Hash No’s:

75 – TH3’s Inaugural Red Dress Run

76 – Recovery Run (A to A Runs)

Date: 5^th May, 2007

Locations: Tamworth Visitor Information Centre; Anzac Park

Hares: 2Cracks; Wee Wee

In attendance throughout the weekend: 2Cracks, Hurley Burley, Nutz, Fruit, Wee Wee, Mrs Slocum, NN Clinton, Golden Girl, HPM, Nun, Short & Curly, Fuzz, Best and Less, Kalahari, None, and cameo appearances by Shoey, Misfit and Bam Bam.                        

The Tamworth Hash House Harriers Inaugural Red Dress Run was a weekend full of good laughs, good food, good company, good alcohol and with a couple of Runs thrown in for good measure. We were blessed with dang fine weather too. 

Friday night’s get together at The Tamworth Hotel was a chance to meet everyone and enjoy a few ‘quiet’ drinks and swap Hash stories. Mind you, the Weekend Warriors had already been at it for a good 3 hours prior to the arrival of everyone else, so it wasn’t hard to spot them in a pub full of people. There was this one bloke, although I think he was a figment of our collective imaginations, that went by the name of Top Gun. Sometime after a few dozen drinks and a meal he seemed to disappear – never to be seen again! So much for commitment. Maybe he needs to be renamed – Bolter or Piker would be a couple of suggestions. 

After consuming copious quantities of beer coloured libations (some of us drank responsibly and had a feed too) everyone peeled off to go home and sleep off the night in readiness for the RDR.

Immediately prior to the RDR, Nun whipped out something big and nasty to ensure we’d never forget him – a durian – which, for the blissfully unaware, is the perhaps the stinkiest fruit ever to grace the earth! It’s an interesting looking specimen, thorny on the outside and with an inner pulp resembling thick custard. The stench is best described as a combination of starling crap, turps and a few footy socks thrown in for good measure! The damn thing has to be frozen to tone down the stink before being put on sale. Apparently it tastes much better than it smells, some of us tried it and some of us (me) declined, only to have it rubbed in my face! Yeah, thanks Fuzz.  

What a fine bunch of red frocked Hashers!! The majority of our visiting Hashers decided they hadn’t quite consumed enough the night before and needed to drink a lot more before donning their RDR gear. Needless to say they had no shame once run time came along at 3pm. As you can see by the pic, those same Hashers misread the Rego Form and thought it was a pink dress run! 

2Cracks set a brilliant Run, winding its way through Tamworth CBD and a few of Tamworth’s scenic spots - punctuated by a goodly number of Beer Stops. The whole Run was accompanied by cheers, catcalls, whistles, horn tooting and bemusement – and that was just from the onlookers. Many of our RDR Hashers are now immortalised on video cameras and mobile phones across Tamworth. The youngsters at the local skate park are probably still wondering WTF? There’s nothing like seeing people with broad grins on their faces trying to work out what is going on!

HPM thought he had the Run sussed – thought he knew where the Beer Stop #3 was going to be so did his usual SCB bit – and got it wrong, although it wasn’t all that long before the rest joined him at point A to celebrate a good Run. Special mention needs to be made of the best SCB and his protégé – None and Kalahari. Both these blokes donned their pink surgical gowns (Kalahari was not a co-operative bugger) and commenced the Run along with the rest. However all they did was head for a pub! Kalahari did put in an appearance, sans surgical gown, by walking up the hill in time for Beer Stop #3. Luckily another pink surgical gown was quickly produced for him to wear (or he wouldn’t have been able to get a beer). As the others took off to complete the Run Kalahari promptly hitched a ride back to point A. None just kept drinking at the pub until he felt sufficient time had elapsed to rejoin the group.  

After a reminder or two, Fuzz took up his prearranged duties and called the Circle to order and the Down Downs commenced. So as not to upset anyone, we took the Circle away from the ears of any children and easily offended adults, after all it was Fuzz!! Again we created a talking point as non Hashers were trying to understand what we were up to. 

After a number of liquid refreshments it was time to attend the On Afters at Casitas Restaurant where the owners went out of their way to ensure that everyone was looked after. They obligingly told everyone else who booked in for a meal that night that they would be exposed to some revelry. It was a buzz to have the other diners acknowledge the joie de vivre so apparent in our motley crew. 

By the time the restaurant closed there were only four Hashers still standing - Golden Girl, Nun, Best and Less and Kalahari - who then wandered off to the pub for another drink before calling it a night. 

Sunday’s Recovery Run and Breakfast was held at Anzac Park, and Wee Wee thoughtfully set a gentle Run for the capable. Fuzz was absent from the Run as he attended church to seek forgiveness for his sins, but like any good Hasher he turned up for the feed. A special appearance by Shoey, Misfit and Bam Bam was fantastic.

Kalahari and None went via McDonald’s so that they could have a quick brekkie before going to worship at the temple of alcohol. We were thrilled that they gave us a whole ten minutes of their time before they meandered off to the beer pasture.

After a hearty Hashers breakfast and a few more yarns it was time to say goodbye – Fuzz and Best and Less then departed with HPM for a hot date with a glider, and Shoey, Misfit and Bam Bam went in search of None and Kalahari so they could make their acquaintance. 

The RDR weekend reinforced why these sorts of events are such a great option in a Hasher’s life – meet new people, renew friendships with old mates, spin a yarn or three, help local publicans and liquor retailers pay of their mortgages, and generally allow all of us to leave day to day life aside for a short time. 

Hope to see YOU at TH3’s next RDR! 

On On!