We had a good though rather hard trip to Crowcombe, with a gentle but unfriendly breeze on the way up and a downright antagonistic wind on the way back!

This year the competition was extended to include Southampton DA as an addition to the existing Bristol, Wessex and Devon Das. Rules were also amended to allow up to four slides from one photographer instead of the previous two, and as we were struggling for entries the change was quite helpful.

The independent judge had, as usual, a major task in making a selection of “Pictorial” slides from a superb dew-laden spider’s web to a murky industrial town – also a first class slide.

A lot of our better entries were not to the judge’s taste unfortunately, and while we had an excellent set of twenty four slides we were relegated to third place, the scoring being Bristol 1225, Wessex 1220, Devon 1210 and Southampton 1110.

Michael Jones tied for second place in the Cycling class. Whilst I would like to see Devon do better, the competition is a very friendly affair and results good or bad do not detract from one of the best weekends of the year.

(Colin Brierly)

The following weekend we were off to Crowcombe YH for the Inter-DA Photographic Competition: by "we" I mean Pete, Wendy, Laurence and myself. We had the company of Torbay (who had ridden up in the morning) for our ride to Crowcombe YH. We took our usual route through Bampton, Wiveliscombe and Pitsford Hill, stopping near Wivy for afternoon tea. We arrived at the hostel at about six-o'clock, which gave plenty of time to wash and change before supper. We did not do too well in the competition even though we had some very good slides entered.

(Jean Luxton)

Lunch at the Luxton household at Stoke Canon. Mark Morton was on his Dad's bike. Don and Matt Tewson were on the Vespa today.

(Kevin Presland, diary extract)

[3 points: Don Hassall]
[4 points: everyone else]