Our turnout today was surprisingly good considering the twin adversaries of Mother's Day and the introduction of British Summer Time. The idea of visiting Spitchwick had been bouncing around for a few days, so it wasn't long before we were tackling Hembury Hill with a vengeance. Oliver, who had been fixing a late puncture, caught up with us just in time to spot a pair of deer in the woods not far from the road.

New protective fences had been erected around certain areas of Spitchwick Common to prevent erosion, but all the best bits were fence-free making it ideal for our usual Frisbee contests. We were all a bit sleepy today and could easily have settled down on the grass for hours, but the desire for lunch encouraged us to rouse ourselves for the long climb back to Gallant-Le-Bower. Ben really excelled himself today by putting in some real effort on the climbs, and Joe did the best he could with his BMX.

Oliver's worst nightmares turned real on the lower Hembury track when he got yet another puncture. He fixed it with all due speed while we gazed lazily from the grass verges, a bee adding to the distant babble of the brook, but when he had finished he discovered another puncture that needed his attention. Eventually we set off once more to enjoy the final descent through the woods to Buckfast and home.