Michael began the ride with a stern warning to the youngsters who think it’s clever to speed around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, and was surprised to see a marked change in behaviour for the remainder of the ride!

We took Colston Road and the A384 to Dartington’s Cider Press Centre and then followed the cycle path as far as Totnes Weir. From here we had planned to take the riverside path to Brutus Bridge, but after crossing the bridge over the leat we discovered that the river was so high that the path was submerged!

Neil and Matthew rode through, with water covering their hubs, but the rest of us decided to retrace our steps and follow the main path to the station. It was at about this time that a passer-by would have heard a loud splash followed, after a moment’s silence, by a great deal of laughter. Edward, poor lad, instead of walking back over the bridge, had walked straight over the edge of the leat, fallen about a metre and was now standing knee-deep in the water below! Eliot had managed to walk into a river at Bellever a few years ago, but he had a sort of excuse - it was dark! Edward had no excuse, which made his unfortunate predicament all the funnier.

After meeting up with Neil and Matthew again, who had discovered that the riverside path had been shortened and diverted, we rode home via the Sixth Form Centre, Dartington Youth Hostel and Rattery, loaning Edward sufficient dry clothes to keep him warm. A few of the older members concluded the evening with an action-packed game of Dynablasters at Crofters.