Five Goodgymers met at the Perch pub for a litter-picking stroll down Binsey Lane in the autumn sunshine.

We swapped war stories from litter picks gone by, and chatted about everything from why James Bond would actually be a terrible spy to whether you could name a baby after an emoji, while clearing up the usual detritus found on the roadside - cans, bottles, food packaging, random lumps of metal - enlivened by many golf balls and some excellent teamwork in negotiating barbed wire.

Our haul of five hefty bags was deposited in the bins at West Oxford Community Centre, leaving Binsey Lane much tidier than we'd found it.

Well done to Timothy on his first Good Deed, and congratulations to Dan on his 10th - sorry we didn't have the Garland of Joy for you to wear this time!

As lockdown eases and the sun shines, the parks and riverbanks of Oxford are the place to be. It's great to see people out enjoying the green spaces, but it's unfortunate that a minority of people leave litter behind, polluting the environment.

Well, never fear - GoodGym is here!

This evening 12 GoodGymers donned gloves, grabbed bags and litter pickers, and set to work to clean up some of West Oxford's muckier spots. 6 GoodGymers swooped around Botley Park, then cleared up a large amount of mess along the River Thames. Another 6 cleared up litter which had blown out of the recycling bins on Ferry Hinksey Road then made a circuit of Oatlands Recreation Ground. We were left wondering if disposable masks will be a growing litter problem as 2020 progresses.

We chatted to kids about not littering, told members of the public what GoodGym is all about, found the ever-present pants, but also socks and masks, and bank cards. In Oatlands Recreation Ground we loved the creative corner we found near the playground, featuring painted pebbles, jokes and fairy doors.

Good work team - lovely to be back enjoying your company on Wednesday evenings, and great to welcome some new faces Karen, GinnyGinny, and Chris!

Mark led a committed bunch of Oxford GoodGymers down Cowley road early on Christmas morning 2019 to pick up the extra littler left by the jolly folk of Christmas Eve.. great job guys :)