Quick and easy dash around the usual three bases for Mr T this afternoon, although Lidl was unexpectedly busy for an early Friday afternoon. This meant more time for chat, and somehow after we'd navigated past causes of shoulder pain, Glasgow Rangers recruitment policy, a man from Fife that Mr T knew from times past , and the intricacies of Welsh rarebit ("Cheese on toast by a fancy name..."), we got onto black and white pudding, both of which the both of us enjoy consuming occasionally. What was worrying was that neither of us knew exactly what was in white pudding...one of those moment where perhaps ignorance is bliss...(turns out it's just black pudding minus the blood).

Ms N moved in a little over a week ago and really needed a lot of help getting things in order. She was really nice and had lots of interesting stories to share. Me and Paul worked well as a duo, processing the boxes in an efficient manner and sorting between kitchen, living room and bedroom things. Paul then started emptying some of the boxes and I folded the cardboard boxes down. Likely that we’ll be needed again to finish the move in.

They had almost all of the items on the shopping list. Ms F was trying to print something urgently but I could only fix half of the problem. Talked about a recent job interview. Appreciate the tea and biscuit as always.

6 GoodGymers braved the chill in Camden last night!

While most Londoners huddled in thick coats one special group were busy with wheelbarrows and shovels and hedge trimmers too.

Assembling at Charlie Ratchford Court alongside the lovely Catherine from Green City Projects, Hannah, Jackie, John, Siobhan, and Steve didn't look cold at all!

No task was too much effort for this crew! Together we:

✅ Removed a tarpaulin sheet from a soon-to-be-planted flower bed

✅ Emptied a GIANT sack of sand into endless wheelbarrows for safe depositing

✅ Emptied another GIANT sack of soil into fresh planters

✅ Cut tens (maybe hundreds..!) of overhanging branches

✅ And more!

It is wonderful seeing what 6 pairs of hands can achieve ❤️

Thank you so much, everyone! Here's to next time!

Today I joined a group of volunteers for a morning of food preparation at the Foodbank. We peeled, chopped and washed many kilograms of carrots and spuds. We chopped crates of cauliflowers and brocolis. We washed and chopped fresh fruit and baked a huge quantity of wholemeal  cookies.

Finally we prepared food boxes with vegetarian curry and rice and boxes with fresh grapes, pineapple and melon.

The boxes were filled with nutritious dishes using donated food that would otherwise have gone to waste.   The charity distribute meals to thousands of people all around London. They feed the homeless & people in need every single day in and around London.  

Today's downpours meant a bit of diligent navigating up and down Tottenham Court Road in a vain attempt to keep the wheels of Mr T's trusty trolley reasonably dry - I discovered (as with many of the best tricks) that a judicious flick of the wrist was effective at getting the trolley to bunny hop it's way over the worst of the ponds.

Mr T is clearly in seasonal mood as the Brussels Sprouts had been added to his leafy vegetable request - I was circumspect as to whether these had made it yet to the shelves of Lidl, but of course I was proved wrong...it's never too early for festive fayre these days.