A HASH IS BORN

Run #1 - 29th February 2004 – Starrängsringen

A motley crew of 13 runners (including a guest from Hiroshima), 4 walkers, 3 children, 1 late-cummer and a dog on heat turned up at around 11am to Deceased and Melons place in Starrängsringen for the inaugural run of the SLY H3. Blind Pew and Big Brother were the live hares as the real hares Deceased and Sugar Kane hadn’t got their act together to lay a trail - lazy bastards! Maybe haring 2 runs in 2 days is a bit much though?

Deceased seemed to be lolling about relaxed and barefooted, with no intention of going outside into the cold and snowy environs of Stockholm in winter. He made some lame excuse about preparing breakfast/brunch. Meanwhile Melons was throwing things around in the kitchen.

Blind Pew addressed the gathering brandishing a map of Greater Stockholm and muttered threatening words about eagles and turkeys. (?) We wondered if we would get back before midnight- and alive! As the hares shot off the rest of us donned running shoes and spikes in trepidation of a Killer Run and offinto the crispy snow.

The pack was soon separated as the trail led in and out of alleys between apartment blocks, up steep hills and over high fences. There seemed to be a lot of shortcutting going on as some of the pack actually caught sight of the hares. Other, more mature and experienced hashers kept to the proper trail and were not put off by the Turkeys or Eagles Challenge at Djurgarden.

It turned out to be a simple loop de loop. Meantime some of the pack had given up the ghost completely and went On Home. As it happened almost all of the pack all miraculously arrived back at Starrängsringen at about the same time exactly one-hour after we began. My trusty pedometer had clicked up 6.54 kilometres.

Back in the warm apartment Deceased, who was wearing a ridiculous hat and waistcoat, called the Circle; he was still barefooted, and we toasted the birth of the new hash with Bucks Fizz (champagne and orange juice). After some preliminary admin. stuff in which Clever Dick was appointed GM of SLY H3, who will next convene on Feb 29 2008, with live hares, S.O. took over as RA and doled out too many down-downs to remember. Blind Pew timed the Circle to be 35 minutes 20 seconds and Clever Dick did one of his now famous handstands on a chair ((bloody show-off!). Floater who had woken up as the run began, had turned up in his now infamous brown tweed jacket and refused to comb his hair.

Then the real business began- brunch was served – a magnificent affair with eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, real British baked beans, tomatoes and lovely crusty bread. Melons had done a fantastic job- ably assisted we are sure by Deceased. Hearty thanks go to our hosts for initiating such a great occasion!