When Michael had dealt with an unexpected business customer we got away rather late at 10.43 with a forecast that had changed overnight to predict more in the way of showers.

Continuous rain yesterday and overnight had caused flooding in the lower part of Buckfastleigh, so severe that the Prime Minister David Cameron came to see for himself later this week. When we rode through Strode Road however the only sign of flooding was a chap spraying stuff onto his car engine to disperse the moisture. The river Mardle was still quite high though.

We rode up Green Lane, then had to change Will’s tube as he got a puncture. Nobody seemed to be in much of a hurry today. There was a lot of water running down the lane from High Beara to Wash, and when we got near Broadhempston we found that the River Hems had burst its banks, spilling out all over the road.

We arrived at Broadhempston community shop and café ridiculously late at 11.55. It doesn’t close until 12.00 so we expected to be in time for a coffee, but we were quickly informed that at this café everyone has to be out by 12! The woman got into a real flap about it, saying we couldn’t have proper coffee because they had turned off the machine and it takes ages to warm up. She offered instant, but only if we could decide how many we wanted within sixty seconds. And it would have to be take-away as they wanted to clean the café area! We had wanted shelter from the shower that had just started but we took up their reluctant offer and bought take-away hot chocolates for £1 each. We were then shown the door as quickly as possible, and the woman left four minutes later to go home to make her Sunday roast! Maybe they should visit the Holne community café to see how it should be run.

We took shelter from the rain in the play fort in the park. Ash, being Ash, went out to play with the football in the rain, so then Will decided to go and join him, ignoring advice from several of us that he should put his coat on first. After he had got properly wet he went to put on his coat, but by then the rain was easing. There were more showers on the way back and of course Will was now cold as well as wet. He and John eventually caught us on the climb to Green Lane while we were redirecting the “river” of water into one of the unblocked drains. We finally got home at 1.20. George and Jack played Minecraft, joined by Ash after lunch, until the club closed at 3.40.