I didn’t go to Bellever, but those that did had a very tough trip with a wind that had them walking on the flat and using bottom gear downhill. But they survived the “ordeal by wind” – and their own cooking – only to find leaden skies and “precipitation” next morning!

(Written by Colin Brierly)

We met up with the Day Run at Moretonhampstead.

We had arranged to meet the weekenders at North Bovey but, by chance, day run and week-enders met in Moretonhampstead and we picnicked in a shelter to see what the weather would do. Still “belting down” and cold with it, so a unanimous decision – home.

(Colin Brierly)

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)

A good turnout for the February Afternoon Run, and nice weather to go with it. A couple of “Kerswells” – Kings and then Abbots – should have been followed with a couple of Ogwells, and in point of fact were, for it was in West Ogwell that Mark found, the hard way, that a front brake block was rubbing on the tyre. Repairs executed it was time to turn back and head for John and Win Reynolds at Denbury and a magnificent tea.

(Colin Brierly)

[1 point: Colin Downie, Antony House]
[2 points: Don Hassall]
[3 points: everyone else]

Not a great number of miles but goodness knows how many feet (or metres) up and down for our run to Hansel Mill. Attendance was into double figures once we had reached the Totnes pickup, and the weather was quite kind as we followed the Harbourne river for a couple of miles to Tuckenhay before climbing to Tideford and joining the main-ish road towards Strete. Ominous blackness and a few heavy spots caused a rapid scramble for capes, and no-one’s arm needed twisting to stop for lunch when a convenient barn was sighted.

A little watery sunshine as we dropped down the very steep and, for a few hundred yards, rough road to the mill, and then plodded up the equally steep road past Hansel farm to the high ground behind Slapton. After a little more lane exploration we decided to take the easy way to Moreleigh, leaving Millcombe and Blackawton for investigation on another day.

(Colin Brierly)

We didn’t have to wait a full week for our next get-together because Michael had arranged a social evening at his house for the following Saturday. Very inconveniently the hospital authorities decided that that weekend was the time to have Michael in for a minor operation that he’d been waiting for for some time. The social still went ahead with the help of his parents and we all enjoyed a talk about Dartmoor history from Claude Warren, who at a very active 75 has never lived farther away from the moors than Buckfastleigh.

I showed some slides to illustrate some of Claude’s points, but will have to keep my eyes open much wider to find a lot of the things he told us about. A very welcome coffee and biscuits rounded off a highly successful evening, and Michael, who is recovering well, has at least heard a tape recording of the evening’s activities.

(Colin Brierly)

[The attendance list for this event is currently incomplete]

A chance to look at the moor next day with a run to Postbridge, and a nice sunny morning, even if the breeze was cold. The long climb from Bickington to Haytor was relieved with a welcome cup of tea at Kevin’s house at Lewthorne, but further food was definitely called for on the very steep climb from Widecombe past Southcombe – the sun shining on a convenient grassy bank and wall proved too tempting to resist!

Not quite so bright by mid-afternoon when we reached Postbridge, though that didn’t stop some enthusiastic attempts to wet each other on the part of most of the bunch.

The return route took us on past Powdermills to Two Bridges, Hexworthy and Buckfastleigh. Finally a magnificent tea at John’s house, which would have destroyed the resolution of the most enthusiastic slimmer, before departing in various directions for our respective homes.

(Colin Brierly)

[2 points: Val Farrell, Don Hassall, Mike Ward]
[4 points: everyone else]

I only went out for the morning on the Kenn Valley run but it was quite a nice day. Apart from slight problems with a couple of members who were faster uphill than the main bunch – the wrong hill of course – it was a pleasant day’s wanderings around the Haldon area.

(Colin Brierly)

[2 points: Colin Brierly, Matthew Tewson]
[3 points: everyone else]

The same area on the March afternoon run, because we were at Don and Grace’s for tea, but with care we managed not to duplicate much of the previous week’s run. We didn’t get the views we should have had from Humber Lane and Teignmouth golf course area, due to rather misty conditions, but with a couple of stops for minor mechanical troubles we were just right for tea when we dropped in Dawlish.

A very nice tea and considerable chatter before heading home through the lanes from Combeinteignhead, not realising that a national motorcycle event had just finished at Higher Roccombe. The lane vanished under six inches of mud and, farther up, there were hundreds more cars coming out of a field, adding to the already muddy conditions at that end of the lane. Jean and I coped fairly well on the tandem but most of the others were reduced to plodding through the mire.

When we got into Torquay the elements did their best to wash the bikes clean, without success, and I’m assured by Mark’s father that both bike and rider needed hosing down when he got home!

(Colin Brierly)