I hadn’t checked on the published pick-up point for the Gara Bridge run, but when we met Mark at Totnes he told me it was Marley Head, which did rather surprise me. But sure enough, when we’d ground up the dragging grades to Marley, there were the Buckfast contingent waiting for us. John gave me time to recover from the hills by trying to deal with a creaking crank. While he was thus engaged, Iris Buckler turned up for a fleeting visit but didn’t stay with us because she was fighting a cold.

We rode through the lanes to Avonwick and then followed down the River Avon for about three miles, then climbed almost to California Cross to drop back down to the river again at Gara Bridge. After lunch, another climb before following the ridge from Moreleigh to Diptford and then some lanes, that proved to be very muddy, to Harbertonford and Luscombe.

(Colin Brierly)