Run: 1968, 1 March 2021
Location: Bang Kruay Bridge, Pattana Gate
Hares: Bullit and No Good Boyo

St David's Day run

We had 27 Harriers, 10 Harriettes, 0 new boots and 1 visitor, total 38. Returners included Jeff “Bugs”, Tui “Squeals Like a Pig”, Tiradej “Porkfinder”, Lem “No Good Boyo”, Kim “Normal” and Paul “Tamborine Man”. Visitor was Paul’s wife.

Just like Rugby referees, HHH GM’s cannot be questioned or criticized. I was asked to do this run write up by the GM AFTER I had finished the run (walk in my case) just before the circle. Had I been given proper notice I would have carried my laptop on the run to take notes. This write up is therefore rather shorter than normal. This is not to question or criticize the GM- it’s just an observation!

Firstly – getting there. There is no apparent coordination between permissions given for new mubaan developments (mainly on previously green Hash off-road territory), and the capacity of the local road network. Hence it took over 20 minutes to cover the last mile to the run site from the Expressway off-ramp (which was backed up onto the Expressway itself). The night market chaos did not help.

Anyway arrived just in time to pay Todd the fees and say quick hello’s to a portion of the larger than normal assembled crowd. Was the 40+ turnout due to rumours of a free T-shirt, or just the novelty of being able to consume alcohol legally again or (more likely) the reputation of the Hares.

Before the run, No Good Boyo recited the words of the Welsh National Anthem and Bullet provided a sentence by sentence translation.

Soon we were off, initially squeezed by slow-moving traffic along the road until we turned left towards the beautiful land-locked boat. Why is it there? How did it get there? Then through the wat and over the klong Bridge. By now the front runners were already out of sight.

Continuing away from the klong we passed BOONTA-Flowers and Café- (what’s that?). Then we came to a Long/Short split. Long continued straight away from the klong whilst Short turned left. The short only section was not long and was soon joined again with the long trail, but now the leading were in front of the runners and had to solve the following difficult check which involved Snowy boldly venturing alone into the undergrowth from the check with nostalgia for the "good old days" when Bang Kruay runs were mainly in the undergrowth, coconut plantations or orchards.

Unfortunately for Snowy the trail continued via the road leading to a very dodgy bridge crossing of a narrow klong. Several of the elderly members decided to go back and divert around the dodgy bridge. About this time the leading front runners caught the back of the walkers and steamed past. A bit later on KC hobbled past still just about running though his body is obviously telling him to stop!

The last part of the run followed small paths largely parallel with the small Klong off Klong Bangkok Noi and then alongside Bangkok Noi Itself back to home, with many diversions inland due to private land blocking the natural course of such paths alongside the waterways.

The hares had provided high-quality T-shirts to celebrate the day sporting the words "Dydd Gwyl Dewi. Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn" Google Translates as "St David’s Day. The Red Dragon will start", but I don’t think that fully represents the true meaning.

The Circle contained down-downs for the usual hares, visitors and returners, plus others lost in a blur.

Those who claimed to be Welsh – No Good Boyo, Bullet, Virginia Slime and Tambourine Man were tested in their Welshness by being asked to speak the name of the Welsh Railway Station – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. No good boyo was perfect. Bullet and Tambourine Man-made good attempts, but Virginia Slime was googly gook. Virginia Slime may have made a better job of the English Translation "St Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St Tysilio of the Red Cave"

Tambourine Man got a down-down for not wearing the shirt provided by the Hares. His excuse was that he was wearing an appropriate shirt celebrating Wales Rugby Grand slam in 2012 which the No Good Boyo approved of. The GM mentioned that Wales had more recently (last Saturday) again defeated England, but he blamed the French referee and Drunken Donut was also brought in to represent the apparently poor French referee.

Prick of the week was a contest between Tambourine Man for shirt offence and Virginia Slime for claiming to be Welsh with slim(e) justification. Tambourine Man won (or lost?)

The On On On was very well attended with 2 long tables, excellent food and drink and kind subsidy by the hares, to whom also thanks an excellent run and T-shirt.

Due to lack of notice of my write up duties, there is not much meaningful detailed content of what went on for which apologies.