It was ‘orrid’ on the day we were due to go to Cornwood, with a very strong sou’west wind making the drag from Dartington to Marley Head harder than usual. A couple of miles short of Marley we realised that Matthew, who had been tucked in behind Mark and me, was no longer there and, despite our slowing to a very gentle potter, he had still not come in sight by the time we met the Buckfast contingent. After waiting a while we headed back to look for him but concluded (correctly) that he had turned for home.

We decided to take the hills above Rattery and Harbourneford, keeping eyes open for a sheltered lunch spot which we eventually found about a mile short of Gidley Bridge. Capes were called for after lunch, but luckily the wind had died down and I don’t think Iris Buckler’s ride back to Plymstock, after we separated at South Brent, was anything like as hard as it would have been in the morning.

(Colin Brierly)

The next weekend was the Inter-DA Photographic, and five of us rode up to Stoke Canon for our picnic lunch. We grew to fourteen with the Luxtons, Keith, Jean and four from Plymouth for the ride to Bampton and Wiveliscombe, where we stopped for welcome and needed refreshments.

Plenty of bikes already in the Crowcombe Heathfield hostel shed confirmed that Bristol folk were there before us, but with care we found room for ours and we were soon joining in the chatter in the hostel.

Not quite as many people at Crowcombe this year, but still a good crowd for what I always think is one of the best weekends of the year. An excellent collection of slides from the three Das, with Wessex, after a number of years in the doldrums, challenging Bristol very hard, and Devon being relegated to bottom position. I don’t think we deserved to be as far behind as we were, but I have a suspicion that the judge, Jack Gillespie, doesn’t award many points to landscapes. He did say we would have done better if we had had a greater variety, but with the limited number of people we managed to get entries from, this was not possible.

Thanks to those who did let us have slides for the event – I’ll pass on details of the individual scores when the list comes through from Bristol. Scores for the 24 slides from each DA were: Devon 280, Wessex 316, Bristol 320. So once again, Bristol hold the trophy.

(Colin Brierly)

[1 point: Don Hassall]
[2 points: Noel and Robert Downie]
[3 points: Antony House, Kevin Presland]
[4 points: everyone else]

Our return ride started on a rather grey though dry morning with the sun gradually turning it into a wonderful spring day. For a change we followed lanes to Milverton and then turned off the Wellington road into Langford Budville, to follow the Grand Western Canal to Sampford Peverell and Halberton.

A lunch spot in the sun not very far along the Bob Ellis route to Butterleigh provided interest for a couple of donkeys who came over to watch the animals fed, and then a gentle climb to Butterleigh, followed by a run down the Burn Valley.

I decided that, in view of a couple of “eggs” that had developed in the front tyre of my solo the previous day, it would be wiser to join Jean in the car from Stoke Canon, but the others had a pleasant ride home down “The Valley”.

(Colin Brierly)

[The attendance list for this event is currently incomplete]

Destination Hope Cove on the next Sunday, but after the period of torrential rain until “getting up time” I wasn’t too surprised to find only Val and a new rider, Richard, at Five Lanes (Marldon). I was fighting a cold but decided to carry on to the pickup at Totnes which, in the event, was deserted, and we decided on a shorter ride in the Avon Valley area. Mark apparently got to Totnes rather late and chased all day to catch us without success – maybe the fact that we were behind him had something to do with it! IN any case, he at least carried out the proper run.

In the meantime, on our unofficial run, we dealt with a non-existent puncture in Val’s tyre and had a nice leisurely picnic in the sun by the river Avon before wandering home through Rattery, Staverton and Littlehempston.

(Colin Brierly)

A large turnout for our April afternoon run, including seven newcomers and the Section founder himself – Frank. The weather was kind and our route to Parkhill and Denbury Green was straight enough for us not to have to do much shepherding of our flock.

A little gear trouble sorted out near the Rising Sun and then we turned towards Woodland and Broadhempston with a stop en route to replace a faulty brake cable (the nipple broke in half on a new inner wire, so be warned!). No further problems except for discovering that Richard was missing after we had turned towards Marldon from Redpost and, whilst we didn’t manage to find him, I don’t think he could go far wrong from there.

(Colin Brierly)

It was a bright, sunny morning when four of us set off from Marldon on Good Friday. We rode through Moles Lane and Kingskerswell to Newton Abbot, and from there took the Teigngrace road towards Drum Bridges roundabout. Unfortunately Sue Webber, who had been hibernating for the winter, was already finding it hard going, and so she decided to turn back. Colin, Val and myself continued through Heathfield to meet the Buckfastleigh contingent at Bovey Tracey, where our numbers were boosted to seven.

We moved off up the drag to Moretonhampstead at a fairly brisk pace, and then on and still up to Whiddon Down. Antony left us here as he was only out for the day, and the rest of us continued along the reasonably flat road to Okehampton via the village of Sticklepath, situated on the huge fault splitting Devon in two. On the hill dropping down to Okehampton there was a long and very slow-moving traffic queue, and so0 most of us whipped past on the outside. Unfortunately for Michael, Val would not overtake, and as he was following her he got rather annoyed. At first he thought that perhaps he should stay behind, but after a while he could bear it no longer and managed to overtake her.

On again out of Okehampton for about two miles, and dropping down a long hill we discovered the Exeter bunch eating lunch by a bridge at the bottom. The Torbay lot parked their steeds and sat down in the warm sun to feed. Unfortunately, just at that moment, a big black cloud appeared. Luckily this was not in the sky, but was Michael who, in an effort to save postage and to get them to people on time, had brought the B-Section Highwayman magazines with him, which he presented to Jean. This gesture on Michael’s part was not very well received by Jean who then swore at him! Michael was not pleased.

Apart from the normal (?) B-Section bunch, Bernard from the A-Section and a new B-Section member, Martin, had joined us. Now sixteen in number we walked and rode up the hill on the other side of the bridge and followed the B3218 to Dunslans Cross. From Anvil Corner Colin took us by a devious route through the lanes to avoid the many hills, and we arrived at Elmscott hostel just before five. Sitting in the sun in a neighbouring field were Michael Ward and Don Hassall, who had left Dawlish on Thursday and taken two days over the journey. You couldn’t miss Michael with his bright red legs!

The hostel was small and isolated and the food was not worth mentioning, but we had a good night’s sleep.

(Mark Morton)

Today's ride included a total climb of 1010m.

[1 point: Sue Webber]
[2 points: Antony House]
[4 points: everyone else]