On a very misty 17th, sixteen members attended to inspect the markings on the Ten Commandments Stone near Buckland-in-the-Moor, including a new 14-year-old, Robert Leeke, from Totnes. Jason was also out again, accompanied by Glenn. Punctures at our Ashburton pickup delayed progress by half an hour, and the long climb towards Haytor made certain that lunch would be eaten before there was any thought of looking for the stone. We settled in a convenient field to enjoy lunch, which for me included turkey and snow sandwiches, fruit snow and snow coffee – you see there was a snowball fight going on all around me!

We trudged up the hill through the mist, trying to follow a rather indistinct path and the shouts of those ahead. Now, somewhere around here there should be a massive great hill; ah, there was a style, and .. yes .. there was Buckland Beacon, materialising out of the mist. Sure enough, the Ten Commandments Stone was there in all its glory. The stone-mason commissioned to do the job in 1926 had more or less lived there for several months, according to Claude Warren, and we could well believe it as we read the intricate laws of life carved into the huge stone tablets.

On the return journey, more snow found its way down my neck, placed there by a certain young gentleman who shall remain nameless, but rides a Falcon. Cold East Cross and Haytor took us temptingly close to Kevin’s house: the temptation proved irresistible and there were cups of tea all round before we set off down the hill to Drum Bridges and home – thanks Kevin!

(Michael Jones)

[1 point: Colin Downie]
[2 points: Iris Buckler]