For the second week running (with more to come next week) WLH3 spread its wings to the north west passage of London to Kenton, an area as yet to follow in the gentrified footsteps of some London neighbourhoods as evidenced in the complete absence of tapas bars or posh wines in the pub. Fortunately, the Scots that had swamped nearby Wembley the previous day for the footie had departed (bar Eric eventually turning up late). Predictably a number of the south west London WLH3 residents deemed this location to be too far and possibly too chavvy, despite the ease with which it could be located after a brief perusal of the TFL website, the station being all of 100 yards away.
The hare (Funky Gibbon) admitted to letting his enthusiasm run away with him and admitted to a 5.5 mile trail which as it turned out was around 6 miles according to possessors of gadgets (that they had learned to use). The sky looked threatening (the hare already had received a soaking), but Wacker’s RA skills kept the rain clouds at bay as we stumbled out on a very humid evening back through South Kenton station from whence hashers had sallied forth a few minutes earlier. We were soon on to green top in the shape of Northwick Park, Wacker once again tried to second guess a hare by heading in the direction of Harrow on the Hill (after attempting to second guess the scribe the previous week in Pinner and losing 3 nil you would have thought he’d learned better), predictably the hare had other ideas as once again we went through a station (Northwick Park)in search of (for most) unknown territory. Sky Lark was totally upstaged in the FRB stakes by our latest recruit Misled who hurtled into unknown territory with great speed and enthusiasm and saved the more elderly members of the pack the chore of checking. After a certain amount of blacktop the pack once again found itself in open country where Wacker once again failed miserably to second guess the hare and thus missed the obvious direct route (along with other sheep like pack members) to a regroup at the pond on top of the hill. With a 6 mile trail in prospect shortcuts have to be found. Eventually the pack via commendable amounts of off road found themselves at Preston Road where a second P trail (already discovered by the scribe earlier as a better alternative) wound its way back to the pub via more parkland.
The pub landlord generously laid on platters of sandwiches (hoovered by the jackal like pack in a minute flat) and later on (after seeing the speed with which said food disappeared,)mini sausages, onion rings ,chips (for which there was no estate bottled balsamic vinegar to sprinkle on! )and roast potatoes. This being Kenton, canapés, tapas,dim sum , blinis, sushi etc and other posh snack food were conspicuous by their absence along with Chablis, Sancerre and Cote de Beaune to wash them down with. We made do with beer (and yes they did have real ale)as we know our place in the pecking order of humanity.
After a decent interval the RA called the refreshed pack to order to punish various sinners and visitors. As is common with most RAs, the down down notes I am consulting look like they were scribbled by a drunken clerk in bad Mandarin so the list is prone to misinterpretation and my memory fogged by 5 pints of Youngs Special. After punishing the hare, Love Duece stood in for the departed virgin as approx the same age. Rollback was naturally flattered to be deputed to represent a 70s porn star ,Mary Millington who was born in Kenton. Obviously Pyschedelic represented Kenton old boy ,Stuart Pearce (England footballer known as Pyscho). Knickers was punished for loading her plate with half the sandwiches claiming they were for sharing (total B*llox). Our Malaysian visitors were acknowledged. Lick a Pile, Man Magnet, Impossible and Sarah the Snail were punished for various illegible crimes and F**k**g Shakespeare as a returner.
All in all a successful visit up the north west passage of London.
On On, Mad Cow