It was great to be back at a Maidenhead Waterways Saturday working party after a few weeks off during Lockdown.

A very warm welcome to Jordan, who was clocking up his second GoodGym good deed this morning, and Erin, who joined us for the first time having read about GoodGym in the book 'Running Like a Girl' by Alexandra Heminsley (one for the Christmas list!) It was lovely to have the chance to chat to you both. Extra kudos to Erin for running 11km from Windsor to join the group, and walking the same distance back after the task. Erin reported:

It was a cold and early start to run there but its great to be running with a purpose and be able to watch the day getting lighter as I got closer.

Erin, Jordan and I met Ian, David and Matt from Maidenhead Waterways, who had brought with them their amazing array of tools including extendable rakes, hooks, a heavy 'tarmac rake' and an inflatible dinghy. Our mission for the morning: clearing fools cress (weeds) from one side of the channel between Stafferton Way and Green Lane Weir to enable the water to flow freely. The other side was to be left, offering food and shelter to ducks and moorhens.

Unable to resist the lure of the dinghy, Erin and I leapt in, miraculously avoided capsizing, had a good giggle at my rowing skills, picked up some litter, and then headed back to the bank, from where we decided the fools cress was best tackled. Jordan also enjoyed a paddle but reached the same conclusion.

Hauling in the weeds from the bank was a great workout and incredibly satisfying. We found we made swift progress with the hooks and the tarmac rake. Much like twirling spaghetti onto a fork, the trick was to hook the weeds bit by bit, not taking so much onto the tines that it became unamanageable. We left the weeds on the bank so that any creatures caught up in the weeds could easily make their way home to the water. While we were working it was lovely to be thanked by passers by for our efforts, and there was an impressive transformation in the channel as the vegetation heaped up on the banks. As Mr T from the A Team would say, 'I pity the fools (cress), I do!'

Meanwhile at East Widbrook, GoodGym member Helen was working hard with another Maidenhead Waterways group, having joined their working party directly. We don't know too much about what she got up to, but having seen her in action at another session we have no doubt she was very productive, and if her big smile in the photograph is anything to go by then she also had a good morning. Well done Helen!

Later in the day it was lovely to recieve this message from Ian:

Thanks for a tremendous effort this morning to clear the channel of fools cress. The result is better than I had hoped....Please thank all your Goodgym members for the tremendous help they have given to Maidenhead Waterways this year.

We all look forward to working together more in the New Year!

Credit to Ian for the photograph showing Amy, Jordan and Erin.