This week, on the historic occasion of the election of the 267th Pope (Leo XIV) and the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, Hen & Cock made a much anticipated and welcome return to the Hill & Dale calendar since it was ‘retired’ a number of years back. The reason for this was the logistical nightmare of managing parking for those volunteering and those taking part. Determined to resurrect this iconic race, Messers Grant and McVeigh sought a bespoke solution. After a brief conclave, there was white smoke (they used McVeigh and McCann’s hair in the fire!) and a field able to accommodate the ever-increasing Hill & Dale numbers was sourced. The Race Directors and the Race Committee would like to thank Mary Savage for her generosity in granting permission that enabled us to take the traffic off the road and ensure that the race could reclaim its rightful place in the fixture list. Listening to the chatter after the race, the decision to bring the race back was a positive one as people seemed to enjoy it – undoubtedly this was aided by exceptionally good weather on the night.