By popular demand we arranged a swimming trip tonight. We had to decide between the English Riviera Centre at Torquay and the Riverside at Exeter. After much deliberation we chose Exeter because it allowed diving, although the downside was that there was no flume. We got there at around 7.50 and had a lot of fun doing a lot of diving off the side, finally leaving at around 9.05. We called in to Sainsbury on the way home to get a few snacks and then got back a little late at 10.07.

Nobody except Michael was available for today's ride, so it was cancelled.

We were able to book a badminton court at Ashburton tonight and had some excellent games between 7.40 and 8.40. The best games turned out to be Michael and Ash v Callum and Zac with the latter having a ten-point handicap. On return to Crofters we enjoyed several games of Call of Duty on the PC network.

Zac found himself barred from attending the social tonight as he had missed the last three cycle rides, but the rest of us enjoyed a fun evening. After some computer games at Crofters we set off at 7.25 for Plymouth and had three good games of Pool on two tables, swapping the pairings over for each game. After the inevitable arcade games and a visit to Tesco we got back a little late at 10.15, with fireworks going off in all directions on the return journey.

Ash's hopes of a car-assisted ride to Exeter Ship Canal were dashed when Zac rang late - with five people and five bikes were just too many to take in the V70. Michael organised another of his mystery rides, not telling anyone in advance where we were going. We ended up riding the famous Beaston Track in the downhill direction, which did not fail to live up to its reputation of being muddy and wet - so naturally everyone loved it! Callum, being relatively inexperienced, went way too fast through all the mud and water and ended up plastered and soaked from head to foot. Ash, usually more cautious, didn't see the danger in the biggest lake however, charging through it and then discovering that it was much deeper than he expected: he ended up with soaked shoes and cold feet.

We took the right turn at Gullaford and then the fun track that first goes down over a field and then enters a woodland track that continues down to Lower Combe. This was a great finish to a fun ride.

Tonight was so wet and so windy that the Tamar Bridge had been closed to high-sided vehicles. Some parents were understandably anxious about travelling, so we contented ourselves with a short trip to Peartree garage at Ashburton in Michael's Volvo S40 loan car, then spent the rest of the evening playing Lord of the Rings and Call of Duty on the PC network.

At Ryan's request we rode to Ashburton and spent a little time in the park, where two local youngsters joined with us for some biking fun on the ramps. After all the recent rain there were puddles and lakes on all the roads. We took the woodland track from beyond Belford Mill back to Ashburton, which Callum enjoyed immensely. Ash was a bit sore from various school activities last week so we didn't extend the ride as planned, returning directly to Buckfastleigh via the old Ashburton road.

The youngsters had stitched up this evening's social in school, so when they arrived they all knew exactly what they wanted to do. After a few games of Call of Duty we set off at 7.25 for Plymouth and enjoyed a good game of ten-pin bowling - Ryan only just missed getting the 100 points he had hoped for by a single point, but Michael won the day with 142. ON the way home they all wanted the usual twenty minutes in Tesco to buy sweets and cheap doughnuts.

Nobody except Michael was available for today's ride, so it was cancelled.