Excellent weather meant that today we would be doing our second car-assisted ride of the season, this time to Exeter Ship Canal. Callum arrived early at 10am so we loaded the car quickly and got away by around 10.40. We parked the car at Starcross at 11.15 and then set off for the Powederham road.

Once we had crossed the railway line we were on the path along the Exe estuary, which offered excellent views. At the point where the path goes around the copse there was a diversion in place caused by some path renovations. There were a number of steps to be negotiated both down and up.

We rode on past the Turf Lock hotel onto the ship canal path and followed it all the way into Exeter Quayside where we quickly found the Welcome Café that we had been told about a couple of weeks ago at Lustleigh. It was so busy that the only seats were on the table outside. The coffee and chocolate cakes were exceptionally good and reasonably priced, and the lattes, milk shakes and hot chocolates were large and perfectly made. Callum confused everyone by eating the sponge of his chocolate cake but leaving the icing! Jack quickly helped him out with that but wondered what was wrong with him. Roger Olver, of Primrose Café fame, was there as expected and explained that the current desire for healthier cakes meant they now tended to make only one large cream cake per day.

We continued to Exeter Park for a ride along the Exe and around the back, returning to the canal path along the opposite side of the quayside. Michael’s intention of taking a photo of the group on the bridge at the quayside was defeated when his camera battery went flat as everyone was getting into position.

We returned along the path quite quickly, staying mainly on the cycle path, although Michael was delayed by a wheelchair user who asked him if he could pump his wheelchair tyre! We got back to Starcross for 3.15 and were home by 3.45. The Callum, Ash and Jack played Minecraft until the club ended at 5pm.