Mersea Island Hash House Harriers - Tiger Hill

Hills, teeth and a BBQ

It's going to be an exciting evening!
Becci takes us through a ford thankful that she
hasn't brought us here in her SmartCar

Monday evenings seem to come round so quickly. We had been invited to a BBQ after this evening's hash at a cottage the 'Hare' had borrowed for the evening and this could be found in the wilds of Suffolk between Bures and Assington at Tiger Hill.

Our satnav announced that the rest of our journey would be 'off road' after we had negotiated the ford. We turned off the road and found some hand painted signs telling us we were going in the right direction. I had wondered if we might find ourselves on a single lane track with a sawdust sign telling us it was a blind (meaning the wrong route).

otherwise known as The Middle of Nowhere

We parked on the edge of a field and made our way down to a clearing in the woodland where the pretty little cottage was hidden away.

An absolutely delightful place to start the evening's hash

It was obviously going to be another well attended evening with lots of runners and walkers who were happily chatting away whilst the Hare explained how the hash would pan out.

Becci listens attentively as we are told about the plan for the evening

Oh my goodness! It was a steep uphill through woodland to start. I managed to get almost to the top before my mind told me that only mad hashers and English men run in the evening heat and certainly not without any kind of a warm up.

It became pretty obvious to me that I would be at the back of this hash as I wanted to stop and enjoy the views and to take my 'snaps'.

A bit of welcome relief as we scour the lane for the sign we are
going the right way (I don't think there is a right
way on an evening with such high humidity)

We didn't have too much road work and the views were spectacular - especially enjoyable when you are at the top of a hill.

'On On' is called and we are off!

I try to hijack a conversation and have to eat dust

Once I got my breath back I decided it would be sociable to try some conversation and took an opportunity to butt in as Swinger and Mere Slip came alongside. Swinger was saying that he had not been 100% so I, with my usual enthusiasm for hi-jacking private conversations, told him I too had been feeling under the weather. Not being perturbed by their lack of response I was ready to pose another question but before I knew it I was eating their dust. Oh well, live by the sword and so on - I wondered if my new found career as a member of the paparazzi was going to make me unpopular to the point where no-one would speak in my vicinity at all. (Exits stage right laughing menacingly!!)

Still 'On On' and all that.

Oh come on guys - it's just a bit of fun!
Wait for me!

This was a very special part of the countryside and we ran through the Nature Reserve where later we saw a strange box in the hedge which I think was for dormice. You can read more about this conservation here.

Exceptional conservation work goes on in these wonderful
reserves

There were some quite boggy areas and it was good to have some boardwalks to navigate through the woodland.

I'm not sure what the wildlife will make of this invasion

The setting sun made everything look bathed in gold and in places the harvesting was well under way.

At least along the field edges there was some shade

Beautiful fields of barley

You can't be sure what will be waiting round that corner

We had quite a variety of countryside to run through with all the evidence of summer in full swing.

Just a reminder of apple pies to come.

The landscape made me think of Robert MacFarlane's 
excellent book 'The Old Ways'

The camomile smelt delightful as everyone running over it
released the scent - made a change from some of the
scents released by runners

Then we reached Assington Mill where there was a stop for people to adjust their teeth.

The Hare prepares for his bbq supper

 Hoping the trail goes through the water?

The Hare then took us past the beautiful Mill and encouraged us to take a leaflet with details of the courses available. I quickly looked at what was on offer and wanted to have a go at everything - life is just like a sweetshop sometimes!

The walkers caught up with us here and after exchanging notes we all took a little time out to admire the scenery.

They look like they know how it works - or they could be reading the
instructions

perfection

A meeting of minds - walkers and runners unite in
admiration of such a pretty location

We need to watch those two - they're cooking
up trouble for later

A bank of lavender above a brick oven and time to
'on on'

This was a run full of different things to see and experience and next up a choice of a slightly longer route or a shortcut. Longer route it is then.

The prettiest lanes always seem to be uphill

The back of the mill with a small round thatched building

You can just about see the walkers far away
across this field

Such a lovely evening for a run

'Whowears' leaps into action to lead the field as he
convinces himself he heard last orders being called

Why is everyone suddenly speeding up?

Becci shows no fear
Have you read her tee shirt?

She is confusing herself with a superhero

Turns out it was a cow -
but we don't like those either do we Sue and Becci!

However:

Waiting in a field near you
"Bull in field"
"Runners in ..... well they were.."

Wait a minute what has happened the Hashers have disappeared into the night and left us ladies lost in the woods.

All we needed was the Mad Hatter as
we had just past the sleeping Dormice

Ah at last 'on home'

The most delicious burgers, sausages and chicken bbq and lots of laughter as we recount the evening's adventures. Those two ladies planning something earlier were also lost and they weren't locked in anywhere. Eventually we found them and it was time to tuck in to our food.

What they said:

• "...." (nothing as tumble weed blew across David's head which was empty when he went searching for the joke he was about to tell!!)
• You didn't see that Bull?
• Will they realise they've left us behind?
• Don't worry they will get "..." to call as he has a voice like a foghorn.
• Where are those two? 
• I'm really wet (it was getting damp in the garden by then)

What a great evening and I must say a big thank you to all who made the evening possible and for all the hard work people put in organising the food, cooking and tidying up. Oh and just so you know I booked in to the calligraphy class and the Christmas wreath making class later this year at Assington Mill - what a brilliant aside to an evening's running.