Thinking Drinking H3

The weather looked good from the start as we boarded the coaches outside the City Hall in Cardiff. The previous day’s Red Dress Run had been a little damp but the beer consumption and general frivolity prevailed over rumblings of doubt about the wisdom of having Interhash in Wales, or even anywhere in the UK. The weather stayed good for TDH3 and for the next three days of Interhash - beautiful sunshine.

After a pleasant coach trip of about one hour, we arrived at the Forest of Dean location near Symonds Yat in Herefordshire. We had actually crossed the border into England and left the bilingual road signs behind. From the coach parking area, we were directed to a narrow path leading uphill to the Wye Knot Inn. We helped ourselves to beverages from the back of a large van and milled around meeting old friends and making new ones in a conveniently large open space in front of the pub.

The pub balcony was useful in providing hash flashes with a birds’ eye view and for Imelda and the Hares, including Rodders, Goldflinger and Carlos TST, a platform to address the assembled hashers.

The start of the trail continued uphill and soon entered thick woodland, which was what we expected in the Forest of Dean. We were in woods for most of the trail, which included a beer stop just at the right time for thirst quenching needed in the warm sunshine. At one point the trail threaded through some limestone caves and then emerged on to a magnificent viewpoint over the Wye Valley. In fact, the trail fitted into a tract of woodland on high ground generally bounded by a large loop of the River Wye, as was established by checking the map later.

As the trail, dropped down you got the feeling that we were nearing the end of the run. There was a long/short split. Some wily old hashers took the long trail because they mistrusted a short trail leading steeply uphill again. They came out ahead of some younger ones who’d taken the short trail. Back to the valley and through the fields leading to the lush meadow reserved for the circle. As usual, beverages (including draught beer) and snacks were available before the circle started.

The jollifications of the circle are best appreciated by viewing the attached photos. After the circle we were treated to a superb buffet lunch back at the Wye Knot Inn. We were all rewarded with a T-shirt sporting the TDH3 motto, in Latin (as usual) and this time also in Welsh!

Here is the English translation – We Think, Therefore We Drink.
 

Photos by Rambo (TVH3) with captions by Cathusalem