Blackingstone Rock is a high and windy place, doubly so when we stopped there for lunch on March 31st. We were seventeen in number when we left Bovey Tracey to climb the B3344, and shortly turned right for the steep descent to the River Bovey, thence to Lustleigh and of course the Primrose Café where elevenses were consumed.

Up the valley and then the hard climb past Pepperdon and the 1000 feet mark, leaving not a lot of miles to the rock itself which we arranged ourselves on and around prior to feeding our faces once again. After a while the wind gathered strength and the sky blackened and we got rolling, only for a short distance however because Steven Hills’ new bike contracted its first puncture. Nearly all of us left him to it and continued to Kennick Reservoir for an acorn fight and much test riding of Simon Birtles’ Moulton AM7 with is hot and cold running suspension.

Steven reappeared, and on we went, following the quiet wooded lanes that dissect the top of this plateau. There’s a right-angled bend on a hump-back bridge covered with loose gravel and leaves just waiting to give a speeding cyclist flying lessons and sure enough one of the new lads came a cropper. He had a soft landing fortunately.

We investigated an old mineshaft before dropping to Hennock village and “falling off the edge” to Knighton Heath, and from there we headed for our homes as quickly as possible, but the clouds and their contents still overtook us!

(Robert Spence)

[We have been unable to find attendance records for this period, so the attendance list for this event is incomplete]