As there were seven out this evening we took the opportunity to go out in the car, but not until we had enjoyed a music videos quiz where Michael showed a still frame from a famous music video, then ran the video with no sound before finally adding sound if nobody guessed the song correctly. Everyone actually enjoyed that a lot, and it was 9pm before we decided to call it a day: Ash’s team (with Jack and Zac) marginally won 46 to 43 against Jerry and the two Callums.

We concluded the evening with a visit to Tesco at Lee Mill. Michael used the opportunity to buy a car wash, but the machine had run out of soap so he had to content himself with a value wash for £2.50 which didn’t do a particularly good job. Ash and Callum cleverly decided to come back with their mother who happened to be also doing shopping at Tesco, but she took a lot longer to return than they had expected so they missed the end of the social.

We passed a “Road Closed” sign at the start of Old Totnes Road, but it wasn’t actually closed at all. We continued up Green Lane, down the track to Riverford (past the traveller camp) and then on into Staverton. We spent five minutes playing in the park where Ash declined to do the back flip off the swing that some of his “friends” had suggested.

Continuing to Broadhempston via the lower lane and the school we had some Frisbee fun in the park there for ten minutes. They really wanted to ride Beaston tonight, so after detouring around Ron Greet we took the track, accompanied by some other cyclists that were going the same way. The track was quite muddy in places but there were no real lakes today.

To finish the ride we returned via Landscove and Green Lane, getting home for 1.20. There was a trampoline social after the ride until 3.30.

CoB wanted to play badminton, Callum F wanted to do bowling but Zac and Jack had no money and didn’t want to go anywhere. So we were stayed in again and CoB wasn’t too happy about that. Plans were made to go out for the next two socials regardless.

As usual they couldn’t really agree on what they wanted to do, so Jack and Zac played solo games on their PCs while the rest played yet another music quiz. This time Michael got everyone to write down five of their favourite tracks, and he used all those tracks for the quiz so at least someone would know every track. They liked that I think, and Zac came in to join us too when he realised what we were doing.

Tenpin at Plymouth were charging extortionate fees of £5.50 per teen and £7.50 per adult, and that was for just a single game! Normally we would have bought two games, but at these prices we made the most of our single game. Callum F got a few flukes and won with the rather mediocre score of 94. Michael came second with 89, then Jerry, Ash and Callum O'B with just 39. It was disappointing that nobody got over 100, but we all had fun and finished off the evening with some games of Pool.

After calling in to Tesco at 9.17 we came across a rather dangerous situation in the road near South Brent. A car had apparently hit the central reservation and was now blocking the fast lane at an angle with no hazard lights. Another vehicle was straddling the hard shoulder and left-hand lane, and a few people were standing on the side of the road. One of them was waving a torch. There was hardly any traffic on the road, so some nifty braking was required to reduce speed to a safe level.

We got home safely for 9.53, allowing the youngsters a little time to eat their food and buy drinks from the club shop before they left at 10.

Much of the UK had received a blanket of snow overnight, but of course we didn’t get any here in South Devon. We had dry, sunny conditions although it was quite cold. Lawrence asked for toast as soon as he arrived, but Michael was already preparing it for him in anticipation of his request. He still got the last word however by asking for a second piece.

There was general agreement that we should ride towards Dartington, so we set off around 10.35 along Colston road. Lawrence was on good form today and CoB was on top form, so we made such good speed that Michael decided we could go on to Totnes.

The cycle path from Totnes was fun so we rode it all the way to Totnes Bridge, pausing at the weir for some interesting action photos involving the hapless Lawrence. Morrisons provided an enjoyable café stop, although some of our group ate way more than Michael advised: Lawrence again bought a fry-up and Callum O’B bought chicken nuggets. Callum F and Jerry limited themselves to buying 10 doughnuts for £1, probably for reasons of finance.

Michael suggested the more ambitious return over Rattery by way of a change, and since he didn’t hear any objections we followed the route from Dartington past the old South Devon Farmers site and rode straight up the hill towards Rattery Sawmills. Lawrence was now beginning to regret eating the large meal and promised not to have it again, but he still managed OK up the hill, delaying us only by 10 minutes or so. CoB stayed near the front all the way. We got home by 2.00, just ten minutes later than Michael had predicted at Totnes.

There was time for Modern Warfare 2 and trampoline fun after the ride.

Michael had been unable to book badminton courts by the time everyone arrived, but after ten minutes he tried the YMCA in Plymouth and found that they had two courts available.

We played from 8pm to 9pm, paying £6 for each court and £1 entry per person, so it turned out to be quite expensive in the end. Our two courts were at right angles to each other, which was a little distracting, but Ash found that the main problem was the professional trampolining that was taking place over the barrier: people kept shooting up close to roof height from time to time, and Ash was just dying to have a go. Most of us had fun though, and CoB did very well in his games.

We called in to Tesco as usual on the way home and returned by 10.02.

It seems as though CoB’s reason for not coming today was that Michael mentioned a hill in one of the potential destinations today.

In view of the very cold start everyone wanted the ride to be morning only, so we rode up Dean Hill and down to South Brent. Nobody except Ash liked the idea of going on to Ugborough Beacon or the Avon Dam, so we had fun in the Play Park and then rode down to Avonwick, stopping briefly for photos at the little bridge over the river.

Jerry and Callum declined the Cobbly Walk track shortcut and took the road alternative. We then proceeded towards Diptford along the riverside road, then Callum insisted we took the Diptford Downs shortcut back towards Rattery, so we missed out on Diptford itself.

It was sunny now and much warmer for our return via Shorter Cross and the viaduct road to Rattery. Michael would have loved to ride further, but evidently this was quite far enough for Callum.

There was a social after the ride until 3.30 involving games of Modern Warfare 2 with Ash and Michael against Jerry and Callum which ended in a draw.

Everyone wanted to stay in tonight, so we did a music quiz of games themes which Ash’s team won, then the youngsters spent half an hour on the trampoline while Michael did some editing of the Scotland 2010 video. They all watched clips of that at 9.55 and didn’t want to stop. It seems they are all keen to book for our upcoming Easter Tour.