The Hill & Dale season is nearing the end. For many this is cause for consternation and sadness. The annual camaraderie that unfolds each week as the series progresses is palpable. Old friendships are renewed, new ones are forged and the ‘banter’ that epitomises the spirit of the series is there for all to see. The whole thing is an ‘event’ from start to finish. The fun begins in the registration area when stalwarts and ‘newbies’ present themselves to be registered and expect to be pilloried to a greater or lesser extent depending on the mood of those appointed to the post of Race Director. Part of the process for selection to the post RD involves a role play scenario where 15 random people present themselves for registration and the would-be RD has to process them. Applicants are scored on their ability to make eye contact, share a word or two of encouragement, give some basic details of the route and the mandatory kit requirements and health & safety requirements. However, most attention is paid to their ability to find some way of insulting the participants or recalling something silly that they have done (or in extreme cases may not have done at all!) in the past.

The Hill & Dale Series continues to provide escapism from ‘normal life’ every Thursday
evening during the spring and the early summer, as it has done now for a few decades.
The most recent race of the series, Millstone, was the 7th of 10 and this means that the
overall series category battles (needing to finish 6 of the 10 races) are beginning to take
shape.

Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall, While The Prophet Ensured a Litter Free Event for all 

from Meelmore Lodge by The Civil Servant 

Meelmore Lodge was the setting on Thursday past for race number six of the 2024 Hill and Dale Series. Across this 4.5mile race route runners had to tackle the summit of Slievenaglogh [the mountain of the stones], which is 586 metres high with a prominence of 42 metres, and the summit of Lukes, which is 391 metres high with a prominence of 29 metres. A total of 216 runners toed the line in the Meelmore Lodge overspill car park area.

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As the weather improves, the Hill & Dale series heads towards the mountains with the races becoming more technical and some ability to navigate needed. For most this means following the person in front (often a fateful error!), but we all know from previous experience that conditions chan change so quickly and a seemingly benign evening can become anything but that. Last night the rain did threaten on several occasions, but thankfully it held off and allowed the 291 hardy souls to attempt the four peaks and for 288 to complete the course and return safely to the bottom where the bespoke and bijou spaette facilities awaited them. Hot bubbly water and fresh linen were proffered to those who had signed up for the Platinum Package. One female volunteer was overheard expressing her disappointment that she had not brought her tanning kit.