Glorious winter sunshine made a relaxed spin along the Exeter Ship Canal our best ride of the year so far, a flat, colourful out-and-back from Starcross. Highlights included refuelling at Pizza Hut and a carefree pause for the youngsters on the park trampoline.

A simple social evening centred on an excellent badminton session at Ashmoor Leisure Centre, preceded by a few PC games at Crofters. The report is very brief.

With heavy showers forecast, we drove to Venford and grabbed a dry window to circle the reservoir, only to be battered by an icy wind. The next downpour conveniently waited until we reached the car, by which time we were frozen and pointed straight for home.

A very enjoyable games evening dominated by Ryan’s enthusiasm for PC games, which would have continued all evening if Michael hadn’t intervened to switch to a DVD for the last half hour.

A sunlit explore of the Hennock reservoirs became a gentle circuit of the Tottiford and Trenchford paths, the youngsters quietly awed by rippling water and distant duck calls. A chocolate break set the tone before we cut it short for lunch, saving Kennick for next time.

Zac planned to join the trip to Torbay Leisure Centre but couldn’t make it in time; Ashley and Michael still enjoyed an energetic 45 minutes that became some of the best squash they have played.

A quiet Mother’s Day outing for two became a gentle tour of change at Staverton, where derelict warehouses had given way to new stone-built homes. A passing steam train and a return through daffodil-lined lanes rounded off a simple, satisfying morning.

Our final social of the season switched from ten-pin bowling in Plymouth to pool when we found it cheaper and nearly as much fun; the night ended, by popular demand, with snack raids at Sainsbury’s and Tesco on the way home.

An easy off-road loop through Hembury Woods turned memorable when we came upon thousands of tadpoles surviving in only a few centimetres of water. At Hembury Fort a seven-year-old ‘Robin Hood’ took a few archery tips, before the slalom descent rounded off a bright morning.

On our first evening ride of 2009 we threaded back roads to Ashburton, then took the woodland track beside the Ashburn and returned via the old railway. There was just enough natural light, backed by good lamps, and the riverside path’s dried, cracked mud made for a lively, bumpy interlude.

On a sunny spring morning we climbed Dean Hill and were drawn towards Bloody Pool by the buzz of remote‑controlled aircraft, though the pilots were out of sight. The long descent past Nurston brought a brief mishap when Zac turned off early—a reminder to wait at junctions.