On a Saturday evening, while much of Liverpool was heading to Sefton Park to see Lewis Capaldi, a group of GoodGymmers followed the north star in the sky instead, towards the bright illuminations of Blackpool to Run The Lights. Liverpool may have been listening to “Before You Go”, we were getting ready for “Before You Glow”.

This was Clara's bright idea. She had completed the event before and recommended it to us, then met us on the night, combining it with a garden-centre weekend away with her mum.

A huge thank you to Heetu, who unfortunately couldn't make it on the night but had the no walk in the dark task of getting six GoodGymmers successfully registered. That involved collecting all our various bits of information, organising it all and, no doubt, chasing a few of us along the way.

On the evening we arrived in two cars. Bekah (thank you for driving), Ellie and I arrived very early and took the opportunity to walk part of the course, taking in the North Pier, Central Pier and, of course, the famous Blackpool Tower and further than the 5k turn around point. On the way back to the start, we passed the 10p bingo shop, which Bekah remembered from her childhood and was delighted to discover was still there... we think with the same bingo caller! We were so taken up with the sights and sounds of the seaside we had less time than we had planned when we got to the start line... what bright sparks we were!

Meanwhile, the second car was somewhat delayed. Liam (thank you for driving) had picked up Laura and Vikki only to realise he'd forgotten his running trainers. So, they drove back to his house. Liam successfully remembered his... GoodGym T-shirt and then forgot his trainers again! So Liam arrived in Blackpool ready to run 10K in a pair of his regular trainers rather than his running shoes and went on to get a PB! Clearly, the secret to a PB is forgetting your trainers twice. A shining example of thinking on your feet.

There was also a little reminder that, wherever GoodGym goes, the litter pickers aren't far behind. Vikky had brought two litter pickers up with her, which had been left at a previous task and were being transported on to the next one. They therefore became unofficial members of the Blackpool contingent, accompanying us throughout the evening.

Their final outing of the night was perhaps their most glamorous: a Goodgymmer heading into a bar carrying two litter pickers to use the toilet. You can take the GoodGymmer out of the litter-picking task, but apparently you can't take the litter pickers away from the GoodGymmer.

So we had all arrived in Blackpool... the run started at 9pm and the crowds were growing. Then came the difficult bit: getting six GoodGymmers together in the middle of 3,000 people.

Clara did a brilliant job of rounding everyone up — which was harder than herding kittens in a crowd of 3,000 — making sure we were all together for the all-important start photo, holding our valuables including litterpickers and then positioning herself perfectly as official photographer and chief cheerer-on.

Bekah and Liam were taking on the 10K, while Laura, Vikky and Sallyann were completing the 5K. Vikky one of our speedy runners, had sensibly opted for the 5K — although there was always a danger she'd disappear into the distance at the speed of light. Laura, meanwhile, was, as always, beaming from ear to ear, bringing her own illuminations to the evening. Ellie was also intending to do the 5K — but, in a plot twist that nobody saw coming, she missed the turn for the shorter route and accidentally ran an extra mile. So Ellie didn't just see the light at the end of the 5K. She apparently decided to run towards it and then keep going. She deserves a medal of her own.

The run itself was fantastic. We headed along the promenade with Blackpool's famous illuminations lighting the way. The lights were on for this special evening before returning later in the year. Was this a test run for the lights... well the GoodGym Illumination Inspection Team were up for the challenge if it was. The atmosphere was electric. There were illuminated capes, glowing shorts, flashing hair accessories, wings, hats and even a Spider-Man who was practically radiating superhero energy. We were comprehensively out-shone. Clearly, next year we're going to have to raise our game and not keep ourselves in the dark. There is no way we are going to let ourselves be eclipsed again.

Blackpool really is something else. As Ellie pointed out, Las Vegas is the Blackpool of the USA — big, bright and brassy, with slot arcades, bars, stag and hen dos, kiss-me-quick hats, a wedding chapel thrown in for good measure and, on this particular evening, 3,000 runners having an absolute ball. It was quite simply lit.

After the run, we all congregated again, thanks once more to Clara's exceptional crowd-management skills, and headed off for the most appropriate post-race meal imaginable: chips. Because,...well, it is Blackpool. We sat together, ate our chips, shared stories of the evening and enjoyed spending some time together before heading back to Liverpool. And what an illuminating night it had been.

By the time we arrived home at almost 2am, Liverpool felt very quiet and very dark in comparison. After an evening of lights, laughter, running, chips and a little bit of accidental extra mileage, we had certainly left Liverpool in the dark.

It had been a glowing success from start to finish.

And next year? We're coming back... hopefully with more Goodgymmers. Definitely brighter and sparklier, maybe on route and probably a litter picker or two. Goodgym Liverpool shines wherever we are but Blackpool certainly gives us an opportunity to turn up the wattage!

Twelve Goodgymmers gathered on a lovely summer’s evening at the cemetery below the impressive cathedral and help the Friends of St James Gardens continue their amazing work caring for this beautiful and historic area.

Michael gave us a warm welcome and soon had us divided into three task groups. The main focus of the session was weeding the paving around the monument, while the other two groups took on a couple of outlying tasks: litter picking and clearing the nettles and undergrowth around the tunnel entrance to the cemetery

But this wasn’t just any Goodgym evening. It was a night of reunions. Lucien and Sian were back in Liverpool and, naturally, made sure a Goodgym session was part of their plans. bringing along Sian's Mum Karen who we had met not long before Sian moved away. Although they no longer live in Liverpool at the moment, Sian and Lucien are certainly not absent from the Goodgym brainpower. Both continue to suggest ideas, come up with plans and keep things moving from afar. As Sian describes it in her WhatsApp title, “Task Force in Absentia” — proof that moving away doesn’t get you out of Goodgym responsibilities! It was so lovely to see them both back. They are such active members of GoodGym Liverpool, and it’s brilliant to see that their enthusiasm and commitment to Goodgym continues even though life has taken them to Spain and Staffordshire at the moment,.

And for Lucien, it was a particularly special evening because this was his 100th Goodgym task! 100 tasks is no mean feat at the best of times, but Lucien has managed it while undertaking his PhD, moving home and city, and undergoing significant surgery. Quite an impressive list of life events to fit around 100 Goodgym tasks!

It was also a joy to see Leo back after his time away with family. Great to have his positive energy back in the group — Leo we have missed you. Dina and Leo were talking about Fado a particular type of Portuguese music... I had to go away and look it up... Goodgym brings so many new things into our lives we never stop learning from each other.

The evening flew by in a blur of chats, laughter and hard work. Minutes became an hour almost without us noticing, and the transformation of the paved area around the monument was a joy to behold.

A truly precious moment was as Ellie uncovered a huge piece of turf covering a gravestone or ledger stone. She peeled it back — and underneath was the inscription from the gravestone, with the engraving preserved in relief in the bottom of the turf. Robert Merchant's inscription echoes from stone to earth uncovered by our Ellie.

The next day on our WhatsApp group it led to a discussion on the use of gravestones as paths and flooring ... I tell you Goodgym Liverpool has the best people to learn something new every day.

Back to our Monday task and with the work done, it was time to celebrate Lucien’s 100th task with some well-earned sweet treats. Nobody seemed particularly keen to rush off. People lingered, standing around chatting and catching up, enjoying the warmth of the evening and each other’s company. Goodbyes became long, lingering goodbyes, as conversations continued and nobody quite seemed ready to call it a night. It was just one of those evenings .... A beautiful summer evening, a brilliant piece of work completed, an unexpected glimpse of history uncovered, reunions, laughter — and Lucien celebrating his 100th task.

Congratulations again, Lucien. We’re looking forward to seeing you back in Liverpool — preferably wearing your wings T-shirt. And what better place to earn your wings than in St James’s Gardens? After all… Earning your wings is no grave thing!

On a finally cool summer evening, Goodgym assembled at St James Gardens to get to work giving the park a bit of a spruce up.

We divided into three teams: Bekah and Sallyann on the litter picking, Ellie, Dina and Clara on the weeding and Naser and Vikky on bench varnishing duty.

We were joined by Friends of St James Gardens who provided fun facts (like what a pineapple weed is) and witty jokes (a lorry carrying Strepsils overturned on the motorway; there was no congestion).

We soon got 'into the groove' of the task, quite literally in the case of the weeding, whereby we were digging up weeds between the paving slabs. Likewise the varnishing team successfully varnished two of the newly installed (and very nice looking) benches for years to come by very carefully applying Varnish into all the 'grooves'. Even the litter picking duo conquered the 'grooves' of the park, retrieving litter from some of the nooks and crannies.

All in all, after two benches varnished, two bin bags filled and a good chunk of patio was weeded, we called it a night and said our goodbyes before heading off in our various directions until next week!

Sophie, Vikky and Aatefa ran to Princes park from Hope Street when the temperature was still very warm. Laura, Steph and I were with Ali, a Friend of Princes Park helping him get the wheelbarrows, watering cans and the water butt on wheels out of the lock up. Katy from Friends of Princes Park gave us some instruction on what we were going to do today; water some of the trees that were earmarked for watering in the park. Apparently a new tree, up to two years old, needs a minute of watering every few days as it has not yet developed a deep root system that can access lower ground water. Dina and Ellie joined us before we started wheeling our water collectors down to the lakeside. There we formed a human chain, passing watering cans along to fill up the water butt and the cans, it was a workout! Some twisting and lifting. Then we made our way to the new trees that needed watering. They were each labelled and we marked each label as we watered so that we knew which ones had been done. Liam, Tsitsi and Craig joined the group just in time to see the Cinnabar moth caterpillar on a piece of grass. It was black and yellow striped, the nature signal for ‘don’t eat me, I am dangerous’ but there was nothing dangerous about this caterpillar except that they were munching all the leaves on our baby trees. We watered plum trees, cherry trees, oaks and horse chestnut trees. Ali asked us to water a few extras that weren’t marked just because he liked them which was very sweet and a sign of how much he cares for the park, developing fondness for the trees. I eyed up a fantastic blackberry picking location that I will definitely be returning to in a week or so when the berries have ripened so I can forage a few to have in my porridge. We definitely got our lifting exercise in on this task and really enjoyed the beauty of the park on this warm sunny evening. Katy told us about the Friends of Princes park anniversary event that is happening in a few weeks so many of us agreed that we would love to return for that.

It was a very warm evening in Liverpool. Sefton park was very busy with people enjoying the evening sun, picnics, ball games and singing.

In a corner of the park runners were gathering to run the annual Tony Barnes Memorial 5-Mile run. Tony Barnes was a member of the Mossley Hill athletics club and when he passed away his community started this run in his honour.

Waiting at the start line were Sophie, Bekah and Steph. Lots of other runners were in their packs of running club mates, it was both reassuring and intimidating to our goodgym runners… this would be a great run but also a challenging one with lots of strong runners picking up the pace.

Me and Aatefa pitched up at the intersection where runners would pass multiple times as they made their way in a figure of eight around the lake and around the top of the park. Sallyann cheered on the runners from the pavillion area of the park.

It was a gruelling run in the heat. Lots of runners were visibly struggling but all three of our goodgym runners managed to smash the 5-miler (8km) race in under an hour. Steph came in at 58.38, a whole 12 mins under her predicted 1hr 10mins. Bekah came in at 52.54, a whopping 3.20 mins faster than her time last year. And Sophie came in at just 45.34, an amazing achievement.

Once our runners were finished it was time to head to the picnic tables for our annual picnic, Dike and Ellie joined us and there was so much delicious food we had enough for all of us to take lunch for the next two days! Special mention for Steph’s homemade brownies, Bekah’s famous salt and pepper sausage rolls, and Dike’s incredible effort into cooking fried chicken wraps and fried plantain. He may have decided not to run the race but more than made up for it in his cooking efforts. We all decided that Dike had set a level of expectation in us all that would mean he would have to prepare this for every future gathering.

It was so nice to stay out until late in the park and enjoy this summer tradition. Well done runners and thank you to everyone for making a great picnic.