The forecast was for rain this evening and overnight, but with only the lightest drizzle at 7pm we decided to take a chance on a ride. We rode to Buckfast Abbey and then up the long hill to Cross Furzes. Unfortunately Jerry felt ill on the way up after eating coffee cake and cream before he came out, so Ash stayed back with him and brought him along at his own pace while the rest of us continued to the top and returned home with the long downhill to Wallaford Road. Jerry and Ash arrived a few minutes later.

There was the usual games social after the ride where everyone played Lord of the Rings online.

With just three of us out again on the first sunny Sunday for months Michael had to work hard to even get agreement on a ride to Venford. We finally set off at 10.50, riding through Buckfast and up past Hawson Court. Callum was riding fast at this point – he said he had a bowl of cereal before he came on the ride!

We rode through Scoriton and Michelcombe, but then Callum was a bit slower as we reached the park so we stopped there for a break. By the time we had finished playing Frisbee everyone wanted to go to the Holne café, so we went there for a drink and a cake and admired a delightful pony and horse tethered outside as we left.

On the way home Ash and Callum rode the track through Hembury from the fort but couldn’t understand why Michael didn’t join them – until they discovered how muddy the track was after recent rains.

We got home for 1pm and spent the afternoon playing Lord of the Rings online and watching Murray lose to Federer in the Wimbledon final.

The forecast had been dry tonight but there was heavy drizzle when everyone arrived at Crofters at 7pm. It was really too wet to cycle so Michael booked two badminton courts at Ashmoor from 8pm to 9pm. Annoyingly it had stopped raining when we drove there.

We kept changing opponents so everyone got a chance to show off their skills. It was a good evening and the youngsters thought it made a nice change. We finished the evening with computer games at Crofters until 10pm.

There was a general consensus to go to Ashburton this evening so to make a change we took the shortcut up to Druid, which looked very different in this unusual direction, then headed down to Belford Mill where most of us took the track but John and Will waited for us at the end.

We followed Balland Lane past the school, paused a while in the park and then took the usual road back to Buckfastleigh at Will’s request rather than the Pridhamsleigh road that Michael had suggested. John kindly supplied free chips for everyone as we passed his shop, and these were eaten at Crofters whilst playing Lord of the Rings.

We headed out past Caddaford and Staverton towards Torbryan on a perfect sunny morning. A steam train was departing Staverton Station as we passed. Callum and Lawrence were keen to press on to Fermoy’s Garden Centre at Ipplepen but Jerry and Jack wanted the shorter route via Torbryan. In the end Torbryan was selected.

There is a very interesting and scenic footpath that runs from Torbryan to Tornewton. We have used it on several previous occasions and quickly learned that the occupants of The Old Rectory, near the end of the path, have a severe dislike of cyclists: every time we approached they somehow spotted us and came down to complain, even if we were literally as quiet as mice.

It has been several years since we last used the path but Michael was taking no chances on the house having changed hands. Everyone was told to stop talking as we neared the house and to push the bikes as quietly as possible, just in case the same people were in residence. If he had hoped that this time we could get through without incident he was to be disappointed.

A woman was up in the garden that overlooks the path and of course just happened to be looking our way as we crept past. She marched down to the gate, intercepting us before we could get past, and started to tell us off for cycling along a public footpath. She must spend a large part of her life watching for cyclists just so she can complain at them.

Michael pointed out that we were fully aware of her attitude from our last visit a few years ago and so we were taking great care to push the bikes and be as quiet as possible. She then disputed that we even had the right to push bikes along a footpath, but Michael assured her that this is perfectly within the law. She didn’t think we were right and said she would “take advice” on the matter, but nevertheless thanked us in the end for being considerate.

We arrived at Broadhempston community shop and café at 12.30 only to discover that it closed at 12.00, as Michael had feared. Everyone was thirsty so we got some cheap 25p per pint soft drinks form the Monks Retreat and drank them in the park and on the table outside. There was time for everyone to climb onto a container located in the park for a group photo before we set off again.

We took the short route home via Green Lane, arriving later than planned at around 2pm. There was a games social after the ride until 3.50.

Tao joined us this evening so we decided to try a new ride. Ash led us up tracks through Kings Wood from Hapstead to Bowerdon. The final sections were a bit overgrown, but overall this was an easy route up we quickly got through to his parents’ house.

We continued up to the road and on to Cross Furzes. Ash and Tao would have liked to continue to Chalk Ford, and ordinarily so would Michael, but tonight was the opening ceremony of the UK 2012 Olympics and Michael was keen to watch this historic moment. On the way down Wallaford Road we returned to Kings Wood to ride another track down to the Hapstead road, bringing us back to Crofters by 8.45. We had missed the pre-ceremony but were just in time to watch the impressive opening ceremony.

The forecast of showers was not exactly promising for today’s ride, but a very heavy shower arrived just as we were ready to leave so we agreed on a Command and Conquer 3 games social at Crofters with some televised Olympic sports squeezed in for good measure. Everyone left at 4pm.

The forecast showers were not in evidence at the start so we rode via Buckfast to Scoriton, Michelcombe and Holne where we played with the Frisbee and tennis ball in the park.

Then it began to rain. We headed home through Hembury as quickly as we could, but by then it was very heavy. Tao wanted to ride the slalom through the woods so Ash reluctantly followed him, bringing us home in a rather wet state by 8.50. We concluded the evening with a social at Crofters that involved Tao, Ash and later Callum playing a car game while Will and Michael played Lord of the Rings.