Sunday 1st November - Drive-out organised by Ajoy

I looked at the weather forecast on the eve of the drive, and had a sinking feeling that the event was going to be a literal wash-out. The BBC's report was for calamitous weather! Fortunately I woke up on Sunday to quite fine weather - relatively dry, with blue in the sky!

We met at my office, and by 10am, there were a considerable number of vehicles parked in the car park - bikes and cars. I snapped a photograph of the drivers/riders, and also some of the vehicles. Our thanks go to Andy for bringing some advanced riders from other groups along with him.

The theme was "Information, Position and Limit Points". The route was from Marsh Barton out to Whiddon Down, using the old A30. We then proceeded to Winkleigh via North Tawton.

I often use these roads to visit a customer of mine - they offer a wonderful blend of conditions. There are slow and fast bends of varying tightness, and a few straights on which to execute exhilarating overtakes. There are also some tricky limit points, with bends that start off quite linear, but then suddenly tighten. These roads offered great views of the Devon countryside, and the opportunity to demonstrate some flair and sparkle.

We were all mindful of the road conditions. Rule 146 of the Highway Code tells us to "Adapt your (our) driving to the appropriate type and condition of road you are on.". Very appropriate as there were patches of standing water and debris on the carriageway.

Fortunately this did not interfere with our chosen lines. Spare a thought for our motorcycling colleagues here. Their two wheels give them half the number of contact patches that we car drivers have!

At Winkleigh, we stopped in Jonesy's Cafe, for tea, coffee, and most importantly, bacon sandwiches. This venue allowed those in a social bubble to take a table indoors, while the remainder sat/stood outdoors to maintain our distance.

Once suitably refreshed, The return leg of the journey began. This used the wonderful B3220, back to Down St Mary, and then the A377 to Exeter. The B3220 facilitated wonderful progress, with opportunities to load the cars with lateral force in the bends, but also to sensibly straight-line some road features.

As Tim and myself returned along the A377, with Tim ahead of me, I noticed a black BMW X5 behind me. The front grille sported some discreet, extra embellishment. When our speeds dropped and the X5 drew closer, I noticed two men in the front, dressed all in black. By now I am sure you will have guessed that this was an unmarked Police ARV! I won't comment on what I thought of their driving, but as you'd hope and expect, Tim's and my driving didn't attract their attention!

With the current government announcements, who knows when we will fit the next drive in. Andy and I have already put "pushpin-to-map" to create some new routes! Whenever it is, we all look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the next drive! Our thanks go to the members and guests that came along and supported the event.