ABC Temperance Weekend

Exeter 24th February 1989 - ABC

Having attended the first one and missed the second, I was keen to get back and support our club's Exeter branch's latest weekend. There were a few flurries of snow on the way, but I didn't realise how much of the stuff there was going to be.

Again, the hikers' bunkhouse was useful to me as the tent was still a little damp from the Prowlers Highland Fling the week before. The weather made it doubly welcome. As it happened, quite a few of our friends from other clubs were also keen on attending, and they, too, made use of the accommodation. I'm not sure, but I don't think anyone was camping this weekend. (I'm not sure how many of them actually came by bike this time!) The trip down was a bit fraught, as my visor and glasses kept misting up, but I eventually found the town and then the pub in the middle of Dartmoor.

Those who made it for Friday night made merry in the bar and the food was welcome as well. There was more music in the bunkhouse after closing time than last year, as the instruments brought along included a guitar, a mandolin and a flute.

Saturday morning revealed that the snow had not gone away overnight, although it had stopped falling. It was several inches deep on my bike and all the other assorted vehicles that had parked there. This didn't stop some of us getting ice creams from the shop across the road, though!

The time of year meant it wasn't long before it got dark again, but we had enough time to build a few snow sculptures. The ones I remember were an igloo and a snow-biker.

In the pub we were investigated by the pub's kitten. I am wary of pub-cats since one shat in my helmet on a club night.

The rest of the night was spent sampling the local ale again, followed by more music in the bunkhouse. I made sure I was not in the same bunk(frame) as any couples, in case of shenanigans in the middle of the night waking me up again.

The snow had reduced slightly by Sunday morning and the roads were clear, which allowed steady progress, although the ride home was still quite cold.

- Phil (the Spill) Drackley