A shower on the way to Erme Mill failed to dampen our spirits on this bright sunny day. Mothecombe beach offered plenty of entertainment during lunch: the huge expanse of sand was covered at such an amazing rate by the incoming tide that the lads had to go and measure it in centimetres (or was it metres) per second. Mind you, they also had to run over it, and through it, before they had finally exhausted themselves.

We made a hasty retreat before our last remaining patch of sand became submerged, returning largely by the same route to Erme Mill. When water bottles had been refilled we took the Ivybridge road to South Brent's Copper Kettle cafe, where Simon eventually caught up with us. (He had gone on a little too hastily back at Ivybridge, missing the turning, but knew where we were heading and found his own way there.)