🥶 Tonight was the night for a bumper turnout (37 people!), particularly impressive given the dark and chilly conditions. Nevertheless, we all gathered at the Ackhorne, including 3 newcomers - Tamsyn, Ellie and Julian - who we welcomed warmly. We then celebrated some epic achievements, including applauding everyone who tackled the Dalby Dash yesterday. We also had the cape of glory for not one but three heroes for tonight, we celebrated Amy's 400th good deed, Cara's 300th and Kit's 50th. Oh, and it was Laura's birthday. Amazing stuff 🦸

🚲 Vicky led a cycling group while Ed led the runners to the carriageworkers memorial arch - a particular impressive structure when lit up! (And one that lots of us had somehow never noticed before...)

🌸 There, we were met by the council environment team with tools and instructions to rotivate a (particularly long) strip ready for wildflower planting. Despite some initial confusion as to what we were meant to be doing, we soon got to work with enthusiasm, with our various tools. Jen had particularly impressive technique that led to some very uniform-looking rotivations (not sure that's a word...) Meanwhile, George had very kindly given away the most useful tools so contributed good chat and skipping advice, ready for the fitness session.

💪 Speaking of which, after an atmospheric group photo, we were led down the road (to much grumbling from our local GoodGymmers who were being led further away from home) for our fitness session. Vicky had set up circuits with 6 stations, including skipping, which caused lots of amusement as we admired some very different styles. Running while balancing rings on our heads was another challenge, as was running backwards (which may have led to a minor collision but I believe everyone was fine afterwards!) Sore quads from yesterday's Dalby Dash were starting to show themselves in the adaptations required of some of the exercises!

⏰ Soon, it was time to head back to base (or straight home for some of the cheeky locals, including one who 10 minutes earlier had claimed that wasn't an option...Not mentioning any names, Ed...)

🏃‍♀️ James very helpfully stepped up to lead the runners back while Vicky led the cyclists. Soon, we were back at base, stretching and hearing about everything that's coming up this week.

🍰 Laura and David had kindly brought cake, which was greatly appreciated and enjoyed, both outside and then in the pub. Jenna had done a sterling job lugging a huge number of Disability Week booklets in her pannier, which need delivering. Some heroes took some to deliver but there are still lots more. So if anyone's able to help with this this week, please contact Jenna directly (or Vicky/Ed who can put you in touch with Jenna if that's easier).

👏 What a night! Thanks everyone, for some great good-deeding, and hopefully see you all again soon!

*10 points for anyone who spotted the (probably quite obscure) Beyonce song reference...

A small but mighty crew headed down to the riverside this evening to tackle a familiar invasive foe: Himalayan balsam.

After a run or cycle to the task location, we split up along the riverbank and got stuck into pulling up the plants before they have a chance to spread their seeds. The recent weather had left the ground soft, making it satisfying work as roots and all came free with a gentle tug.

Working our way along the path, we soon created impressive piles of balsam and opened up space for native plants to thrive.

With plenty of plants removed and the area looking noticeably clearer, we gathered for a group photo before heading to the memorial gardens for fitness, feeling pleased with another practical contribution to keeping our local green spaces in great shape.

Tonight we did some exercises around the circle then froze into different positions. It was then back to base for a stretch out.

We also congratulated all the impressive runners who completed races and relays over the weekend, cheered Mitch for doing his 600th deed and Neil his 100th, and welcomed Yashodh and Nada to their first group run.

Great effort from everyone involved!

For some people a Bank Holiday Monday is a time to kick back and relax but Team GG never sleeps!

Some ran, some biked, some ran a bit and walked a bit, some meeting at the usual spot and others arriving from far and wide to rendezvous at the task. Either way 26 folk met at Not Fishponds Wood near Fishponds Wood.

We had some heroes to celebrate

• Hannah who was excited to wear the cape of Good Deeds now that she has completed over 50 tasks
• Neil who is our GoodGymer of the month for being an awesome gent, doing 7 Good Deeds in the month as well as being personal chauffer to Vicky The Hip Hearson!

We also welcomed Jake to his very first GoodGym task! Jake is Alex's mate. Whatever Alex is selling it's working as last week he brought along Dylan who was back again despite endangering his bright white new running shoes last week and now we have Jake too!

Who will Alex bring next time?

It was straight to work in Not Fishponds Wood Near Fishponds Wood pulling the ivy which was choking the trees and plants.

We tugged and pulled and scraped and snipped and hacked and sawed and yanked and plucked and picked and ripped and jerked and wrenched and heaved and hauled and slashed at the ivy and pretty soon had cleared a good section of the wood and had filled a huge collection of tonne bags with ivy!

Then we were off running and biking back for some fitness activity running up and down Windmill Hill!

On a Bank Holiday Monday!

I know!

Now that's just daft so the sensible ones discovered they really needed to go straight home instead!

Tonight York's Shiny Happy Good Gymers were joined by two new members - Dylan and Mark, welcome! We congratulated Stefan on Accelerating through the TEWV 10km and Amy for completing the London Marathon - we hear she ran So Fast, she went Numb.

We headed to a new location for us: Carleton Street Play Area, in The Great Beyond behind the station. This was a place shrouded in mystery - it was unknown to Google Maps, and to Nicola, a GGer who lives nearby. It was a regular Ignoreland. Some GGers were worried that you Can't Get There From Here, and others expressed concerns that it was Half A World Away and that it might even be necessary to Drive, but we got there in the end.

We got to work plucking the site from obscurity by removing the brambles, nettles and burgeoning buddleia that concealed it. Kit dug down Low to uproot brambles, and was Feeling Gravity's Pull as he fearlessly climbed Up to saw off branches. Luckily he didn't Fall On Me. Ed was working so hard he managed to break a spade in half - he was having a Bad Day. We didn't Find a River, but we did Reveal a beautiful community garden with a winding path and a great big Rock(ville) in the centre.

Out of Time, we headed on for some heavy duty Circuits Envy led by the lovely Vicky. The skipping ropes were a particular highlight. Several GGers gave an impressive display of rope handling, while a few were Kings of Comedy, giving us all a laugh with an impressive display of ineptitude. Whether you're being stung by nettles, snagged by brambles or whacked in the face with a skipping rope, Everybody Hurts. Despite this we all agreed that we'd had a Funtime, and we repaired to The Ackhorne for stretching and, with minimal Pretty Persuasion, a pint.

Mark Dylan Ed Stefan Kit Vicky Nicola