The Rogers family were a bit late arriving as George got a blowout as they were leaving. When everyone had arrived we had a coffee and agreed to do the Avon Dam today, one of Lawrence’s favourite rides, since Will was not coming and he really doesn’t like the muddy tracks. We also made plans for our Easter tour.

We finally got away at 11.20. Only Michael had proper gloves for some reason but we didn’t seem to need gloves as we rode up Dean Hill. By the time we had ridden through Harbourneford and reached Bloody Pool Cross Dillan needed to borrow Michael’s gloves but Lawrence said he was fine in just a t-shirt. Things were very different by Shipley Bridge however when Lawrence had his fleece back on and was desperately trying to borrow Michael’s gloves off Dillan. Unfortunately Michael needed them back so both Dillan and Lawrence had to keep their hands in their coats and fleeces.

We pressed on to the first gate where we stopped for some refreshments and photos, then continued to the reservoir which looked rather bleak and grey today in the cold wind. There was of course even more of a cold wind up here and Michael had to keep sharing one of his gloves with first Lawrence and then Dillan. John was cold too but seemed to manage OK without gloves.

The open moor was a bit boggy in places but we got through fine, then continued to the top of the Abbots Way path where we got the fabulous views across South Devon. The wind was now mainly behind us. Once we had negotiated the very boggy section past Water Oak Corner, which left Dillan swearing, Lawrence muddy and John, well, not saying much, the going was easy and fun down to Cross Furzes. We finally got home by 2.25, just 20 minutes later than predicted at the Dam. We were all so pleased to get into the warmth of Crofters that some just lay in front of the fire for half an hour to thaw out.

We had lunch, then when George got back up from having a shower at home we finished the afternoon with some trial games of Supreme where George and Dillan sent loads of low-tech units in to Lawrence and Michael but still somehow didn’t manage to win. Everyone left soon after 4.30.

George was late up this morning, so by the time we had finished coffee at the Crofters café it was 11.20 when we finally set off along Colston Road and up the cycle path to Dartington. At the Cider Press Centre we noticed that the Tog 24 shop was now in the main building, and since Michael recommended their gloves for cycling we popped in to look around. It was an impressive shop and it didn’t take long for George and John to decide that they wanted the Russia ski gloves, which were the closest equivalent to Michael’s gloves.

Continuing along the cycle path we couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of a large black dog with an enormous plastic cone around its neck: his twin brother looked amused as well.

When we arrived at the weir we discovered that the controversial HEP station that had been under construction for over a year was now working and virtually complete apart from some landscaping tasks. The two enormous Archimedes screws generate up to 35kW of electricity which could supply 700 homes, although this particular installation will be used to power the school and industrial estate. The only problem was that so much water was going into the generator that there was virtually nothing left for the weir, which looked abandoned and forlorn. We were assured by a local that the weir does flow after spells of rain, but it looks like it could remain totally dried up over a hot summer.

We continued along the path to Brutus Bridge and then headed up the main street, stopping below the arch to admire a magnificent and friendly long-eared owl that was being displayed by someone from the Rare Breeds Trust.

The food market was in full swing as it was the third Sunday of the month. We spent considerable time wandering around before we settled on some hot food to buy – Dillan got a venison pie and George had a Thai stir-fry. George was all for riding on to the Ashprington path to eat it, like we did last time, but it was chilly today and Michael had plans for a hot drink afterwards so we ate it on a convenient bench nearby.

After hot chocolates in one of the deliciously-warm cafés below the arch we took the path past the Guildhall, rode down Castle Hill and then climbed Barracks Hill to Dartington. The youngsters were given a choice of the usual route or the “slight climb” to Rattery and chose the latter, although John couldn’t help chuckling at Michael’s description which he felt sure made it sound a good deal less arduous than it actually was. He was right of course, but everyone was fast today and anxious to keep warm, so after a bit of bike swapping on the way up we were soon heading down Pennywell hill to Buckfastleigh. If only Michael had remembered to zip up his fleece pocket his phone might not have jumped out onto the road; fortunately it only suffered damage to the glass.

We got home soon after 4pm and finished the afternoon with a game of Supreme against a tough computer-controlled opponent.

Our Easter Day special got off to a flying start at 10.10 when we drove the cars to Meeth in North Devon for our first ever excursion along the southern part of the Tarka Trail. The forecast was for a windy day with occasional showers, so we felt that the shelter afforded by the hedges and trees along the route would make this a preferable ride to the other alternatives we had considered.

We set off along the path at 11.20. It follows the course of an old railway line so it’s quite flat for the most part and very scenic. We stopped for refreshments at the first café at East Yarde, seven miles along the path, which had a distinctly Totnes feel to its décor. Tao preferred to drink his own coffee outside in the cold but the rest of us enjoyed excellent drinks and one of the tastiest and moistest cherry and almond cakes we had ever tasted.

Continuing on past the interesting-looking café near Great Torrington we were soon at Bideford station in bright sunshine. We had covered 16 miles but everyone was keen to continue to Instow. Here the Trail was more exposed, running alongside the Torridge estuary, but in this direction we had a strong tailwind that sped us along to Instow in just a few minutes.

Arriving at 2pm we bought lunch from a very well-stocked café called Johns that sold hot home-made soup as well as some delicious-looking cakes. Today’s route had been suggested by Tao and we had so far given him ten out of ten for the route and a bonus point for the café. When it came to selecting a sheltered spot for lunch, however, he failed miserably and lost his bonus: we had great views over the beach and across the estuary to Appledore and the sunshine was brilliant, but the wind was in our face and frequently blew sand onto our food. Nobody complained much though as it was good to have completed the intended ride.

The return section to Bideford was very tough against the headwind, but after that it was more sheltered again and soon became quite easy.

Approaching Great Torrington we encountered our first shower of the day. Tao blamed this on Michael for loudly tempting fate on the outward journey (two hours earlier) with his comments about how lucky we were with the weather. Michael wondered why there would have been such a delay, he said the rain was probably busy making other people wet before it could deal with us. We took shelter in the café on the right near Great Torrington that we hadn’t noticed on the outward journey which offered us a wood-burning stove and a multitude of pictures of dogs in various poses all around the room. Michael wasn’t too impressed with the dogs, but the Easter biscuits and hot chocolates were excellent.

The sun was out again when we set off. Unfortunately the showers soon returned but we still stopped to chat with some of the strange wooden people sitting on the seats by the side of the Trail. The long drag back up to the first café (which was closed) was followed by a good descent back towards the car. We completed our 39-mile ride – the longest we have done for quite a while - by 5.50, and we all felt the effects.

Tao took the shorter but slower moorland return through Bovey Tracey in the rain but I beat him home by eight minutes which annoyed Tao a little. Everyone planned to meet tomorrow at the same time as we arrived home at 7.12 for hot showers and well-deserved food.

Just after we set off for Exminster at 10.05 Michael got a text from Lawrence saying he had planned to come with us but hadn’t noticed the earlier start time. We could have just about squeezed him in, but in the end he decided to stay in bed.

Storm Katie passed overnight leaving sunny but breezy conditions this morning, although we did get a shower on the way up. More showers were forecast for mid-afternoon so we planned to get back to the car for around 4pm. As we were unloading the bikes at Exminster wildlife car park a passing cyclist told us that the lane to the cycle path was flooded. We had to ride down there to find out of course, and his information proved to be accurate: Tao rode to the first corner and found out that it was very deep and continued for a long way around the corner. It seemed sensible to find an alternative outward route and perhaps tackle the flood on the way back.

We rode back through Exminster town and tried the next path to the canal from the BP garage. Unfortunately that was flooded too, so we stuck to the road over the swing bridges and then took the cycle route through Topsham – Dillan and George both remembered this from the last time we were here in October 2014.

In Fore Street, Topsham there was a nice-looking bakery/café called Shaul’s, so everyone except Tao popped in for a hot drink and a cake – the coffee turned out to be some of the best Michael had tasted in a long time. Will saw the Easter biscuits and thought the dark bits were chocolate pieces – he swapped it when he got back to his table and realised they were raisins.

We continued along the Exe trail past Lympstone, getting some great views across the estuary. When we arrived at Exmouth at 12.45 Tao agreed with Michael that it was perhaps not the best day to extend the ride to Budleigh, so we bought lunch from various shops and ate it in the town square. Michael made the mistake of getting his from the bakery and ended up with dry pizza and a flavourless dry cheese and onion pasty.

We planned to take the 1.40 ferry to Starcross, so got there for 1.30. Unfortunately we had to change our plans. First, the ferryman wanted to charge us full price of £24.95 for the five of us and would not consider even one penny of discount. Then we met some cyclists getting off the ferry who advised us that the Powderham road on the other side was completely flooded. Nobody wanted to pay that much money just to get wet feet, so when he refused our final offer of £20 we decided to return the way we had come.

We rode to the beach for some photos, then took the cycle path back into the town. After reading an amusing advertisement in the public lavatories Tao wondered what might happen if we popped into the co-op and asked if Jake was available.

There were some showers on the way back to Topsham but nothing really heavy. We skipped the shops this time and decided to take the canal path from the swing bridges, taking a chance on the flood. The flooding was very evident from the canal: a footpath leading under the M5 was completely submerged in floodwater. The canal looked fabulous in the unusual lighting.

When we got to the flooded lane near the car it was just as deep as before, especially on the corner near the middle. Those of us who took off shoes and socks before splashing through the water definitely came out best at the other end.

There was rain on the way home in the car, so when we got back at 4.40 everyone came into Crofters for an hour and a half of hot drinks, great conversation and some fascinating photos from the club’s 30-year archive.

Everyone met at Newton Abbot station at 9.18 for the start of our first tour for 2016. John, Will and George were already on the platform drinking coffee when Michael's group arrived! We had no difficulty loading the bikes onto the 9.33 when it arrived on time, but buying coffees on the train for the late group proved difficult as the on-board cafe didn't open until we were somewhere between Exeter and Tiverton, and then there was a queue. Dillan and Michael managed to get coffees eventually, but they only just managed to finish them before the train arrive at Taunton at 10.23.

Will insisted on changing into his cycling gear at the station, then when George was wheeling Lawrence’s bike down the stairs for him, he managed to get his bungee strap wound up in the rear cogs, which ruined the bungee and took a while to remove. Next we found that the front wheel on Lawrence’s bike would no long clamp properly after reassembling it at Newton Abbot, as the bolt was not gripping the thread, so we called into the nearby bike shop and they kindly changed the bolt for him free of charge for him.

Michael used Google Maps as our Satnav on this tour for the first time, which took us out of Taunton along the canal path as planned. We made good speed, and the weather was brightening up nicely. We left the canal at Creech St Michael and followed the lanes to Ham. Here, we stopped to look at the private suspension bridge over the River Tone, which of course the younger members wanted to investigate at close quarters, but the owner was nearby so Michael couldn't just let them walk on it without asking. Well, he asked nicely, but the gentleman declined to give permission, although he did thank us for asking. That struck Michael as rather mean, as our youngsters have walked on it on many previous occasions when he didn't happen to be outside.

We continued on through Knapp to North Curry Post Office and shop, where Lawrence insisted on stopping for food as he said he was starving. Apparently, he hadn't noticed the tour information sheet's instructions to bring a packed lunch for the first day. Well, he took a good look around the shop and then didn't buy anything at all, saying he was trying to save his money and that he would be fine "on air". We were all amused to see a cat settled on a top shelf box near the counter, watching everyone carefully as though it owned the place.

After a further delay when some used the Public Conveniences, we then rode the few miles to Stoke St Gregory for our planned stop at the Willow & Wetlands Visitor Centre, which of course was still open despite rumours to the contrary. We had a good lunch in the excellent Lemon Tree cafe there, which offered very tasty carrot and coriander soup with "nipple breads" for £6. They checked to see if we had bikes, and when they couldn't see them they asked us if we had cycled, then gave us 10% discount for cycling! It was such a great place to stop that we bought some additional cakes to take away with us.

We had a good look around the Visitor Centre, starting with a scale model of the Somerset Levels that we were about to enter, an area of flat land that is just below sea level and therefore requires a network of drainage ditches and pumps to prevent it from flooding. Burrow Mump could be seen projecting upwards from the otherwise flat landscape. Also on display were many items of wicker furniture made out of the willow branches that grow so readily in the boggy soil. Lawrence liked the Hanging Pod Chair but didn't think it was worth £360! Tao had sat in a similar chair on our July 1991 weekend trip to the area.

We finally left at around 1.45, riding on to Burrow Mump at Burrowbridge. It's the kind of hill that is just begging to be climbed, and as the weather was perfect now, with blue skies and sunshine, we scrambled up the path to the ruined church on top. The weather really was much nicer than when we last visited in 2013. There were several sheep wandering around the Mump, but we found one very sad sheep inside the ruined church with two dead lambs. After some group photos on the ruins we scrambled back down the hill to the bikes, with Lawrence pushing George to help him get down faster!

Next we followed the main road to Othery, where Will almost rode past the turning we were taking down to the Levels. We stopped at Beer Wall, a sluice gate on the River Sowy separating two levels of the main drain. There was work going on to widen the river after the recent flood. We continued along a network of quiet roads towards Nythe that followed the drainage ditches. Dillan, George and Michael were looking for swans' nests in the ditches, but after the floods two years ago all the ditches had been dredged to ensure the free flow of water, so any nests presumably got removed at that time.

There was actually a small hill to climb near Street, Ivythorn Hill, and that yielded a few complaints about what everyone had been led to believe was a flat ride all day! We then followed the woodland track to Street Youth Hostel, which turned grassy and pleasant after the first few metres, as this was the shortest way down to the town.

We arrived at Clarks Village, the factory outlet shopping centre, at around 4.20, which left us plenty of time to look around. We had an enjoyable time in the Cadburys shop, where several bought massive bags of Misfits and Michael bought an enormous Dairy Mill Easter Egg for £5, which was half price. We then visited the large Costa cafe for very nice coffees and cakes. Michael, who loves chocolate, was particularly interested to look in Thorntons, where there were vast quantities of the finest Thornton Easter Eggs and Easter Bunnies at 60% discount! Sadly he had no room on his bike to carry any more eggs, so he told the woman in the shop that he would return next weekend with a car to clear out their stock!

Returning to the bikes, Michael attached his large egg to the top of his bike rack using a bungee strap, then we rode the short distance to the large Sainsbury's Superstore for 6.00 where we stocked up with provisions for evening meals and breakfast. Michael gave everyone twenty minutes so we wouldn't be too late arriving at the hostel, but unfortunately John and family had ordered large, hot pizzas, and as the staff couldn’t get them all in the oven at once it was 6.50 when we finally got away. Meanwhile, Lawrence bought himself, amongst other things, a “Duck Kebab” which had been reduced to £1.10 and was, according to Lawrence, "literally so nice".

We took the easy, most direct route back up to the hostel, with Google Maps finding an easier route than we had used on previous tours. We arrived at the hostel at 7.15 or so and were assigned to our favourite, cosy room at the top of the house, built into the rafters. It really is a great place to stay. We had to queue for the two showers, but at least they were good showers.

Dillan and Michael had pasta ready meals for dinner with a carton of juice, a large Yeo Valley yoghurt to share and two sponge puddings. The others had to warm their pizzas, which seemed to take just as long as cooking them would have taken!

Will wanted us to play Manhunt outside in the hostel grounds, but nobody else was very enthusiastic about that once they had showered and eaten, so we finished the evening with some Bomberman contests on the laptop - as usual Michael was the overall winner, but tonight several others came very close to beating him.

We got to bed at 10.50 for a good night's sleep.