Hash, Live Fartlicking, Ewok Village and Taking a Holiday from the Greensand Way

In the utterly delightful romantic comedy 'The Holiday' the characters 'swap' familiar places to experience a refreshing change in a new location, meet new people, hilarious japes, romance and blah blah blah .

 I'm a BIG FAN of this film as I was doing my business banking once in Bramley and saw Cameron Diaz filming in a Red Mini. I also Like Wreck Diving and as we all know Kate Winslet is one of the last surviving passengers of the Titanic.

The Holiday Movie shot in Shere and Godalming oh..and Los Angeles

There comes a time in any runners relationship when the combination of hash and darkness cause you to stray from the familiar relationship with The Greensand Way and you find yourself inadvertantly dabbling with another runners well known trail.

This new and interesting location can lead to meeting new people, hilarious japes, romance and blah blah blah

 In this case Scrum Muffin and I got a chance to 'have a go' on the North Downs way on Monday thanks to the Guildford Hash House Harriers . As far as we know Jude Law and Kate Winslet didnt go hashing on the Greensand Way that same evening. 

We were supposed to go hashing in Portsmouth with the Portsmouth Hash House Harriers to introduce Dave and Dan to hashing but last minute Dave found a split end in his hairdo and had to be rushed for an emergency Cut , Perm Set and Blow. So Scrum Muffin and I went to the Guildford hash instead.

The North Downs way is a similar age to The Greensand Way and is longer at 156 miles running from Farnham to Canterbury (with a loop round Dover).

North Downs Way sign near Shere

The hash that evening started in the light! This was a welcome change. It was also a 'live hash' where the hare (this week Fartlick) sets off shortly before we do and lays the trail just ahead of us. Well, thats the theory anyway.Given the chaos of a 'normal' hash I could see this could end in some major oopsiwahli.

Popeye was here

Under Developed started us off in the wrong direction and we then got into our stride. It would seem that chaotic runners and a chaotic live hash actually do not combine to end in disaster but actually cancel each other out to produce a hash that 'sort of works'

 After a short bit of running I was very pleased to recognise another Type 22 Bunker marking the GHQ defence line too. My innner running nerd was happy.

A Type 22 Bunker near the North Downs Way in Shere

Running a lot in woods also means you get to run past signs for places that always have humorous names.  Shag Wood , Dogging Copse, Sexy Time Forest are all places we havent come across (fnar) yet but on this run we we did find Combe Bottom.

Claires Bottom on Coombe Bottom

We ran uphill and managed to catch some amazing views from the top just as the light was starting to fade.

Claire catching the last of the sunlight from an amazing view near Shere

Shere Sunset

As the woods got dark everything always seems larger to me. We came across a massive long stack of freshly cut logs which I couldnt resist doing some 'Smogging' in front of . I bet in daylight it looks like a pile of twigs by the path.

Lee does 'Smogging' Smile with your logs in near Shere on the North Downs Way

We also ran past a massive log cabin in the air which we can only assume was some kind of Deer Shooting hide but to me looked like the entire Ewok Village from Star Wars.

Proof the Ewoks live in Shere

The North Downs Way gets the seal of approval from Scrum Muffin

After more running in the dark (somehow we were near the back) we found the 'On Inn' sign which meant the chaos was coming to close.

End of Hash in Shere

We finished the evening by going to the White Horse in Shere. A pub made famous for having had scenes from the film 'The Holiday' filmed in it. I was very keen to place my bum where Jude Laws had been as I am a massive fan of his broad range of artistic and critically acclaimed work.
The pub also has the previous pair of Scrum Muffins running trainers mounted on the wall near the bar.

Scrum Muffins last pair of running trainers in the bar at The White Horse in Shere.

As I munched wasabi peanuts and supped my sports drink I thought about  that triumph of a movie .....Next time I'm on holiday abroad I'm going to look up the nearest Hash House Harriers club and show them how us Brits do it, I bet I meet some new people , get into hilarious japes, blah blah blah .......you get the idea.

But more worryingly I also found myself thinking about a blog called NorthDownsWay2013 .