Edward got off to a very rough start when he apparently blacked out in Old Totnes Road and fell face first onto the pavement. His mother arrived on the scene and took him off for some patching up, but there was no permanent damage done.

Ken and Dave were still waiting for us at Totnes when we finally arrived at 11.10. Our selected lane route took us through Tuckenhay to Dittisham. It was in this section that Michael’s newly-resprayed rear rack became detached from its light bracket.

A wrong turning in the village brought us down to the banks of the River Dart before the leaders could be told to stop, so we had lunch and then climbed the steep hills out of the village. Ken and Dave decided, quite sensibly, to return to Paignton via Dartmouth while the rest of us made our way to Harbertonford along country lanes, farm tracks and steep climbs. When refreshments had been purchased from the garage we sped back to Buckfastleigh, arriving at 4.45.