Decidedly damp again the next week, and in such conditions Drum Bridges is not the best of meeting points. Marldon folk were there first, and when the Totnes/Buckfast group turned up, Colin Downer had just lost a battle with a stone on the wet road and ended up with a rather gory face due to a cut on his forehead. A bit of patching up from Michael’s first aid kit and mopping with a clean handkerchief improved things before we headed through Liverton to Reddaford Water and our destination at Lustleigh Cleave.

I had memories of a sort of cave up near Nutracker that Graham and I had sheltered in some years ago, and when we found it, it proved big enough to give cover to the ten of us, although the temperature could have been a bit higher for true comfort. There wasn’t much to do after lunch but head for home and hot baths!

(Colin Brierly)

Colin Downer's amazing fall on the A38 right in fromt of Frances and I - I'll never forget that one. How we all avoided him is a miracle. Lunch in a cave.

(Kevin Presaland, diary extract)