Genesis

The earliest known attempt to form a Hash in South Yorkshire was almost foiled by a bizarre coincidence. A group of people in Rotherham caught the running bug and decided to form Hallam Hash House Harriers. They planned a run in the Dearne Valley one Sunday in October 1987, inviting Yorkshire Hash along.

That same weekend two former members of Port Moresby Hash www.global.net.pg/pomh3/main.html organised their own run from The Cock Inn at Birdwell. They were, Derek “Psycho” Sykes and Gordon “Smittie” Smith. Psycho was an occasional runner with YH3 and gave them directions to the Cock Inn. The upshot was that YH3 turned up at Birdwell for what they thought was Hallam’s first run!

Once wires were uncrossed, the two groups joined forces. H4 ran on for several months with venues all over South Yorkshire. However H4 members were spread too thinly and it folded eventually leaving Smittie to console himself with occasional YH3 runs and Psycho to defect to Al Jubail Hash.

New Testament
A decade was to pass before the next known attempt to form a Hash in South Yorkshire. Smittie was running up Porter Clough wearing an old Hash T- Shirt when he came face to face Gordon “Gobshite” Davies, a mountain-biker who claimed to be checking out a possible Hash run for a group which was already running occasionally in Sheffield.

The inspiration behind SH3 was one “Captain Haddock” of Kirton Hash. His son, Neil “Green Giant” Gard who had moved to Sheffield was well versed in the Hash Commandments and gathered a hardcore of Hashers including, “Hairless”, “Bloodhound” “King Rat” “Backdraft”and “Professor”.

An early success was the weekend camp, first held on a farm at Dronfield. SH3 on tour has now hashed at Birchover, The Roaches near Leek, Cropton Forest and Hartington.

In tune with the greatest tradition of Hash, SH3 runs every Monday night. For several years numbers fluctuated between three and thirteen but in more recent times have averaged twenty.

Other traditions we are partial to include re-fuelling at the weekly pub venue and our regular visits to the Hash House. But one of our cherished traditions owes nothing to history, the annual Christmas Fancy Dress Hash is all our own.