The Canoe River Cleaner

11/11/2025

Now THIS is bloomin wonderful 💚

*please read and SHARE if you know someone who would benefit from this*

👇👇

The Happy Hooves Shed 🪚🦉

Today, me and Matt visited Happy Hooves Lincs CIC, a wonderful community interest company that’s been changing lives since 2015 through the healing power of animals....namely owls.

They’ve recently launched an inspiring new project called The Happy Hooves Shed, which is based on the 'Men’s Shed' idea. It’s a space where men come together shoulder to shoulder, not face to face, to chat, make things, share skills, and quietly support one another’s wellbeing.

What makes this one extra special is that the group creates practical items for the animals at Happy Hooves, especially their beautiful birds of prey🦉

The project is led by Ollie, an incredible young man who volunteers at Happy Hooves and teaches in a special needs school by day.
This evening, we joined the team, made owl boxes, shared coffee, and soaked in the sense of community.

One of the highlights was meeting Terry, a true craftsman and woodsman from Dorset, who’s now passing his skills on to the next generation before we lose them.
Proof that experience and wisdom are treasures worth sharing.

If you or someone you know could benefit from a friendly, hands-on space like this — or if you’d just like to follow their journey please give Happy Hooves a follow and help spread the word. 💚

👇👇

Happy hooves Lincs CIC

11/11/2025

He Stole My Thunder 😭😭

Now, my litterpicking husband Zac is gifted with foresight (something I'm lacking) and he predicted that the weather may scupper my plans of a community pick, so he brought along his vintage litter museum for people to ogle as a back up plan.

Don't you just hate someone who's prepared 🤣

On top of making a good call, and to make me even more jealous, EVERYONE loved it and the attention drifted in his favour.
Its never been so busy 😅

All jokes aside, it actually turned into a brilliant morning! We had to come up with an indoor activity to stop it from being a total washout, so I ran a quick quiz, and Zac showed off his amazing collection of curiosities.

As it happened, the weather improved and we did eventually get to have a 30 minute session on the tools to make the area better.

By regularly collecting litter, we help create a more attractive and pleasant environment that encourages people to take pride in their community, or at least, thats the plan.

Thank you to everyone involved today,
Good people, good coffee and good chats always prevail whatever the weather 🙏

Centre4
PickWalks

10/11/2025

Ooohhh, you know I love a blow well 🤣

Sarah's work is brilliant as we know, and this project is as informative as it is beautiful.

I've stuck my two penn'orth in with some info, but Sarah's knowledge excels here and whilst she's calibrated with others, she is super knowledgeable and this is clearly her field of expertise.

Please check out her work in progress at the fishing heritage building (this is ironic in a way only Sarah knows)

My We Are Marshy Folk project is about telling a different story of Grimsby, one that celebrates our natural landscape and what makes it unique. Why the East and West Marshes are called what they are. This is an ongoing research project and some of the work is up in the cafe of the Fishing Heritage Centre and my Art Shack unit on Freeman Street market. x

10/11/2025

And the heavens opened 😭 🌧

To be fair, the weather did exactly what it was forecast to do, but I guess we didn’t think it would be that bad. Wishful thinking 🤔

Anyway, we cracked on regardless and gave Sidney a sort out.

It’s clear that the under-the-radar litter pickers look after the place when they can, so the gang focused their efforts on the hard to reach areas and the play park, while Zac and I turned our attention to the pond 💧

In my opinion, this will require a full drain and clean by the professionals at some point, but as always, we do what we can with what we've got.

All litter and debris were removed, and we did our best to clear out some of the leaves and branches that had found their way into the pond. The water quality is compromised by the sheer amount of leaf litter as it rots down, so we’re making plans to tackle this better on our next visit, once the last leaf has fallen.

All in all, a good little tidy-up that we’re hoping to manage better in the future 👍

This pick was kindly sponsored by Sidney Sussex ward councillors and all waste was collected by North East Lincolnshire Council

PickWalks
Freshney Comrades
Keep Britain Tidy
Helping Hand Environmental

10/11/2025

Monday Morning On The Tools 🚮

Whilst not terribly interesting, this is what us Freshney Comrades (West Marsh Edition) get up to at the start of the week to keep things ship shape

Thanks to my partners in grime today. Jennifer, Muhammed, Maria, Fumika, and Jo 💚

Kev is taking a well deserved break and will be back with us shortly 👍

All litter reported to North East Lincolnshire Council for collection and our pick was recorded on CleanerWalks

09/11/2025

Lets Go Fly A Kite 🦅

I'm so fortunate to have met the acquaintance of these beautiful toerags, as they have come to trust me a little.

Please enjoy the photo's

09/11/2025

Turns out I'm famous at Tebay Services 🤣🤣

At the risk of regurgitating old news, many moons ago, those lovely people at Soda Folk heard about my river exploits, and decided to immortalise my daft head on the can of one of their sodas. By coincidence, it happened to be root beer which is a personal favourite, despite it tasting how Germoline smells 🤣

The best thing is that our river Freshney is mentioned on the side of every can ! How bloomin ace !

Anyway, it crops up for sale in the most random of places and this time it's at Tebay Services. So, if you're a mile north of junction 38 on the M6, come grab me.

09/11/2025

THIS is worth your time 👇👇

Why I love this post from my litterpicking husband:

Zac has an ace way of turning a simple walk and litterpick into a celebration of people, places, and community.
In this post, he not only shares Waltham Windmill and the remembrance tribute, but also champions a local artist, small businesses, and the ongoing effort to care for our environment 💚

Well done Zac, I will run you a hot bath and make your favourite for tea 🤣

Jokes aside, having this guy operate the sweeper position in our town and making a tonne of areas better, is something we should all be mega grateful for ✅️

PickWalks
Keep Britain Tidy

09/11/2025

Check out Marvellous Monty ☺️

Ok, so just to clear things up, the reason I was in this pub car park at 9am was because I’d stopped to answer the phone after a walk, not because I fancied a cheeky breakfast sherry 🤣

Anyway, what greeted me in their humongous car park was a sad sight, McDonald’s litter scattered everywhere 😔

My plan was to pick it up before I left, but a few moments later the landlady came out with her son to tackle the mess with a litter picker and a bag!

Turns out the little litter legend is called Monty, and he joins his mum, Rachel, to tidy the area before they open each day.
I think most of us know it’s no easy task running a successful pub, so seeing that extra care really stood out.

If funds allow, Zac and I like to donate litter picking tools when we can, and hopefully the folding picker from 'Helping Hands' will help Monty keep up his great work, while giving his mum a hand too 💚

Well done, Monty. You deserve our long and uninterrupted applause 👏

Keep Britain Tidy
Helping Hand Environmental
PickWalks
Farmhouse New Waltham

08/11/2025

Peak District Getaway 💚

I've been far too busy this year to enjoy much more than a slack handful of walks in one of my favourite parts of the country, but the stars aligned for this one.
The forecast looked great, Mrs Canoe was taking the nitwits to Go Ape, and my walk husband Adam was free, so off we went 👍

It was a wonderful trudge with some steep inclines and lots of mixed terrain. At 12 miles in this landscape, it took a fair amount of effort, but the scenery more than made up for it 🌳

We circumnavigated Hathersage moor incorporating Burbage rocks, Bolehill Quarry, Higger Tor and the stunning woodland of the Longshaw Estate.

Oh, and one of the best bits? Only two pieces of litter found on the full length of our journey. Bliss !

I hope you enjoy the pics 📸

08/11/2025

This Monday at 1pm Sidney Park

Join me for a community litterpick and a natter with some wonderful people.

Even if you can only spare half an hour, i would love to see you there.

All gear supplied

PickWalks
CleanerWalks