R*n 896: Hest Bank

Six hashers stood listening to the hare's briefing in the carpark of the Hest Bank Hotel in the beautiful sunset of the last full moon run to be run by moonlight before October or November.

As the crew were about to set out, the newest member of the group, Britarse arrived by car having only barely judged the amount of time it would take him to drive down from Killington. He then realised that he had not brought a torch and had to borrow that of the Hare.

The run began by leaving the carpark and crossing Mowbrick Lane along the snicket to Highfield Drive and thence to the canal. The run followed the towpath past the narrowboats, under the spectacular red sunset, to the next bridge, where the Wimps and Rambos split. The Rambos followed a lane across the bridge onto a loop of lanes and footpaths around the fields near the edge of Slyne, Returning to the canal at the next bridge, crossing over and running back to the WR split to re-join the Wimps trail by which time it was fully dark. Trail then led along public footpaths and lanes to the railway lines, passing below the main lines then across the local line on foot across the level-crossing footpath. From here, trail ran past the golf course into the outskirts of Morecambe. At this point the trail markings emphatically led to the gates of Happy Mount Park, which had been securely locked at dusk. Your humble narrator had memories at this point of a run long ago on the Shek Kong Hash in Hong Kong on which we climbed over a locked chain link gate about eight feet hig-but that was way back when we were all a lot younger and more reckless. Espert advice on this occasion was to run around to the other side of the park and pick up trail at the second gate. From here, trail led across Marine Road and onto the seafront along the Coastal Road. The full moon, in honour of which we were all doing this, was by now shining dramatically from between the clouds giving a very picturesque look to the run as we ran along the seafront and through the carpark and grounds of the Chayette Fitness Club and Coffee Bar. From here trail re-crossed the railway via a footbridge with notably steep steps (not designed to be wheelchair friendly, obviously). Trail rejoined Marine Road where the Hare met the runners and directed us across the road and along the footpath back into Hest Bank and back to home base.

The circle, held by the light of fairy lights in the car park was very short with down-downs for the Hare, Sir Tom Tom (Not knowing when the park would be closed), Lurch and Morticia (just because) and Britarse (Coming on a night time run with no torch) after which the pack adjourned to the quaint multi-level interior of the Hest Bank Hotel for refreshment and food.