It really was a (was a was a was a) knife evening. We set off sharply. The blade runners and knife walkers arrived… We picked through every blade… of grass. We carved through the park like a hot knife through butter. We… I give up with the knife puns now. We didn’t get all the litter but I’ll get to the point and cut to the chase…

Thanks for helping write the report everyone, this will only make sense to us. For some added information we went to Spith Street park and Dame Emily park and did some litter picking 👀

What a first session for Michael.

Shanks for the memories.

Until next time…

To loaf or not to loaf? A dry morning greeted us as we met at Alpha bottle shop to meet the BS3 community led my Ian. Equipped with our picks, gloves, high vis vests and bags we cleared lotyer around an area near the green verges around the new student complexes. Then we loafed at the idea of coffee as the rain set in. A great morning and cleaner streets for all 👍🌟

It was fantastic to meet up with Alpha Run Club and Share Bristol on a very Sunny Sunday for a tidy up of Bedminster and a chat along the way.

Splitting into smaller groups (with some not-yet GoodGymmers to be persuaded of the loveliness that could be theirs), we spread out to different corners of BS3 with our litter and recycling bags to wander, sorry, walk and run with purpose, collecting up everything we found. Including a lottery ticket that sadly wasn’t a winner.

We were soon carrying heavy bags with all the “goodies” found but kept going until we could carry no more and headed back to the Library of Things to check in, have a cup of tea and compare litter picking tales.

Happy Sunday!

We were definitely getting noticed by the community on our litter puck of Redcliffe this half term - someone parking a car offered us hot drinks, laughed saying we made him feel like his Mum tidying up his room and came back to offer us his torch, and then, the piéce de resistance (thats French, Vaguely Northern Darren will know from his French A-level at the all girls school) was a van full of Police turning up complete with blue flashing lights as someone (presumably someone else?) had reported an attempted break-in in-progress at the next-door Nursery School/Children's Centre where we help out. They were laughing, too, as they disembarked the van and could see our bags, litterpickers and headtorches as soon as they arrived.

They were more than happy to join in our end-of-task photos before grtting on their way to a probably-more-challenging evening.

Meanwhile there was much chat about Roddy celebrating his 50th year and it turning out that Jason is, too, being just 9 days older. Celebratory Eau de Roddy is unlikely to catch on, though.

Much chatter and 50th Birthday/school tales/80s TV discussions continued with Caroline, Richard G , Richard B joining Roddy, Darren and Melanie as the speed daters were back at Workout's Club Haus. At least we were there until Richard G declared he'd lost interest at Michael Fish in the rendition of John Kettley is a Weatherman by A Tribe of Toffs - definitely not a description of us, Winchester or not.

More next week?

A democratic vote for the destination of choice this evening and the recently renovated Chocolate Path was the winner with the six runners running around the harbour to start at the furthest point and the five walkers staying closer to home and working our way towards the runners.

Anastasia joined us for her very first good deed and wowed us with her news of Lativian successes at the Olympics* (Latvia didn't quite make it onto the medal table). Welcome!

With one pair of secateurs per group and a set of litter pickers or two, we were soon tidying the path in a classic pincer movement, trying to keep put of the way of fellow runners, walkers and cyclists revelling in the glorious summer weather**

We were soon creating new Olympic sports of lobbing stick-like weeds into the gorge to either reach the water (javelin-inspired at a very low tide), pseudo planting said spiky weeds root down on landing in the very thick mud and artistic-depositing-of-litter, mastered by Nick. We hope Ed takes all these ideas with him whilst he's volunteering at the Paralympics (we look forward to seeing all his new kit) and Frances can decide which sport she's going to concentrate on for selection to Los Angeles 2028.

Richard B had joined the walking group for a change, having earned a new 100mile-plus run at the weekend to join up three local ultra routes all in one go, with no sleep. He was chief secateur master if the walking crew. Paul was also with the walking group but that was more to do with the runners having already left when he arrived...

The rain started to get a bit heavier and we barely recognised Danica with her coat covering most of her face as the runners met up with the walkers and we all cheered through another 30-or-so runners (and one cyclist) who came past our group and thanked us for our plogging.

More chatting on the way back, discovering Caroline is probably working with Anastasia this week, and watching some of the goings on a Workout's ClubHaus for our post-run cup of tea/hot chocolate/pint of cider/glass of water where Ed didn't order any food - weird!

Latvia didn't quite make it onto the medal table *it might have rained a bit

It was almost not raining, and then only drizzly mizzly on the 15 GoodGymmers who artived in Queen Square for a lovely Group Run or Walk.

Not only were Gaia and Genevieve back for a second deed, Will and Seb were the first to arrive for their very first visits to GoodGym - we hope to see you both again very soon, in your matching outfits!

The runners outnumbered the walkers this week and 9 GoodGymmers were sandwiched between Run Leaders Vaguely Northern Darren and Richard B as they set off to St Werburgh's Community Centre and the four walkers set about hunting litter on a walk across the city centre.

The runners navigated the flooded subway via the handily-placed Bricks of Dryness (BoDs) and set about tidying the play area in St Werburghs. We definitely didn't touch the plant that had the 'Do not touch' sign on it, but we did clear all of the soil, remove the weeds, and tidy toys up, as requested.

Meanwhile, litter-picking and tidying were happening on the walk up to and around Brunswick Square and, once that was tidier, through parts of the Cemetery where Richard G, Jason and Frances were introduced to the wonders of Renée and Renata by Melanie. The 80s were odd.