Winter is coming. In the Riverlands a silent enemy is advancing. The brambles creep slowly and menacingly from the banks of York Stream, ready to wrap their thorny stalks around the bodies of unsuspecting canoeists. Fortunately Dominic, Sol and Sheila from House GoodGym were on hand to help. Armed with loppers, secateurs and a hedge trimmer they joined Friends of Maidenhead Waterways volunteers for the Battle of the Brambles. Slashing, cutting and slicing, the heroic warriors advanced, pushing the enemy back. Sheila was in the maintenance boat Yorkie and Sol was on the banks, both fighting with courage, filling a dozen large bags with green waste. When you play the game of thorns, you win or die. House GoodGym prevailed.

GoodGymmer Tony Ward became Captain Jack Sparrow for the day as he took the helm for boat rides at Friends of Maidenhead Waterways' Fun Day on Saturday. It was all hands on deck as Friends of Maidenhead Waterways volunteers press ganged more than 100 landlubbers into life jackets for boat rides throughout the day. No pieces of eight were needed as Tony's new shipmates clambered aboard the good ship Yorkie. The public boat rides along York Stream were all free. Luckily thanks to Pirate Tony's boat skipper skills there were no men or women overboard and no-one ended up in Davy Jones' locker. Meanwhile across the choppy waves of Chapel Arches, GoodGymmer Dominic Hurst (a newly qualified canoe and kayak instructor) was busy heaving ho, taking people on free kayak and canoe taster sessions in the shark infested waters of York Stream. More than 40 people said Aye Aye and walked the plank into canoes for Dominic's watery trips, shouting "avast ye" whenever they saw Pirate Tony's boat pass.
At the end of a busy day it was time for GoodGymmers Tony and Dominic to enjoy a good Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum.

Juli, Dominic, Karin, Anna and Sheila met at the amazing Thames Valley Adventure Playground (TVAP). This facility provides safe outdoor and indoor play space for children and adults with any type of disability. Taskowner Alan had a list of jobs for us, which all involved cleaning. Firstly, some fencing at the crazy golf area, which had got covered in moss. We then moved on to cleaning the picnic tables and benches, which were dotted throughout the grounds, plus some wood railings supporting a roof above a swing. Finally we took on a double swing seat. All are now clean and ready for a fresh lick of paint. Great work, team!

It was a lovely crispy frosty morning for an early start to Saturday with a joint effort to clear York Stream from brambles on its banks.

Clara and Sol joined the friends of Waterways to work on the banks to cut off the overgrown brambles.

Amy joined us in the very beginning to present a medal to Clara for completing 50 good deeds! Amy had also prepared delicious flapjacks. It was such a nice surprise!

Afterwards we split into two teams: Clara joined a team in the boat to cut brambles from the opposite bank and Sol helped the other team cutting brambles into smaller chunks to gather in garden rubbish bags.

Passers by cheered us on and thanked for the effort. The coffee break came soon and we got the opportunity to sample the flapjacks and coffee.

We continued our never-ending fight with brambles until it was already midday. Even two swans came to inspect our work at the end of the session. They were so beautiful!