Officially down to lead the run for 9 December I decided, along with Richard, to do some night riding up to Bellever hostel. Meeting at 6.30pm we had a splendid run through a very find Saturday evening on the Buckfastleigh to Hexworthy route, stopping at Scoriton’s Tradesman’s Arms for a meal and a pint.

Our final few miles took in the Dunnabridge to Bellever track, half of which goes through a dense conifer forest, and we were thankful to have taken battery lights to supplement our dynamos. Reaching the hostel at 10.15pm we soon had hot drinks inside us, then hit the sack!

(Robert Spence)

Sunday morning was a beauty – cold, clear and still. We finished breakfast, I finished searching for my gloves, and with hostel duty completed we took to the deserted road over Bellever Bridge and heading for Widecombe-in-the-Moor via the ancient Cator Court and some very steep hills.

The Wayside café opened early just for us and two cups of coffee each and a look inside the church later we then took the lane which climbs gently, but endlessly, up past Natsworthy Manor, dropped to the Manaton road and were soon struggling up to Bowerman’s Nose for lunch and the wait for the rest of Torbay Section.

Looking at the Nose, it is very hard to believe that Mr Bowerman is just a product of erosion. I maintain that he was built by the sheep, who used cranes and a JCB to move the massive granite blocks into place.

Richard and I had located the Dartmoor Letter Box and stamped our hostel cards with the rubber stamp therein, and the others spent one and a half hours doing the same, but it didn’t really matter because we only had a few hilly miles to Lustleigh and tea and raspberry gateau in the tearooms.

By the time we trooped out and waited for Michael Jones to put the finishing touches to his puncture mending, the glorious sunshine was fading fast and a blood red sky was coming alive. Colin chose a route that got us to Newton Abbot with very little motor traffic to contend with and our lights made a strange dance through the lanes past Seale Hayne College, the Brierly tandem setting a fast pace. Once again, the weather had been more than kind to us. Well it always smiles on the righteous!!

(Robert Spence)