Words from Exmouth.

Exmouth was ideal for our first BST trail and in a week of superb sunshine too. As no Flying Focker, Painted Pussy or Larks Vomit put an appearance in, Poacher obligingly allowed me to leave my kit inside his vehicle while we waited for circle to be called. Thanks Poacher!  Good to see Rucka there having now repaired. Was he tired of being fussed over by all the pretty nurses? Must also mention: Boots, proudly wearing his flip-flops for the hash trail expressing concern (and trying to win Quote of the year?) that the moon might fall onto his head… Anybody notice too some patriotic trainers on trail last week?
Not everybody was there for the run. Son-of-a-Bitz brought X-bitz along for an evening out and I’m sure I noticed Puss wearing some colourful and baggy trousers at the beginning?
Soapy told me it was my turn to write the words and as I’m also scribing for Lunatics too, I tried wriggling out of this for a moment until I overheard Lilo say to Bump & Grind: ‘I don’t actually know how long it is’! ‘Gold dust’! … I had a feeling there’d be lots to scribble about! And, perhaps I’ll have to opportunity to put my side across concerning last year’s ‘Bishopsteignton fish-hook incident’…?
 
Circle was called within the Leisure Centre CP and Bell-toll (still on GMT) extended our welcome to visitors from afar and not so far: Poacher, Peanut and Jason. Bell toll introduced the hares, Lilo and Bump & Grind.
Lilo:  ‘one and on’… ‘two long/ short splits’… ‘one regroup’ and a ‘sweet-stop five miles that way in the direction of Lympstone’.
 
It didn’t take us very long at all to discover the trail out of the car park and on-on to the scenic Exmouth seafront. An enjoyable length of the trail alongside the beach with many distractions brought us to our first fishhook and a regroup just beyond. Here we enjoyed the view of a really, rather excellent sunset over the water.
Bump & Grind joked here (we’d hoped) that the Sweet stop was five miles ‘the other way than earlier stated by Lilo, in the opposite direction of Sandy Bay…
The hares pointed us away from the beach along Maer lane and in the direction of Littleham, where we chose between a Long and a Short Split. The longs continued by road and I’ve no idea what adventures the shorts got up to, but there was some talk later about a bridge??? Just as Bump & (co-hare) Grind and I arrived at another fishhook, which of course I was keen to obey… Bump & Grind commented ‘I should’ve known this’d be here, being a hare’. If’ Lilo had laid flour markings toward Lympstone and Bump & Grind had laid markings toward Sandy Bay… who could’ve laid this section of trail... …?
I guess I should’ve mentioned B&G’s amnesia in the DD circle, but I figured he was getting a DD for co-haring anyway!
We reached The Clinton Arms at Littleham and the Sweet-Stop was just ahead, albeit around a corner or two. I believe Menage and Wide-Receiver were both having strapping fun here too…
We passed by the Lidls and the Tesco stores and arrived at the Sweet-Stop in beautifully synchronised timing with the shorts. Some of us were happy and others were tickled by the Mr-Men sweets as Melon Picker began eating fizzy earthworms he’d found in the grass.
From the Sweet Stop, we were given the second Long/ short option.
The longs ran back through town toward the Esplanade and the shorts did something else. I had no idea that Exmouth was so big. We (longs) arrived back at Esplanade and met with an On-Home, then predictably we headed west toward the Leisure Centre…  though I crossed over the road (I like running alongside the beach), I missed the markings and ran a bit further than I was supposed to.
 
DDs awarded for outstanding achievements were: Woodpecker who nearly received a DD for arriving back half way through circle, Lilo and Bump & Grind for co-haring, Jason for being the traveller from afar, Poacher for ignoring a fish-hook and [?] for short-sightedness and not seeing the bridge on the second short!
 
The OD was the spoons pub in Exmouth: The Powder Monkey.
Clever Dick was intimidated by some senior ladies who nicked the room that Lilo had earlier reserved for us. In good company, we enjoyed some real ale, lemony beers and as usual we nicked food from one another’s plates.
 
Great evening as always! Thanks much to Lilo and to Bump & Grind for the evening’s excellent, Exmouth escapade!
 
Soapy says that as of last Wednesday, Registered places for the Roman Isca Away Day stands at just over 75%, so get cracking and return your forms pronto!!!!

On
On
Slippery