The Gritted Mitch of the West (Bank Park)

With 6 hours notice the Goodgym Grit Gurus were mobilised once more to help with the essential task of keeping West Bank Park safe for the local residents. Temperatures were dropping, leftover snow was turning to ice, and the space is needed for permitted exercise without fear of slipping.

Firstly we had to give a massive cheer to Michael for finally managing to complete his 50th good deed on the 3rd attempt!

As many good deeds as his age! Ed

We're not quite sure what's taken him so long, but (rightly) cancelling gritting missions due to dastardly warm weather didn't help.

We also welcomed Stuart to his first task - cold, dark and a bit damp, like all the best Goodgym tasks. Welcome on board!

Once we'd divided up, got headlights on barrows and shown the newbie gritters the trademark shovel-trowel grit 'n' flick technique, we were off. Cape-man and Robin (also known as Debs) set off for the lower playground, the Paulsopps for the playpark past the pagoda, and everyone else for the middle.

The remains of the snow cover made the ground slippy going, and many a puddle swallowed up grit never to be seen again. But the team persevered and worked their ways back into towards the buildings and the starting point, with Mitchell definitely not gritting any green bits inbetween.

Ellie was so thorough that she even persuaded some of the parks younger users (budding horticulturalists) to move along a bit so she could grit where they were standing.

All done we distance-assembled back at the start and cleaned off tools to prevent any corrosion from the salt. That makes this chemist very happy. One team photo later,

Look epic! ... how do we do that?...I went for silly (Leanne)

one practically perfect pun from the practically perfect Paul Kelly, and we were done for the night.