What chance to do weeds have when GoodGym Bristol is on a mission (well, a Group Run/Walk, but you get the idea)? No chance, nada. If only we were sure of what was a weed and what wanted to stay...

We were faced with two big shrubs that may or may not have stabby thorns, a lawn of weeds that was apparently gravel underneath, some flower beds behind actual beds and paving that was half weeds.

And GO!

Charles had brought us a big, empty wheelie bin that didn't stay that way for long (empty that is, we left it on its wheels) as the shrubs took shape, leaving as many berries for the birds to munch over winter. We could even see the beautiful sign that had been hidden when we arrived.

Kingsley successfully got right to the top so there were no punk haircuts going on in St Paul's. Becky came back for loads of fun for the first time in 5 years - hope its not so long before we see you again! Freya had a break from hockey, Marianne squeezed in a good deed before going to play Florence Nightingale and a Good Samaritan on his way passed gave us some cookies to go with our post-deed drinks. Oh, and the strange looks from the ambulance and police car, but no fire engine so we didn't get Emergency Services Weird Look Bingo.

With sweeping and litter picking underway, wed soon filled not just one but two great big green wheelie bins, returned the tools and had an end-of-task photo (with Freya still wanting to finish more). Moving an abandoned "Road Closed" back by the main road, away we ran and walked for more chat with Kingsley sharing his new stress-busying tips. With GoodGym being top of the list, of course.

Delightfully dry weather in a strange week, GoodGym Bristol set off for Hebron Burial Ground to progress the project of reclaiming the green space from the brambles and nettles, before they go bonkers again in springtime.

Careful footing was the name of the game as many of the graves have raised edges that are difficult enough to spot in daylight let alone in the dark. So one foot on the grave was the minimum for stability!

Chopping was delicate through to savage depending who was wielding the tools and how close they could get to the ground. No carrots were harmed.

With progress made and brambles raked up and dragged to the compost area, we were soon posing for an end-of-task photo and heading back to Workout to celebrate Jason's 50th birthday with Cake Type Bits whilst trying not to encroach on the speed daters. As you do...

Sooo, not quite according to plan as (again) the confirmed task materials weren't at the venue, and the rain was torrential, so GoodGym Bristol turned all resourceful and found their way to an indoor venue (that may have sold alcoholic drinks as well as hot ones) and Ed saved the day by having quiz sheets and pens in his backpack. OK, they were supposed to be for his colleagues the next day but our needs were greater and Ed could always print some more off the next morning!

A lovely peculiar warm morning greeted the GG folk. Too many layers but we marched on to the neat and tidy shed. With rakes, leaf collectors and at least 3 barrows of laughs we set out to re-find the path under the leaves near the sauna and sheep paddock. Creating a wider path to fit at least one more cow we mooed our way to deposit the leaves in the leaf heap, then a final photo with a goat-y backdrop and on our dairy ways to foliage up the weekend 👍

A second visit to Sparks after our preliminary Massage Moving on Monday night, this time moving a clothing concession upstairs (going online) to create the space for the massage concession to move into - a veritable feast of weird and wonderful clothing items and props all needing to be boxed or bagged up and shifted up two floors - fortunately with the help of a lift.

John had let us in, Pavel (PJ) was helping to show us what and where whilst eating his dinner of a tub of Cadbury ice-cream and sharing a bar of chocolate with various GoodGymmers.

It was a pretty standard "make it up as we go along, who knows what we'll find" task for Kingsley and George's first ever GG task - we hope the mystery has created a great impression and you'll be back with us soon!

Many single shoes were found and moved upstairs before a suspiciously similar set of single shoes were found - that's art for you.

Displayed t-shirts were unhooked by the use of Melanie's crutch, boxes and bags were found, emptied of literal rubbish and stuffed with probably-not-rubbish and moved upstairs using a sack trolley, a flat-bed trolley and a shopping trolley - we were totally trollied! Clothes on rails with wheels were easy movers, other haphazard shapes requiring a much more skilled transportation and many items slid where possible as we weren't sure they withstand a GoodGym energetic carry.

I'm not sure anyone tracked the number of steps involved - it will have been a lot, but we met Lauren and Ben who were involved in the Massage concession - Lauren being the masseur and Ben being the helper - who have said they'd love to see GGers in store where they'll be offering back, neck and shoulder massages as well as other treatments, now further away from the big glass doors - much improved privacy!

With Pavel shoving the final items into the second floor space, we were soon heading back out of the now cleared space, and back to Workout, off home or off to November Eats at the excellent Pieminister - it's officially Pie Season, thanks to Richard B. And happy birthday to Roddy for his big 50 on Saturday - his six pack looking good on it in the lift.