There's a new vicar in town and Laura had heard very good things about GoodGym and couldn't quite believe it was real! We'd warmed up with a game of pointing at Ed's Christmas leggings before the runners headed off on a longer route than the walkers, who beat them to the Parish Office.

With expert planning and the help of a big map, we worked put roughly which tower block was which, and which we could have easy access (don’t tell the running group theres a fob) and which we'd be relying on our negotiation skills - we're not leafleting, we're spreading Christmas cheer.

We love the fitness challenge of getting up all the stairs (less Santa Claus-trophobic than the lifts) and then building yo speed as we work our way down the buildings. Or some of is do, whilst others "manage" the task indoors with a cup of tea. I did leaflet a couple of blocks on my way home, though!

Soon wed completed lots of the routes, only kept put of two where we couldn't persuade someone to let us in even though we used the "whats your favourite number" technique.

I'm sure we'll be back next year, or before if we can help with any of the community outreach to Redcliffe and especially the refugees here.

Happy Christmas!

I think winter's arrived. At about 1905 on Tuesday 29th November.

It was all fun and games, GoodGymmers arriving in shorts, welcoming chit chat then running or walking over to Dame Emily Park for a spruce up before we all spruce up our homes for Christmas*, armed with trusty litter pickers including David HeadTorch trialling his new foldy uppy litter pickers (FULPs) and Bristol Waste bags to fill.

There was very little big litter so we were able to spot all sorts of smaller-see-through litter with our (not always) powerful lights. Obviously this led to a hugely fun game of "Leaf or Litter", one of our favourite past times.

And then, all of a sudden, it got very cold and the choice of fitness session or longer run/walk back was given, the latter being the seemingly unanimous choice. Bags were joined to make a single bag of lots of little litter, pickers were put back in the Great Big Bag and off everyone was about to set when Jason, carrier of the Great Big Bag, produced packs of brownies and flapjacks to celebrate his 300th good deed - Hooray! Everyone warmed up a bit and was fuelled for the run/walk back with the walkers carrying the diminishing supply of celebratory cake and the Great Big Bag because we're good like that.

For maybe the first time ever, the walkers were back in Queen Square before the runners and decided it was too cold to wait for the runners, still a mile away, so did their end of group run gubbins, returned the Great Big Bag to the receptionist/cupboard-in-the-cupboard-in-the-cupboard and made for the bar to order a big pot of tea, in theory for two but actually containing SIX cups of very nice tea indeed. And Paul ordered a pint on something very cold, despite being cold himself, having joined the walkers back as he has another marathon this weekend - pink panther is already dressed as an elf but hadn't been allowed to come along as its too early for elves.

The runners returned with their rosy cheeks (on their faces, at least) and joined the GG tables and then, in one of the greatest achievements of her life to date, Melanie persuaded Club Haus in Workout to have the footie on only one TV and the GBBO final on the other, thus introducing GGers who had so far avoided the feel-good-or-sometimes-bad TV show to its gloriousness. And misinterpretation of the Signature Bake as Viennetta Fingers, which would have been Viennese Fingers except they were éclairs. Which led is down the regular GG Bristol discussion of Chris Lewis and general love if the Walls Viennetta. Other ice-cream desserts are available, but not as nice. And so closed another fabulous group run where Clo reminded us all that even though some of us may not have wanted to come along, we were all glad we did.

• is that where the phrase cones from? Spruce up your home with a Christmas spruce tree? Now spruce looks wrong when i write it or say it. Rabbit hole created...

GoodGym Bristol welcomed two new members to the band this week - Dereck and Gareth joining the runners over to Marlborough Steps to shift a lot of pesky leaves into the new compost bin (which we didn't find until just after I had messaged Mel in Canada for its location! :-). Dereck jumped straight in to litter picking, before commenting on how little litter there is in Bristol (because we're so good at picking it all up!) Gareth was a leaf collecting machine and even though he's a member of Southville Running Club (our not-very-bitter-at-all rivals), we won't hold it against him and gope to see him on Tuesday Group Runs! Richard made a lovely leaf kebab, Jason chipped in with his usual surprise asides when you're not expecting him (nobody expects the Bristol inquisition!) whilst Frances decided the pun had to have something to do with the 90's chart toppers Steps, but i know less about steps than i know about that guy who was in that thing with what's her name! (that was the majority of the conversation in workout, post-run)