The cold at Bereleigh certainly put off a number of our regulars at Bereleigh, which was a shame because Bill and Philipa Tywhitt-Drake gave us a great meet as usual, and we had four good hunts. Quarry Nick Hudson, confused the Master, easily done, by going "off piste", or as the Master puts it, he went off "pissed" at the end of the first hunt, with four hares getting up in front of the hounds in the field where the error occurred. Extraordinarily, Nick then ran the next three hunts perfectly, even though the notes didn't match the ground, which was marked as stubble but had been ploughed up in the meantime. The Master claims the field wasn't ploughed until after Nick started running, but I think that's unfair!

The first hunt started in the park, just east of Drayton Farm, the hounds had some difficulty settling to the line, partly because of over exuberance and partly because scent proved to be fairly poor. Eventually, they found the line to run up towards the house, before turning down to go through the wood into Mascoombe Bottom. Running up the grass valley hounds hunted out onto Park Hill, where they checked again. Regaining the line, they crossed the track west of Park Farm, only to check near the lower main track. Six hares sprang up in front of the hounds in the stubble here, and although hounds did not go away on any of them, it made it impossible to regain the line and the hunt was abandoned.

The Master was not too happy with this failure to finish the hunt and hounds were taken to the start of the second hunt at Park Farm. Scent was better on this line, presumably because Nick had warmed up, and hounds were quickly settled to the line. Hounds ran well by Sir William's Hill, up to Scaffold Row, where the Quarry had turned sharp back down to the barn by the gravel track. Despite fresh muck having been spread, hounds hunted well over the track, turning north to Lower Bordean Farm. Turning back from the A272, hounds flew by East Lodge, to catch their Quarry.

The third hunt started down by Lower Bordean Farm, with hounds flying parallel to the A272 as far as Warhill Cottage. Hounds crossed the road by the entrance to Tigwell Farm and ran onto fresh plough, bringing them to a walk. It was a joy to watch the hounds working the line across the fresh plough, without any help. Eventually they cross the next road and flew across the stubble down to Trenleygrove Plantation, where they caught their Quarry.

The fourth hunt, started from the end of the third, with hounds running by Burrow Plantation, to cross the road above Riplington. Running by Drayton House, hounds crossed the road by Bereleigh Cottage, to finish back by Bereleigh House. Not the best of scenting days, but nonetheless very enjoyable, with Quarry Nick Hudson coping well with the discrepancy between the route notes and the ground conditions on the day.