R*n 157: Wray

Early comers and timely comers arriving at the George & Dragon in Wray on a dull Sunday morning were disappointed to be told that the run was not from there at all but from the Punch Bowl Inn in Low Bentham. One late comer (Toothfairy) missed out and did the run in reverse!

After being ferried to Low Bentham in various ways, the run began in earnest with the hares warning of the various dangers of livestock. Some hashers were cowed by these warnings and felt sheepish when the livestock turned out to be much more scared of the runners, but some took them as the bull they were! The biggest dangers turned out to be a load of bullocks!

The run started across a rickety bridge into a huge field that stretched to the horizon in all directions. No footpaths, no stiles and no flour! After beating the bounds of every side of this field, no way out was found except in the diagonally opposite corner. Much time would have been saved had the hashers followed the usual hash principle - if in doubt it's always uphill! Try it and you won't get lost!

The next fields and farmyards were unusually well marked with flour and subsequent field were full of frisky bovines of various varieties and of their copious manure.

To make a change some had horse jumps which hashers with surplus energy had to vault - or fail to clear as the case may be.

The real dangers on this run were the strange and surreal markings encountered - not so much a run as an exhibition of modern art beautifully executed in flour. Rectangular patterns resembling no known Hash symbol were duly ignored and double headed arrows were followed in both directions in a form of perpetual motion.

Having two pubs, the run was strangely devoid of beer stops - perhaps we were supposed to provide our own.

In the final stages a Rambo split took the Rambos up a hill through attractive woodland where birds were encountered instead of cows, while the Wimps trekked down the road amid the calls of the stormy petrol.

Arriving in Wray again, down downs were given for:

• The hares for haring (and for their very original markings)
• Toothfairy, for coming late (and still finding her way to the circle after running an A to B from B to A)
• Twisted, for refusing at the horse jump.
• Highway, for refusing at a gate instead of a stile.
• Dangly Bits for uncharacteristic front running.
• No More Cum for renaming himself No More Calls.

And all repaired to the George & Dragon in Wray.