Beating the impending heatwave (number 3 of 2025), we gathered in the shade at Workout (except Roddy who was determined to stand in the evening sun) and set off in two group - the runners with Richard now as a fully-fledged Fitness Leader (taking charge of the requisite First Aid Kit) and the walkers where no-one's really in charge and conversations are many and varied.

We had a plan, we knew we were preparing table cloths and decorations for the Festive Friends lunch on Friday, and watering the planters that were very dry. Except none of the decorations material shad been left out, so we kept ourselves busy with watering and weeding the edges of the building and front/side walls so he outside would look lovely for the Festive Friends. At least there wasn't a big pile of bunting to untangle!

There are planters of herbs and many fruits - a fig tree that's looking amazing (note to self - ensure we have a visit in 5 or 6 weeks' time when they should be ripening nicely), raspberries, gooseberries and wineberries where scientific sampling was carried out.

Then the Top Excitement of the evening overshadowed all other finding, conversations and puns as a little hedgehog was spotted and we ensured it found a quiet, shady spot to curl up. I say ensured, when we went back to check it had found itself a good temporary spot, but we're happy to take the credit as we COULD have helped if it had been needed.

We discussed a fitness session as the foot/cycle bridge is quite high, steps and slopes so lends itself, if only there'd not been an impending heatwave, and the pollution levels from the motorway below are possibly not ideal...

Soon we were climbing and descending the bridge just the once on our way back to Workout where it was the perfect evening for sitting out on the terrace.

Fantastic GoodGymming, Bristol!

It really was a (was a was a was a) knife evening. We set off sharply. The blade runners and knife walkers arrived… We picked through every blade… of grass. We carved through the park like a hot knife through butter. We… I give up with the knife puns now. We didn’t get all the litter but I’ll get to the point and cut to the chase…

Thanks for helping write the report everyone, this will only make sense to us. For some added information we went to Spith Street park and Dame Emily park and did some litter picking 👀

What a first session for Michael.

Shanks for the memories.

Until next time…

There was no shortage of weed(s) as we helped a Students' Residence set up a Gardening Club to hep with student wellbeing as well as maintain an outdoor study/social space. It was dreamed up by our very own Harsheh who's a student at the university who'd also persuaded his friend Jaskaran to finally come along and see how lovely GoodGym is.

We also had the GoodGym Bristol Far East Correspondent visiting us for a staying-in-touch visit as Russ is back for a visit - fabulous to hear his stories about trying to outrun wildebeest.

It looked like there'd been little weeding for a good few years with bindweed and morning glory taking over pretty much everything in the raised planters, drowning out some fabulous smelling but very leggy rosemary plants but revealing some agapanthus that had found a way to hide and survive.

No-one knew what new plants are due to arrive and with only hand tools and brute force, we weren't going to get the weed roots out on this visit but about 12 binliners were filled with the debris from the garden and there was still a bit left to do.

We talked GoodGym with passing students, rescued snails (without touching the slimy bits, obviously) and were rewarded with a buffet of snacks, biscuits and Capri Sun - turns out Wagon Wheels are ideal post-task refreshment.

More again next week?

Much weeding and watering awaited GoodGym Bristol in Brunswick Cemetery on a very warm evening so everyone was in the walking group.

Sycamores, bindweed and a creeping (not creepy) weed i-should -learn-the-name-of were hoiked out left, right and centre from the beds, paths and anywhere else they were spotted.

The plants that has been, um, planted the day before were also given a healthy dowsing sue to the very warm (hot?) weather so hopefully they can start covering the trellis in lovely greenness.

The time flee by and we were soon saying goodbye to Di and Jo, although only until Monday which is another bank holiday so time for another visit and bank holiday coffee/lunch to keep on chatting.