We welcomed a new member, Mark from Ilsington, and the hall buzzed as our growing band of keen players rotated through games. With everyone taking turns to play everyone else, Fridays are becoming ever more energetic and sociable.

New member Ziggy took us to a record eight, so we booked the whole Sports Hall; everyone played a full game with everyone else, and the simple pleasure of it made the evening.

A seasonal ride to Fermoy’s Garden Centre found the café heaving with Christmas gardeners and time for a brief browse. The return via the lane past Newhouse Barton was far muddier than hoped, to Jude’s dismay as his brand-new Adidas trainers took the brunt.

A packed badminton night with all four courts busy throughout; Michael called a halt to new invitations as numbers are at capacity, then underlined the point by winning every game he completed.

Very windy overnight—too risky for cycling—so the decision was sealed when Jude arrived without a bike and George with only a badminton racket. We switched to badminton at Ashmoor and rounded off with Destiny 2 at Crofters.

Another busy evening at Ashmoor, with action-packed games and a full turnout. All four courts were in constant use, giving the session a sharp, competitive feel.

Chilly showers flipped our plan to cycle to Ilsington into a cosy social: hot drinks at Crofters, then Will, on driving practice, ferried us to an excellent-value lunch and back again, safely. We ended the day with more chat at Crofters.

With just four out on the Friday before Christmas, we still enjoyed excellent games at Ashmoor. Jude arrived with Will from Bovey Tracey on the day of Jude and Sue’s own ‘Winter Wonderland’, while Michael kept going despite feeling under the weather after starting antibiotics.

With most members busy with family, three of us turned the Christmas Special into a Monopoly night. Michael was the unlikely victor, even though Jude had secured Mayfair and Park Lane from early on.

Rain halted the planned New Year’s Eve ride, but the trio salvaged the day with badminton at Ivybridge Leisure Centre, lunch in Plymouth, then PC games and a music quiz back at Crofters—a sociable, improvised finale to 2017.

After indoor games at Crofters, we moved to Ashmoor for badminton—an evening of brisk rallies and shared effort. Gavin joined us for the session, rounding off a simple, satisfying club night.

A bitterly cold ride defined by the glove saga: George’s frozen fingers prompted a dash to warmth before Dillan lent him his gloves—then suffered himself until the café at Endsleigh. Gavin was still sawing wood as we passed, and we hurried home to the Crofters clubroom.