Bath City Farm is one of our favourite missions without a doubt, with plenty of adventure to be had for all. This Saturday, five eager GoodGymmers headed off to add additional pages to the story of our contribution there. Welcome to newcomers Katrin and Matt, to whom Meyrick warned them that 90% of the time, a GoodGym mission at Bath City Farm involves manure.

We were joined shortly thereafter by Jane, who additional offered similar manure warnings, as did Stephen when he arrived; piling on the manure expectations.

You can imagine our surprise when were were told by our host for the day, Helen, that this occasion was in the 10% of tasks that are non-manure related. I feel there may have been some disappointment in the ranks at this news but Helen did suggest that if wanted manure, she was sure she could find something for us. We demurred.

The task she did have for us was clearing a patch opposite the mini horses and next to the chickens. There was a rather overgrown area that needed to be made more presentable, and cleared of unwanted plants and weeds. I believe the fundamentalist wing of the 'Horse & Chickens Deserve Better Views' had been lobbying the Bath City Farm Parliament for this with clucks and neighs.

There was a lot to do, but we are GOODGYM and we work quick. It was fairly routine with nothing to report, (after all, what happens at Bath City Farm stays at Bath City Farm), but there were some incidents with the Burdock....

We completed the mission, job done. Hopefully this will reduce the clucking and the neighs from those chickens and mini-horses, and allow the ducks to raise their voices, as I know they have a bill to pass...

4 Goodgymers made their way to Bath City farm armed with gardening gloves. Our task should we agree to accept it was to join the alpacas in their enclosure to shovel up their droplets and chop down the nettles and plants.

Task accepted, the team mounted the enclosure (they couldn't find the key!) and began the great British clear up. Watched by passerbys and children visitors they generated 2 wheelbarrows full of weeds and 1 wheelbarrow full of droppings.

Great job team! Although the alpacas were a little disappointed that you didn't feed them :)

There is something very satisfying about digging up weeds to then give them to the pigs to eat. Rather than discarding the weeds; they were very much enjoyed by the pig and her piglets :)

Our task was to weed the beds near the cafe area to make room for the strawberries, gooseberries and rhubarb. We had an hour to clear a small ish section and the time whizzed by and before we knew it; time was up. 2 wheelbarrows full of weeds and the pigs had a lovely lunch.

Another satisfying job done and time for coffee. Life is all about balance so after 1 hour of gardening; we spent an hour in the cafe to catch up and enjoy the refreshments.

Goats, pigs, miniature horses and Goodgymers got together on Saturday for a fun time at the farm.

Loading wheelbarrows full of yummy leftovers of pruned plants to drop off in the goat enclosure for some great underfoot food. Meyrick got inside the goat shelter to lay their hay bedding.

Helen fed the huge pig in the next door enclosure who was eyeing up the hay.

Next job was to load up the wheelbarrows with something much less desirable....manure! Jane, Stephen, Emily and Meyrick wheel their manure down to the horse enclosure only to find out that the farm had mislaid the key for the gate! So one by one, they lifted the wheelbarrows of muck over the gates being careful not to get covered! Then off down to the vegetable garden to deposit the manure for the vegetable growers!

Another job done for the lovely team at the farm followed by an enjoying cafe stop for some refreshments :)

It was the morning of Storm Kathleen, and although she was a safe distance away from Bath the weather was gusty and epic.

Three GoodGymmers showed up looking windswept and interesting to our now regular slot at Bath City Farm to help, with our usual gusto and enthusiasm. Aaron Aaron, Jane Jane and Meyrick Meyrick arrived to what was a hectic and incredibly busy Farm.

A multitude of families had showed up to what we learned was Bath City Farm's Spring Fayre, replete with stalls providing home grown goods and fun (splat the rat, face painting and chicken run for example) and I'm not sure they had been prepared for how popular the day was going to be.

As a result, their ability to provide us with work to do was somewhat impaired, but we helped where we could. Our timing was quite handy though, they were just about to pack up (the Fayre having been running since early morning), so we mucked in and helped clear up where we could.

We were also, with time remaining, able to fully water one of their polytunnels before we left. Many thanks to the team for being proactive to find work despite the fact that all the staff were too busy to supervise is as they normally would.

But that's what we do isn't it?

This morning's snow had all but melted by early afternoon when we arrived at the farm.

The thaw made it mucky under foot - when isn't it muddy at the farm..? But undaunted we set about tending to some of the farm's residents.

First we visited the goats. To refresh their hay for snacking, and also to lay some bark chips around by the entrance to their pen, which was getting rather overrun with aforementioned mud.

Also we visited the chickens, whose home likewise needed some TLC. The weight of the snow had brought down the netting roof of their enclosure, and Meyrick and I set about removing the netting.

And then we adjouned to the farm's cafe for a nice cup of coffee and/or beverage of your choice.