For our Christmas cleanup we returned to the mid-section of the river in Merton – revisiting the site of our work in September, where the Graveney joins the Wandle just upstream from Plough Lane. 

Heavy rain the day before had brought the river up into spate: fortunately, by the time of our cleanup the level had dropped again, but it was still quite coloured: 

Di went into an early lead with several barrow-loads of rubbish… 

… whilst Andy retrieved a tanker hose that a local business must somehow have mislaid: 

Thanks to Sally and Jo, tea and coffee time had a decidedly festive flavour, with mince pies and Christmas cake in abundance: 

Afterwards, Erica got stuck into some hard-core cleaning… 

… but it wouldn’t have been a real Wandle cleanup without a scooter at the end… 

… or a team photo beside another mountain of rubbish for Merton Council to collect (with our thanks!) before a warming Christmas pint at the William Morris. 

Thanks to all our volunteers: Alison, Americo, Andy B, Andy C, Andy P, Ann, Carol, Catherine, Chris, Diana, Ella, Emilio, Erica, Gideon, Ian, James, Jane E, Jane W, Jo, John B, John W, Jonathan, Leon, Nick M, Nick S, Nigel, Paul, Rob, Rory, Sue, Sally and Theo.