On a fine winter morning, plans for Spitchwick and Dr Blackall’s Drive were shelved at Gallant le Bower as tired legs won out; instead we diverted to the Holne café for hot drinks and teacakes before heading home.

With squash courts unavailable and indoor tennis priced at £6 each, the plan shifted to a computer-gaming evening, capped by a lively Dawn of War session on the PC network.

In bitter cold and ice, the group pressed on to Avon Dam. Ash supplied the day’s drama: three falls on the icy private road, then a somersault when his front wheel sank into a not-so-frozen bog, yet he rode on bravely.

An evening squash trip to Paignton saw Zac and Callum learn fast under Michael and Ash’s guidance, while Ryan, nursing a bad back, watched from the gallery. Morrisons was shut and the garage cleaner unimpressed, an unexpectedly comic end to a straightforward session.

A cold, misty outing to Belford Mill was marked by the welcome return of Matt and Ryan, though Ryan’s back soon curtailed ambitions. Dogs swarmed Matt in Woodencliff Woods, and the group took the A38 cycle path home — sketchy but fun.

With the usual dissenters absent, Callum finally got his tennis night and we headed to the huge indoor courts at Ivybridge. After computer games delayed the start, he learned to serve properly and the three of us had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

A rare six on the ride created a real buzz as we climbed to Holne, pausing for rope swing and Frisbee in the play park before a fast drop through Holne Woods to River Dart Country Park and a brisk run home.

At last we managed a long‑overdue cinema trip to Plymouth to see Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief, a modern quest where a teenager learns he’s a demigod and races to recover Zeus’s stolen bolt. Often compared with Harry Potter but really nothing like it; an excellent evening out.

With ice on the lanes we rode carefully to Broadhempston, then made the most of the newly opened-out play park, spilling into the field for Frisbee and boomerang. Home via the riverside track, we caught sight of a holiday diesel special and raided the station’s antique penny vending machine for Milky Bars.

With bowling off the budget, we switched to pool in Plymouth—four games each with alternating pairings—and the story of the night was Callum’s marked improvement. Ashley and Ryan disappeared into an arcade game that ran for ages before the usual Tesco stop on the way home.

A late start after Zac arrived with a puncture and seized brakes—he borrowed a neighbour’s bike—and showers made the climb to Pennywell a slog. A group of deer over the hedge lifted spirits before Ryan, still rebuilding after injury, prompted a shorter route home via Rattery and Dean Hill.

Our first movie night of the season gathered the club for Pixar’s Up, warmly received. The film’s tender adventure—an elderly widower floating his house by balloons and finding unexpected friendship with a young scout—set a gentle, feel-good tone for the evening.