Lots of bird boxes constructed by the kids at Dame Emily Park (and a few of the parents) so the small birds can have new social housing for cheep rent!

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...

Molly Malone would be proud - not quite cockles and mussels but goggles and muscles to be found at Dame Emily Park on a Tuesday evening.

We were rewarded with a gorgeous setting sun as the running group and then the walkers were searching out the litter in the main park and attached skate park, with its Bristol street art.

It was great to have the opportunity to chat to each other as we ventured all across the park, including finding a stash of blackberries in a dubious corner of the skate park.

Four rubbish bags and two recycling bags later, we played a quick game of hide and seek in the apple trees now established across the road for our photo finish before returning to Queen Square and on to workout for a riverside drink and bizarre conversation to round off the evening - do bells bong or clang?

A perfect evening for a run (or walk) over to Dame Emily Park for a tidy up. The runners took a longer route via the Plimsoll Bridge and The Other Bridge whilst thw walkers headed over Princes Street Bridge and Gayle Ferry Bridge as its now been renamed by Vaguely Northern Darren.

There were a fair few people in the park but the walkers met up with the Friends group and arranged bags and pickers for the impending arrival of the running group so we were soon off in small groups to pick up and sort recyclables and non-recyclables whilst putting the world to rights.

For the first time ever, by 7.30 we'd cleared the accessible areas of the park, skate park and swimming baths of litter and were combining our bags to leave three bags of recycling and three of litter for Bristol Waste to collect.

The blue sky made for great photos and warm GoodGymmers who headed back to Queen Square and on to workout for a cold drink on the harbourside, watching the rowing boats go by.

What better way to celebrate International French Day (le Jour de France International)* than with some Dame litter-picking followed by pizza, chat and cider?

We knew** Gaol Ferry Bridge was now closed so the runners and walkers set off the long way over Bedminster Bridge and closed in on Dame Emily Park and the volunteer litter pick team.

We set about tackling the more exciting/muckier bits of the park and were soon filling clear (recycling) and green (everything else) bags with debris*** whilst Matt took some very special photos. He hasn't yet sent them to me but I saw them and they were really special. Honest.

Pairs of GoodGymmers were climbing up grassy banks and through rusty railings like nobody's business to refresh the parts other pickers couldn't reach****

The complexity of trying to take a photo across a busy road was finally mastered***** and the red t-shirts were soon heading back across the OPEN bridge to Queen Square and on to The Stable for June's GoodGym Eats (GymBon Manges) only slightly thrown that it was cash only as the card system was broken. Kaput. En panne. If you will.

Another great night, mes amis.

not a thing * no, we didn't, it was open that's got to be a French word? *reference to a 1980's ad *****ishcampaign for Heineken, written in 1973, a very good year (un anee tres bon) indeed

It was all change for Bristol GoodGym as a our planned task was cancelled for Covid. Time for Plan B!

The regular Friends team at Dame Emily Park hadn't been able to get out and pick so were really grateful for some extra hands.

It's a great park with something for everyone - kids' playground, green space, community garden, huuuge skatepark and street art space. And each has their own litter profile!

Lots of chatting and separating recycling from litter made for a very productive 45 minites, plus a bit of bindweed pulling and peaky sycamore seedlings removed. A fab evening out followed with GoodGym Eats at Pieminister and finally home with full tummies.