank, Little Underbank, Mealbrow, and once round the Market before they found their way to Churchgate. Again many runners were surprised to discover there is much more to the town than can be seen from the A6 and M60 and that Stockport even has a regular market. May be some will return during the day to see how far beyond the Victorian hall the market extends. I won't say which pub we retired to because beer was poor and when we complained all the barman would say was that it was nothing to do with him. As the other runners pointed out, I should have taken them to a Robinson's pub. There followed much discussion about how many old buildings Stockport has and how much park and green fields the town has so close to the centre. I am sure this won't be the last Hash to be set in Stockport. If readers want to know find out more and participate in runs all over Cheshire they should check out: http://www.richens.demon.co.uk/hash/cheshire/hashruns.htm . If they want to try the trail at their own pace then the enclosed map may be of help. There are probably not many walks that cross three rivers. Regards Bill Hoad

Tuesday 14th August 2001

From Wolf in Germany comes the report for the14th.

It was another beautiful day in England when we had our weekly hash at the White Hart in ????. Weeks ago I had already informed my brother in law to join me as the Tuesday is my hashday when and if I am in England. So he brought his trainers. And we had a very good hash as the weather was great,the landscape lovely and the other hashers accepted Jochen as they always accept new people: In a friendly and kind way!!! We saw a church without a ship and we had good English beer and nice talks and exchanged jokes. And most of all Heather added Jochen`s name to the hash list... I am sure Jochen appreciates to be a hasher now like I appreciate to be a hasher for several months already. Regards from Germany Wolf Lehmannn...I think I will join the hash again on September 25th

Tuesday 7th August 2001

Martin H set the trail from the Walton Arms, near Stockton Heath. A super evening, good light and trail. He took us around many a little road and down to the Nature reserve where there were a lot of loops and twirls, bringing us back upon ourselves. It was great to feel some turf under the shoes again. It had thrashed it down earlier in the day and in previous days so there was a good supply of mud and puddles ( a flooded road actually to wade through). Brill

Tuesday 17th July 2001

David L set from the White Barn at Cuddington.. very local for him and fairly central for everyone else. At 6:45 the air in Lymm was solid water but it stopped about 7:00 so off I ventured.. It ended up being a quite dry hash, apart from the beer after of course. The trail was advertised as being 28 checks over 6 miles, 20 of them seemed to be in the middle three miles but it was an excellent trail with opportunities for sloping off at various stages for the injured / short-cutters.

Tuesday 10th July 2001

It was Kelsall and the not quite correctly named T'house at Top. Why? Because as Kevan demonstrated there was still up to go on leaving the pub. Across the road and then up a steepish hill for about five minutes. At the check at the top I felt as if my lungs had been sand-papered. The on was down a gentle slope then we went though some nice lanes, some pleasant wooded trail and alond a dirt track which went down at a fair rate. A little meander around ( there was some checking but I was only involved in a minor way) and we started up this long slope. 'Oh look!', we cried, 'it levels out just up there'. HAH!!!. as you reache the brow you saw it was merely camp one and the road got steeper as we went up the other side of hill one. A bit more checking through the pink spots and then it was down hill one and checking at the pub. The choices.. the agony. ( Readers; it was hard; but we'll not talk of that.)

Along we went, more checks, and on and then. a bit of up for a change. BUT after a meander about and along the narrow path behind the Boot Kelsall we came back after a bit more up to a fabulous downhill run-in followed by several pints.

Tuesday 3rd July 2001

Twas the day of the 1000th hash. Organised well but slightly hastily because of the foot and mouth by Heather and Nick from the Crown at Lower Peover. It was a warm and sunny evening and 42 hashers were on the trail plus dogs. Bridget re-appeared after having broken her left arm and Grutel got on trail again. We had an excellent mix of road and track to bring us back to the pub where food was waiting with the beer. The bar was kept busy as we proceded to replace the liquids , omnly for medical reasons of course.

Tuesday 19th June 2001

It's been a while since I did a report as I have been a random hasher this year. The Trail here was from the Barn Owl at Oughtrington set by Allisdhair. The evening was mild and a good 30 hashers turned out for a good mixed trail across roads, up footpaths both urban and full of grain any fied with animals is still off limits. A winding rout brought us round Lymm Dam and down through the parks and back into the canal via the Trans-Pennine Trail. Many hashers were by this stage completely disorientated and thought that there was a long way home until the pub loomed into sight. A few pints of Marstons soon relieved any aches.

Tuesday 22nd May 2001

David T set from the Bulls Head in Davenham. Up and down the river, in and out of the houses, up and down the river again finding many a small wooded area and one or two footpaths not restricted. There was even some mud and puddles for the traditionalist. The weather brought out several topless hashers ( well they were in ragtop sports cars) sufficient to make a small meeetin of the Triumph drivers club. Good trail fine weather.

Tuesday 15th May 2001

I missed this trail but it was reported as being the BIG SIXTY. Dave L had set from Sandbach Market and had laid a 10k trail with 60 check. The feedback was as a good trail but brisk.

Tuesday 8th May 2001

Mike Murray set this from the Big Lock in Middlewich. Bearing in mind the F&M restrictions he trundled us up many away and along a lot of canal. The evening was fine, the trail excellent and the beer most enjoyable. No torches needed. Richard's youngest was out on trail and motored his way through the trail astonishing many an onlooker.

Tuesday 17th April 2001

Lymm was the site of Heather and Nicks latest trail. Starting from the Village Hall we finally got under way at just before 5 to. On the way out we met the last man in, John, who only lives 200 yards from the start. Interesting alleys were investigated with some meanderings along the Bridgewater canal brought us back to the parts of the Trans Pennine Footpath which were still open. The majority of the trail was carried out without the aid of torches as the evenings get brighter. All repaired to the Spead Eagle for the reward of several pints of John Willies, on fine fettle that night.

Tuesday 3rd April 2001

The trail was set from the Orange Tree in Altrincham. The pub exterior had changed in only one respect since we last hashed there 13 years ago. It no longer had a car park or anywhere close to change. As a result the myriad hashers were scattered around the neighbouring streets. It was a good evening as any rain had disappeared. The trail took us over the rainbow ( sorry Railway) and into the back ways. ( Speaking of back ways there was a little sign at one place saying ' Fosters Back Passage to Normans Yard' ). The trail progressed briskly through little parks and beside little streams and seemed to be designed to go past as many chip shops as possible ( be still my growling gut). We were back by 9:15. It was pleasant to get started without torches again and we are looking forward to the advancing evenings. Another good trail and not many lost.

Tuesday 27th March 2001

Twas a nice night for a trail about Winsford but fortunately we were in Wilmslow so it was better. We met at the Farmers Arms in Chapel Street. By WE I mean eveyone but the Lymm Bus which as Max was driving and lost concentration at a critical point on the M56 missed the junction and ended up having to get down the A34 and turned up late. The three souls managed by sheer skill and the fact that Heather the hare and on-on sec had left a map on a windscreen for such as ourselves. The evening stayed dry with a fine new moon to encourage us. The trail again rediscovered how many interesting footpaths remain hidden in most towns and cities. The Carrs had been re-opened as it had previously been closed with everything else due to the F&M problem and provided us with sufficient mud and water for the die-hards though cries were heard of 'Oh no I've got my Road shoes on!!'. An excellent trail timed beautifully for all 29 hashers and 3 dogs

Tuesday 20th March 2001

It was a very good turnout, despite the cold wind and threatening snow. Another interesting trip around Northwich - trail laid by Pierre Kenyon who was NOT there but had delegated the task of controlling the Hashers to Mike M. Mike performed the task extremely well and managed to keep reasonable control over most runners and only losing one or two temporarily.

Tuesday 13th March 2001

This was an unusual run for Dr Rob as it couldn't involve bucketloads of mud AND the weather was reasonably kind and dry. He took us round some interesting bits of Knutsford we hadn't reached for a bit and back to the Legh Arms to force down some Marstons as extra punishment. An excellent trail.

Tuesday 6th March 2001

Twas the night before the full moon and Daniel was stting an urban trail in Macclesfield due to F&M. The report back from out Trusty On-On Sec Heather was that it was an excellent run seeing parts we have never seen before due to the tendency of hares in that area to send us all up hills and through mud. The report was that it was a huge surprise going out through an underpass and re-appearing at the end at Tesco having negotiated the Town Hall on the way. The trail was marred only by cold rain for the last 20 minutes.

Tuesday 27th February 2001

In the light of the Foot and Mouth it was fortunate that the Senior TwoTone had arranged to set in Hale a suburb of Altrincham. He and Brian B set an excellent trail round the houses , roads, green ways and found sufficient shiggy to make you worry about sliding in the Bollin. An excellent night, Not a bad pub and a clear view of the space station gleaming in the sky made it good to be out.

Tuesday 13th February 2001

What do you know? What do you hear? The usual cries of 'It wasn't this wet when I set it' and 'It is a little heavy in places' We know these and have used them often so when Uncle Albert said them in passing we new that it was (a) Wet and (b) Muddy. But it was a bright night with a waning moon and apart from the Mud version of the Cresta Run with the added thrill of getting across the very narrow bridge at the bottom it went in excellent fashion from the Car Park in Kingsley. We went accross said features and along little footpaths. Some road was thrown in for good measure and then it was a quick sponge down and off to the Travellers Rest for some liquid refreshment. There were plenty of bodies for the night including the return of 'Soapy' Moorhouse. Twas Brillig.

Tuesday 6th February 2001

Tonights trail was set by Kevan and Eleanor but laid by Kev on the morning after the Hash bash. The Goshawk is a largish pub and the carpark is accessed through an arch. The night had a chill wind but went nearly cloudless. With the moon just waning it was incredibly bright with better shadows then during the day. Of the Hash itself.. an excellent combo of road and track and through Delamere forest. The risks of shortcutting were brought home when I sank nearly knee deep in forest floor and was happy to get my legs out with the shoes attached. 4 dogs and well over twenty hashers turned out and got back again. Beer was fine.. Greenalls has improved since someone else started making it.

Tuesday 23rd January 2001

Back to Basics hash, Warmingham

What can I say.. excellent trail Richard ( sub plot I turned up and did not get lost). It started drizzly but the clouds rapidly parted to give us a starlit night. The promised gales held off and some of the old excuses came out but with a new slant.( It wasn't this wet on the weekend.. the field was actually frozen solid when I set it ). However the Pub was warm the Pedigree was fine ( the Bass was off on the night) and the company in fine fettle.

Tuesday 16th January 2001

The repot for tonights hash comes from Dave T. As I was missing agin.

The Padlock Hash: Wharton Park, Winsford 16.1.2001

This trail deserves some recognition within the annals of the Hash, not particularly due to the fact that it was run entirely in sub zero temperatures, but because it is probably the first Hash Vale Royal Borough Council have attempted to stop (albeit unknowingly). Ken and Lynn set a good mixed urban and country trail using, for part of the route, a park in Winsford. All would have been well had said park not been subject to closure and padlocking at nightfall (apparently to keep overgrown adolescents from indulging in unsociable activities - how did they know we were coming?). The normal trail layers cry of "it wasn't like this when I set it" was for once perfectly obvious. Several abortive attempts were made, firstly to hurdle the 5ft tall spiked iron railings and then, rather more sensibly, to run around the park. Normal service was resumed further up the road. The trail then wended its way out into the countryside before returning via the next Winter Olympic downhill speed skating course (insurance cover offered by the Hack Claims Avoidance Service at the previous stile) to downtown Winsford. The trail ran well, with only a modicum of short cutting, to arrive back at the pub in time for a gentle steam in the car park before retiring to sample the Boddies inside.

Tuesday 9th January 2001

The Red moon hash

The night of the lunar eclipse saw us at the Drovers at Allostock on a clear starry, frosty night. We started as the eclipse began at 7:50 and the shadow started across the moon. Off we went towards Knutsford before we shot across the fields.' Not very muddy' Pete had promised us. It was correct in that it was too sodden wet to be muddy. The shock of the icy water made my feet a touch numb and took 5 minutes to wear off ahain as we kept moving along a small road. You had to keep moving as the roads had what the fields would later develop .. a thin sheet of ice which meant the shoes designed for mud grip had no surface area for road grip. All the while the moon was fading and turning a dull red. Much tooing and froing brought us to the Whipping Stocks at which point we proceded to lose half a dozen hashers for a while. We finished the trail as the moon re-appeared and proceded apace into the Drovers where there was a glowing open fire and much beer..

Tuesday 2nd January 2001

What can I say about the run tonight...Buggerall as I was not there. I have just started back on 6-2 so am up at 4:45 and come 7 pm I was too cream-crackered to concentrate let alone Hash. I think I will need to go sadly to sleep on Tuesday afternoons in future. Hilary reports that it was a good trail set centrally to Knutsford well up to Heather and Nick's usual standard.