Despite the very un-springlike weather of gusty winds and cold drizzle, nine of us gathered together for the first Leamington Terrace Spring Clean. We had already advertised the date — Saturday 5th February — and decided to persevere with our plan, albeit with some misgivings. The initiative emerged from the GatE group, inspired in part by the leaf clearing project started last autumn by Merchiston Community Council, and we also received expert advice and the loan of street cleaning equipment from Helen, one of the leaf clearing project’s organisers.

We mainly focussed on cleaning the gutters on the west side of the street, which were clogged with wet leaves, rubbish, mud, weeds and a huge amount of grit. Not being very invested in metrics, we failed to count exactly how many bags we filled, but probably around 10 of them, together with a large amount of Christmas tree debris, which went to garden composting bins.

In addition to being able to relish the visible effects of the clean-up, there was a cheerful team atmosphere that we all appreciated. It’s great to meet new neighbours and to get to know others a bit better. And even it was only a small contribution to making the world a better place, there is something very empowering in working together on a communal goal.

If you suffer from FOMO, don’t worry: we will do it again soon! Perhaps it will become a monthly ritual.