Once again, very windy weather put people off, so the planned morning ride to Harbertonford was cancelled.

The day hinged on a first visit to the new Nkuku café at Harbertonford: an appealing rustic stop but shockingly pricey—£3 for a burnt pain au raisin and a ‘large’ coffee in the same small cup. A passing shower and an ‘Alpaca Poo £1’ sign added colour before a sunny riverside picnic.

A relaxed, talkative evening—Brexit and all—saw the badminton take a back seat, but the real story was Michael playing with his right arm for the first time since last September’s tennis elbow. He even won two games, though chatter trumped competition; his form will return in time.

A sombre evening as talk centred on the 72 staff redundancies at South Dartmoor Community College. Spirits lifted with a sharp Round Robin tournament, Dillan edging the win ahead of Will, with Michael third and Mark fourth.

Returning to the Hunters’ Path above Fingle Bridge, we climbed from the Teign’s quiet woods to wide valley views before tackling the Fisherman’s Path back beside the river. Mothers’ Day crowds denied coffee at Fingle, but pastries by the water and a drowsy thaw by the inn’s stove set the day’s cosy, unhurried mood.

An enjoyable round-robin ended with Jude Norris and Mark Thomas sharing the win, while Michael Jones returned to form after his elbow injury. The upbeat mood had everyone asking for another session next Friday.

With a bigger group than usual, we completed a full badminton tournament at last, capped by Dillan’s five-win triumph. The strong turnout and close results left everyone keen to carry on into the summer term for the first time.

Cold and a recovering Michael trimmed plans, turning a late start into a gentler loop: Ashburton, a negotiated passage through River Dart Country Park, then up through Holne and back via Hembury Woods. It ended with warm coffee and conversation at the M&S café.

A sunlit push along the Granite Way became memorable for an unexpected sighting of Emma Watson at the Lydford Gorge café. We still pressed on to Okehampton for cake on the station platform and swept back late, Michael stoic despite a cold.

A sunny Easter spin built around the Starcross-Exmouth ferry and the gentle rail-path to Budleigh culminated in discovering a far better return via Aylesbeare, wondering why we had ever used Woodbury. A comically slow latte and a 'maintained' muddy track added colour.

Plans for Dartmeet were derailed by a seized chain, sending us off-road over the moor to Chalk Ford. The day became a thwarted quest for coffee—rebuffed by a pub offering only crisps and by the closed Holne community café—though we did befriend two pigs destined, their owner said, for bacon.

A change of plan from daunting Dartmeet to gentler Landscove tempted John to join, and we enjoyed coffee and cake in the garden at Hill House Nursery before heading back so he could dash off to Exeter to look for a new Volvo, to Michael’s quiet satisfaction.