We were well-prepared for the evening's session back at Hebron Burial Ground, or thought we were, with plans to conquer the social media worlds of Instagram and TikTok, except for not videoing anything.

But we got up to great chopping with first-timers Emma, Angela and Aaron getting stuck in despite the "light drizzle" making everything a little more slippery than we'd hoped but turning out to be good practice for the black ice in Queen Square on our way back.

There was a wall of GoodGym activity across the upper part of the burial ground as we get ever closer to the far boundary, snipping and slicing and chopping and raking away the brambles, doing our best to keep warm on a chilly night.

Chatting kept us going with Time Travel and rehabilitating tyrants by showing them love as children, flights to Barbados turning around mid-Atlantic due to goings-on in Venezuela, comedy clubs and gigs around Bristol and how lovely Bristol. And GoodGym Bristol especially.

All rounded off with a bit of skating on the black ice and warming up at Workout with tea or cider - same again next week?

Just wow.

Richard B was unstoppable once we'd arrived and found the task beneficiary to get the tools. The rest of us thought we were working really hard until we could suddenly see each other as Richard B chopped a swathe through the middle of our bramble patch - amazing work!

All of us were keen to keep moving as it was one of those nights when the temperature drops away and it suddenly Really Quite Cold and gardening gloves aren't that warm. it definitely keeps is all on our toes (which, usefully, is one of my physio exercises - not yet ticked off for today).

Princess Caraboo was looking in the party mood, admiring our work from her throne, under her careful supervision we're making real progress to be able to see the ground, although a lot of bramble toots are going to need pulling out when we can see them.

Back to Workout to enjoy the Christmas session of the painting class who all looked serene until they had table tennis bats is their hands when aggression definitely took over. Fortunately their talent at stopping the ping pong ball getting as far as us was exemplary.

The last sense of amazement was saved for the Coffee Arr book from the bookshelf - who knew that "Oasis with Palm Trees" was even possible? We didn't pass it to the lively bar staff...

Back again next week for our Scavenger Litter Pick Festive Burger mash-up - right up our street!

Delightfully dry weather in a strange week, GoodGym Bristol set off for Hebron Burial Ground to progress the project of reclaiming the green space from the brambles and nettles, before they go bonkers again in springtime.

Careful footing was the name of the game as many of the graves have raised edges that are difficult enough to spot in daylight let alone in the dark. So one foot on the grave was the minimum for stability!

Chopping was delicate through to savage depending who was wielding the tools and how close they could get to the ground. No carrots were harmed.

With progress made and brambles raked up and dragged to the compost area, we were soon posing for an end-of-task photo and heading back to Workout to celebrate Jason's 50th birthday with Cake Type Bits whilst trying not to encroach on the speed daters. As you do...

Some of the residents overlooking Hebron Burial Ground will wake up this morning to find they are actually overlooking the Burial Ground and not just an overgrown hedge blocking out the daylight. Topiary challenge accepted, where the look we were going for was a "hedge".

Giby joined us for the first time and got stuck into the bramble bashing after joining the walking group - welcome!

A few blackberries were eaten before the spiky stalks joined the growing compost pile via the now-slick "rake and tarp" technique, a few graves were tripped over, a lot of puns proposed (I just wish i could remember them) and it was soon time to hide behind the (much lower) hedge for the final photo and the walkers and runners to race back to Queen Square/Workout and on to Las Iguanas for Eats, taking advantage of the Tortilla Tuesday offer and discussing the racism/merits of Speedy Gonzales - its always deep and meaningful at GoodGym Bristol!

Heatwave 4 - and another visit to Hebron Burial Ground to help reclaim the space from the huge amount of brambles that have taken over.

Everyone walked as it was over 40 degrees and Gerry kindly provided chilled water on arrival with a choice of still or sparkling!

Another zone of the green space was selected, in the shade, and the chopping back was begun, a mix of snipping and whacking through the brambles taller than we are, effectively strimming them as close to the ground as we could - no chance of getting roots out yet but the path and individual grave stones becoming more visible with each visit.

French and German were practised for no discernible reason, showing we can all count and ask our way to places we don't want to go to. And order beer.

Another drink and a walk back down (only slightly hilly) to our "home" at Workout for drinks over looking the harbour and Marianne's apple cake to celebrate her 87th good deed (building up to her 100th?) or because she had loads of windfalls. Or maybe both.

Much entertainment was found with a game of the traditional "guess the middle name(s)" of people present or associated with people present. Hours of fun and we're not done yet, so that's something else to look forward to on future group runs.

On a perfect evening we gathered like excitable meerkats outside Workout. The chief meerkat briefed us on our mission this evening and we headed off.

A return visit to Hebron Burial Ground, this time to work on clearing back the brambles to the fence. The usual eclectic mix of topics were discussed this evening. The most controversial perhaps being whether Edward Scissorhands is misnamed as he actually has knives for hands? Edward Knifehands sounds a bit too sinister maybe? Whatever, he would have been quite useful this evening in our topiary mission. We are in prime bush snacking season at the moment so we nibbled on the berries to keep us energised while we snipped away. In a New York 40ish minutes we downed tools and headed back with only a few battle wounds to nurse.

A special mention to Paul who delivered leaflets in Easton this evening. Well done 🙂

Until next time…