[Ed. First – an apology to Gomez whose Words I ended up accidentally re-writing the Down Downs portion of when, after numerous attempts to copy over from his emailed version, I lost his original text (and also, I’m afraid, the patience to keep trying to paste into the infuriatingly-capricious email software…). The original, superior account of Down Down awards from the Chillington Eclipse hash (No.1595) should have read as follows:

• SHAGGY.   Hare and front runner
• RUSTY BOTTOM.  Hare 
• NICE TACKLE.  Bad knee, x-rated x-rays and Blue Peter badge for his eclipse viewer
• OVERSHOT. As he is never going to get any money for his sunglasses venture
• LACTASTER.  For being super strict!]

Right – onto last week’s nonsense and lies!] 

Hash 1596 – EAST ALLINGTON

Oh, such a fine gathering we had in what can arguably be called one of the loveliest, most iconic SHHH locations of all: the borough from whence Overslung (nothing to do with the large sausage which Rubbery seemed all too keen to photograph) – sorry, Overshot – and Rizzo, two of our most illustrious ex-GMs hail from! I actually thought that we’d be traversing the same old lanes, furrows, fields, rivers etc. etc. that we’ve done before, but no – the haresses excelled their lycra-clad limbs and took us to new pastures (well for me at least – cos I haven’t even got my 100 yet! [Ed. Slacker… What have you been doing all this time, Fob Jockey?!] 

So, to start off with, having just arrived two minutes before the hash was due to start (because Whisperer had picked me up five minutes later than he was supposed to – which is entirely normal), an ebullient Squash Balls decided to reverse the alphabet and called on yours truly (Fob Jockey) to do the words, when in fact the last lamb to the writing block was Gomez – yea, so go figure! (Gomez, you may get a double-take on this… 😆) Apparently, Lactaster was the culprit because she pointed me out to Squash Balls, saying something along the lines of  ‘it must be his turn now’ – mmm…yeah! She was forgiven due to the heroic and ongoing efforts of her son, Hard Core, who I now believe is faster than mum, and given that the wee bairn is only 7, is most spectacular. He is, I believe, a rising star! [Ed. no doubt about it; a little hashing prodigy! (Only fitting for hashing progeny…Sorry 😬] We were running down a rather steep incline, and due to his young age, I was miraculously regressed and decided to roll down the hill thinking it would be easier – only to discover, on standing, that I’d lost my balance and nearly went arse over tit – much to the delight of Hard Core, who yomped past me over the brook and pi*sed off up the hill, leaving me trying to catch my breath!

I get ahead of myself! Rizzo, Nice Buns and Pimples had reliably informed us that it had rained and the marks were questionable, so through the first field we were chased by what I can only describe as a very anxious Rizzo, whose worries were allayed when we all got to the first big check where nobody had the foggiest which way to go, because it was obviously so clearly marked out [Ed. text-book hare-ing!] Left, right, up, down (you know the routine) – this one took a while! I thought maybe Overshot had divined the hash route ahead and followed him shouting, repeatedly, “are you?” thinking, well, he’s only 50m ahead and will obviously do the honourable thing and shout back, but no… [Ed. Oh, Fob Jockey – how adorably deluded!] Now I know, and have been reliably told, this is not uncommon practice due to his preoccupation with winning – he did answereth not! And so, eventually, it was down, and – lo and behold – up again, but to what dastardliness – thanks to Rizzo, by all accounts(!): Ooo… The delicate contraction of slowly tightening bramble wrapped around innocent ankles, momentum propelling onwards too late for retreat and the knowledge of the delights of lanes bordered with those utterly unavoidable lovely nettles: proper hashing!!

The run continued out onto the lane and eventually into the grounds of a large house (Fallapit House?), which I must admit I’ve always wanted to have a nosey at, given my bent towards such things! Onward through a very long field, where Shaggy was – unusually – again spotted running the right way at a check [Ed. I don’t even know myself any more…], leaving Muck Spreader and Overshot going the wrong way! Top job! [Ed. Alas, short-lived advantage] Following shortly after, Coming Soon, running very nonchalantly with the likes of WGAS, and Gaffer. Don’t know why he hasn’t been hashing for so long – some standard cop-out excuse like ‘I’ve got a calf injury’ etc…! And so on to the drinks stop of strange coloured liquids in shots: I still have no idea what they were? [Ed. Ahh, pretending not to recognise the sweetly-cloying toxic vapours of Apple and Cherry Sourz: cute…]

Now these words are not going to continue for much longer for a number of reasons: firstly, due to a slightly puffy knee (caused by covering nearly 15 miles on the last Devon A2B); secondly, I decided to do the Short and so missed out on all the Long action; third, because the scribbles Squash Balls had left on the egg box for his RAing duties were only partially legible and on the brief side, shall we say; and lastly, because I’m on holiday in France! [Ed. Very admirable to have submitted Words at all – thank you, FJ!]

Having only done the Short, I got back quite quickly, sat down with my pint and was surprised to glimpse the darkness that had quickly descended outside. A few mentions of torches by some of the Longs reminded me of how close we all are to the return of said devices in September! The RAing was done with consummate easy by Squash Balls, where many jokes were told, most going over the head of myself and quite a few others, I think 😆! Thanks to the virgin, Jane – or ‘Jairne’ with her northern accent, that she was so politely reminded of: we hope you enjoyed the hash and will come again! There were another one or two locals who had not been much (Ed. or at all… East Allington local, Seb, setting the FRBs on edge by turning up in compression socks…) before, too – always good to have new faces!!

Down downs were given to the hares [Nice Buns, Rizzo and Pimples] Hard Core [for his 7th birthday (and general hashing excellence)] who politely declined [nominating his dad, instead] and possibly Muck Spreader, who was far too busy regaling his friends in the back room to attend. I personally think a double down down at the next hash should be penance for this infringement, but then SH4 don’t do double down downs [Ed. yet…] (sorry it’s a memory of my hashing days in Phuket in ’92 where double DDs were given for more heinous infractions – haha!). Down Downs were also awarded to DeBriefed, for a particularly nasty, barely-survivable leg wound, and to Dirty Bum Bum, possibly accepted to save the suffering of her friend, ‘Jairne‘.

All in all a great turnout, and I must say the pub was as lovely as always!

On on to IVYBRIDGE!

Photo credit: Rubbery

🏃 📸 🍻 You can see more photos from the typically flat (👀) East Allington hash by checking out the Hash 1596 photo album 🏃 📸

👣

👣

Next SH4 Hash 🐷👣 
HASH 1597 – 26th August, 2026 
IVYBRIDGE

CIRCLE UP: 7.25pm

The Hunting Lodge, Cadleigh Lane, Ivybridge, PL21 9JN
Https://what3words.com/pinch.burglars.snap

ON DOWN:
As above.

Hare: Boaty McBoatface
👣

For more info, please see the Hash 1597 event page on the SH4 Facebook Group.

Add your photos of how the evening went down (on Weds 26th August, 2026) to the Hash 1597 photo album on SH4’s Facebook page.

📝 If you are the lucky Scribe at IVYBRIDGE on 26th August, please submit your edition of The Words to thewords@sh4.org.uk by Sunday evening (30th August, 2026) – TVM! 📝

👣

SH4 ‘EALTH & SAFETY

Please make a note of the SH4 hash phone number and add it to your phone:

🌟 SH4 hash phone number: 07922 103701 🌟

Use this number to call for assistance if you come ‘unstuck’ out on the trail, or need to get a message to ‘base camp’ (On Down) during the run.

👣

 
  Don’t forget to see Rusty Bottom before the hash to log you out on trail using the new-fangled checking-out/checking-in app (developed by our very own digital-wizard, Whisperer).

Don’t forget to also check back in with Rusty once you’re safely back. 

👣

SH4 MercHASHdise 

Show your love for SH4 and wear your membership proudly with a bespoke SH4 car sticker!

Available exclusively to SH4 members (and, to be fair, anyone else who wants one…) for the bargain sum of £0.50 ea., you can afford one for every vehicle in your fleet! 😊

See a member of the committee at the next hash meet to get yours.

👣

_____________________