The Sidbury Fair Committee puts on a lot of events over the villages’ big week and this year it has the added interest of the Tour of Britain Cycle Race and so the normal scarecrows have been joined by a colourful selection of bicycles throughout the village, writes John Perratt.

The Fun Run though always starts off the festivities and this year there were 150 walkers joining the runners on the long slog up past the Manor House and the final assault up to the top of Evergreen Hill where the Devon Flag was flying defiantly in the stiff breeze.

The views up there are amongst the best in the county and it is a privilege to be able to enjoy them but a hairy descent commands respect before the route joins the tarmac and a long downhill stretch back to the finish.

It may be less than 5km but the times recorded indicate that the hill takes its toll. Club runners were a bit thin on the ground this year and a noticeable absentee was Bill Valentine who missed it for the first time in over 15 years.

Byron Fitzgerald and Zak Francis represented the younger element whilst Brian Gosling and John Perratt kept up the rear guard.

Nevertheless we did have a winner in the Shorter Run where Sam Pyne led all the way and finished well ahead of his second placed rival.

The rest of us convinced ourselves that it was sufficient to take it easy on both the up and downhill bits, ensuring only that we got back to the Village Hall before the rain came tumbling down.