Not so nice the next Sunday, when Topsham Bridge was the destination – no, not the one where the devil hangs out in Ken and Iris’s parish, but on the river Avon, downstream from Gara Bridge. It was nice to have an addition to the female strength, with a friend of Frances’ – Kim Marshall – out for the first and, we hope, not the last time.

We took the lanes to Harbertonford and Moreleigh before dropping to our destination down the “white road”, which inevitably had a hundred yard section where white was a very inaccurate term! There was, however, a grassy bank where the bikes could be carried and feet kept clean, so no harm was done, although Michael Ward did find a different route that wasn’t quite as clean!

Fairly cool but not too wet for our picnic, with the bridge giving a bit of shelter from the wind. We were pleased that Iris Buckler could join us, even if only for a few miles from the lunch spot to where we turned off to Gara Bridge. We headed home past Curtisknowle and Crabadon in an attempt to beat the impeding rain.

(Colin Brierly)

[2 points: Iris Buckler]