7 runners and 1 walker made their way to Emmaus to help sort out their over flowing shelves. They've had a number of house clearances recently, and a lot of the crockery and glassware that wasn't selling, needed sorting. We sorted, boxed up, and...the shelves still seemed full! Only one item was broken, and far be it for me to name names, but i think it was part of their 50th year bucket list activities (maybe Roddy knows?) A few of us learned how to use the box taping thing, and only one of them was broken when we left. Again, no names, but I think Caroline knows? Great to see Jordan on a Tuesday night, a d hope he's back soon, although we think he may have opened a cursed tin of hair, so fingers crossed he's back in this mortal realm in one piece when work allows. We were asked to keep anything new and trendy looking, and it was a surprise to find out that what looks new and trendy to those of us born in the 70's, is nit the same as to someone born in the late 90's!

A beautiful sunset had just, er, set as GoodGym Bristol amassed for their Tuesday goodness of March, including Ben along for his first good deed - welcome to our club!

Sparks is one of our city centre beneficiaries that means even if the runners go the long way round, there's still loads of time to make a real difference. This week the walkers arrived just as the runners (led by Richard B and backmarked by Richard G, keeping things simple for Ben to learn names) had been told what was happening so could already see how best to get involved/in the way of moving lots of desktops (not computers, the actual tops of desks) AND NOTHING ELSE.

Harsheh showed off his pallet-lift driving skills (not a power tool, so OK GG Health and Safety, and I'm pretty sure Jason has some pallet lift driving on his CV, too) with desk top piled high whilst other took solo or duo (not the Duolingo owl) trips with a desk to the large room they were being stored in - thankfully MUCH bigger than the fitting room into which the Christmas decorations did NOT fit for our last visit. Emma and Vaguely Northern Darren proved masters of the "balance it on your head" method whilst everyone else seemed happy with the more social duo technique.

Desk after desk disappeared so Melanie was quickly messaging the Duty Manager to check what else needed to shift and was updated that the desk dividers next to the desktops had now shifted from the DO NOT MOVE category to the DEFINITELY MOVE one, in writing, on a not-disappearing text message.

This may sound simple but each divider had two trailing electric leads that weren't quite long enough to wrap or tuck neatly so were trailing on the floor with very careful not-tripping-over GoodGymmers skilfully manoeuvring them to the same room as the desks.

Obviously there was at least one GoodGymmer who opted for a ride on the pallet lift back to the big co-working zone and, after the serious business of end-of-task photos, a huge space and multitude of office chairs meant freewheeling GoodGymmers and a backwards row just for fun.

Sparks is home to many artists and one of the walls had a big black and white drawing of what might or might not be building of Bristol but it definitely had Sparks, the suspension bridge and some balloons - enough to convince Caroline and Marianne it was, indeed, Bristol.

When everything was shifted and the chairs put back so no-one would know we'd moved them, we were soon on our way back down the stairs and on to The Stable for GoodGym Eats, pizzas all round (though some were quite long) and some more chatting/attempting to grill Ben who was very good at deflecting questions. I wonder where that life skill was acquired?

Same time same place next week?

It was great to welcome Faduma to her very first Bristol task and even better that she already knew Dame Emily Park, this evening's destination, as a lovely place in our city.

With litterpickers in hand and bags stuffed somewhere, the running group set off, led by Vaguely Northern Darren and the walkers sort of led by Melanie until we realised we were walking to ASDA instead of the park so had taken a slightly longer route - but all because we were chatting away and having "fun" on the walk (and it did mean I completed one more street for my City Strides account in Bristol).

We met up with Ursula and family in the park, having already collected a few pieces of litter on the paths and then set about finding as much as we could, recycling separated from rubbish, plus a dog bowl that apparently is left out for visiting four-legged friends. The skate park was surprisingly good for recycling but not nearly so much other litter.

We've been helping out at the park for a few years now and it was lovely to see snowdrops and crocus flower springing (see what I did there?) from the ground, it was the first time Harsheh had seen crocuses (crocii?), he's going to LOVE Spring. He arrived for the start of the academic year so hasn't yet experienced a full years of seasons here and GoodGym is such a good way to see nature.

Lots of chat and 5 bags of goodies for Bristol Waste to collect, we headed up to the community garden for Ursula's lovely blackcurrant tea and homemade rye flour and goat butter cookies (or ginger nuts and rich tea when the homemade ones had run out. On the way, we spotted a TV antenna that had been brought to the park (why?!) and added that to our other finds for Bristol Waste to collect from behind the sunflower tile - always a good way to make sure they can't miss it!

Back at Workout, pots of tea, hot chocolate and other favoured drinks in hand, even more chat continued, weather was discussed, football was on the TV and a lovely time was had by all - same time, same place for another task next week?