I was pounced on by Flagnolay [you’re P, you can do the words]. So as the title suggests this was a birthday run for our esteemed member Goolie. There were  too many of us to count, nearly everybody who is anybody was there, but as Heckle may confirm later, it might be a record. So the use of a ‘local village hall’ would seem very appropriate. I could hear myself humming ‘Whose that lady in the red dress’ [Alvin Stardust] or ‘Lady in red’ [Chris de’Burgh].

We all set of, Walkers, Shorts and Longs down a not so muddy track and down a very steep field, where one of our party, decided it would be a good idea to play at rolly polly [silly bugger – more like] he was lucky not to do himself an injury, after all he is sixty two. That about is all I saw on the trail, – lovely country side and very steep bits. There was also some little red feathers at various locations on the trail, but no subsequent comments on them  – back by eight thirty.

We were in our motorhome at the local campsite so we could change at our leisure, along with Bigbird, Redrump, Piddler, Goingdown and Ubend.

At the hall a choice of beef/lamb BBQ or curry was on offer [very tasty] and lots of it.
The entertainer then started with a very diverse repertoire of songs eg; Waterloo sunset [Kinks], Fast car [Tracy Chapman] and Baker Street [Gerry Rafferty], He turned out to be one of the best ‘Man with Guitar’ acts I have seen for a long time.

No nuts, [Big Chief] I think, he wore new head feathers, started the official RA duties by handing a whistle to a colleague – this should have been used to curtail the aforesaid RA in case he went on and on and on………………..!

Goolie was made an honorary brave for the evening with a two feather offering from No Nuts who then gave a potted history of Goolie’s career, which was as follows:-

Went to sea in 1963 [Cuban missile crisis] as a junior seaman 2^nd class, then promoted to junior seaman 1^st class, Able seaman, Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer and finally Marching Instructor. Serving on HMS Venus [by god you should have seen him], Tarta, Blake, Protector and Londonderry. [I think there were others but I could not write fast enough. He then went to Hong Kong and came back with Ging-gang and five kiddies. He then ran a news paper business. Now to the most important part, his first hash, which was with……………………… Plympton. He started with SH4 in July 1998 and has since attained high ranks on RA, GM, Hash Cash and Social Sec.

It was at this point the proceedings were interrupted by fireworks on a cake and the usual hashy birthday – rather rudely halted by the fire alarms joining in.

Now for a few minor mentions in dispatches, Sushi now had his spare pair of spectacles, first pair lost in the bottom of a stream last week. A virgin runner was Low’tarse’s daughter and John Lawton of Teign valley brewery. Boatymcboatface wore bright lipstick and That’s Crap won the best red dress vote [red latex, and not much of it, with matching boots]. Bootsie short cutted  the walkers. Ubend couldn’t open a gate, but Jelly Baby could. Top Shelf was awarded a 400 run T shirt.

D Ds for Bootsie, Sticky Bush, Overshot, Top Shelf, Marty and of course Goolie.

The Raffle for the charity Fisherman Mission raised £200 and was accepted by one of their reps.
Kevin Jones won the delightful painting by Dulux………and the band played on on on.