Many thanks all those who were able to attend our picnic at Blackdown Rings and special thanks to Caroline whose idea it was in the first place. I think I've got everyone in the photos except me - Iris, Brian, Roger Floyd, Andy Prideaux, Andy Easton, George, Graham Reed, Anna Bryant, Julie and Caroline Sage. The weather was lovely and some commented it was the first time ever they'd visited the Blackdown Rings when it wasn't dull or raining!

And some more pictures from Roger Floyd:

Seven of us at the start today and a rather cold and breezy one at that. It was pleasant to see Patrick again, down from Derby and Mike Willacy, who has not been out with us for a while. Coffee was at Lucy's in Yelverton, after which we split up to go our separate ways. Bryan, Anna and Mike Willacy left for home. Patrick, who was riding Iris' bike, wanted a longer ride but nothing too strenuous so went off on his own.

Graham Reed, Julie and myself set off for Callington via Horrabridge, Peter Tavy, Mary Tavy, Holyeat, Lamerton and Gunnislake. We had an afternoon break for lunch at the pub in Lamerton, where we had been two weeks previously. 

In Gunnislake we had to decide what the best route would be to get to Callington. Graham Reed suggested turning right past the station and going through Cotehele. It would have been a pleasant route, especially with all the Spring flowers nodding their sunny assent on lawns and in hedges or silently gathered in demure clusters in damp and shady hedgerows (what would cycling be without poetry?), but  we stayed high and made for Harrowbarrow, thus avoiding a long ascent up to our turning at the end of the village.  The route from Harrowbarrow is fairly familiar and involves a left turn just before what once was an old warehouse. The distance and one hill after another had taken its toll on my poor legs, so I said we were fairly close to the main road back to Plymouth and for Julie and Graham to make their way back at their own speed. 

I did say turn right at the bottom of the hill at Ashton, but when I got there Julie and Graham had turned in the opposite direction to get back to the main road and Graham said he knew a different way. Leaving them to their own devices, I headed up to the main road by the usual route, wondering how much in front of me they were. I had a short rest before crossing the Tamar Bridge and  was very surprised when Julie and Graham rolled up behind me.  Graham was at a loss to explain how his master plan had gone awry.

As Robert Burns has it in his poem To a Mouse, 1786:

For those of you who want to know who Ingvar Kamprad was, here's the low-down. Born 30 March 1926 and now 88, he is the founder of the famous Swedish firm, IKEA, valued in May 2013 at $53.1 billion. So you'd better sit up and listen!

51 miles on the clock. Arrived home 6.15 pm. Dartington (more flowers!) next week.

Graham John

26 were booked for Xmas lunch at the Elburton Inn. I'd organised a ride through the South Hams that was hilly but with no up arrows - quite an achievement! Mince pies and warm mulled wine were to be on offer midway. It was with a heavy heart and heavier panniers that my husband and I cycled to the start in the pouring rain and high winds. Several were at the start; some in cycling gear but not intending to ride in such awful conditions, some in day dress ready for lunch and yet others prepared to ride! Yes, we had a quorum! There were 5 of us braving the conditions, which turned out to be not so bad. Near the end of the ride we were a bit early, so stopped at Otter Nurseries for a cuppa and met up with the tandem couple. At the Elburton Inn we just about filled the dining area, pity the poor couple who sat with us as the air burst with animated chatter and continued unabated throughout the meal.

"What a scorcher", earlier I didn't think that I would not have been able  to say that about the ride today!. It started out so unpromising, cold, grey and  misty but soon after setting out from Holsworthy, as if by magic everything  changed for the better. The Sustrans route we took, started out across a railway
bridge to Bridgerule, going over the Tamar, now a stream!.
Then on to Bude,  stopping for a tea and coffee at a café near the beach, just north of Bude. This  is where we experienced sunshine that would not have been out of place in the
height of summer.
After our stop we proceeded down to Widemouth Bay for a quick  sandwich refuelling, at this point Graham John had noticed some chevrons on my  route back, so he decided to make his own flatter way back to the parked  vehicles, we then on through Week St Mary to Whitstone, where we went into a  corner shop for a welcome refreshment, from a drink's machine.

Going back to  Holsworthy which took us through some lovely quiet lanes, returning back to the
starting point, a lay by on the A3072.

Returning to our vehicles, we then  went our separate ways, Jean and John went to visit his sisters for tea and  Yolande and myself went for a pot of tea at the well used Pub the Swingle tree
in Kelly Bray, which was on the way back home.
 
It was a great day
and was good to see David and Niki out on there tandem also Graham J out after a
absence.
 
Graham B and Yolande
Jean and John
David and
Niki
Graham J and Graham R

Julie: on return from my weeks holiday in Brittany and missing a few Sundays out with the group recently, I thought I must make the effort to catch up with everyone despite the unpromising forecast.

I arrived at the bridge to find I was on my tod initially, so I proceeded to pump up my rear tyre whilst waiting. Andy E then joined me and soon after him, Mike. We discussed the weather (very British!) and firstly chose our preferred cafe for break, somewhere Mike has missed until now, and from that we had direction and Mike with the only map, so he was leading! 

We managed to get to The Engine House, Kelly Bray in the dry, we had a lovely snack and a catch-up there and watched the drizzle sweeping towards us across the valley. Unfortunately it arrived before we left there and got steadily worse as we hastened home. I was in shorts still - optimistic I know! I was a bit concerned my lovely French tan would wash off!! We arrived back at the bridge thoroughly soaked, with a sort ride of 24 miles for the boys and 32 for me, and the rest of the afternoon to dry off!!

A re-run of a route I had done earlier this summer, but Bryan was unable to make it that day and so requested it again! And just like it was the last time the sun shone over Bigbury beach, the breeze was gentle and we had a fabulous ride. 

We set off from Plymco in the knowledge that Jean, George and Andy E were up in Bridgewater taking part in the Audax. So for company I had Anna, Sue, Bryan of course, and Mike. Nearing the Hunting Lodge, hastening up the track behind us were Les and Larry who had planned to join us at Wrangaton for break. Mike, Sue and Anna were returning from Wrangaton, Larry as usual had planned some fantastic mileage across the moors, and Les seemed to be in two minds! He had thought about accompanying Mike back to Plymouth to view the Mega Ride motor-bikers assembling on the Hoe. However, when it seemed it was just going to be Bryan and I for the continuing ride to Bigbury he changed his mind and came with us.  We stopped on the bridge over the A38 at Wrangaton for a few minutes to watch and wave to the all the bikers with other spectators. 

We sat and basked in the sun at Bigbury enjoying our lunch, then again over a cuppa at the Bay View before setting off for home through Orcheton, or as Bryan calls it, the road of seven hills! Time was getting on, so Les left us as we joined the A379 at Sequer's Bridge shooting back to Saltash as he had a very early start for work Monday. Bryan and I crossed over to Ermington, Ivybridge and back to Plympton with a brief stop at Keaton for Bryan to refuel. Bryan, your mileage would have been 37 miles, mine was 44. I arrived home after what seemed like a holiday weekend - I enjoyed my cycling so much!

Sad that you didn't get more support on your ride yesterday Graham. Weather was a bit rubbish though! The Sky Ride event yesterday seemed to get a good turnout despite that. I spent 8 hours there, an hour and a half putting the stand together and another half hour packing away in the rain, and in between 6 hours of solid standing which didn't do my back much good! However, I gave away lots of free CTC mags, leaflets and other literature. Found out some useful info from Brett who was a great support, and I am sure he will be in the future. Apart from that I couldn't really tell you all that went on as I didn't manage to get off the stand to look around. I saw what was going on either side of me and could hear the roller-racing commentary behind our stand. Early on I had a brief visit from Anna, Sue and Bryan and then in the afternoon, an Exeter CTC member and his wife (I don't recall their names) and later Graham Brodie and Kate, and also Andy Easton appeared!

Here's a double helping of health!

Central Park Sunday 12 May 2013 10am to 4pm

For further information please see these links:

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/transportandroads/walkingandcycling/cycling/skyride.htm

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/sky_ride_plymouth_city_event_programme.pdf  

Any offers of help on the stand much appreciated.

Four leaders from Plymouth - Jean, Caroline, Graham B and myself (Julie) along with Yolande met Andy and Simon Endicott from South Devon CTC in Totnes ahead of the gathering guest riders for the 10 a.m. start of the "Orange" ride from Totnes to Forde Park House in Newton Abbott. We had 10 guest riders, and another that arrived with a flat tyre, but unfortunately because of the timings for the pick-up points through the villages we couldn't delay and so he was a non-starter! 14.1 miles we measured the route one-way beforehand, a lovely quiet route along the cycle path out of Totnes, past the weir and round to the Dartington Centre, onto Huxham's Cross and Staverton, passing through villages such as Broadhempston hoping to pick up more riders along the way (we split the group and Andy and Simon took a loop through Denbury) whilst we carried on through Ipplepen. Then we met again and rode through East Ogwell, Woolborough and into Newton Abbot for the festival in the grounds. Quite a lot going on in the way of displays, activities, radio music and commentaries, stalls etc. After our picnic in the sunshine we took a ride along a trail out to the new bridge adjoining the race-course. 

We had arranged to be at the bus stop outside the grounds for any riders wishing to be lead back to Totnes at the publicised time of 3 p.m. but everyone had more or less confirmed they were happy to make their own way back or had made arrangements for pick-ups; no one appeared. Then it was Graham's bike that had a flat and so he swiftly changed his tube before we set off under Andy's lead varying the way back to Staverton where he branched off for Buckfastleigh. Simon continued on with us to Dartington, and then we meandered back along the track into Totnes. 

We had a wonderful time, on one of the sunniest days so far this year! What a lot of hard work Kevin put in, organising the routes, getting helpers, publicity, liaising with the Council, etc. These events don't just happen! I would like to say thank you to "my driver!" and all of you for your support and help in familiarising ourselves with the route in preparation.

The meeting point was Plymco, that much was known, but the rest of the ride was off the cuff! There was a surprising turn-out. Sue was making a come-back with the group after her broken leg, just a short ride up to Endsleigh for coffee with Anna. Then there was Patrick; who's around for a couple of weeks visiting Iris, and hopes to join us again next Sunday. Also out were, Bryan R, George, Phil, Caroline, Yolande and Mike. It was decided we would ride on to Wrangaton after Sue and Anna turned off their coffee break at Endsleigh. Just after we were seated in the cafe it poured with rain. Several announced they were turning back, but (Yolande, George and Phil) pressed me for a decision as to where we should continue. And so Totnes was our preferred destination. We encountered a couple of hail showers, but no more rain! As we neared Dartington George was having a problem with his bike (tyres or brakes he wasn't sure), so we pulled into the bus shelter. He quickly established that the beading was parting company from the rest of his rear tyre and the steel reinforcement and tube were exposed. He had punctured on the Parkway on his way to the start, but didn't realise just how much damaged the large stone he hit had done. He quickly released some of the pressure and it was decided we would scrap Totnes and head back with him. He refused our offer not wanting to spoil our ride. We ate our lunch there, then headed over to the cafe in Dartington for a cuppa. George drank his tea quickly and headed off alone, saying he had his mobile on him if he should run into trouble, and gave me a brief description of his intended route home. We followed about ten minutes later but never caught him. We delayed in Harbourneford. Yolande wanted to explore the pottery in the cottage on the hill, I stayed outside to mind the bikes.  I left Phil and Yolande at Marsh Mills, they were to continue along the Embankment, I turned off for home along the Parkway. It was only when I had already returned home, I discovered George had text me an half-hour earlier to say he was at MacDonalds, Marsh Mills if we were close by. I then later learnt via several texts that the 'After-ride Party' was at his! A fun day and a round trip of 45 miles.