In sunshine we took the Dawlish sea wall to Cockwood for the Devon DA 80th birthday. The crush in the tiny hall and below‑par scones with semi‑liquid icing were talking points, but a cheerful chat with Kevin Presland and the ride back rounded off a good day.

On a bright but chilly ride to Cross Furzes and Lud Gate, Ash’s double puncture halted us on the moor; while Michael froze fixing it, the rest befriended curious horses. As the cold set in most turned back, but Ash chased the Chalk Ford descent and still came in only minutes behind.

Drizzle could not dampen the mood: Callum O’B’s enthusiasm set the tone as we tiptoed past imagined swamp-piranhas on the woodland path, then rode home laughing, absorbed in the double-digit number-plate game.

A fabulously hot evening turned our planned Spitchwick swim into a detour through Hembury Woods after Callum O’B struggled with sore eyes. We had half an hour in the water by a little waterfall, and back at Crofters Michael was cooking noodles for ages.

A relaxed evening loop to Belford Mill, with the woodland track back to Ashburton in good condition. It was Jerry’s first time on that trail and he enjoyed it, a small discovery that gave the ride its lift as we headed home via Druid.

Heavy rain, our first for ages and timely with the South West nearing drought, washed out the planned ride; we switched to a games social at Crofters, wrapping up at 2pm.

After waiting in vain for the promised break between 6.30 and 7.30, we abandoned the evening ride and spent the night playing games at Crofters instead.

We turned a short run to Staverton into a playful chase, racing a passing steam train along the riverside and back to the station. The day’s highlight was feeding a vintage Milky Bar machine with old pennies for chocolate, before heading home and on to a relaxed games social.

Rain scuppered the ride, so we switched to a games social on the PCs. Unbeknown to Michael, three lads slipped out to bounce on the trampoline in the rain and came back drenched, leaving us wondering if we should have gone out on the bikes after all.

On a one-day heatwave we kept it short, riding to Holne play park for rope swings and slides. A front puncture from sharp rim tape slowed us, and the community tearoom was still shut, so we headed back to the relative cool of Crofters.

Back on his old bike after a derailleur failure, Callum O’Brien found unexpected form and led the climb to the top of Skerraton Down. A warm, quiet evening set the tone: an enjoyable drop to Cross Furzes, a rare sight of Year 9 campers, then trampolining and Call of Duty at Crofters.

From California Cross to Ayrmer Cove, a simple lane ride became a seaside adventure, picking a way across to a rocky island and finding a sheltered pool that kept the youngsters diving for ages — easily the best ride of the summer so far. A radio-controlled speedboat on the tidal road set the tone.