The Annual Fish n Chip handicap returns!
The date for your diary is Wednesday 7th September. This is our third year of running this event, once again with the start and finish outside the Rising Sun PH in Warsash. Fish n chips will need to be pre- ordered through Nick Kimber, postbox@hookpark.co.uk or 07977 411452 and will cost £5 per head. Please reserve your fish n chips through Nick by Monday 5th so that he can give accurate numbers to the chippie – pay Nick the cash on the Handicap night. No reservation – no supper!
The usual rules apply for this scenic route taking in the river Hamble footpath with diversions into the surrounding woods – no watches, no Garmin, sundials, egg timers or any other skulduggery! The aim is to finish at 1915 at the wooden barrier on the footpath in front of the Warsash Sailing club. A recce is a must for this enjoyable route of between 1 and 15 miles (depending on your navigation skills!) The route is:
1. Starting outside the Rising Sun PH head up the river Hamble along Shore Road towards the large car park.
2. Cross the car park diagonally and then uphill over the grass area to the gap in the fence in the top corner,
3. Turn left and run along Thornton Avenue admiring the unnecessarily large houses! The road swings round to the right up a slight hill eventually reaching Brook Lane
4. Turn left into Brook Lane and run about 518.37m before turning left down Brook Avenue,
5. As Brook Ave approaches the river it turns sharp right and a footpath continues straight ahead. Take the footpath which descends down to the river with a wooden fence on your right
6. At the bottom of the path it becomes a gravel path which passes through the saltmarsh. (This is underwater at high tide but should be OK on 7th – best bring swimwear though!)
7. Once you’ve swam, sorry, run across the path you join the main river Hamble path at a T junction. Turn right and head towards Swanwick. Mind your step along this path, it is quite uneven and easy to trip over – as spectacularly demonstrated by Nick during our recce whose diving fall achieved scores of 1.2, 1.3, 1.0 and 0. Try harder next time Nick!
8. Keep running along the path, over a small bridge until finally, after between 2 and 6 miles running, you reach Universal marina,
9. The path bears right into the marina area, once you are on the road which passes through the marina area, follow it to the road exit and run up the hill with fields either side,
10. Just before you get to the top of this road take a sharp right hand turn onto a gravel track (Crableck Lane), almost doubling back on yourself. If you run up to a T junction with Holly Hill Lane you’ve gone too far and frankly will be regarded as a wally!
11. Run down the stony road all the way back to the river path and turn left heading back toward Warsash,
12. After a short while you will see a wooden bridge across the saltmarsh on your left which has a hand rail on one side. Cross this bridge and onto the narrow track which winds its way upwards through woods, when you reach a metalled road bear right.
13. Follow this private road as it winds its way slightly uphill with houses both sides and occasional views across open fields. Eventually you’ll see a half-timbered house ahead of you; when you reach the T junction with this house in front of you turn right ignoring more ‘private road’ signs and follow the road until you reach a gate and large sign for ‘Wendleholme Common’.
14. Go through the gate and follow the grassy path that bear s to the right eventually cutting through shrubs to run downhill to the river path (again!)
15. Join the Hamble path for the last time and turn left to head back towards Warsash,
16. Go past the pink ferry shelter on your right then keep to the path as it flanks the car park on your left,
17. Join Shore Road, run past the Rising Sun and finish at the wooden barrier at exactly 1915 + / - 2 hours!
After a short interlude whilst other runners come in, the fish n chips will appear for consumption on the boardwalk by the war memorial. Let’s hope that the weather stays good. See you there.
Tim Sullivan
For Social Committee