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Temple Newsam is one of the great historic estates of England, set in over 1500 acres of parkland. woodland and farmland landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century.
On this particular January evening in the 21st century it witnessed a trail expertly delegated by our very own Incapability Black aka Mezza. Is this a world first for hashing? A trail organised entirely by text…”Wheels never answers his phone” was the pitiful defence offered by the Mad Woman. Wheels naturally had a different version of events, telling the assembled stalwarts of YH3 that first of all Mezza asked him to co-hare, followed by a request for him to find a pub….and could he organise the grub. Finally he was asked…”can you lay the trail??”. The jury retired to the bar to consider their verdict which was unanimously returned as “Guilty by reasons of insanity”.
Further proof of the Mad One’s deteriorating mental condition was provided by her locking her laptop in the boot of the car along with her car keys. This was going to be one of those nights… as was shortly proved by Paddy O Day driving her car through the demonstration markings, leaving a trail of white flour tyre marks which were dutifully followed by Magnum who was last seen running off back down Selby Road. Circle abuse before we even set off…excellent!
So off we went down Colton Road heading towards the Estate, torchlights a flashing and hounds a baying. The trail took us down part of the bridleway, along by the entrance to the Rose Gardens, past the lakes and then up towards Pegasus Wood and a regroup on Pegasus Avenue, which was created as a lasting memorial to mark the 50th anniversary of WW2 parachute landings and the Battle of Arnhem. There are many scenic delights on the Temple Newsam Estate that are perhaps not best appreciated on a dark and cloudy night in January, but the clouds did clear enough to enable us to point out The Plough to Wheels. (Ursa Major is the one with 7 stars that oddly enough look like a plough…Marvellous!)
Concluding our astral sightseeing we then headed back towards the Brown Cow cutting through St Mary’s graveyard and resisting the temptation to return Mezza to her crypt. Wheels had done us proud as the pack were treated once again to that most excellent East Leeds Monday night Hash tradition of sausages and chips. The evening’s miscreants were suitably punished with down downs, and Mezza having now been reunited with her car keys, was finally able to show her collection of photos from last years hashes. A good night all round.
Strappa
