Getting Prickly With It

35 GG Yorkies ran in opposite directions (and avoided the rain!) to get some good done across the city

Another Monday calls for another fantastic celebration and tonight, it was the turn of Terrific Tristan to run his 50th good deed and don the Cape of Good Deeds, he even made a spectacular entrance and brought brownies for the occasion. Apparently it was mostly Becky Mo who actually made them though.

You did quite a lot of stirring though Tristan!

Tim led a crew to St Aidan's Church, where the church warden - Rachel - was ready and waiting. The group were split into three teams as there was a bit of a list of tasks but first and foremost: the bush. Extra special 50-deeder Tristan and normal Jeff were tasked with trimming the overgrown garden on one side of the church. Their team were also handed shears and unleashed upon a large hedge as well as some invasive plants that had burst out of their flower bed.

Go as hard as you like

Music to a GoodGymer's ears.

Group run newbie George and Anna's team were tasked with finding the edge of the car park, a skill Anna had learnt at a recent Foxwood mission and was keen to pass on!

There were plenty more invasive reed-type plants which Paul Kelly and Mitch were hacking away at, only to find underneath a petrified hedgehog. Katie sprung into action and took the hedgehog to safety, phew!

After the tasks were complete, the team embarked on a tour of the Three Hills of Acomb, with sprints up Acomb Green Hill, Windmill Rise (both ways) and the Mount. They definitely earned their brownies, even Katie who apparently skived off the windmill rise rep to play with a cat

Lots of people were very happy to stop to look at the cat - Leanne

My group ran north where we met Mike from the River Foss Society. Our mission was simply to bash balsam along the river bank but at the beginning we couldn't find very much in amongst the massive nettles. It was a narrow, slippery and muddy path after all the rain and the focus was definitely on not slipping down the bank into the nettle-filled ditch.

Once everyone was absolutely sure what Himalayan balsam looked like, we meandered slowly down the path, picking the odd one out. Then we discovered a jungle of the stuff slightly further down. Laura had made herself a veritable den by clearing a huge patch and piling it up, whilst Vicky and Babs competed for the biggest balsam root.

We had a further 10 minutes to power pick before the long totter back along the muddy path and onto our Clarence Gardens fitness session. In pairs, everyone had to wall sit whilst their partner completed an exercise around the flower bed, and then they swapped over. There was a lot of wall sitting (Babs loved it, check out her happy face in the picture!).

We all regrouped back at the Priory Street Centre for some stretches and to scoff mint chocolate brownies. So many brownies.

It's like you smell toothpaste, and then eat chocolate! - Tim