A mid-winter Holne spin became play: the icy Hembury Woods track earned James and Tommy their Stage 1 off-road award, a heavier snowfall led to a park snowball fight, and James capped it by riding into a tree for good measure.

With only one court available at Ivybridge, the session was crowded but still full of fun. It finished with a small mishap as Michael lost his racquet on the way back.

Three keen newcomers progressed their off-road training on Hembury's muddy tracks, finishing with a lively slalom descent. Matthew revelled in the puddles, and a brief Frisbee break on the ridge was cut short by a wintry shower.

We watched A.I. Artificial Intelligence, a poignant story of David, a child robot who longs to be real, probing what makes us human. A thoughtful evening, made all the better by Michael’s new widescreen television.

A simple café run became a puncture marathon: after a sunny spin along the riverside track to Totnes and a well‑received stop at the Terrace Café, hedge trimmings on the Littlehempston track gave us six punctures—plus a drawing‑pin special—delaying a very late return. Chocolate rations kept spirits up.

Ben tried badminton for the first time and, by the end of the session, was pleased to be hitting a selection of serves and returns; a simple, encouraging outing focused on learning the basics.

A smooth, delay-free spin on a familiar route, made memorable by Tao’s welcome return, swapping last week’s punctures for an unhurried stop at a more rustic, pricier café with excellent home-baked cakes. Talk turned to summer tour plans as we rolled home in good time.

A fast, furious music quiz pitted James and Tommy against Ryan and Ben, with chocolate bars spurring frantic guesses at disguised film, game and TV themes; level at two rounds each by the end, it also left Michael astonished at how many songs the youngsters knew.

Intended as a short outing, the ride became a hard grind up Wallaford Road after Oliver promised a moorland run to Chalk Ford. Ben dug deep to the top, only for the moor to prove too wet; we salvaged the morning with a swift drop to Coombe and turned for home.

Bowling without lane barriers made things interesting, but Tommy and Ben still conjured tidy strikes and spares, turning a simple social into a friendly contest—and hinting they’ll be even tougher rivals when we return.

A cold, grey morning had us climbing to keep warm and pressing on to be home by one. After a dash for new gloves and a puncture sending one rider back, we passed through Avonwick and enjoyed some laughs at a poultry show before the final climb.

An evening on the badminton court was defined by James and Tommy’s striking improvement; they arrived with their own racquets and played at a much higher level than on their last visit, crediting extra practice at school.