In as much as it was tipping down with cold rain at 6pm it certainly looked like being a rubbish night.

It was also a bit rubbish that a couple of newbies were expected to show up but then pulled out at the last minute.

But the main reason it was a rubbish night is that we were collecting rubbish!

A last minute sign up from Katy and Leigh swelled our ranks to a respectable number and we set off for a 2.5 mile run returning to the DMU gym for our litter pickers. Miraculously after only a few minutes of running, the rain that was predicted to fall all night, just stopped and by the time we got back to Bede Park it actually felt almost warm. Quick change of plan, throw in a quick fitness activity before the heavens open again so we did a 2 lap snake around the park which seemed to do the trick of raising the heart rate.

Back at the Gym, Mel was waiting with the pickers and Katy had earlier suggested a slight departure from our usual picking area to the streets around her workplace. As we power walked along the canal picking up a few bits along the way we finished up along Eastern Boulevard half the team doing the street and the other half picking discarded trash from the canal embankment.

It was not long before our black bags started to weigh heavy but one item too big even for our bags was a broken childs car that had been thrown over the fencing. Some wag had even put a parking ticket on it, I am guessing that at some point someone must have left it by the road.

After a good half hour or more of fruitful picking (not Fruit... Rubbish) the cold started to bite and the lure of cake back at the Gym was calling.

We tied the bags and left them by the bins and took a brisk walk back.

Daves 60th Birthday cake was I hope appreciated by all.

So ... it was a rubbish night but it was actually a great night.

Well done all.