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HASH 1533 – PLYMBRIDGE

I gratefully accepted a lift with Overshot via WGAS alongside Can’t Come, so spared my fellow hashers my usual dramatic driving into the Circle Up [Ed. it just lends that extra frisson of excitement we’re all looking for to make us feel really alive 😘] – or so I thought. My presence in the car must have had some effect on Overshot, for when we arrived at the Circle Up, he drove towards one of the group of assembling hashers causing them to scatter and step aside rapidly: I was quite impressed! How this didn’t get reported to the RA, I’m not sure; maybe that privilege is reserved just for me?

As we went to Circle Up, I was made aware of the possibility of getting a swim, so hastily returned to Overshot’s car to empty out my pockets of keys, wallet etc. to keep them dry – then realised that I had forgotten to bring a towel, but thought, what the hell… [Ed. I would say a Gaffer-trail in Plymbridge Woods carries more than a ‘possibility’ of a swim…!]

Then, as we were circling up, I remembered the one job that I have, i.e. “HashFlash”, so snapped a few shots – plus, here’s one I took earlier on my way to WGAS’ abode for “tea” before the hash. Bonus points for anyone who knows where this is –

Photo credit: Rubbery

I was so busy taking pictures of the Circle Up that, as usual, I failed to listen to any of the information from GM, Doggie Style, or the Hares, so I wasn’t aware of the routes or distances involved [Ed. You didn’t miss anything that any one of the rest of us couldn’t confidently make up and present as fact. Much as the hare might…]. I was paying enough attention to hear Doggie Style nominate me for the Words, which I thought was fair play, given that I am not able to attend regularly at present.

I did get a picture of the Virgin, just so that we could identify him if we lost him! [Ed. Sorry Rubbery – pic was too tiny to include and still be discernible: I’m afraid you’ll have to use your imaginations here…] He was invited by Badcock, apparently.

The pack set off. I decided I would do the Walk and have a dip if the opportunity presented itself. I stayed with the last group of Walkers, and we quickly ran out of the Walkers’ trail; I thought, ‘That’s odd…’, but Pony was there to set us right – apparently that was the plan all along, as Gaffer can’t be arsed to set a Walkers’ route! [Ed. such aspersion-casting! Can’t believe anyone would say such a thing…😉]

I did manage to capture a few pictures along the route, and a few at the kissing gate [Ed. pucker up, ladies (and gents – for balance)!]

Photo Credit: Rubbery

Reports from / of other hashers on the hash from the RA’s interestingly annotated note system, with numbers starting from 1a then 2 through to 12, and in no particular order, read as:

• Longs all went wrong – no marks – at least ¾ of a mile wrong.
• A lot of bum-sliding. [Ed. I can corroborate this – the only way to navigate some of those slopes!]
• Can’t Come cut his leg.
• Lactaster got a nasty scratch.
• WetSpot jumped in and was swimming with the harriets, then remembered he still had his watch on.
• WetSpot lost LiveWire – you had one job, WetSpot! Apparently, you’re too slow to keep up with LiveWire! [Ed. Aren’t we all?] He had to wait over 20 minutes for you back at the Carpark.
• Pony got taken out by a puddle [Ed. as vicious as trees, it seems!], something about beige colour and wanting to feel the Pony – shame I missed that photo opportunity.
• Beefy – is that Beef Curtains? [Ed. yes] – saying the mud wasn’t that bad, then he started sinking!
• Gaffer was heard saying that you can’t lay a bad trail here.
• WGAS fell over and wounded his knee, so had to wimp out on doing the rope swing and swimming.
• Boaty screams like a girl – whoever would have thought that?
• Dulux spotted some smoke and fire and sent GHR back up the hill to put out whatever was causing it – did we find out? Whatever, he was nominated as Hash Hero

Back in the pub –

• Filth ordered some chips and went to get some Tomato ketchup and Mayo, returning with one red and one yellow crayon instead of the sachets of sauce! [Ed. Although, apparently, was so committed to the illusion that she also attempted to ‘open’ the crayon-shaped sachets 😆]
• Gaffer, had chosen the local Wetherspoons as the evening’s venue only so that he could drink the cheapest beer money could buy! [Ed. I think there was an equal mix of wonder and delight at the 1980’s-esque pricing structure, painfully well-accustomed as we all are to not getting a whole lot of change out of £6 for a pint…]

The RA for the night, our lovely GM Doggie Style, called us to order without using her whistle and, as we thronged round, I couldn’t help but notice that she held a typed sheet in her hands – has she access to a printer or has she been taking tips from Olive??? Surely not pre-written notes… [Ed. what is this sorcery that allows RAs to see the future hash?!] 

Well, the proof is in the hands of your scribe – and just in case – here they are, more or less as written (i.e. typed out):

“Thanks go to the Stannary for hosting SH4

What did you think of the Hash? I personally don’t think there was enough water or woodland.

I was told a story should always start with “Once upon a time”, so here goes…
Once upon a time, there was a hare called Gaffer AKA The Bronzed Adonis, or Jaffa, and his lovely co-hare, Yeuck. Now, Gaffer liked to surprise the SH4 group with what he calls “a proper Hash” – this usually involves ‘wetness”. Now, as the years pass by – and as SH4 know – when it’s Gaffer’s route, we always get very wet: maybe by the river or, as in Cornwood, when we had torrential rain (and high rivers), and hypothermia nearly set in!

Well, tonight’s hash was no different – at Circle Up in Plymbridge, we were pre-warned, if we carry a phone to put it in a waterproof case, and this is how the story continues…

We circle up, DS didn’t do a fun fact, but talked about the Red Dress run on Saturday 19th July [Ed. and herself in the third person 😆😚], starting at Kevics and leaving at 12:30PM.

So, here is the Fun Fact: the River Plym starts on the moors at Plym Head. It meets up with the river Meavy, then ends up heading out towards Plymouth Sound; its roughly 20 miles long.

Gaffer stood up and gave us the info: Longs….miles, Shorts….miles, and Walkers….. He loves the limelight, so Yeuck lets him get on with it. It’s a bit like his what3words – they were “brief.pushy.couch”: Brief – that was me at Circle Up; Pushy – that’s Gaffer, because he pushes in front of Yeuck to talk! I thought long and hard about Couch – then I remembered Gaffer saying WetSpot was like a Couch Potato now, since being injured on a Plympton Hash!”

Now, I’m not saying that’s what Doggie Style said – and I have to admit that what I heard sounded a lot more poetic: I’m just the messenger, giving you the evidence that I gathered.

Down Downs (thank god it was real beer this time – athough there was still fighting over whatever was in the glasses) were awarded to:

• Gaffer and Yeuck – the hares
• WGAS – refusing to do the rope swing [Ed. legitimately, I think: we all heard the slightly sickening thud as he hit the forest floor – and he has rather further to fall than most of us!]
• Pony – crimes unknown
• LacTaster – no idea why?
• Enter the Dragon (PH3) – 

On On to SHIPLEY BRIDGE

Photo credit: Beefy

🏃 📸 🍻 You can enjoy a few more pictures from the “proper” Plymbridge hash on 2 July 2025 by checking out Hash Flash’s purpose-built photo album on the SH4 Facebook page 📸 🏃🍻

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Next SH4 Hash 🐷👣: 

HASH 1534 –  9 July, 2025

CIRCLE UP 7.25pm

Shipley Bridge Car Park

What3Words: https://what3words.com/retaliate.genetics.groomed

ON DOWN:
Old Station House
Station Road
South Brent
TQ10 9BE
What3Words: https://what3words.com/departure.rungs.renders

Hares: Blown Off and Winnie the Poo

For further info, please see the Hash 1534 event page on the SH4 Facebook Group.

Add your photos of how the day went down (Weds 9th July, 2025) to the Hash 1534 photo album on SH4’s Facebook page.

📝 If you are the lucky Scribe at Shipley Bridge on 9th July, please submit your edition of The Words to thewords@sh4.org.uk by Sunday evening (13th July, 2025) – TVM! 📝

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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.

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  Don’t forget to see Rusty Bottom or Ching Chong 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 the ‘On Secs once you’re safely back. 

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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.

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