Icy Dicey Fog Plog

Despite a tricky start to the month, with coughs all around, the Goodgymers of Norwich did sterling work in the twin Red January and GoodGym January challenge. Most of the top ten of our heroes board had all run over 100 miles, we'd achieved our target of good deeds, and pulled a motorbike out of the river to boot.

But as the end neared, we saw slington Goodgym, were only 1 good deed behind us - what could we do to ensure victory?

We quickly assembled a crack team to meet on the 31st of January, and stealth mission our way to the top of the league.

8 of us met at the co-op with our hi vis jackets, bin bags and litter picks, and set off for the woods. In the end, we didn't even make it as far as the woods! The scrublands around the co-op, in one of the poorest areas of Norwich, were so full of rubbish that we stuck to where we were, finding a good 6 bags of rubbish, a broken pram and stepladder, and finding one of the co-op's shopping baskets.

With some fairly good natured joshing from the hoardes of teenagers who had planned a fun night of hanging around in the sub-zero fog, we also had 3 separate approaches from locals who came out of their houses to thank us for the work we were doing - including one who has promised to join our next run!

We then retired back to my house for tea, biscuits and some kitten appreciation.

But tragedy soon struck! Islington had cruelly snuck in another 11 good deeds while our back was turned - putting them 2 deeds ahead! We frantically brainstormed how to get another 2 or 3 good deeds in before midnight, and Hayley phoned in a mission of litter picking in the next road to us 1 hour later, but to no avail - we cede the field to Islington, well fought, our noble rivals! We'll see you again next year!