A very cold morning meant the ride was cancelled; we played Lord of the Rings on the PC network, then went to Ashburton for badminton, giving Callum a first run with his new racquet.

A spirited game of Risk set the tone, with Callum’s raids on his own side’s territories scuppering their chances. We finished by 9.20 and rounded things off with some computer games.

We ditched River Dart Country Park and stayed in Hembury Woods, where dappled light and fallen leaves made the tracks irresistible. Callum’s cold complaints faded on the warmer lower path, and Jack took the leaf-covered descent to the river with care.

A simple social evening centred on Callum’s wish for bowling in Plymouth, with Zac sidelined by a plastered foot but able to join the Pool games after. We rounded things off with the customary late visit to Tesco at Lee Mill.

A leisurely Fermoy’s Special turned into a cosy midwinter outing: a late start led to luxury hot chocolate and cake at Fermoy’s before a sunny ride home, briefly marred when Callum slid on unseen ice near Denbury, picking himself up with more surprise than harm.

With the moor too icy to ride, we drove to Ilsington for Christmas lunch and a relaxing spa session. An accidental pool alarm and a snowball that caught Callum’s ear gave the day its edge amid an otherwise warm, unhurried celebration.

With the cinema quiet we found excellent seats for a New Year’s Eve 3D showing of Tron, its neon digital world of light-cycles and disc duels a joy from start to finish. Tesco shut early, so garage snacks had to do; a fitting close to 2010.

Worsening drizzle ended our first planned ride of 2011, so we played computer games before switching to squash at Ivybridge. The session proved the highlight, with Jack picking it up quickly and finishing with some good scores.

Our first social of the year was a games night, opening with Lord of the Rings and rounding off with Call of Duty.

Ryan’s GCSE photo mission shaped the ride to Chalk Ford, the moor gleaming in perfect winter light. We picked our way through a flooded stretch, then lingered at the ford with two hefty pigs before rolling unhurriedly down the stony track to Scoriton.

An upbeat music quiz anchored the evening, with Michael testing 2009–10 top-selling singles and Neil adding a round of his favourite tracks. A TV themes round made for Callum gave the night its character.

Ryan led a return to Belford Mill, a recently ridden route the group was happy to repeat for the woodland track they all love. Mud made it lively, and the homeward run through Ashburton along the A38 was, by popular demand, remarkably quiet.