After a well deserved break over Christmas and New Year for Tidy Ted, GATT were back to litter picking shenanigans on the 11th January, led by the incomparable Mr Ian Gray, when he was awarded the ‘GATT trophy for Services to Tidiness’ January 2023. A tongue in cheek award from his happy band of volunteers, which represented some of the rubbish we find week in and week out.
The team, including a new member Brian, braved the wet and windy Great Aycliffe Way from St Oswald park to Woodham Burn in bleak conditions where we collected sacks of litter, a Nitrous Oxide cylinder, base plates of temporary fencing, lots of tins and glass.
The 18th January found us out around Bluebell Woods where we found all sorts, sacked it, grabbed it and left it for GATC to collect, as they do every week for us. It was very cold and the briar’s were a particular delight to de-tangle the filth from.
We were back in Bluebell Woods on 25th January. (Tidy Ted says if you go down to the woods today, you’d better keep it tidy!) as well as around the Great Aycliffe Way and into Cobblers Hall Plantation. We found all sorts of ‘ickery,’ the depravity of humanity never fails to disappoint. Bottles, cans, bits of traffic cones, household rubbish bags, unidentified metal objects and, all too easily identified, dog poo bags.
In to February and Great Aycliffe Tidy Team battled the winds, the thorns and brambles of the Moore Lane recreational fields. It was a delight to find cans, bottles and the endless drifts of dog poo bags in the bushes. We maxed out capacity on Tidy Ted’s trolley for glass, thankfully only a few broken. We found a broken bike without seat, painful to ride and beyond repair. The team were disappointed to see the volume of litter along the A167 blighting the countryside.
On the 8th February the team delved into the Burn and rescued bikes, scooters, a TV, mattress, little dolly, gaming chair and loads of sacks of sickening canine by-product. Oh, and Adam, we found your Christmas tree.
Thanks to Glen Fletcher of Thames Butchers who arrived with hot bacon butties in appreciation of our efforts, they were a delicious surprise and powered everyone on.
Thank you to those who have expressed an interest to come along and join us through the weekly round up Brian Rendell’s posts on the Anything Aycliffe Facebook page (funny and informative with great photographs). All of the above is a condensed version of his posts, we hope to meet you soon.
If you’re interested in joining us please email ian.gray38@btinternet.com