Dittisham was the destination on 13 December, but I don’t think even Mark Morton through we’d see the riverside village that day when he eventually woke up and looked out of his window. As Kevin and I left Buckfastleigh the snow was falling heavily, and by the time we got to Totnes it had started to settle on the road. We had half expected to find the Plains deserted, but we were in for a surprise – five other lunatics were sheltering under the garage overhang! It took precisely five minutes to decide that discretion was the better part of valour, however, and that if we didn’t get home quick we’d be in for a long walk.

There were several centimetres of snow on the road by the time we got back to Buckfastleigh – and then Kevin got a puncture. He finally got back to Haytor at lunchtime and told me afterwards that some of the steep hills caused a few problems.

(Michael Jones)