Email account We supported with a email account and how to add contacts. We also supported zooming in and out of emails so email content could be read.

We helped to set up the Samsung tv and connected all of the apps to the tv so they could watch different programmes on different apps e.g itv, bbc player, channel 5, YouTube,

A sniper/spotter team is a force multiplier - a small team that, through use of special tactics, can do the damage of a much larger force. A sniper's primary role is reconnaissance. The spotter's primary role is protecting the sniper. The relationship between a sniper and their spotter is very important. First and foremost, the two depend on each other for survival.
- Sniper and Spotter Operational Guide

Mr C had suffered a stroke a year and a half ago, and has been bedbound since then. He used to help his wife Mrs J tend to their garden in Isleworth, which she had designed and kept in shape for 35 years. After Mr C's stroke, the couple's life was never the same. Neither was the garden. It became overgrown and hard to maintain. The tools started to feel heavier, the plants felt outright hostile. When Mrs J recently tried to cut back a thorny wild plum tree on her own, a branch with a large spike had fallen on her arm, piercing a blood vessel in a horrific display. The lady didn't want to give up, but felt overwhelmed.

"It is a jungle." - Mrs J.

Kash wouldn't agree with that. She had seen worse. Like a wall of brambles, for example. Or a field of bindweed. Mr C's and Mrs J's garden was nothing like that. But the trees grew high up, and Kash wasn't sure yet how to attack them.

"Do you have a ladder?" - Kash.

The ladder Mrs J produced wasn't sturdy at all, and Kash didn't have a spotter to remediate that. Kash hadn't been a lone wolf her entire life, but was on this Friday morning. Mrs J had a solution to that: a long-reach pruner. Kash asked for a quick overview of the tool, as she had used a similar one only twice before. She quickly recalled how to wield it and felt like a sniper targeting branches high in the sky. But she could still use a spotter.

The pruner's mechanism to lock the pole at a desired position didn't work, so Mrs J found a screw to block it, but it fell out after two cuts. Kash couldn't find it, perhaps due to her imperfect eyesight, and concluded a good spotter would certainly locate the screw. Instead, she found a hook which blocked the mechanism quite reliably.

"Did you see a cat here? " - Mrs J.
"Yes, it went that way. Is it your cat?" - Kash

Mrs J told Kash about the two cats she had adopted from Greece, and Kash in return shared that she used to have a Cypriot cat. While Kash cut and bagged the spiky branches falling from the sky, Mrs J told her about travels to wonderful islands full of ancient ruins. It's been a really good chat and time flew by.

Sniper's secondary role is High Value Targets or HVT. A spotter's secondary role is spotting.
- Sniper and Spotter Operational Guide

Kash has cut all the thinner branches she could reach with the pruner without stepping on the wobbly ladder. Then Mrs J spotted a thick branch that was a perfect candidate to take out. A real HVT.

"Do you have a saw?" - Kash.

Mrs J had two saws indeed, and Kash chose the longer one, which had never been used. But she needed to climb the ladder, and, more importantly, she needed a spotter. Mrs J offered to hold the ladder, and Kash took out the branch without falling. That was a huge win in the battle with the wild plum tree.

"That was a beast!" - Mrs J.

The sniper and spotter cut the beasty branches to pack away, then Kash pruned a few more thinner ones. The time was soon up, and Kash had to go. The victory over the thick branch gave Mrs J hope that the garden could be tamed with some help. Mr C was grateful for the help, even though he couldn't go and see the garden. Mrs J made a promise to herself that she'd take Mr C there at the nearest opportunity.

Small committee tonight probably due to no cake day 😅😅🎂🎂. Of course not : holiday period so people are away or busy. Some of us did a small run the Harvard Hill, shortly to be joined by the walkers feon various locations. Tonight's task was to do some weeding but also some litterpicking. we found loads of empty cat food containers hidden in the bushes : the local seem to be having a feast. During the task there was a long funny conversation around badger as Augustin mentionned he spotted one after our race last Friday in Bushy Park. Did he really see a badger or was it something else. 🤔 Then it went to translating into French and depending on the tool you use you get different words like Badger(with a French accent) or Blaireau which is also a familiar or slang word in French. We all had a good laugh and did good progress with the weeding and litterpicking. Can you spot the badger in the group photo?🦡🦡

My second visit to Mrs P, having changed some light bulbs for her a couple of months ago. Today's task turned out to be straightforward: assembling a new TV stand so that Mrs P can better enjoy her new TV.

Taking the time for once to read the instructions carefully, I was able to assemble the stand relatively quickly, with only a single ill-fitting washer left over at the end.

Finished off by removing the old stand and packaging and a quick hoover of the living room floor to remove any last little bits of polystyrene, leaving Mrs P very happy with her new TV setup.

A mega turnout for GoodGym Hounslow on Wednesday evening - clearly everyone was very excited for Lucy to lead the group run! Or maybe something else was bumping up the numbers?

Welcoming the group, including John and Jacqueline from Camden who were visiting, we warmed up (not that we needed it with the heatwave), and made our way to Strand on The Green School. Claire from the school had a quartet of tasks lined up for our masse of GoodGymmers, and under Lucy’s leadership, the group split into four to take on each of the jobs.

Emily & Eloise were joined by Michelle and Leticia to touch up the paint job around the picket fencing on the children’s playground, but also a good excuse for a catch up over brush strokes, as Tish was back visiting from the far South West. Once a Hounslow GoodGymmer, always a Hounslow GoodGymmer!

The second group were made up of four of the biggest, bravest and strongest of the gang: Jonathan, Kash, Ariane and Augustin. They stepped up to the challenge of moving heavy and bulky wooden blocks and boards up the winding stairs and to one of the outdoor classrooms upstairs. A couple of ‘pivot PIVOT’s later, and some flexing from Kash (she’s a MACHINE), the goods were moved from A to B.

Group three were team weeding; clearing the overgrowth around the sides of the paths, which was made all the nicer by being perfectly in the golden hour sunlight. Kymm, John, Jacqueline and Maxime got to it, whilst the final group with the rest of the rapscallions made their way back to the entrance gates to take on some overgrown bushes. Chris, Matt, Steph Ducat, Alan, Breda, Jon and Florian armed themselves with choppers, before being joined by Bethan and Divya with brooms and tarpaulin, and started to attack the out of control shrubbery and move the cuttings into the waste skip.

With such bumper numbers, we smashed the tasks out the bag tonight. There was even some time for games (Matt had found a cow whilst bush bashing, and Steph almost a complete building bricks set!), and more importantly a fashion show from our very stylish Gus. He proved that sometimes fashion is fast, when you’re as efficient at completing good deeds as him.

We tidied up, took a group snap and Claire waved us off into the sunset to make our way back to the Town Hall. Once we’d had a cool down, it was off to the Packhorse for a very special post-task pub session.

Our fantastic turn out might have had something to do with the fact that we had Emily & Eloise helping out, and for Emily, it will be her last official good deed for a while, as she is due to have a baby girl next week! Eloise (& I should say Matt too!) are following suit with their little bundle of joy coming in September.

In true GoodGym Hounslow style, we wanted to give our Mumma’s to be a proper send off. So much so that even friends that couldn’t make the task had come for the celebrations! GoodGymmers are known for doing good and getting fit, but we decided to add a dash of creative flair into the mix. A handful of the gang had been squirrelling around, and meeting up to learn how to knit (or in Remy’s case, take out her emotions onto 23 little crocheted squares). Holly had led our contrive, and had somehow made all our little stitched squares into two beautiful baby blankets for the impending arrivals.

Presenting the soon-to-be parents with home made gifts really did show us what GoodGym is all about. The community, the friendships, and of course, the cake (deliciously made by Michelle).

Emily - we all wish you the best with the future and your new little bundle of joy. Eloise & Matt - we will see you next week at GoodGym, where Steph is leading our task to Harvard Hill! We can’t wait to meet the newest members of our GoodGym family.

And that's a wrap! After an amazing month of July with the bandstand session on, every Saturday at Watermans Park, it is now a wrap until next year.

Today, as ever, was a great success with a great turnout in both attendance and artists to go on stage. Countless artists of many different spectrum, ages, stage proficiencies and of quite impressive quality overall, I must say!

Following a 2-hour session of bathing in the music for Gus and Emma and a slightly shorter one for Kash who stepped out quickly to do another mission, all the bands had gone, the DJ was finishing his set, it was therefore time to pack up.

Pull down. Fold up. (Hug???) Carry down. Stack up. Rinse and repeat.

Passing by a few fashion show moments from drapping the Goodgymer to (literally) walking the carpet, it was soon a job well done and time for a selfie in front of our beautiful Tetris work.

Until next year Waterman's Park July Bandstand sessions!