Our first car-assisted ride of the year was a great success thanks to some superb weather. The ride started from Black Forest Lodge near Starcross and it wasn't long before we had ridden past the deer of Powderham Castle and were starting off along the path that follows the Exe estuary. The recent absence of rain had left the path relatively mid-free today.

Just after joining the canal cycle path at Turf Lock we were fortunate to come across a huge flock of Canada geese resting on the nearby marshland. Fishermen lined the canal, and Exeter Rowing Club were doing their best to avoid the many swans that got in their way.

Everyone was ready for lunch when we arrived at Pizza Hut at 1.15, and shortly after 2pm we set off again for a gentle ride around the park. Ash was keen to show Callum the trampoline as they are both quite skilled at bouncing.

As usual the Quay was swarming with people drawn out by the glorious weather, and progress along the cycle path was slow at times. We soon hit the freedom of the main path however, returning past the swing bridges and back along the canal to Starcross. Callum got a puncture just before we reached the car, so we didn't need to fix it today.

Callum pointed out that Michael still hadn’t fixed Ash’s puncture from last week, and when he got on with fixing them it turned out there were two. We finally got away at around 11am on a lovely sunny morning and set off up Nurston Hill. Here we met a woman walking four unfriendly dogs that looked like they would have killed us if they hadn’t been tied down!

We took the track to Skerraton Down and then walked up over the moorland. Here the gorse had recently been burned leaving blackened stalks all around – we all managed to get charcoal-coloured legs by the time we reached the top.

It was breezy on the ridge but the views across South Devon were spectacular as always. From here we could also see Buckfast Abbey and the spire of the old Buckfastleigh church. Everyone then went on to enjoy the excellent downhill across the moor to Cross Furzes and then the additional downhill back to Cross Furzes.

It was great to have a full contingent out on such a fabulous morning. We rode along Colston Road, up the cycle path and then, after deciding that not everyone could afford a café stop, down to Staverton Bridge. There were steam trains everywhere today as we rode along the riverside path and up through the woods to the park.

Here we had to stop longer than usual as Matt had picked up a nail in his tyre and Ryan had to wait for his Mum to bring an asthma inhaler. There was a new swing in the park, rather like an upturned Chinese hat, so the youngsters couldn’t resist piling into it for a few trials. We also got to try our new whistler rocket.

We took the usual route home past Hole Farm and Abham. There was a social at Crofters after the ride until 3.30.

Rain was forecast for the afternoon so Michael planned a short ride with optional extensions so that we wouldn’t be caught too far from home if the rain came early. We rode through Buckfast and, much to Hallam’s delight, along the lower Hembury Track – he frequently rides that way on his horse.

After climbing the hill to Humphrey’s Cross we rode back to the top of Hembury and along the track to the fort. Here the youngsters bought chocolate and played happily with the whistler rocket. After riding down the slalom track the rain still hadn’t started so we turned left along the main woodland path and then returned along the riverside path where we met one of our senior members Richard Hopper.

There was time for some mud jumping and stone skimming across the calm river before we headed home, arriving at Crofters at 1pm just as the first drops of rain began to fall. An afternoon games social was arranged until 3.45.

With a good turnout and good weather we headed up Dean Hill. On the way up Matt’s chain fell off but a passing cyclist kindly helped him in returning it to the chain ring. We continued down the hill to South Brent and spent some time trying out all the equipment in the play park.

Next stop was Avonwick, where Michael handed out free Easter Eggs on the Cobbly Walk by the river Avon. Everyone seemed fast today so we continued along the riverside road to Diptford, stopping at the old bridge. Surprisingly everyone recognised this road once we started along it, even though last time we rode it the other way.

Once we had climbed the hill to Diptford we headed home via Rattery. We felt sure there would be a play park there, perhaps near the village hall, but we couldn’t find one anywhere. We headed home at a leisurely pace past Pennywell Farm, stopping for some photos before the final descent to Buckfastleigh.

The weather was excellent this morning, and the forecast was great for the whole weekend. Ash and Michael parked up in one of the estates off Ashburton Road, Newton Abbot, and cycled the 2.3 miles to the station for 9.35. Everyone else had arrived by 9.55, except Tao who had decided to cycle from Buckfastleigh and arrived at 9.57 – Zac passed him on the way in.

We had to split over two trains because of bike space restrictions, but even so we had only been able to book 7 of our 8 bikes over the two trains, so somehow, we had to squeeze an extra bike onto one of the two services. Tao’s train, the 10.23, was first to leave, where we had only been allowed to book two bike spaces. When it arrived however, there was an empty third bike hook, so we got three bikes on there and the problem was solved. Tao, Zac and Ryan went on that train, and the rest of us followed on the 10.30 train with five bikes. We played Atomic Bomberman on the train, as usual on these tours.

Tao was waiting for us when we arrive at Bristol Temple Meads. We needed to cross the Bristol Feeder Canal from the station and planned to use the Valentine footbridge to do so, but when we arrived, we discovered there were now two bridges, the Meads Reach Bridge having been constructed very recently. The old bridge was well signposted though, so we crossed that and quickly found the start of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path at Chimney Steps. After some photos we started riding the path at 12.20.

The path initially took us through Fishponds, which Tao described as the “dodgy” area of Bristol, so he didn’t stop cycling until he had reached the next district! A tunnel came next at Staple Hill: it was very cold inside, but it did have lights.

We stopped for lunch at Old Mangotsfield Station, which was at the junction in the paths where the old railway divided. This was a lovely spot for lunch, now a green area between the two paths. There were stained glass windows on the old station buildings, and some graffiti saying “RIP Brandon” on the walls. Everyone had brought packed lunches, and Callum had also brought a pannier-full of snacks which he showed off to everyone. After food we played with the rocket and frisbee and took photos at 1.47. Matt was trying to ring out the England rhythm on his bell, and after several attempts he finally got it right!

When games were completed, we continued along the cycle path, following it over bridges and past old stations and new ones. Ash, who was leading at one point, went straight past the Saltford Brass Mill where we had planned to stop, but to be fair it wasn’t well signposted. The whole route was flat and very scenic. There was a short section of road as we entered bath, then we followed the Weston Cut canal and the River Avon right into the centre of Bath. Here we came across a drunk woman having a very loud argument with a bloke – Ash said she “sounded loopy and pissed out of her face”.


Once in Bath we found our way to the City Centre and then followed signposts that led us up the hill to The Circus, an unusual circle of houses built around a large circular green, and the Royal Crescent, which is the feature we had gone up to see. There were loads of people on the lawns, so we wondered why there was nobody selling ice creams there on such a hot day! We noticed that the end house of the crescent, Number One, was a museum, so Michael enquired about the cost of entry – it was £5 for a child and even more for an adult, so we didn’t bother.

We headed back down to the city centre, this time via the Royal Avenue area which was very leafy and pleasant where the houses all had large gates and lovely gardens. We parked in the Bath Abbey and Roman Baths area, and Michael negotiated a discounted family entry to the Roman Baths of around £6 per person. Everyone took up the offer and went in for the tour of the Baths, which kept us busy from 4pm to 5.45.

We all had audio guides as part of the price, and it turned out to be a very interesting example of the history of Roman Britain. Millions of litres of hot, steaming water rise every day in the Sacred Spring to supply the Baths. The overflow channels inside were especially interesting, taking water in all directions – a real feat of Roman engineering. We felt the water in the main pool - very warm and enticing - and would have loved to swim in it like the Romans did, but sadly it is not considered safe enough for swimming these days. Ducks were swimming on it though, and the youngsters were greatly amused when two of them were mating right there in the pool! Amazingly, the original lead lining of the pool is still watertight after nearly 1900 years!

We visited the gift shop on the way out, Michael and Ash buying some souvenir mugs there, and then returned to the Abbey courtyard outside. Buskers had now taken up residence there, creating a very warm atmosphere, although one male singer in a dress looked and sounded very sad indeed! Zac and Hallam didn’t like the idea of trying to find a Sainsburys, so they bought a pasty each for £1. But the rest of us rode off and quickly found a very well-stocked Sainsburys, so Zac and Hallam definitely missed out there.

We had to climb a long hill to get to Bath Youth Hostel. Michael had put the postcode into his Mio SatNav, but unfortunately this took us to the wrong place and we had to do a small detour before finally reaching the hostel. We found a path to take near the top that went around the back of a group of houses.

Bath hostel was large and set in its own impressive grounds, but it definitely looked a bit grubby. Our rooms were in the rear annexe. Ryan’s parents had inadvertently ticked the wrong box on the tour application form which meant that Ryan had to be in a room with only youngsters, which messed things up rather for the three other youngsters who hadn’t ticked the box and had to share the room with him. One of the rooms had ensuite facilities, but the shower had no working light and the flush was very noisy as it refilled.

When we went down to prepare our food, the kitchen turned out to be poorly stocked – the cupboard marked “Mugs and glasses” had only two wine glasses in it, cutlery was not in the cupboard marked “Cutlery”, there was no measuring jug and few saucepans. It was so bad that Michael gave up on the idea of cooking their meals in there and instead ordered pizza from the hostel reception. Shortly afterwards she was told there were no cheese pizzas left in the restaurant, and she took twenty minutes to work out how to cancel the pizza order and change it to fish, chips and peas! In the end, though, the meals were excellent, although we weren’t sure how the self-caterers got on. Inspection of the kitchen later revealed that some people (Zac and Matt) had tried to leave their dirty dishes for others to wash up! Needless to say, they were soon rounded up to do their duty.

After dark we played Manhunt in the grounds, which was excellent fun, the many bushes and trees near the driveway providing plenty of good hiding places. Ash climbed up the wall of the main building on one hunt, hanging there for some considerable time to ensure victory. Ryan and Zac curled up like stones in the darkness and were hard to find with our limited torches. We got told off by some of the hostellers in the annexe, so we had to keep away from there. It’s a sad reflection on our times when people staying in a Youth Hostel don’t like to see kids playing and having fun!

Having only one key for each room was rather annoying, as you also needed the key to get into the annexe. This meant that if the person with the key was in the room, nobody else could even let him know they were waiting outside, so it was very difficult sometimes. They really need to come up with a better system.

We rounded off the evening with everyone crammed into the larger room to play a huge game of Atomic Bomberman (nicknamed BummerMan by some naughty children) on the laptop. When I say “everyone”, I meant everyone except Tao, who decided to go off for a cup of tea as he didn’t think tours should have computer games on them. He might be right, but we all had great fun with the game and the youngsters were very happy, and that is surely an indicator of a good tour. We then returned to our respective rooms and had lights out by around 11pm.

We left Bath Youth Hostel at 10.20 this morning, which was a good deal later than we had planned. The main reason for the delay was that one of the top clips on Ash’s panniers was broken, so the panniers needed tying up with cable ties. When we had done that, Ash did a wheelie that went on for 20 minutes and ended up falling off the back of the bike, so the pannier needed tying up again!

The Sat Nav took us quickly to Claverton where we picked up the newish cycle route along the side of the Kennet & Avon Canal. The canal path gave us near-perfect cycling for several miles. We passed numerous barges moored along the side of the canal, some ready to scrap but others looking very new. One barge was in use by family. Callum raced through a barrier gate with a small gap at one point and ripped the pocket off his pannier.

We stopped to look at Dundas Aqueduct, built in 1810, which was truly amazing and the first aqueduct most of us had ever seen. The ducks in the water and barges crossing the aqueduct made the whole scene very tranquil and memorable.

We now followed National Cycle Rout 24, which turned out to be delightful from start to finish. It took us up through Monkton Combe and along the Midford railway line path to Wellow, then continued through the tiny hamlet of Stony Littleton. We stopped for a considerable time near Tucking Mill watching the lambs in the surrounding fields: it was such a tranquil scene that we could have easily stayed for an hour. The excellent cycle route took us all the way to Radstock.

The excellent cycle route took us all the way to Radstock, where we stopped at the huge, well-stocked Co-operative supermarket at Somervale Road to buy food and provisions. We found a pleasant stretch of grass to eat lunch nearby, overlooking the Tom Huyton Play Park, although we were a little shocked to see some young children smoking in the park. Callum managed to annoy Ash so much that Ash rang his Mum to tell him all about it!

We continued along the old railway line to Midsomer Norton, which was an interesting and quiet route through a busy town, then had to follow the main road for a while. The cycle route had ended now so we had to find our own route to get us to the top of Cheddar Gorge. We decided to go up the hill to Paulton, even though it was a bit longer and hillier that way. Michael took us on a wrong turning, but we were quickly back on track to Hallatrow and Temple Cloud. Another wrong turn took us down a dead-end track, some took the path back and then we were soon at Hinton Blewitt.

We were now following an old cycle route. We stopped at the Prospect Style viewpoint for a well-deserved rest just after 4pm, giving us great views to Chew Valley Lake, then descended the hill to East Harptree. From here, the long climb to the top of the Mendip Hills began, taking us from 89m above sea level to 260m. Matt had a sore leg and started walking, which gave Michael some cause for concern as we were already a bit later than we should have been. He soon perked up though and tackled the double-arrow climb with enthusiasm. In fact, everyone did well climbing the hill at the end of a long day as the climb got easier and easier.

From the top it was pretty much downhill all the way to Cheddar Youth Hostel. We descended the spectacular Cheddar Gorge together which was great fun, with magnificent views. We stopped near the bottom for photos, then bought ice creams from a storekeeper from London – they were so nice that Ryan said they were the best ice-creams he had ever eaten! The chap was very friendly too, so we had a good chat with him and bought some cheese.

We had planned to watch Doctor Who on the hostel TV when we arrived – Season 5, Episode 2 with Matt Smith, starting at 6.15 – but we were late so it had already started when we arrived, and there was very little space in the TV room so we decided not to bother. The two rooms we had been allocated were larger than booked - a 6-bed and a 4-bed for eight of us – so Matt Porter joined the others in the larger room leaving Hallam with Zac and Ryan in the smaller room. Ash seemed a little annoyed that he didn’t get the double bed!

Some needed to visit the local shop, so we rode our bikes the short distance to the Tesco Express (without panniers of course). Back at the hostel we cooked our mainly microwavable meals in the two Microwave Ovens, although Tao had some nice oven-cooked pizzas. Ryan and friends, as usual, decided to cook some bacon which stank out the kitchen – disgusting for the vegetarian members of the group!

There was no chance of playing Manhunt at Cheddar hostel as it didn’t have large enough grounds, and anyway the warden didn’t approve. So, we rounded off the evening with an excellent game of Atomic Bomberman on the laptop in the larger room, with seven people taking part. Michael did start a ghost story when everyone was in bed, but everyone had fallen asleep before he got halfway through, so he went to sleep too.

After breakfast at Cheddar Youth Hostel, some of the youngsters played Atomic Bomberman in the larger dorm until 9.20. Zac didn’t really want to stop and was last out, but we finally got away at 9.55.

On a lovely sunny morning our first stop was the well-stocked Tesco Express on Station Road, where we stocked up with a few items for snacks and lunch. Then Tao found the short, enjoyable cycle path that started from Tesco, taking us out to the main Draycott Road. This took us past the Cheddar Karting, which Ash had visited with the school once in Activities Week, then when some of our newer riders failed to look behind on the right turn into Latches Lane, we spent a few minutes running people through the correct procedure for right turns.

At Nyland Farm House we came across a huge, adorable St Bernard looking over his garden wall. Ryan instantly fell in love with him, so we had to take a few photos. The lane then took us around a lumpy little mump called Nyland Hill, where we came across the unusual sight of alpacas grazing the luscious green grass.

After joining the main road at Cocklake and following it through Wedmore, Matthew took us into his father’s farm, Garden End Farm at Panborough, for refreshments. We were given a warm welcome even though his father was not actually home, and we enjoyed drinks and crisps in the large garden area. We played with Michael’s frisbee and rocket, and were also given a tennis ball. James was an ex-cricketer and demonstrated how it should be done, but he reckoned Ash had a “good arm”. James also brought out an old bike and showed us, remarkably, how to ride it backwards! After a bit of practice, Ash managed ten turns of the pedals before falling off, and whilst Zac kept falling off from the start, he vowed to learn. Hallam preferred to ride one of the infant bikes owned by the younger children of the farm, which made for some good video.

It was around 12.15 when we finally dragged ourselves away from the entertainments. We took the quiet lane route to Wells via Fenny Castle even though Matt pointed out that it would be quicker on the main road. The route was easy and we got into Wells by around 1.15, the sat nav guiding us directly to Cathedral Close. We bought lunch in the busy shops and ate it on the expansive lawns in front of the cathedral. Ryan apparently told Callum to pick up his rubbish, and Callum’s response, apparently, was to hit Ryan! All the rubbish was, however, picked up of course.

It was cloudy and cold now after being warm and sunny all morning. Michael took several of the youngsters inside the cathedral to look around, and especially to watch the famous clock do its thing for 2.30 – several jousters riding around in concentric circles, with one being knocked off his horse every time he came around. Hallam didn’t think it had been worth seeing, but it was definitely more interesting than the clock outside. Some of the passageways around the courtyard looked very much like Hogwarts from Harry Potter!

Leaving the cathedral, we rode through the Bishop’s Palace and Gardens, a delightful area with a huge moat and many ducks and swans. It made a perfect location for some more video clips and photos. We followed Cycle Route 3 across the quiet Levels roads to Glastonbury, rode straight to Glastonbury Tor and parked the bikes at the bottom. We had been seeing the enormous tor for many miles and some in the group had expressed doubts about climbing to the top, but now we were here, everyone decided to go up.

It was sunnier now, although there was still a chilly breeze. We reached the top by around 4.25 and got some great views of the surrounding area, showing us just how flat the Somerset Levels are. Street, our destination for the final night of the tour, was not far at all. Ash started the trend of rolling halfway back down the hill, as he did on our last visit here, although this time he took the trouble to give his valuables to Tao so nothing would be lost. Matt did his best to follow suit, so much fun was had by all, although Ash was feeling quite ill by the time he reached the bottom!

We took the direct route to Street via the South Moor lane. As it was Sunday, Clarks Village was closed now, but we rode up to the hostel via McColl's in Ivythorn Road where we bought food for our evening meal and breakfast. Matt showed us he was a true Pokemon fan by purchasing a Pokemon magazine from the store.

We arrived at Street Youth Hostel by around 6pm and we allocated to the top-floor dorm as usual – definitely the best in the hostel. There weren’t too many people staying, but the kitchen was quite small so we got on with showers and evening meal preparations in stages, so it didn’t get too crowded. Matt’s Gran came to visit him – and us – in the hostel grounds during the evening.

After our meal we played Manhunt outside as darkness began to fall. We had several good games, as the grounds were ideal for the game, but by 9.30 most of us were getting cold. Ash wanted to play just one more game and was a bit disappointed when everyone else wanted to go in, but he came down to the common room for a hot chocolate and some Chocolate Buttons with Michael and Tao and then we all had some good games of Atomic Bomberman to round off our final evening. Well, all except Tao, who preferred to have some phone chats with Jude at home, but he did given some of Ash’s Chocolate Buttons! Matt showed off more of his extensive knowledge of Pokemon during the evening.

When we went to bed, we left the door open to allow plenty of fresh air to circulate, and to allow Zac and Ryan in the small 2-bed room next door to talk to us through the hallway. Michael finished the ghost story from last night, but once again they all fell asleep before he finished – except for Tao and Ash. Tao said he was expecting a darker ending. It had been a good final evening of the tour.

When we awoke in our cosy attic dormitory at Street Youth Hostel on the final morning of the tour, Hallam announced that he had slept very well and there was a great atmosphere in the group. When pillow fights had been concluded we had breakfast, which was fine apart from a dispute between Callum and Matt – Callum wiped crumbs off the table onto Matt, Matt emptied more crumbs over Callum and then Callum hit Matt!

Zac and Ryan were actually ready early today, so there was time for some frisbee in the Common area outside the hostel, although Tao and Ash preferred Bike Frisbee. After some group photos we left just after 10am as usual.

The weather was perfect this morning. We took the path through the Common and the Woods on Ivythorn Hill, then Zac realised we were not going to Clarks Village – he was disappointed about that, as he had saved money for it. Sadly that would have been a detour, and since the trains would not wait for us later we just didn’t have time. We followed the long, straight roads across the Levels – Butleigh Drove, Nythe Road and Beer Drove – giving us plenty of time to enjoy the unusual scenery of willow trees, watery drains and swans. Ash and Michael swapped bikes for a while and Ash really loved Michael’s Mercian, getting really good speed on it.

At Othery, Matt saw the Bakery above which his sister lives. We didn’t have time for a visit though, and we went instead to the local shop – Central Stores on High Street – which was not well stocked but had enough for us to buy lunch of sorts. Some were getting a little short of money by now, so Matt had to borrow £5 and Ryan £2.50. We then rode the last mile or two to Burrow Mump, during which Ryan’s playing cards fell out of his pannier and ended up all over the road! Fortunately Tao was there to help pick them all up.

This year, for a change, we parked our bikes in the Burrow Mump car park and walked up from there, which turned out to be a lot safer and more enjoyable than our usual path up from the main road by the school. We could just make out Glastonbury Tor in the hazy distance when we reached the top. There was plenty of sunshine, but it was breezy at the top so we found a little shelter from the ruined church by going around to the far side, then had an early pre-lunch there at 12.10. The youngsters played I, Spy over lunch and then Callum, Ash, Ryan and Matt had fun climbing the ruined church.

It would have been good to follow the Route 3 cycle path all the way from here to Taunton, but Michael wanted to take the group to the Willows and Wetlands Centre at Meare Green so we went there first. We had a good look around the exhibits, swung in the hanging Willow seats (as Tao and Ash had done on previous tours), posed with the Willow fish, saw the Blackberry-picker baskets and took some amusing photos of Callum, Zac and Ash wearing busbies and shawls. We rounded off an interesting visit with coffee and other refreshments in the café, for which Ryan needed to borrow another £2!

We left there at around 1.39 and decided we didn’t want to retrace our steps back to Burrowbridge to join Route 3 at Fordgate. We continued on along our usual route through North Curry and Ham, cycled over the footbridge there, and then found the Creech St Michael entrance to the Route 3 canal path. To make up a little for missing the other part, we first followed it away from Taunton as far as the Old Engine House at Charlton. Here there was a concrete World War 2 bunker by the canal path, so the youngsters sat on there for some group photos while Michael talked about options for the summer tour.

Timing was now perfect for heading back along the path to Taunton for our train. Michael let Ash take the lead for this section, regrouping every five minutes or so to ensure we didn’t waste any precious time with mechanical problems. The canal path was delightful and so much better than the main roads we used to use for this part of the tour. After passing Creech St Michael again we saw two unusual weed cutting and collecting machines, keeping the canal clear and well maintained.

The canal path took us right into Morrisons in the centre of Taunton. We bought some provisions in there to eat on the train and Ash rang his Mum. Tao kept an eye on the bikes, which was just as well as a “geezer” almost took Ash’s new Trek 4500 bike!

We got to the station at around 3.30 and prepared the bikes for optimal loading on the trains. We managed to get seven bikes on the first train, the 3.50, where only six were booked, which instantly solved the problem of how to get two bikes on the next train where only one was booked. Michael took Ashley, Callum, Hallam and Matt on the 3.50, which turned out to be a busy train, but our reserved seats meant we could all sit together as planned. Matt said he would have liked the tour to go on a bit longer as we just getting up to speed now! He had indeed done very well today, staying up with the leaders for the whole ride. Meanwhile Tao, Zac and Ryan caught the 4.17 train from Taunton.

Matt’s friend was waiting to collect him at Newton Abbot when we arrived at 4.41. Joyce McGrath arrived around 5pm, later than planned as she had found it tricky putting the bike rack on the car. Jude arrived to meet Tao, and we all met Tao, Zac and Ryan off their train when it arrived at 5.08, five minutes late. Then Ryan’s Dad arrived to take Ryan and Hallam, and our tour had finally come to an end. That just left Michael and Ash to ride back to their car through Newton Abbot, with Zac passing them on the way. When they reached it at 5.35 Michael was somewhat relieved to find it was still in one piece and hadn’t been vandalised!

This had been a very good tour, with excellent weather, great scenery and a good group of youngsters. Hopefully Callum will have learned some lessons from his mistakes!