Mrs D's garden had got into a bit of a state with ivy and sycamore trees invading and covering the entire garden with a blanket of leaf litter mixed with ivy vines. This made it tough going to collect all the leaves and clear a usable space in the garden.

After 90 minutes of raking and snipping and scooping I'd filled 8 bags with garden waste and two bags with other rubbish that had collected in the garden. There's now a good area to get outside the back door and sit out in the shade of the trees if Mrs D fancies it.

Sunday morning saw two goodgymmers join forces with Friends of Dallow Downs and Winsdon Hill for their monthly litter pick. We met in a different location today, and covered a new green space which had accumulated lots of rubbish, so it was great to band together and tackle it as a team. There is a large Badger population residing in this area, and Sophie who organises the litter picks found an intact Badger skull which was very interesting. Clearing away this litter will make the park more enjoyable for all its users, humans and wildlife alike. Together, we collected ten bags of rubbish, a mattress, a fabric shopping bag on wheels and an abandoned posy of flowers. Great job!

A gang of four set out into Leagrave park on a litter hunt, collecting all the usual bottles cans and wrappers that had collected since last month's efforts.

Random objects discovered this time included a desk chair, a bike and a Zimmer frame that someone had helpfully thrown into the river. There must be a shortage of trolleys!

Last unusual find was a statue of Ganesh hidden under the bridge. He seemed to be enjoying his tranquil spot watching the ducks so we left him in peace.